Alzheimers Disease -> The Disease

of Darkness
NIA AYU SURIDATY
Alzheimers Who is Affected?
Older people are
affected. Chances of
getting Disease increases
with 65 + age.

Family History plays a big
role in disease
development

Comes in three stages,
diagnosed second most
of the time.
What is Dementia
Dementia is a progressive brain
dysfunction (in Latin 'dementia' means
irrationality), which results in a restriction
of daily activities and in most cases leads
in the long term to the need for care.
There are many forms of dementia, the
most common one being Alzheimer's
disease.

What is Alzheimer's
Alzheimers disease (AD) is a silent killer
of brain and lives of worlds elderly people.
It is the fourth leading cause of death
among the older adults in the developed world.
The symptoms can broadly include difficulties
with language, significant short-term memory
loss, time disorientation, difficulty in making
decisions, showing signs of depression and
aggression and lack of initiative and motivation.
Dr Aloes Alzheimer, a German doctor, in
1906 discovered Alzheimer's

How Brain looks if there is
Alzheimers
Alzheimers Disease
Alzheimers Disease
is a FATAL
progressive
degenerative
disorder that
attacks brain nerve
cells, or neurons,
resulting in the loss
of memory,
thinking, language
skills, and behavior.
Alzheimers Disease
We have 100 million brain cells. With
Alzheimers, brain cells stop working
and are broken down causing damage.
As damage spreads, cells lose their
ability to do their jobs well. It reverses
the age of the patient mentally and
eventually physically. Eventually, they
die from the damage.
Alzheimers disease occurs when the brain
begins to develop plaques (structures that are
formed when axons and dendrites begin to
break down) and tangles (structures that form in
the brain from the breakdown of axons and
dendrites).
Alzheimers disease gets worse over time, so
people will have more serious memory loss, feel
confused, experience depression, and other
problems. It is much more common as people
get older, and almost 50% of people over the
age of 85 have Alzheimers disease
Alzheimers disease is not the same as the kind of
forgetting that can occur when people get older, but is a
real disease caused by major changes in the way the
brain functions. When a person develops Alzheimers
disease, a gene causes the protein that brain cells
normally contain to begin behaving abnormally. This
produces a protein known as amyloid beta protein 42.
This protein accumulates in the brain and damages the
membranes of axons and dendrites, and this causes the
plaques to form. Another protein that accumulates
abnormally with Alzheimers disease is called the tau
protein, and produces the tangles seen with Alzheimers
disease.

This accumulation of abnormal chemicals
produces by these changes in the brain
damages many brain areas, including the basal
forebrain area, a structure in the front of the
brain that is necessarily for communication with
the rest of the cerebral cortex. People with
Alzheimers disease have difficulty concentrating
and paying attention to ordinary life events
because of this damage, and this causes
problems with behavior and with memory.

Brain Cross-Sections
A normal brain on the left and a brain of a person with Alzheimers
disease on the right. Notice how much smaller the memory part of
the brain at the bottom of the picture is for the person with
Alzheimers disease as compared to the normal brain.

Alzheimers - Causes
Family Genetics! = Development of
Disease
Other than that, Scientists are
struggling to find out just what causes
the trigger of the disease.

Stage One:
Warning Signs!
-Difficulty with familiar tasks
-Memory Loss ( most commonly known)
-Language Difficulty
-Disorientation
-Mood/Behavioral/Personality change
-Misplacing objects, & cannot trace their steps
-Difficulty of harder thinking
-Poor Judgment
NURSING HOME

- Increase in memory loss

- Shortened Attention Span

- Difficulty in recognizing Loved ones

- Difficulty learning new things

- Difficulty organizing thoughts

- Reduced Impulse control ( walking, eating, etc.)

