In these days, we live in the age of technology. Improvements of medical technology in the past few decades has been changed the whole world as people have never thought it would be. With the elimination of many diseases through effective cures and treatments, humans can expect to live a much longer life than that of their grandparents. As people live longer than before, disease associated with old age also increased dramatically.
Alzheimer! s disease is one of the most common and feared diseases afflicting the elderly community. Alzheimer! s disease is basically memory loss. It slowly takes away the ability for aging adults to remember people, places, and things that are common to them. Alzheimer! s disease already affects millions of Americans, and it is expected to affect millions more as the number of people over 50 continues to increase.
(Sloane at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 1998) Although this disease is one of the most common types of dementia among the elderly, there is unfortunately no treatment that completely cures Alzheimer! s disease. However, there are some effective treatments that can slow the progression of Alzheimer! s disease. First of all, a lot of scientific research provides us with important information about how drugs and treatments can cure Alzheimer! s disease. Drug treatments currently available are used to manage the cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer! s disease, such as changes in thinking, memory and perception. They cannot stop the disease, but they can slow the progression of symptoms in some people, at least for a while. There are many categories of drugs that have been investigated or that continue to be under investigated for the treatment of Alzheimer! s disease that include anti-inflammatory medications, neurotrophic factors, estrogen, agents associated with protein processing, antioxidants, calcium channel blockers, and cholesterol-lowering drugs.
These drugs mainly help prevent or cure the damage of nerve cells in several key areas of the brain. (Rankin, 1997) While drug therapy is important and beneficial, especially in early stages, the management of Alzheimer! s disease has evolved to include non-pharmacological therapies as integral aspects of care. (Rader, 1999) In other words, Alzheimer! s disease also requires care from family members or any caregivers. There are many different ways of non-drug treatment.
First of all, a caregiver should learn how to communicate and interact with the person in the ways that improve functioning and reduce behavioral problems. Second, it is important to modify the home environment to make it safer and easier for the person to function. And the last, maintaining overall health through regular medical care, proper diet, and exercise is needed. (Geldmacher, 1997) In addition, the family and caregiver of a person with Alzheimer’s disease should be educated. Generally, the primary physician who is responsible for directing the care as well as preventing and treating medical conditions of persons with Alzheimer! s disease works in conjunction with professional and nonprofessional health care providers and the family.
All persons involved should recognize that treatment and care will be long term and that not all individuals with Alzheimer! s disease will be institutionalized. According to some research from the Fisher Center for Alzheimer! s Research, when family members and caregivers are educated about the disease and involved in the person’s care, the person who has Alzheimer’s benefits. When the family and caregiver understand a person with Alzheimer’s disease and learn how to communicate and interact with the person in ways appropriate to the disease stage, they are better able to reduce behavioral problems and improve the quality of life for all involved. (Hardy, 1997) Furthermore, the most difficult treatment decision for families is when the person! s treatment and care take place in the home. The stress of caring for someone with Alzheimer! s disease is extreme and often produces anxiety and depression among caregivers, which can lead to the abuse usage of medications. That is why education for the family and caregiver of a person with Alzheimer’s is important.
Family education, counseling, and formal and informal support groups are imperative for the emotional and physical well-being of caregivers. (Raymond, 1994) As life expectancy continues to grow, Alzheimer! s disease will become an even more important issue to our society. Great strides have been made in the diagnosis of Alzheimer! s disease and in the treatment of individuals with Alzheimer! s disease. In now days, many kinds of effective medicines have been developed, and these medicines have successfully cured great percentages of individuals with Alzheimer! s disease. There will be much more effective ways to cure Alzheimer! s disease created in the future. However, most important thing that we have to keep in mind is love toward patients.
The love and concern is the most effective way to treat Alzheimer! s disease.