NOV celebrates Alzheimer’s Awareness Month

IMAGE – BRIGHT FOCUS FOUNDATION

November celebrates National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month in the United States, there are more than 15 million Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers. We want to send these exceptional people a big “thank you” for everything they do.

Alzheimer Disease International (ADI), was founded in 1984 to help to fight Alzheimer’s disease that was first diagnosed back in 1906. In the present, ADI has grown as an international organization that also runs the Alzheimer University to help volunteers and staff of other Alzheimer Associations to develop the maximum capacity in their organization, and diminish the increasing population suffering from dementia, which is estimated to reach the toll of 80 million people worldwide by 2040.

The president of ADI is the Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, daughter of the actress Rita Hayworth, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 1981.

This one minute welcome video for the I Have Alzheimer’s website, features individuals living with early-stage Alzheimer’s. They describe how the site helped them answer the many questions they had, such as what to expect as the disease progresses, support resources available , how to live day-to-day and how to plan ahead.

Alzheimer’s symptoms vary.

The 7 stages below provide a general idea of how abilities change during the course of the disease.

Stage 1: No impairment – The person does not experience any memory problems. An interview with a medical professional does not show any evidence of symptoms of dementia.

Stage 2: Very mild decline – Very mild cognitive decline (may be normal age-related changes or earliest signs of Alzheimer’s disease)
The person may feel as if he or she is having memory lapses — forgetting familiar words or the location of everyday objects. But no symptoms of dementia can be detected during a medical examination or by friends, family or co-workers.

Stage 3: Mild decline – Mild cognitive decline (early-stage Alzheimer’s can be diagnosed in some, but not all, individuals with these symptoms)
Friends, family or co-workers begin to notice difficulties. During a detailed medical interview, doctors may be able to detect problems in memory or concentration.

Common stage 3 difficulties include:

• Noticeable problems coming up with the right word or name
• Trouble remembering names when introduced to new people
• Having noticeably greater difficulty performing tasks in social or work settings Forgetting material that one has just read
• Losing or misplacing a valuable object
• Increasing trouble with planning or organizing

Stage 4: Moderate decline – Moderate cognitive decline (Mild or early-stage Alzheimer’s disease). At this point, a careful medical interview should be able to detect clear-cut symptoms in several areas:

• Forgetfulness of recent events
• Impaired ability to perform challenging mental arithmetic — for example, counting backward from 100 by 7s
• Greater difficulty performing complex tasks, such as planning dinner for guests, paying bills or managing finances
• Forgetfulness about one’s own personal history
• Becoming moody or withdrawn, especially in socially or mentally challenging situations

Stage 5: Moderately severe decline – Moderately severe cognitive decline (Moderate or mid-stage Alzheimer’s disease). Gaps in memory and thinking are noticeable, and individuals begin to need help with day-to-day activities.

At this stage, those with Alzheimer’s may:

• Be unable to recall their own address or telephone number or the high school or college from which they graduated
• Become confused about where they are or what day it is
• Have trouble with less challenging mental arithmetic; such as counting backward from 40 by subtracting 4s or from 20 by 2s
• Need help choosing proper clothing for the season or the occasion
• Still remember significant details about themselves and their family
• Still require no assistance with eating or using the toilet

Stage 6: Severe decline – Severe cognitive decline (Moderately severe or mid-stage Alzheimer’s disease). Memory continues to worsen, personality changes may take place and individuals need extensive help with daily activities.

At this stage, individuals may:

• Lose awareness of recent experiences as well as of their surroundings
• Remember their own name but have difficulty with their personal history
• Distinguish familiar and unfamiliar faces but have trouble remembering the name of a spouse or caregiver
• Need help dressing properly and may, without supervision, make mistakes such as putting pajamas over daytime clothes or shoes on the wrong feet
• Experience major changes in sleep patterns — sleeping during the day and becoming restless at night
• Need help handling details of toileting (for example, flushing the toilet, wiping or disposing of tissue properly)
• Have increasingly frequent trouble controlling their bladder or bowels
• Experience major personality and behavioral changes, including suspiciousness and delusions (such as believing that their caregiver is an impostor)or compulsive, repetitive behavior like hand-wringing or tissue shredding
• Tend to wander or become lost

Stage 7: Very severe decline – Very severe cognitive decline (Severe or late-stage Alzheimer’s disease)

In the final stage of this disease, individuals lose the ability to respond to their environment, to carry on a conversation and, eventually, to control movement. They may still say words or phrases.

At this stage, individuals need help with much of their daily personal care, including eating or using the toilet. They may also lose the ability to smile, to sit without support and to hold their heads up. Reflexes become abnormal. Muscles grow rigid. Swallowing impaired.

The late stage of Alzheimer’s disease may last from several weeks to several years.  As the disease advances, intensive, around-the-clock care is usually required.

WHAT TO EXPECT

 

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WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION – Overview

The report “Dementia: a public health priority” has been jointly developed by WHO and Alzheimer’s Disease International. The purpose of this report is to raise awareness of dementia as a public health priority, to articulate a public health approach and to advocate for action at international and national levels.

Dementia is a syndrome that affects memory, thinking, behaviour and ability to perform everyday activities. The number of people living with dementia worldwide is currently estimated at 35.6 million. This number will double by 2030 and more than triple by 2050. Dementia is overwhelming not only for the people who have it, but also for their caregivers and families. There is lack of awareness and understanding of dementia in most countries, resulting in stigmatization, barriers to diagnosis and care, and impacting caregivers, families and societies physically, psychologically and economically.

The report is expected to facilitate governments, policy-makers, and other stakeholders to address the impact of dementia as an increasing threat to global health. It is hoped that the report will promote dementia as a public health and social care priority worldwide. REPORT IN CHINESE