- Paranoia & More behavioral change
Alzheimers Stage Two (Cont.)
Many of the victims of Alzheimers feel
frustrated, hurt, depressed, alone, and
scared in this stage. Most are put into
nursing homes or care centers due to
their inability to take care of
themselves anymore. The danger of
them getting hurt or causing harm
grows higher with the progression of
the disease.
Stage Three
BACK TO INFANCY
-Entire Loss of language, memory, bladder, bowel, and
physical coordination
-Difficulty Swallowing
-Noise Making, CANNOT SPEAK
-Weight Loss. Usually severecannot eat!
-Increased Sleeping
* DEATH RESULTS IN THE INABILITY TO EAT, USE THE
BATHROOM, AND BREATHE.



Consult a Doctor if one has worries of
progressive memory loss, and other
symptoms as mentioned earlier. Earlier
Diagnosis is the KEY!
time to make choices that maximize quality
of life
lessened anxieties about unknown
problems
a better chance of benefiting from
treatment
more time to plan for the future
Alzheimers Treatments/Cures
There is NO cure for Alzheimers to this day
Herbal Remedies & Vitamins can help
promote a healthy brain
Diet can help promote a healthy brain and
body
Medications
Memory Exercises
Understand the Disease
Understand the diseases , ACCEPT IT
Know the fact some are reversible (in
early stage) but it cant be cured
It can happen to any one
Remember person is not mad, it is brain
disease
The person is not doing things purposely,
he does not have control
Its FULL TIME care Long term care

Dear son/daughter...
The day that you see me old, have
patience and try to understand me.

When at some moment I lose my memory or the
thread of our conversation let me have the
necessary time to remember and if I cannot
do it, do not become nervous as the most
important thing is not my conversation but
surely to be with you and to have you listening
to me
Be P.O.L.I.T.E
Polite- Patience
Organise and Observe for signs
Laugh. Cheerfulness can help in difficult
moments.
Ignore. Do not correct other person if
what he is doing is not unhealthy/harmful.
Tone of voice important
Eye contact necessary.
Best Care Giving Module
Dignity of the person is the first principle to maintain.
This means to allow the person with dementia to
maintain as much independence that is realistic
for their abilities including maintaining dignity through
doing one's own personal care when able; through
choice of activities; and through choice of relationships
that are satisfying.
Safety of the person is the second principle. This means
ensuring that the caregiver monitors to protect
the person from self-harm or from the actions of
others who may not have the person's best
interests at heart. In addition, providing reasonable
safety includes making changes in the home
environment to reduce the potential for injury.

Best Care Giving Module
Quality of care: When services are arranged, it is essential that the
care providers are knowledgeable about dementia care. Care
must be delivered in a timely fashion to address immediate needs.
Care must also be consistently provided to ensure appropriateness
for maintaining optimal health of the person with dementia

Planning for comprehensive care: The family caregiver needs
to obtain an assessment of the total needs of the person
needing care. Planning includes obtaining understanding about
advance directives, such as implementing a health care proxy
instrument. Comprehensive planning requires the caregiver to take
an inventory of resources that include informal and formal supports,
personal financial capacity, and determination of eligibility for
community programs.

Best Care Giving Module
Balance by and for the caregiver is important.
Balancing needs and resources requires consideration of
balancing of the available time in the day's routine to
address both the person and caregiver needs.
Developing a balance of servicing between the
primary caregiver and other family members is
important to sharing the responsibilities. Further,
acceptance of a balance to blend family help and outside
community supports is needed to sustain the primary
caregiver's ability to cope.


Best Care Giving Module
Relationship between the caregiver and the person
with dementia should be preserved. The ultimate
purpose of the caregiving experience is to sustain
and enhance the relationship between the
caregiver and the person. While the person with
progressive dementia will increasingly be unable to
express appreciation for the care received, there can still
be moments in advanced stages for such expression to
occur. The caregiver's willingness comes through as
compassionate care in recognition and in honor of the
relationship. When this happens, the care giving
relationship allows both people to give loving kindness to
each other.
Alzheimers Preventions
Stay Active!!!
Mentally, Socially, Physically, And Eat
Well
THANK YOU