The Alzheimer’s Association reported that more than 5 million people in the United States suffer from Alzheimer’s. Although the condition mostly affects adults age 65 years and above, about 5% of Alzheimer’s disease patients are diagnosed in their early 40s and 50s. Alzheimer’s is a brain condition that slowly affects reasoning, memory, and other intellectual abilities.
An individual may experience one or more of the following symptoms if he or she has Alzheimer’s:
Memory loss: This is most common sign of Alzheimer’s disease. Individuals with Alzheimer’s are more likely to forget recently learned information which can ultimately disrupt their daily life. They tend to forget important dates or events (like birthdays), and they have a tendency to ask the same questions over and over again. Alzheimer’s patients increasingly rely on their family members or memory aids (e.g. electronic gadgets or reminder notes), to help with their day-to-day tasks.
Difficulty planning or solving problems: Individuals with Alzheimer’s may also experience difficulty developing and following plans or working with numbers. For example, following a recipe or keeping track of monthly bills may be hard for them to do. They may also experience difficulty in concentrating and have to spend more time than usual, completing simple tasks.
Difficulty understanding time and dates: Individuals that have Alzheimer’s disease sometimes lose track of the passage of time, dates, and seasons. If an event or occasion is not happening immediately, they may experience difficulty in understanding it. They sometimes forget where they are and how they even got there.
Impaired vision: Alzheimer’s disease has been known to cause problems with visual. For example, Alzheimer’s patients may find it difficult to drive because they cannot easily read road signs, judge the distance of other cars, or determine color or contrast.
Difficulty writing or conversing: An individual with Alzheimer’s disease may experience problems when joining or following a discussion. For instance, they may repeat themselves during a discussion or stop in the middle of a discussion because they lose track of their thoughts. They sometimes struggle with vocabulary, call things by the wrong name (like calling a car, a truck), or have problems finding the right choice of words.
Poor judgment: An individual with Alzheimer’s disease may experience a significant change in their decision-making or judgment ability. This is most common when dealing with money. They also have a hard time with self-care practices such as bathing or getting dressed.
Withdrawing from people and social activities: Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease may start to distance themselves from family and friends and lost interest in work, hobbies or social activities. This is largely because the task of socializing has become difficult due to memory loss and confusion.
RPI Therapy Services provides quality care for senior patients who suffer from Alzheimer’s and experience the various symptoms associated with the disease. For more information on our memory care services, click HERE.