Help Available For Those Affected By Alzheimer's Disease
Help Available For Those Affected By Alzheimerâs Disease
By Kaaren Valenta
Alzheimerâs disease is rapidly becoming one of the major health issues in America. Currently there are approximately four million Americans who have Alzheimerâs disease and as the population ages, the number is expected to reach 14 million by the year 2050.
 âThe greatest risk for developing Alzheimerâs disease is age,â said Trudy Brady, coordinator of caregiver services for the Connecticut chapter of the Alzheimerâs Association. âAt age 85, the odds are almost 50-50 that you will develop Alzheimerâs disease.
Ms Brady spoke at the Newtown Senior Center recently about the issues involved in the early stages of Alzheimerâs disease as well as resources and support services for those who have the disease and for their caregivers.
Currently there is no cure for Alzheimerâs disease, but there is hope, Ms Brady said.
âThere is a lot of research going on. There are three medications to help stabilize the disease, and within a year it is expected that there will be a new medication that will help reverse some of the effects of the disease. It wonât prevent it, but it may help cure it,â she said.
Alzheimerâs is a disease of the brain that causes a steady decline in memory. It is a form of dementia, a loss of intellectual function ââ thinking, remembering, and reasoning ââ severe enough to interfere with everyday life.
Alzheimerâs disease usually begins gradually, Ms Brady said, initially causing a person to forget recent events and experience difficulties performing familiar tasks.
âIf someone has been cooking for 40 years and suddenly they forget how to boil the pasta, that can be a sign,â Ms Brady said. âBut confusion, personality or behavior changes, and impaired judgment also can be side effects from a severe infection or depression, not necessarily Alzheimerâs disease so it is important to have a medical diagnosis. More than 40 percent of dementia is due to reversible medical conditions.â
Diagnosis is through a five-part process that includes a blood test, MRI scan, family history, questioning the patient (âWho is President of the United States?â), and determining whether other physical problems could be causing the symptoms.
Once it is determined that a loved one has Alzheimerâs disease, there are places to go for help.
âThe Alzheimerâs Association will help caregivers find support groups and educational groups,â Ms Brady said.
âBeing a caregiver is a 24/7 job,â she said. âIt is just like having a child.â
To assist caregivers, the State Department of Social Services has funded a statewide respite care program, which is operated in partnership with the Alzheimerâs Association chapters of Connecticut and the Connecticut Area Agencies on Aging. The program offers daytime or overnight relief for caregivers of individuals with Alzheimerâs or related dementias. The respite care services include adult day care, services of a home health aide, homemaker/companion, skilled nursing care, or short-term nursing care.
The Alzheimerâs Association offers $500 to those families with no income restrictions. The state program provides $3,500 for those whose incomes are less than $30,000 a year and who have less than $80,000 in liquid assets, not including a house and car.
âThe Area Agency on Aging in Waterbury will help caregivers access this program,â Ms Brady said.
One question that caregivers frequently ask is how to communicate with someone who is forgetful or uncooperative.
âLook directly at the person, call them by name, and keep it simple,â Ms Brady said. âIf the person thinks it is 1930, ask yourself whether it is necessary to correct them. Is what they believe dangerous? If not, why fight that battle? Decide what is important and what do you let go of.â
One of the prevalent and potentially dangerous behaviors common among persons affected by dementia is wandering. A person can become lost, even in familiar settings.
The Alzheimerâs Association has a Safe Return Program, a nationwide program that assists in the identification and safe, timely return of individuals with Alzheimerâs disease and related dementias who wander and become lost. To enroll someone in the program, now in its tenth year, call toll free 888-572-8566.
âWe have trained the police, fire personnel, and EMTs [emergency medical technicians] regarding this program,â Ms Brady said. âThere has been an 80 percent return rate, usually within two hours.
âSometimes the solution is as simple as putting a bolt lock at the top or bottom of the door where the person [with Alzheimerâs disease] wonât notice it.â
The disease can affect persons as young as their 30s, which is very difficult for the spouse and the children, she said.
The Alzheimerâs Association has a hotline that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays, to assist caregivers find the resources they need: 800-356-5502.
Each person who has Alzheimerâs disease or dementia is different, Ms Brady said. âSome become argumentative and donât sleep, others become so quiet and sweet but are couch potatoes.
 âRemember that they are doing the best they can ââ itâs the illness that is the problem,â she said.
The Connecticut chapter of the Alzheimerâs Association, located in Hartford, can be reached at 860-956-9560.