What is Alzheimer’s Disease – About Alzheimer’s
Definition of Alzheimer’s Disease
What is Alzheimer’s disease? The most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurological disease that leads to a loss of cognitive abilities, including memory and reasoning, which can result in the impediment of social functioning.
The American Heritage Medical Dictionary defines Alzheimer’s disease as: a degenerative disease of the brain, characterized by clumps of neurofibrils and microscopic brain lesions and by confusion, disorientation, memory failure, and speech disturbances, and resulting in progressive loss of mental capacity.
About Alzheimer’s Disease
What causes the disease is currently unknown, which has made it more difficult to discover a cure for Alzheimer’s. This degenerative disease is fatal and no cure for Alzheimer’s has yet been found; however, there are ways to slow the advance of the symptoms and help patients cope.
Although early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease can be misinterpreted as the result of the aging process, it is not a part of typical aging. The disease begins with short term memory loss and progresses to include symptoms such as confusion, mood swings, language troubles, physical difficulties, and aggression.
We have provided information on the Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease so that you will know what to look for.
History of Alzheimer’s Disease
The name Alzheimer’s comes from Aloysius Alzhemier, a German neuropathologist and psychiatrist who was the first to identify the disease and tracks its progression. After he performed the first autopsy with the purpose of exploring the disease he discovered that the brain had shrunken considerably and found amyloid plaques and neurofribrillary tangles in the brain, two hallmarks of the disease that are still used in diagnosis today.
Because of Aloysius Alzhemier’s discovery, we are now able to better diagnose and as a result, care for those with Alzheimer’s disease. Sadly, there is no cure for this disease, but the more we educate ourselves about this disease and the more people share their experiences with the world, the closer we will come to ending the pain of Alzhemier’s disease. Although this is the best case scenario, in the present we are looking for the best options to care for people with Alzhemier’s and related diseases. People with Alzhemier’s disease deserve to feel needed and to rediscover their sense of purpose. Each stage of Alzhemier’s is different and at each stage we can help to re-evaluate a person’s abilities and interests and allow them to feel fulfilled and give them the opportunity to enjoy what they can in the present.
What We Can Do To Help:
Using a Montessori approach focuses on the person behind the disease allowing for an environment that is conducive to reducing responsive behaviours of the disease such as repetitive questioning , anxiety and constant request for attention. By providing individualized activities that caters to the needs and interests of each person, Dementia Support improves the quality of life of the person living with this disease. Our kits and curriculum easily help any caregiver from long term care to individuals at home on how to engage and keep a person with dementia busy and engaged in LIFE!
Contact us for more information about how to get your Montessori activities.
