Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month and the Search for a Cure Goes on
Pet Scan of Brain with Alzheimer’s (NIA)
June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month
Alzheimer’s on the Rise
Alzheimer’s dementia is on the rise. It is the most common dementia and the 6th cause of death in seniors over the age of 65. It is estimated that 5.7 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease including 200,000 under age 65 that have early onset dementia. By 2025 when most baby boomers will have reached the age of 70, the numbers of Americans with Alzheimer’s dementia are projected to reach about 7.1 million.
No Cure for Alzheimer’s has been Found
All of this has led to millions of dollars being poured into research to find a cure or a way of preventing Alzheimer’s disease. Research shows Alzheimer’s disease (AD) begins about 20 years before it shows symptoms and becomes Alzheimer’s dementia.To date, no real cure for Alzheimer’s has been found.
Studies Shows that Alcohol Use can Lead to Alzheimer’s
A recent study on rats by researchers from the University of Illinois, published May 14, 2018, in the Journal of Neuroinflammation shows that alcohol consumption, especially in large amounts, damages the part of the brain that protects against Alzheimer’s by reducing microglial phagocytosis.
In our earlier blog of March 21, 2018, we reported on a French study of over a million people which showed that heavy drinking of alcoholic beverages was the cause of all dementias including Alzheimer’s and early onset dementia.
Make Plans for the Future
At any rate, if you or your loved one has been diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s, then you can begin to make plans for the future while you still have the ability to do this. Medicare does not pay for long-term care for memory loss, but only will pay for 90 days at a skilled nursing home after a demented person has first spent at least three days in a hospital. For this reason, most people with Alzheimer’s dementia are being care for by voluntary caregivers, who are usually family members and who work without pay. Some of these caregivers are also elderly spouses caring for their loved one, but they also suffer a lot of health problems from the undue stress of having to care for a memory impaired wife or husband. The financial stress on these families is also enormous and many are falling into poverty.
Van Duyn Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Syracuse NY
The Van Duyn Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Syracuse NY is a skilled nursing facility that has a memory care unit for treating people with dementia and Alzheimer’s. Their team includes occupational therapists and physical therapists, skilled nurses and doctors including a neurologist.
They also have fantastic recreational activities that include a gardening club, ceramics club and visits by pets, teens and children. Please see our blogs from May 30 and June 1, 2018 for more about occupational therapy and recreational therapy at Van Duyn.
Conclusion
If you or your loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in its early stages, this can give you time to make plans for the future. If you are already at the point where you need to find a good memory care unit at a skilled nursing home then think about looking into Van Duyn Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Syracuse NY.