How Families Deal with a Loved One Who Has Alzheimer's Research Paper

How Families Deal with a Loved One Who Has Alzheimer's - Research Paper Example Mild cognitive impairment is viewed as a form of forgetfulness attributed to ageing. While this disorder is a symptom of AD, it is not a must for people who suffer from mild cognitive impairment, to contract AD. Causes and Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease The well known risk factor of Alzheimer’s disease is old age, mostly when people hit the age of sixty years. It is not considered normal for aging people to suffer from the disease. It is also easier for one to have the disease if a close relative such as your sister or mother had suffered from the disease. One can also contract the disease if you happen to have certain genes that are linked with the disease. Other susceptible factors include suffering from blood pressure; however, this is yet to be proved. The disease is classified under two types which include the late and early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Late AD disease affects people who are at the age of 60 and above (â€Å"Coping with Alzheimer's disease,â₠¬  n.d.). The early onset of Alzheimer's disease is known to affect people before they attain the age of sixty. This type of disease has a fast rate of getting worse. The role of genes in this type of disease has already been established, that is why it is prevalent among family members. The common symptoms of the disease are associated with the functioning of the brain. One of the symptoms of this disease includes the individual’s inability to communicate properly. The patient will forget how to read or write or even talk. They also are emotional, increasingly aggressive and paranoid. This is as a result of increased memory loss. When the disease has progressed, Alzheimer's patients require assistance in almost all tasks which include bathing and dressing. They will often forget their relatives’ names and forget events that take place. Their judgments and thinking capacity reduce to a substantial level and they will not realize that they are in danger when something arises (Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia Alzheimer's Association, n.d.). It reaches a point where the patient has to be taken care of all the time to ensure their safety. Recognizing early symptoms of the disease will ensure that the situation does not get out of hand. It is important for family members to recognize some attributes that could indicate onset of the disease. Symptoms such as loss of interest in activities that one was recently interested in is the first sign a family can identify (Brijnath, 2011). Forgetting one’s history can also be an early symptom of the disease. They will also execute tasks that require thinking for longer periods of time. When the family recognizes these symptoms, the patient should undergo a series of test to determine if they are suffering from AD (Sell, 2008). The tests will include a complete physical checkup with a mental examination. Family members of the affected person should ensure that the doctors check for brain tumor, severe depr ession, chronic infection or thyroid disease. An AD diagnosis is made when certain symptoms are present and other causes of dementia named above are not present. Taking care of the patient who suffers from the disease can be challenging (James, 2008). This is especially to the family members of the patient. It is important to ensure their safety and wellbeing and how to care for the patients will be discussed in the subsequent paragraphs of this paper.