Morehead High School

The Importance of Early Intervention in Alzheimers

Savannah Collins
English IV Honors
Mrs. Castle
21 November 2016

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Savannah Collins
English IV Honors
Mrs. Castle
2 November 2016
The Importance of Early Intervention in Alzheimers
Too many times, people will casually dismiss a parents or grandparents forgetfulness to
the fact that they are aging. Age is often blamed for sudden emotional outbursts or bizarre
behavior. Many people believe such characteristics just come along with getting older and that is
no longer acceptable. Alzheimers should not be thought of as normal for the elderly, because
early intervention can maximize their quality of life, offer better support for the family, and
increase the opportunity to make end of life arrangements, including financial decisions.
Alzheimers is a very difficult disease to deal with. According to Funk Wagnalls New
World Encyclopedia, Alzheimers is defined as a progressive degenerative disorder of the brain
that typically reveals itself first through problems of short-term memory. This disease can
change many characteristics of an individual, which includes their ability to make rational
decisions, having different personalities or behaviors, and even ones ability to communicate.
This disease leads patients to not be able to care for themselves due to the fact that they often
forget daily talks. For example, some Alzheimers patients will forget to eat or more serious
things, such as forgetting to turn off the oven. These little mistakes cannot just be overlooked
because they can quickly turn into something potentially fatal. The disease was first discovered
in 1906 by a German neuropathologist named Alois Alzheimer. He reported this new found
disease in a fifty-one year old female who had signs and symptoms of psychiatric disturbance

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along with rapid deterioration of her memory. Research has continued on this disease since 1906
with little progress, and little over a century later it is still an issue and is actually one of the main
causes of death in the United States. According to a report made by the Chicago-based
Alzheimers Association in 2007, more than 5 million Americans alone suffer from this disease
and this number will increase drastically. It so happened that nearly all of these cases were
late-onset Alzheimers (this is the leading cause of dementia), which means that their diagnosis
occurred after the age of sixty-five. However, early-onset Alzheimers can be diagnosed
anywhere from the age of thirty to sixty-five (Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia).
There is no evidence that Alzheimers is linked to getting older. It appears that
early-onset Alzheimers is often associated with a family history of the disease. Genetic testing
can be done to see if someone is predisposed for Alzheimers. There are at least three genes
known, as of now, that can possibly make someone have the disease. Researchers believe that
some genes make it more likely for one person to get the disease than other genes, and heavy
research is going into why certain genes are more susceptible for the trait than others (Funk &
Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia).
Signs of Alzheimers mimic many other illnesses and it is often diagnosed after events
that happen over a period of time. It is usually the immediate family that starts noticing small
differences in the persons actions and words. Often the person is aware of the deficits and still
has enough self awareness to try and hide the changes from those around them. Symptoms may
include forgetfulness, the inability to connect thoughts with words, the inability to problem
solve, having difficulty identifying the right date and time, how they got somewhere, impaired
judgement (forgetting normal daily hygiene routines), and mood swings that are often irrational

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(Leifer). It is important that the people around them observe any abnormal behavior. One simple
doctors appointment is not going to help a lot if the patient cannot tell the doctor any
differences. It helps tremendously if a family member goes with them and explains to the doctor
as well, what they have noticed. A doctor only sees one patient for maybe fifteen minutes and
they cannot simply notice major changes in that short amount of time.
When someone starts exhibiting signs and symptoms it would be best if the caregiver
starts a journal including the date, a description of new behaviors, and keeps a running log. This
will give a better overall picture of what is going on with the person. Many times people assume
that when someone is over sixty-five years old, that some symptoms are just a normal part of the
aging process but there are multiple causes to make someone behave differently. Examples
include cancer, urinary tract infections, or even a stroke. This is another reason why it is so
important to notify a doctor of any new onset symptoms, because many can be fatal if not
addressed quickly.
The first call should be to the primary doctor to rule out immediate illnesses. There are
many specialists that the primary doctor may refer the patient to. Many times the patient will not
want to accept the reality of the disease and they will be in denial. They can even be rude to their
spouse or family members about how they are perfectly fine. It is a lot easier for the family to
ignore their aggressive behavior and forget about taking them to the doctor. The family needs to
prepare themselves for these possible situations and take their loved one to the doctor. It would
also help if they brought along their journal as well.
Getting older is not easy for anyone, however, end of life wishes need to be made aware
by everyone. It is crucial that these decisions are made while a person is lucid. It removes a huge

