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Tyler Cassity

07/17/2017

Alzheimers disease: Looking to the Future

Looking to the future, there is a big problem that is coming for society and our healthcare

systems, Alzheimers disease. This disease is nothing new and many people have firsthand

experiences with its effects, but with the baby boomer generation aging, it will become a much

bigger issue. What is the baby boomer generation, and who is a part of it? What is Alzheimers

disease, and how does it affect the brain physically and behaviorally? How will the aging of a

generation change the way this disease is looked at? What effects will this change have on our

healthcare system, and our society? These are all things that will be discussed in this project, and

hopefully they will show a need for an increase in research and development for treatments of

Alzheimers disease.

The Baby boomer generation, is the generation of people born between 1946 and 1964.

After the Second World War, there was an explosion in the national birth rate, and this is where

the name came from. Alzheimers disease is a progressive disease that effects the brain and its

functions. The disease is irreversible and slowly hinders a persons ability to think, remember, or

perform simple tasks. The symptoms for this disease usually begin to show at the age of 60, and

it was first discovered in 1906 by Dr. Alois Alzheimer. A physician will diagnose a patient with

Alzheimers disease, when an autopsy finds plaque and tangles in the brains cerebral cortex.

These plaques and tangles are proteins that surround and imbed themselves in the neurons of the

brain, and begin to affect its functions. The hippocampus, the area responsible for memory, is

seen to be most affected by these protein structures which is why memory loss and forgetfulness
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are key symptoms. Once the disease reaches a certain stage, memory loss becomes dangerous to

the individual, and full-time care is needed. Since its discovery, no cure has been found, and

only few treatments exist to help manage the symptoms of the disease. There are currently over

five million Americans estimated to currently have Alzheimers disease (NIH, 2016).

There are many challenges that arise when it comes to caring for patients with

Alzheimers disease. The first barrier between patient and the caregiver, will be problems with

communication. Patients will often have trouble finding the right words, understanding what

words mean, or problems focusing on a conversation. These communication issues can lead to

the patient becoming frustrated, which then makes it more difficult to communicate. Another

challenge that comes with caring for people effected, especially caregivers that are family, is

changes to the patients personality and behaviors. An individual may have different moods than

normal; such as anger, excessive worrying, or acting depressed. These changes in moods can

alter a persons behavior. It is common for a patient to hide from people, or believe that other

people are hiding from them. Aggression can also be common with these behavioral changes, as

the patient may become combative towards caregivers, or may attempt to run away from home or

a care facility. Lastly, psychological and behavioral changes may include hallucinations,

delusions and paranoia. These can lead to many difficult problems when providing care to the

individual. The patient may develop an untrusting behavior towards the family members or

healthcare professionals; which, may again cause aggressive behaviors. All of these effects can

make caring for the individual difficult, but the disease will ultimately progress, until death. The

National Institute on Aging ranks Alzheimers disease as the third leading cause of death for

older people, right behind heart disease and cancer.

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When it comes to looking to the future, The Alzheimers Association estimates that over

28 million people from the baby boomer generation will develop Alzheimers disease before the

year 2050. This will place stress on the families, and our nations current healthcare systems, as

it is estimated that 25% of Medicare will be spent on the costs needed to care for these

individuals, over $328 billion (Alecxih, 2015). Once this generation starts to reach the estimated

age of development for Alzheimers disease, around 65 to 70 years old, problems will become

more evident. With this generation being so large, the amount of people diagnosed will greatly

increase, and more sever forms of the disease will likely appear. One expert, Maria Carrillo

PHD, Alzheimers Association Chief Science Officer, thinks that now is the time to begin

research on treatments for the disease. She states, a treatment that delays disease onset could

save $200 billion within the first five years of its introduction. It would also cut the number of

people who have the disease in 2050 by 42%. While there is currently no cure for Alzheimers

disease, research is constantly developing new ways to treat its symptoms. Increasing awareness

will need to be the first action required for more government spending on research and

development for new treatments.

With over five million Americans currently living with Alzheimers disease, and the

addition of an estimated 28 million people of the baby boomer generation estimated to be

diagnosed, this is a disease that needs the attention of our society. Treating individuals with

Alzheimers disease can be a difficult challenge, for family and healthcare providers, and until a

cure or better treatments are found, this future looks daunting. We owe it to the millions of

people currently affected, and the millions to come, and the nations budget, to put forth effort in

looking for better alternatives.

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Works Cited

"About Alzheimer's Disease: Alzheimer's Basics." National Institute on Aging. U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services, 22 May 2014. Web. 18 July 2017.

Berger, Kathleen Stassen. Invitation to the life span. New York, NY: Worth Publishers,

2016. Print.

Bredfeldt, Christine, Kristen Rice, and Lisa Alecxih. "The projected impact of the baby

boomers on the trajectory of and spending on Alzheimers disease." Alzheimers & Dementia11.7

(2015): n. pag. Web.