alzheimer

The Many Sides of Treating The Alzheimer’s Patient

Those who suffer with Alzheimer’s disease have both cognitive and behavioral symptoms that necessitate many sides of treating the individual who has the disease. Treatment may involve many sides because the patient will have many different needs as they go through each stage of the disease. There are medications and non-medicated methods that can address the cognitive and behavioral symptoms that are experienced and that worsen over time. Treatment may include medications, non-medicated methods, therapeutic activities, educating the individual, family and close friends, diet, exercise and making the patient comfortable and safe by modifying the home so that it is more Alzheimer-friendly.

When treating a patient with Alzheimer’s the treatment plan will need to address the cognitive symptoms, behavioral symptoms, traditional medicated treatments, alternative treatments, being able to monitor carefully the progression of the symptoms, educating the patient, family and close friends as well as educating and caregivers. Care must be coordinated between all involved parties and end-of-life decisions must be made and incorporated into the treatment plan.

The cognitive symptoms of the disease are treated with cholinesterace inhibitors and NMDA receptor antagonists and sometimes vitamin E supplements. Commonly prescribed cholinesterase inhibitors include donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine.

Another drug used to treat Alzheimer’s is memantine, which is an uncompetitive low-to-moderate affinity N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist.

The behavioral symptoms of the disease are treated with non-drug therapies and strategies such as taking steps to identify the problem behavior, changing the living arrangements to be less disruptive, to monitor behavior and educate individuals living with them what to expect and how to monitor the behavior and how to safeguard the individual and all other parties living with them. Other therapies include redirecting the attention of the individual, simplifying tasks and daily routines of the individual, encourage the individual to take frequent rests and to see to the safety of the individual and all involved by installing safety locks and gates, removing all guns or knives from the environment and reducing the risk for fire by installing and monitoring closely smoke alarms and monitor usage of stove.

Alternative treatments that have been explored by the scientific and medical communities have been Gingo biloba, Huperzine A, Omega-3 fatty acids, Coenzyme Q10, phosphatidylserine, and coral calcium.

The caregiver must be involved in the treatment plan design, and in implementing the treatment plan because it is the caregiver who must be responsible to implementing the plan.

The doctor is an intricate part of the treatment plan not only because he/she designs it but also because it takes a real commitment to understand, and to stay on top of the changes concerning Alzheimer’s disease. The treatment plan must understandably change as the symptoms worsen.

Tags: treating alzheimers, coenzyme q10, huperzine, coral calcium, alzheimers

Know The Most Common Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

Do you know that there are common warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease that you could be on the look out for as you and your loved ones age? It is important to recognize these signs early because the sooner treatment begins the better your chance to delay the progression of the disease. The signs of Alzheimer’s include cognitive and mood issues as well as changes in behavior.

If an individual experiences memory loss that affects the way they are able to perform daily tasks they should take notice. We all occasionally forget where we put our car keys or we forget an appointment; these things become significant when the signs affect our safety or the safety of others. When an individual is experiencing a sign of Alzheimer’s disease they forget things more often and tend to not remember then later on especially if the item they have forgot is a recent event.

The person with Alzheimer’s disease may also experience difficulty-performing tasks that have been familiar to them such as forgetting to turn off the stove, or how to clear a table and place leftovers where they belong.

Individuals who have Alzheimer’s may also have language difficulties such as having trouble coming up with the right word during the course of a conversation or forget simple words that have familiar in the recent past.

The person who has Alzheimer’s may have difficulty knowing what day of the week it is or have difficulty where they are going when out for a walk. Individuals with Alzheimer’s can easily become lost on their own street even if they have lived there for most of their adult life. Alzheimer patients can become disoriented, confused or not remember where they are and how to get home.

Someone with Alzheimer’s disease may not know what day of the week it is, or where he or she are (state, city).

You may discover that a person with Alzheimer’s will be wearing a heavy winter coat on a hot summer day, or forget to eat meals or take medications.

Individuals with Alzheimer’s have a great deal of difficulty dealing with complex tasks like balancing a checkbook.

We all can from time to time put things in really silly places when we become distracted such as putting the ice-cream in the dish cupboard when your child is distracting you as you put the groceries away; but a person with Alzheimer’s start to consistently put things in inappropriate places.

Someone with Alzheimer’s may have drastic changes in mood or behavior such as a person who is typically mild-mannered and timid may become aggressive and loud. They may become easily fearful or anxious. They can become suspicious, confused even withdrawn. 

Tags: signs of alzheimers disease, alzheimers