Long Term Effects Of Alzheimer s Disease - 1176 Words

What are the Long Term Effects of Alzheimer’s Disease? A Review of the Literature Dementia, defined by the Alzheimer’s Association, is the overall term for diseases and conditions characterized by a decline in memory or other thinking skills that affects a person’s ability to perform everyday activities. More than 250,000 Americans will develop dementia (including Alzheimer s) when they are sixty-five or older and at eighty-five the risk of developing Alzheimer’s is fifty percent. Since this disease was found in 1907 by Alois Alzheimer, there have been thousands of dollars, research, and clinical trials put into finding a cure for this horrible disease. This literature review examines the effects of the type of Dementia known as†¦show more content†¦Although AD can be a burden on caregivers and family, they must always remember to take care of themselves, which will help the patient the most. Alzheimer’s affects the society differently in diverse cultures. In many cultures, the family is the caregiver . Also, in many cultures, such as, African American, Hispanic, and many others, it is common for the caregivers to seek comfort in religion to handle stress (Alzheimer’s Association, Culture Competence, p.5). Some cultures may see Alzheimer’s as a punishment for sins they have committed. Many Japanese-American families are shamed for having a loved one with AD. Most cultures do not think as care homes or assisted living as an option for them, thus the patient usually lives with family. â€Å"Dementia among older American Indians/Native Americans appears to occur at low frequencies,† (p. 10). Each patient experiences Alzheimer’s in a different way, some people experience little change with AD and some dwindle fast. The patients diagnosed with AD are typically women. Women make up about two thirds of Alzheimer’s patients. Stanford University School of Medicine researchers has found that women who carry the APOE-E4 gene have a more increased risk of d eveloping Alzheimer’s than their male counterparts with the same