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burden off of the family. Another reason that this is so important, is because it makes their
wishes known about how they want their remaining years to be and takes away the lingering
questioning if the remaining family member chose what the deceased would have wanted.
Legal concerns that should be addressed by someone that is likely to be later determined
as being mentally incompetent include: a living will, a will, and asset protection. The difference
between a living will and a regular will is that a living will is what will be done once one is no
longer able to make their own medical decisions and a regular will is for one who has already
passed ("How To Make Your Health-Care Wishes Known"). The best way to handle someone's
finances is to consult a lawyer or an accountant that specializes in estate planning. Addressing all
of these legal decisions is another way a patient with Alzheimers can live their remaining years
how they want to.
Depending on how severe the Alzheimers is usually influences their living
arrangements. There are several options available and this is another conversation that needs to
be brought up while the person is lucid. The living options range from at home care to facility
care. At home care is possible when there is support available from family and community
resources. There are different types of facilities based on how much hands-on care the person
needs everyday. Patients who are Veterans may have alternative facilities available to them that
also offer a wide range of level of care. Assisted living is often the first step in facility living
arrangements. It is based on the patient still taking care of themselves but with daily reminders
that could be as simple as reminding the patient to brush their teeth or to take their medicine.
They are not usually confrontational or violent at this phase in their diagnosis and are generally
good to comply with safety measures. As Alzheimers progresses to a stage of the patient

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refusing to eat, losing control of their body functions, and possible emotional outbursts which all
require around-the-clock care. This level of care may not be available at an assisted living
facility . This is the point when transitioning the patient into a skilled nursing facility becomes
necessary.
Another good idea is to let the person with the disease have more frequent family visits.
This could have several potential benefits. First, it would bring joy to the person that they get to
spend time with their loved ones while they are still lucid. Secondly, it may increase what the
diseased person knows. Seeing the same face over and over very often may convert someone
from short-term memory to long-term memory. More than likely, family will bring up old
memories and this will help the person with Alzheimers to possibly remember some of their life.
Spouses could also encourage family that do not live close by to come visit during the holidays
and spend quality time with the patient. It helps when friends and family know what makes the
person with Alzheimers happy and letting them enjoy those things before they possibly become
very forgetful. This is the time to encourage them to create a bucket list, a time to possibly finish
up projects they have been working on for a while. This could also even include things like
traveling, reading a novel, or finishing up a project they have in the garage. This could create a
sense of peace within the patient so they feel like they have lived their lives how they wanted to.
Lastly, this is the time for the patient to enjoy some of their favorite things including: their
favorite hobby more often, rereading their favorite book, or something as simple as watching
their favorite movie. This is the time to make the patient as happy with their life as possible.
Another important topic that needs to be taken care of is seeing if the patient is where they
want to be in their spirituality. As Wendy Donohue said, When Alzheimers begins to attack the

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brain, faith can often be one saving grace that helps a person hang on. In The Necessity Of
Spiritual Care Towards The End Of Life the author mentioned an important point about end of
life spirituality which is:
One of the most important recent developments in healthcare is the growing
awareness and focus on the concerns of dying patients relating to the quality of
their end of life care. Despite rapid advances in healthcare science and
technology, the concerns of dying patients have remained the same throughout
human history. Little has changed in terms of human behaviour, attitudes, and
symptoms towards the end of life. In other words, the process of dying may be
shortened or prolonged with the advances of technology, but the concerns remain
the same: adequate pain and symptom management, avoiding inappropriate
prolongation of dying, achieving a sense of control, relieving burdens and
strengthening relationships with loved ones, and dealing with the deep anguish of
one's spiritual accountability and consequent uncertainty after death. (Abbas and
Panjwani)
This is especially the time to make sure the patient is comfortable with where they are in the
spirituality. They need to be at peace with their deity. Often times, a patient will hold on to their
life a little longer until they are at peace and as soon as they are at peace, then they will pass
away. Another thing that could be helpful is getting the patient involved in a church and small
groups. Getting involved in a church will bring more support systems to the person which is
always helpful. A lot of times, someone will put their spirituality needs until the end of their life,
which is when they need it the most.

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Building support systems for the caregiver early on is essential for his/her well being. A
support system can come from family, friends, a church, or even community resources. An
example of family support is planned relief time or a rotation. The spouse needs time to take care
of themselves and do activities that promote the success of their well being. Often, the caregiver
is elderly as well and does not take care of themselves medically or mentally due to not enough
time. If something happens to the primary caregiver, then the person they were taking care of
will no longer get care. Having Alzheimers is very difficult on the patient but it is as equally
difficult on the caregiver and that is often forgotten (Allen). It is a 24/7 job and will physically
drain someone if they are doing it by themselves. Another benefit for the caregiver is creating a
family rotation that helps share the responsibility. For example, if someone else in the family
comes to relieve the spouse every other day will help out tremendously. Another possible option
is hiring relief for in-home care assistance as a relief for the spouse. The assistant could come to
the home for a few hours each day. Not everyone realizes how much of an impact diseases such
as Alzheimer's have on the people around them and not on just the one who is ill. Counseling is
one way to help people get through situations like these. The Alzheimers Association has
support groups and counseling, which are both methods to provide a sense of relief. Everyone
deals with things differently and one of these things is denial. If a child realizes their parent has
Alzheimers, they may just ignore the reality and pretend everything is fine. This leaves the
spouse alone with nobody to talk to, which is where counseling helps. The health of the spouse is
as equally important as the patients health.
Dying with dignity is one of the best gifts someone can ever give. This means honoring
the decisions the patient wrote in their living will. One way to ensure that the patient dies with

