Did you remember that September is World Alzheimer’s Month?

September 11 was the ten-year anniversary of 9/11. Anniversaries are about remembering. There’s one anniversary on September 21 that’s all about forgetting. That one is World Alzheimer’s Day. A day to remember, a month to remember for the millions of people who can’t.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder that damages and eventually destroys brain cells, leading to loss of memory, thinking and other brain functions. There are many stories about elderly parents getting lost on walks, forgetting simple things, faces and family members.

How do you properly diagnose Alzheimer’s disease? There are many signs in Alzheimer’s disease detection and proper diagnosis isn’t easy. There’s no definitive test for Alzheimer’s and other tests are usually performed to rule out other medical conditions. The first thing doctors do is ask patients questions and fill out questionnaires that are used to assess memory and thinking. This helps to see if signs of Alzheimer’s are present or if it flags another type of brain disease. Second, doctors order a variety of tests that evaluate mental functions.

This past April, the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association released revised guidelines for the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease that divide it into three phases.
The preclinical stage: No symptoms yet, but changes have occurred in the brain that might result in symptoms later on.
Mild cognitive impairment stage: Detections in thinking start to surface, like difficulty learning new information. People live relatively normal lives.
The final stage: Dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease.

The new guidelines emphasize testing that measures changes in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease. They include positron emission therapy (PET) scans of the brain. Most experts believe that accumulations of a protein called beta-amyloid in the brain indicate Alzheimer’s disease. The problem lies in the fact that 30% of people who test positive for beta-amyloid have no cognitive impairments, and additional factors may be needed for Alzheimer’s to develop. So, as I stated earlier, proper diagnosis isn’t easy.

The new guidelines might influence how doctors think about Alzheimer’s disease, but it’s not clear whether elaborate and expensive diagnosis would have a meaningful effect on Alzheimer’s treatment. The current drugs that are available to treat people with Alzheimer’s are modestly effective and simply put; the drugs don’t stop the disease process-taking place in the brain.

That’s not encouraging news for people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s because none of the drugs aimed at slowing down this disease have worked. The good news is that the new guidelines could lead to earlier detection. And, experts hope that this will lead to clinical trials, involving people at earlier stages, when drugs and other interventions may be more effective.

So, what can you do? Get informed, get involved, and wear purple. Just like the color pink signifies breast cancer awareness, purple is the color to show support and awareness for Alzheimer’s disease. I’ve included a link for World Alzheimer’s Month so you can get more informed: http://www.alz.org/wam/wam.asp

My goal is to direct you to get the help you need with Alzheimer’s disease or any other acute or chronic illness with which your loved one may be coping. We offer you and your family peace of mind by offering you the best care there is. There is so much to gain and so much to lose by hiring the wrong people.

Did you know that Serving Seniors has been recognized as one of 30 Fellow Certified Geriatric Care Managers in the USA as recognized by the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers. I welcome your comments to our posts. Let me know your thoughts and areas of interest and I’ll write on those topics.

Thanks,
Diane