Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month

To raise awareness, the Alzheimer’s Association has named June Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month.

Worldwide 55 million people are living with Alzheimer’s, and the more people know about this disease, the more action will be inspired. Here at Sunways, we are wearing our purple in June to help raise awareness.

What Is Alzheimer’s disease? 

• Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia.
• It is a progressive disease beginning with mild memory loss and possibly leading to loss of the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to the environment.
• Alzheimer’s disease involves parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language.
• It can seriously affect a person’s ability to carry out daily activities.

(Source: CDC)

Who does it impact?

• Mostly develops in people after the age of 65
• The number of people living with the disease doubles every 5 years beyond age 65.
• Less common in younger people, but when it happens before 65 it is called early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease.
• Women – There are about twice as many women as men over 65 with Alzheimer’s disease. Reasons could be women on average live longer than men, or it could be linked to the loss of the hormone estrogen after menopause.

What are early warning signs?

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 10 early warning signs include:

1. Memory loss gets in the way of normal life and activities. Examples include forgetting important dates or recently learned dates.
2. Unable to follow a plan or solve a problem. Some people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s find it hard to execute an agreed-on plan and if there is an obstacle often can’t solve it like they normally would.
3. Normal tasks are difficult to complete. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s patients may find a task that once was so familiar like going to the grocery store is now hard to complete.
4. Confusion about the day, time, and place.
5. Unable to recall words. Someone in the early stages of Alzheimer’s may not be able to recall a familiar object and must describe it instead.
6. Have trouble interpreting spatial distances. In the early stages, Alzheimer’s patients may have a difficult time seeing contrasting colors and vision impairment can obstruct driving.
7. Misplacing things and unable to retrace steps. A person in the early stages of Alzheimer’s may place their car keys in the freezer, and not be able to remember opening the freezer.
8. Less disciplined than normal. People in the early stages of Alzheimer’s may make irrational money decisions or forget to groom themselves to their normal standards.
9. Avoiding social outings. Even the most extroverted person may experience withdrawal symptoms in the early stages of Alzheimer’s.
10. Personality and mood changes. An early sign of someone with Alzheimer’s is sudden mood changes, perhaps becoming more irritable and irrational.

It can be hard to distinguish normal signs of aging versus early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Check out our article here for more information about what is normal versus what should be concerning.

What to do if you suspect a loved one is showing symptoms?

We recommend seeing a doctor if you or your loved one is seeing any of these symptoms. An important part of diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease is being able to explain your symptoms. The Mayo Clinic recommends bringing a loved one or family member with you to the appointment to provide a different perspective, and to help navigate the next steps.

We are here to help! If you or a loved one needs help navigating the maze that is senior care, reach out to us. Curious to see what we do- learn more here.