The South Carolina chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association merits recognition in NOTES this week in support of their research to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease. The South Carolina chapter serves the state through a network of local offices.
Their mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Their vision is a world without Alzheimer’s disease.
The key to longevity is not only a healthy body, but also a healthy mind. Let’s discuss the difference between Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Dementia is the general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. Memory loss is an example of that. Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia.
Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia among the people age 65 and older. It is the fastest segment of the population. Science estimates that 5.2 million people are living with Alzheimer’s today. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. It is the only one among the top 10 causes that cannot be prevented, slackened or cured.
Currently, there are estimated 200,000 individuals, age 65 and older, with Alzheimer’s disease. Among those, 1 in 9 has Alzheimer’s, and about one-third of individuals age 85 and older have the disease. Every 68 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer’s. If you know someone who is an experiencing dementia symptom, consult a doctor. If there is something reversible or treatable, it is important that it be found right away.
Although there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, researchers are closer than ever before, and early detection can help those living with the disease find the information and services they need. The Alzheimer’s Association’s warning signs include:
• Memory loss: Forgetting recently learned information is one of the most common early signs of dementia. A person begins to forget more often and is unable to recall the information later. What’s normal? Forgetting names or appointments occasionally.
• Difficulty performing familiar tasks: People with dementia often find it hard to plan or complete everyday tasks. Individuals may lose track of the steps involved in preparing a meal, placing a telephone call or playing a game. What’s normal? Occasionally why you came into a room or what you planned to say.
• Problems with language: People with Alzheimer’s disease often forget simple words or substitute unusual words, making their speech or writing hard to understand They may be unable to find the toothbrush, for example, and instead ask for “that thing for my mouth.” What’s normal? Sometimes having trouble finding the right word.
• Disorientation to time and place: People with Alzheimer’s can become lost in their own neighborhood, forget where they are and how they got there, and do not know how to get back home. What’s normal? Forgetting the day of the week or where you were going.
• Poor or decreased judgment: Those with Alzheimer’s may dress inappropriately, wearing several layers on a warm day or little clothing in the cold. They may show poor judgment, like giving away large sums of money to telemarketers. What’s normal? Making a questionable or debatable decision from time to time.
• Problems with abstract thinking: Someone with Alzheimer’s disease may have unusual difficulty performing complex mental tasks, like forgetting what numbers are for and how they should be used. What’s normal? Finding it challenging to balance a checkbook.
• Misplacing things: A person with Alzheimer’s disease may put things in unusual places — an iron in the freezer or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl. What’s normal? Misplacing keys or a wallet temporarily.
Withdrawal from work or social activities can also be a sign of Alzheimer’s. If you feel yourself doing that, connect with others and maintain a social life.
Changes in mood and personality can be helped by jogging your mind by keeping it active and engaged to build reserves of brains cells and connections. You can do something today to protect your tomorrow.
Join our cause today and keep the momentum of research, raising awareness about brain health going.
The general public can help the Alzheimer’s Association by learning about Alzheimer’s disease and what can be done to reduce the risk and to take care of an aging body and mind.
You can walk in one of the 600 communities Memory Walks, the Association’s largest fundraising event of the year.
If volunteering is up your alley, join more than 35,000 volunteers who provide service critical to every program at one of the Alzheimer’s Association’s 300 local offices nationwide.
Advocate are needed to speak out for those affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Through a united network of advocates in the nation’s capital, advocates are urging lawmakers at all levels to increase funding for research, care and support.
The S.C. Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association is a tax-exempt 501C (3) non-profit organization. Programs and services are made possible through contribution from individuals, corporations and foundations. The chapter uses 85 percent of funds raised for programs, services and research efforts.
Call the Alzheimer’s Association of South Carolina at 803-563-5478 for more information.