Currently, there are no medications that can prevent Alzheimer’s. However, research suggest that certain lifestyle behaviors may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. So what are the three best lifestyle changes you can make that may also reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s?
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When I meet or talk with family members who are providing care to a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, I am always assessing three things:
First, emotional support. Emotional support can come from a variety of sources including your family, your friends, and your boss. You know you have it when you can turn to someone on a rough day and that person helps to ease the burden either by lending a hand, an ear, or making it possible for you to do something that would otherwise be impossible.
Do you feel that you have enough emotional support?
You might be surprised by how many people I’ve met who feel alone in their caregiving.
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The Alzheimer’s Association clearly defines seven clinical stages of Alzheimer’s disease, but many physicians describe the illness in three stages. These are: early, middle and late. As you might imagine, dementia symptoms in the early stage are usually mild, symptoms in the middle stage are moderate, and symptoms in the late stage are often severe.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these three broad stages and what you can expect…
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Aloysius Alzheimer was a German psychiatrist who spent his early career on staff at the city asylum in Frankfurt, Germany.
In 1901, the family of Auguste Deter, a 51-year-old woman who had been displaying odd and concerning behavior, approached him and asked for his help. The family told Dr. Alzheimer that Auguste could not remember things, had become convinced that her husband had been unfaithful to her, and seemed to have difficulty talking and understanding what others were saying.
Do these behaviors sound familiar to you?
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A few years back, one of the physicians I worked closely with asked me to meet with the wife of one of his patients. Terry’s husband Joe had been diagnosed with Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type the month before, and the physician was becoming concerned about Terry’s understanding of the illness.
“What concerns you exactly?” I asked.
“Well, I thought I’d explained the illness pretty thoroughly, but she seems to have really high expectations of the medication I prescribed. I just don’t want her to be disappointed if it doesn’t do much.”
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