Dealing with signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in a senior loved one brings to mind a myriad of questions: Is it truly Alzheimer’s, or might it be another form of dementia? What can cause Alzheimer’s? What treatment options are there? And how is it diagnosed, anyway? With our years of experience in caring for those dealing with Alzheimer’s disease, Compassionate Care Home Health Services in Michigan has put together answers to some of the most typical questions we receive:
- What causes Alzheimer’s disease?
Scientists don’t yet fully realize what causes Alzheimer’s disease. Yet chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, diet, exercise, and socialization may have an effect on whether or not an individual develops Alzheimer’s.
- What is the difference between Alzheimer’s disease and dementia?
Dementia is the symptom and Alzheimer’s is the cause of the symptom. In essence, a person can have dementia without it being Alzheimer’s disease, such as the dementia associated with a head injury, Parkinson’s, a stroke or vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia or Lewy body disease. Some types of dementia may be reversible, but most are degenerative and will become worse over time.
- How is Alzheimer’s disease clinically determined?
Presently, only an autopsy can definitively determine the presence of Alzheimer’s disease. However, doctors can accurately diagnose Alzheimer’s disease around 90 percent of the time based upon mental and behavioral symptoms, a physical assessment, blood tests, urinalysis and neuropsychological tests.
- Are there remedies available for Alzheimer’s disease?
There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but there are medications that can help to reduce some symptoms such as depression, aggression or hallucinations. Some drugs, however, could react negatively with other Alzheimer’s medications as well as worsen other symptoms of the disease. It is essential to go over the best medication options and plan of care with your or your loved one’s doctor. Additionally, some Alzheimer’s symptoms are caused by non-medical triggers which can often be managed without the use of medications. If the trigger can be identified, the environment can be altered to change the behavior.
Taking care of a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease can be overwhelming. Compassionate Care’s fully trained and caring staff offer a wide range of options to help you, including much needed respite care to allow you time to recharge and to focus on spending quality time with your loved one, leaving the more repetitive tasks to us. We’re helping a number of families navigate the path of Alzheimer’s throughout Michigan, and would love to help you too. To learn more about our top-rated Alzheimer’s and dementia care in Saginaw and the surrounding communities, contact our expert home care team today.