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Alzheimer's can strain patients, caregivers
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Published: September 14, 2009
It can be particularly difficult to watch a life fade away from Alzheimer's disease.
A memory loss that disrupts everyday life is not a normal part of aging.
Alzheimer's destroys the cells in the brain. Usually, forgetfulness is the initial problem, and is severe enough to affect work, hobbies or home life. Other symptoms are confusion, getting lost in familiar places, misplacing things and trouble with language.
Alzheimer's only gets worse over time, and it is fatal.
The Alzheimer's Association reports that someone develops the disease every 70 seconds. There are 5.3 million American living with this brain disorder, and it's the sixth leading cause of death in the country.
The best place for a loved one with Alzheimer's or dementia is a safe nurturing environment where all their needs can be met.
Almost 70 percent of those with Alzheimer's are living at home with the help of a caregiver.
"Caregivers can often become worn out from the physical and emotional stress of care giving, they end up sick and in need of care themselves," Regional Ombudsman Laurie Abounader said.
This means that this disease impacts not just the sufferer, but also their family and friends,
In a report released in 2008, by the Alzheimer's Association, there are 311,500 caregivers in the state of North Carolina that provide more than 269 million hours of unpaid care.
"Research tells us that individuals who have memory impairment are at much greater risk for mistreatment, including abuse, neglect or exploitation," Abounader said. "This can sometimes be the result of a well-intentioned caregiver in a stressful situation who simply lacks the skills, training or patience to effectively care for the individual. In other cases, the mistreatment is so severe the individual doesn't survive."
The senior director of programs and family services, Teresa Hoover, with the Western Carolina chapter of the Alzheimer's Association points out that what is seen as abuse may come from not understanding the disease and how it affects the patient.
"Anger and frustration can arise from this," Hoover said. "Also, people with Alzheimer's are at more risk for abuse because they can't express what's happening to them."
Hoover also explains that seniors with this disease are also at risk for financial abuse by the outside world. Magazine salesman, or solicitors coming to the door or on the telephone may take advantage of the situation.
At the present time there is no known cure for the disease, only treatments that can help alleviate the symptoms.
Alzheimer's is the cause of almost 70 percent of all dementia cases reported.
Dementia is a loss of mental capacity. People who suffer from dementia may have hallucinations, and may not remember recent events or familiar people. In the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, problems with memory, thinking and concentration begin to appear. A loved one with the disease typically needs minimal assistance with simple daily routines.
The diagnosis, though, may not necessarily come at the early stage. It is possible the disease may have progressed beyond this stage. There will come a time when the loved one will need more care than what can be provided at home.
"I often talk with caregivers on the phone who are deciding when it will be 'right time' to make that move into a facility," Abounader said. "This decision is individual, and huge, and adds anxiety, stress, and guilt to the individual facing the decision. At the point the individual's health, safety, or welfare is compromised, that would be the pivotal point where a change is necessary."
There are facilities that specialize is caring for patients with Alzheimer's disease. The staff is trained to handle the difficulties patient face with Alzheimer's and dementia, and there are many types of dementia, Alzheimer's is only one type.
"On a memory-care unit, at both the nursing home and assisted living level, you will normally find a better staff-to-patient ratio than you would in a traditional facility," Abounader said. "A specialized unit would normally offer other differences, including locked doors to keep wandering residents safe, and may also offer special activity programs, diets, floor plans, etc."
Although many individuals, who have memory impairment, can receive the care they need in a traditional setting without problems. Some facilities have cluster settings in which persons with dementia are grouped together on a floor or a unit within a larger residential care facilities.
Research studies show that individuals who have memory impairment are at much greater risk for mistreatment, including abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
"This can sometimes be the result of a well-intentioned caregiver in a stressful situation who simply lacks the skills, training, or patience to effectively care for the individual. In other cases, the mistreatment is so severe the individual doesn't survive, Abounader said.
A reasonable suspicion that an older adult is being abused, neglected, or exploited, must be reported to the County Department of Social Services Adult Protective Services.
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves," Abounader said.
Hoover's chapter of the Alzheimer's Association covers 49 counties in the state of North Carolina, including Cabarrus County, and has a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week hotline manned by live professionals with experience in handling the disease.
"We are getting more calls, and people are reaching out to us more. We care," Hoover said. "We offer information, education, and support."
• Contact reporter Robin L. Gardner: 704-789-9140
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