Recognize What Is Alzheimer's in Older People

Alzheimer's is a neurological disorder in which there are deaths in brain cells that cause memory loss and cognitive decline. The biggest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease is aging. Most people with Alzheimer's are over 65 years.

There are cases of Alzheimer's that occur in people in their 30s to 50s, but it's very rare. The incidence of Alzheimer's at a young age is mostly caused by genetic mutations that are hereditary.

Various studies indeed confirm the link between old age and the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Here are a few:

The elderly group above 65 years, the risk of suffering from Alzheimer's disease will double every five years.
When a person reaches the age of 65, the risk of Alzheimer's increases by 23% each year.
After the age of 85 years, the risk of suffering from Alzheimer's becomes 50 percent. The incidence of Alzheimer's in this age group is around 14 times compared to the number of cases in the age group 65 to 69 years.

Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease tends to develop slowly. Symptoms will gradually appear and get worse in a few years.

In the end, this disease will take the memory and personality of the sufferer. Alzheimer's will also affect the ability to think, make decisions, as well as the ability to talk and speak to the sufferer.

There is a stage of disease called preclinical Alzheimer's disease. At this stage, the disease has actually begun to develop, but has no symptoms at all.
Mild stage Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's symptoms usually begin to be detected at the stage of mild dementia. What are the symptoms like?

Difficult to remember events that just happened

People with Alzheimer's will be very difficult to remember new information or new events. Usually, sufferers need to ask the same questions over and over again even though they have already been answered.

Difficulty in making plans, solving problems, and making decisions

Organizing family events becomes difficult for sufferers. Likewise, managing finance.

The people closest to you might realize that sufferers often make strange decisions because they are out of the ordinary.

There is a personality change

Sufferers may become more reticent and appear weak in certain social situations, or may even become angry and more sensitive. Sufferers also often seem unmotivated to complete daily routines.

Difficulty expressing thoughts

Communication becomes difficult because sufferers have difficulty remembering certain words and their language abilities have decreased.

Often forget and often lose things

Because often forget, sufferers often get lost on the road even in places that are actually familiar. In addition, Alzheimer's sufferers can also often lose goods due to forgetting where to put or store them.

Alzheimer's intermediate stage

Alzheimer's disease will become clearer as symptoms occur in the moderate stage of dementia as follows:

More confusion often

For example, sufferers suddenly do not remember where they are, do not remember what day and date. Sufferers also begin to have difficulty recognizing relatives or friends.

Often walking as if he did not know the direction

This incident arises because sufferers have difficulty remembering their location and places that are actually frequented. If these symptoms appear, the patient should be accompanied because of the risk of getting lost and lost when leaving the house alone.

Fading memory

Patients begin to forget their own life history and do not remember personal data such as home addresses and telephone numbers. In addition, they will often repeat the same story.

Need help to do daily activities

These symptoms occur because the patient forgets how to do routine and simple things. For example, bathing, using the toilet, wearing appropriate clothing, cooking, and so on.

Experience significant changes in personality and behavior

for example, being suspicious of someone stealing his belongings, seeing or hearing things that aren't really there, some sufferers even turn violent and aggressive.
Late stage Alzheimer's

In the final stages, Alzheimer's disease will cause sufferers to experience the following symptoms:

Can not communicate coherently, for example, slurred speech.
Not able to take care of themselves, so they must always be helped.
Decreased physical ability to have difficulty moving without assistance.
Cannot control urination or defecation.

This disease cannot be cured or prevented. So, by understanding what Alzheimer's is, the family and the people closest to the patient are expected to be more alert to recognize the symptoms while preparing appropriate treatment.