Learn the basics about Alzheimer’s disease in this article from the Iowa home care experts.
Facing symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in a senior loved one raises a wide range of questions: Is it really Alzheimer’s, or could it be another type of dementia? What causes Alzheimer’s? What treatment options are available? And how is it diagnosed, anyway? With our extensive experience in providing care for individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s, Advanced Home Health Care has collected responses to some of the most frequent questions we receive:
- What may cause Alzheimer’s?
Scientists don’t yet fully realize what causes Alzheimer’s disease. However, chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, diet, exercise, and level of socialization might have an effect on whether or not an individual develops Alzheimer’s. - Just what is the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia?
Dementia is the symptom and Alzheimer’s is the cause of the symptom. In essence, an individual can have dementia without it being Alzheimer’s disease, such as the dementia linked to a head injury, Parkinson’s, a stroke or vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia or Lewy body disease. Some forms of dementia may be treatable, but most are degenerative and will worsen over time. - How is Alzheimer’s disease clinically determined?
At the present time, only an autopsy can definitively affirm the presence of Alzheimer’s disease. However, medical professionals can correctly diagnose Alzheimer’s disease about 90 percent of the time with mental and behavioral symptoms, a physical evaluation, blood tests, urinalysis and neuropsychological tests. - Are there remedies available for Alzheimer’s?
There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, but there are medicines that can help to regulate some symptoms such as depression, aggression or hallucinations. Some drugs, however, may possibly react negatively with other Alzheimer’s medicines as well as worsen other symptoms of the disease. It is important to talk through the best medicinal options and plan of care with your or your loved one’s doctor. Furthermore, many Alzheimer’s symptoms are brought on by non-medical triggers which can often be managed without the use of medications. If the trigger can be pinpointed, the person’s environment can be altered to change the behavior.
Providing care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s can be overwhelming. Advanced Home Health Care’s fully trained and caring staff offer a wide range of options to help you, including much needed respite care to allow you time to rest and to focus on spending quality time with your loved one, leaving the more repetitive tasks to us. We’re helping a number of families navigate the path of Alzheimer’s by providing memory care in Burlington, IA and the surrounding areas. We would love to help your family, too. Contact us online or give us a call us at 800.791.7785 to learn more about our services.
