Living with Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

If you suspect a loved one is showing signs of dementia and Alzheimer's, seek medical care immediately. Getting an early diagnosis of dementia and Alzheimer’s will come as a shock, no doubt, but early detection offers treatments for dementia that can help your loved one maintain optimal functioning. Even if you have been half expecting a dementia diagnosis, it will come as a blow. Getting support and reassurance will help with the initial upset. However, there is much that you can do in the early stages of Alzheimer’s and Dementia that will help make life easier and more enjoyable - now and in the future.

Alzheimer's Treatment

Drugs are not the only way to treat Alzheimer's disease.

Natural Cures

Many people want natural treatments for Alzheimer's. Natural methods do have a lot to offer, and by using them along with medication, AD can be slowed enough to give many more years of quality life. Natural methods can include supplements such as antioxidants, mental exercises, and physical exercises. Even simple things such as reducing stress and getting enough sleep can help to slow down AD.

Mental Exercise

Working the brain can help keep Alzheimer's at bay. It's a bit like using your muscles. The more they are used the better they work and the stronger they are. You can grow new neurons and synapses by exercising your brain which helps your memory, and the good news is, it's never too late to start.

Physical Exercise

Exercise comprising resistive and endurance exercise for 30 minutes or more a day at least three times a week can reduce your chances of getting AD by up to 50 percent. If you already have AD, it can improve your ability to think, remember, and concentrate by at least 5-10 percent.

More Controversial Ideas

Other Alzheimer's treatments are more controversial. Does aluminium poisoning cause Alzheimer's? It was thought to, but now we're told that studies do not show that it does. Louis Blank in his book “Alzheimer's' Challenged and Conquered?” documents his multi-pronged attack on his own case of Alzheimer's. As well as tough mental exercises and nutritional changes he eliminated aluminium from his diet. He eventually became symptom-free. Tom Warren is another person who has recovered from AD, and he says it is caused by chronic low-level mercury poisoning from mercury-silver amalgam dental fillings. Others say that cannot happen.

What Can Alzheimer's Treatment Do?

Medical Science says we can't cure Alzheimer's but we can slow the disease and reduce the symptoms with medication if we treat it early enough. Patients can gain one, two, or more years. Louis Blank and Tom Warren say they have cured themselves. Many books written by medical professionals say that there is help for sufferers who find out they have the disease while they are in the early stages. They say sufferers can gain years of quality time. There is hope here and now. If you have the early signs see a doctor. Early diagnosis is vitally important for effective treatment. Read the recommended books or find your own. Your library is a good place to start. The Future AD is affecting so many people now and the cost is so high that funding research for it has become a priority in the U.S. and other countries. Our knowledge and understanding of the disease is getting better all the time and the chances of better Alzheimer's treatments or a cure is improving all the time. We are also getting closer to more reliable methods of early diagnosis, so important to treating the disease. There does appear to be light at the end of the tunnel.

Treatments for Alzheimer’s

Another lesser known treatment for Alzheimer's is to get the patient into clinical trials. These trials help develop new drugs, and may one day provide the needed treatment to cure Alzheimer's for good. Another medication that doctors sometimes prescribed is Vitamin E. This medication is an antioxidant and is thought to help delay the placement in a residential or assisted care facility, and the loss of ability to carry out even the simple activities. Some side effects to keep an eye out for are that this drug may interact with medications that have been prescribed to prevent blood clots or lower cholesterol and may increase the risk of death.

Future Care Options:

Options range from care at home to Assisted Living communities, Group homes as well as Nursing facilities in your area. Almost all persons with Alzheimer’s and the various forms of dementia can be cared for in an assisted living environment and do not require nursing home care. In Arizona assisted living environments, there are several different levels and types of assisted living care available depending on the level of functioning of the potential resident. The options for Assisted Living in the Phoenix metropolitan area as well as throughout the state include non-secure environments to secure building and dedicated Memory Care units and communities. Group homes are also a good option for dementia residents if they are set up to handle those residents as they generally offer a secure environment and a higher staff to patient ratio then larger assisted living communities. A knowledgeable referral agency such as the staff of www.acaringhandformom.com is well equipped to help you navigate the vast healthcare network and find the right place for your loved one.