Alzheimer’s Disease
Thursday, April 26, 2007

Alzheimer's disease not only affects the person who has the disease, it affects the entire family.  The demands of caring for a spouse or parent with Alzheimer's can be physically, emotionally and financially draining. Dr. Ken Davis explains more about Alzheimer’s disease in today’s Sixty Second Housecall.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive condition that damages areas of the brain involved in memory, intelligence, judgment, language and behavior.

Alzheimer's disease affects not only memory, but also behavior, personality, ability to think and the ability to function from day to day.

People suffering from early stages of Alzheimer's disease may suffer from memory loss, get confused about what day it is or get lost in familiar places.

There are new diagnostic and treatment modalities for Alzheimer’s disease, but there is no cure.  Families provide most of the daily care needs of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.  This care includes ensuring that the person is in a safe, healthy environment; providing basic care and assistance with eating, dressing, bathing, using the bathroom and other daily activities.

Hallucinations, delusions and paranoia are common in patients with Azheimer’s dementia. Some people become verbally or physically aggressive or abusive.  Medications can be used to treat behavior problems when other approaches have not worked.

For North Mississippi Medical Center, I’m Dr. Ken Davis.