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dignity is to complete medical forms while still lucid. Things such as designating a power of
attorney to make decisions if the time comes and also deciding if the patient wants to sign DNR
(Do Not Resuscitate) papers. Another thing that promotes the patient to be able to die with
dignity is that they pass away in their preferred place of death. This may not be the familys
choice of where their loved one spends the last of their days, but it is ultimately the patients
choice. Hopefully, things such as funeral arrangements (i.e does he/she want to be cremated),
burial placement (i.e where to spread the ashes or what cemetery they prefer), or preferred place
of death (i.e home, hospital, or facility) will have already have been decided before they get to
this stage of life. This is why it is important to talk about these things while the patient is in their
right mind because death can often be unpredictable. It can be very hard to make end of life
decisions for loved ones keeping in mind their best interest, not considering the trauma brought
from the sudden illness or the family could not understand what treatment options the doctors are
presenting (Bozza). Also, the decisions of the patient may not be clear to their family member
and the family does not want to be placed in a situation where they may have to make important
decisions on someone elses behalf. Regardless of someone being ill, this conversation is
something spouses have to talk about.
There are several ways people can possibly prevent the chance of getting Alzheimers.
However, none of these can promise that the disease will not occur. Some of these measures
include: exercise, a healthy diet, getting regular medical checkups, getting a good nights rest
each night, seeking regular mental stimulation, and making sure to take steps to address
excessive stress on the body. Everyone should have the goal of getting at least thirty minutes of
physical activity in everyday. Alzheimers is not the only area one can benefit from by doing

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this. According to the Massachusetts General Hospital, to prevent Alzheimers, A

Mediterranean diet is recommended, which includes: with its emphasis on fruits and vegetables,
low-fat meats and fish, olive oil, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and an occasional glass of red
wine ("The Search For An Alzheimer's Cure). The food in Mediterranean diet works
together to allow your organs to work to the best of their potential. Also, regular check ups with
a doctor is recommended to manage any medical conditions which could potentially have a
negative impact on the brain.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for Alzheimers disease. A lot of research is going into
finding a cure for this horrific disease with little success. One that is being tested now with
unknown success is experimental drugs. These experimental drugs have tried to help make the
brain remain more calm when it is exposed to stress or possibly slow the aging process but in
animals. Also according to the Massachusetts General Hospital, the tests performed on the
animals resulted in a success, but may not be promising in humans ("The Search For An
Alzheimer's Cure).
There is research being put into remedies that are natural can potentially be coconut oil,
foods with high levels of zinc, fish oil, Frankincense oil, rosemary oil, and much more options. A
majority of patients with Alzheimers disease have a lack of zinc in their diet and research has
been put into testing whether or not improved levels of zinc decrease the chance of one getting
Alzheimer's. Fish oil is also a popular method of trying to prevent Alzheimers. Fish oil increases
the production of a fatty acid needed in the brain, called DHA, and this is also something lacking
in Alzheimers patients. Lastly, Frankincense and Rosemary have also been thought of to
supposedly increase neurological functions.

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Many people chose to believe that these natural remedies do not work, especially coconut
oil. This may be due to the fact that they could believe natural remedies do not work and only
choose to believe in medicine to cure people. Another possible reason someone may not believe
this is because they could have personally tried it with little or no results so their mind has been
made up that it just simply does not work.
Coconut oil is an edible oil that is made from the taken from the inside of the coconut
and is placed in food. For example, someone may put it in there oatmeal to get the health benefits
from it while the oatmeal masks the taste of it. It is a great tool to use, it can be used as a skin
moisturizer, to fight inflammation, to fight heart disease, and even to help Alzheimers patients
remember things. There have been hundreds of cases where by adding some of this oil to your
food. For example, Steve and Mary Newport were desperate for something to work on Steves
Alzheimers. His wife, Mary, put several tablespoons in her husbands oatmeal, and by the
morning Steve felt incredibly better. He claims it was like a light switched had been turned on.
He had remembered things like the season and the date, that he had not previously remembered
(Schardt). There are many more cases where coconut has proven to be an effective method of
helping patients with Alzheimers memory.
Overall, Alzheimers should definitely no longer be thought of as normal for the
elderly, because early intervention can improve their quality of life, making it easier on the
family, and ensuring that end-of-life decisions are made. The misconception that that
Alzheimers is just a side effect of getting old needs to be put to an end. There are preventative
measures to decrease risks of getting Alzheimer's and treatment options to slow down its
progression.

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Works Cited
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