Nursing Homes

Misconceptions about Alzheimer’s Disease and Their Dangers

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People grow old – that’s a fact. We tend to forget things as we grow old – not necessarily. Even someone as young as twenty can start forgetting about things. It’s this line of thinking – that forgetting comes with age – can be quite damaging when trying to determine diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. Before looking into Alzheimer’s care facilities, it’s important to consider the misconceptions of Alzheimer’s and dementia to better inform any future decisions.

 

 

Alzheimer’s Misconceptions 

Many people have long held this belief that forgetfulness comes with aging. Since Alzheimer’s affects the senior population and has to do with memory loss, many seem to think one will eventually to the other. However, that line of thinking really should change.

 

Yes, being old is the biggest risk of developing dementia, with Alzheimer’s being one of the kinds that can develop. However, Alzheimer’s doesn’t just affect someone who is old. The disease has affected patients as young as forty.

 

People need to be more aware that Alzheimer’s is caused by damage to the brain, which can affect a lot of things, including a person’s memory. It’s also a disease that gets worse as time goes by. The early stages can be manageable, with a patient suffering from lapses in memory. However, the condition gets progressively worse over time. In such times, families can look to help Alzheimer’s care facilities with memory care services for assistance.

 

Another of the biggest misconceptions about Alzheimer’s is that it cannot be treated. This isn’t completely accurate, especially considering the advances made in this age. Yes, the disease continues to have no cure, but those who suffer from it can take medications to help deal with its associated symptoms.

 

 

The Dangers of Not Correcting Misconceptions

Accepting what you hear from others as fact without verifying with people with actual knowledge of the situation does a lot of harm. It doesn’t take long for you to type out a few words on a search engine to get the answers you want.

 

The whole point of mentioning that is this: many people will cling to a “fact” long after new evidence has proved that it isn’t the case anymore. A lot of things have changed in this world over the years. For a certain generation, Pluto used to be a planet but that isn’t the case anymore.

 

You owe it to your loved ones to know what Alzheimer’s disease truly is. When they start exhibiting symptoms like memory loss, don’t dismiss that immediately as having to do with them getting old. More frequent episodes of forgetting can point to something much worse than losing one’s memory as one gets older. When that happens, there are Alzheimer’s care facilities that can help you out.

 

The same goes for treating Alzheimer’s. You are not left alone to deal with a loved one who is exhibiting symptoms. You can always turn to medication that can lessen the impact of symptoms. However, Alzheimer’s disease still remains without a cure.

 

Educating yourself about Alzheimer’s disease can make a difference. It’s easy to believe what others say but searching the truth for yourself can be of great benefit to you and your loved ones.

 

 

 

Fallbrook Assisted Living is proud to offer its services to Fremont, NE, and surrounding areas and cities: Arlington, Cedar Bluffs, Ames Nickerson, Fontanelle, Arlington, Leshara, Colon, and Hooper

assisted living facilities

The Realities of Dementia and How Memory Assisted Living Can Help

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Forgetting has long been part of the aging process. When a loved one is exhibiting memory loss, it’s usually chalked up to getting old. As such, this has made spotting dementia early on quite a challenge for families. To this day, there remains no single test that can outright give a dementia diagnosis. A doctor needs to perform a series of tests to diagnose a patient with dementia.

 

Learning that a loved one has dementia isn’t the hardest part. Dealing with what’s to come can be quite the challenge as it forces families to make certain changes in their lives. This will require some adjustment but help is always there, one in the form of memory assisted living.

 

 

Determining Dementia

Wading through a lot of memory related medical terms can be confusing. However, being more familiar with the terms and what they truly mean can help in the long run. So in order to really understand dementia, you have to start with knowing the basics.

 

You can think of dementia as an umbrella term used to describe different conditions that involve the loss of memory or other abilities that affect daily living. You are already most likely familiar with the most common kind, Alzheimer’s disease.

 

Now that you know what dementia is, the next crucial thing to learn is spotting the disease. This is going to be a difficult task since one could easily brush off a memory loss episode as a sign of getting old. Or as some think of it, becoming “senile.”

 

The dictionary definition of senile describes it as an adjective used to indicate a person showing weaknesses or diseases of old age, which may include mental faculties. Many people tend to confuse senility with dementia, but there’s a way to avoid confusion. Senility has to do with getting old. Dementia occurs when brain damage has occurred.

 

Someone with dementia will have difficulty with a lot of things. They will find it challenging to communicate. They will frequently confused and disoriented. They will find it difficult to complete complex tasks. They will also find it daunting to plan and organize.

 

Those detailed above are just on a cognitive level. Changes are going to occur on the psychological level as well, and this includes personality changes, depression, inappropriate behavior, and hallucinations.

 

Having outlined the above, it’s easy to see how helping someone suffering from dementia can be a challenge. This is where assisted living facilities with memory care services can be of great service.

 

 

Memory-Focused Assisted Living

A memory assisted living facility is specifically focused on helping residents who have dementia and other memory related issues. This is different from a regular assisted living center which usually helps elders manage daily life better. Although that is still the goal of a facility with memory care services, it is primarily focused on helping residents suffering from memory conditions.

 

Living with and caring for a loved one with dementia is going to be a challenge. They have to be encouraged to do a lot of activities on top of taking medication. This can be difficult but centers like Fallbrook Assisted Living can help ease the burden.

 

 

Fallbrook Assisted Living is proud to offer its services to Fremont, NE, and surrounding areas and cities: Arlington, Cedar Bluffs, Ames Nickerson, Fontanelle, Arlington, Leshara, Colon, and Hooper