Alzheimer’s Disease and Long Term Outcomes

As a slow process of degradation sets in, the sufferer often tends to isolate himself just to avoid embarrassment. This slow degradation also causes patients of Alzheimer’s disease to suffer long term outcomes. Medication is most effective when treatement starts early and therefore it is essential to recognize Alzheimer’s disease as early as possible.

Down syndrome is genetically inherited at birth and causes poor physical and intellectual development of individuals. Those suffering from Down syndrome develop a similar characteristics as in Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease begins much earlier in people with Down syndrome, starting as early as at the age of forty.

Not every one suffering from Down syndrome will develop Alzheimer’s disease. On the other hand, people with Down syndrome who also suffer from Alzheimer’s disease have reduces chances of survival as they get into their late forties.

Speech is frequently affected in Alzheimer’s disease. An understanding of simple speech remains intact during the early stages, but difficulties in finding and expressing the correct word usage can start very early on in the disease. The Alzheimer sufferer also experiences difficulty in interpreting complex conversations, proverbs and metaphors. In other words, it becomes very difficult to string a complex sentence together.

Later as the Alzheimer’s disease progresses, sentences become difficult to finish. The sufferer will usually wander onto another subject and they often repeat the same words over and over again.

Writing and reading can be affected quite early in the disease, with spelling difficulties becoming apparent. There is also an associated lack of interest in the task involved, and they are very often left uncompleted.

The taking of messages especially over the telephone can prove particularly difficult, and is often the catalyst that uncovers the dementia in the first place. The Alzheimer’s disease sufferer will have difficulty following the conversation. They will probably realise they are having these difficulties become more confused and frightened, which will make their problem worse.

As the Alzheimer’s disease worsens, communication problems increase. As the ability to find the words needed to complete a sentence or become involved in a conversation decreases, other words (paraphasias) are added into the gaps left. This usually means the true meaning of the conversation is lost.

Comprehension skills also decrease, questions may not get answered, because they are not understood, keeping a sentence going often proves too difficult for the sufferer and the often swift changes of subject we all indulge in proves too much for them.

Eventually their whole speech often becomes babbling gibberish, and gradually the Alzheimer sufferer withdraws from talking altogether.

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In advanced stages of the disease, communication eventually becomes impossible as the sufferer is usually unable to let even their basic needs be known to others.

In a few Alzheimer’s sufferers, there may be some automatic verbal response on occasion, but usually by this time the burden of communication more often than not falls on the shoulders of relatives, friends and carers.

Anger is another aspect of Alzheimer’s disease. Many sufferers pass through phases of anger and aggression. It helps to remember that the anger is not personal but is triggered by feelings of helplessness and frustration. The patient may not like to accept help to do things that were once commonplace - such as washing and bathing. He may be disoriented or bewildered at the changes around him and may be simply looking for an outlet for his feelings. It is important that the triggers for anger be identified so that bouts of anger and aggression can be reduced.