Dear Readers,

J. Lowe is a 38-year-old female from Kingston who writes Lifeline out of a deep concern for her father, T. Lowe. This gentlemen is now 73. He has been physically very fit all of his life but recently everyone has noticed his forgetfulness of past events and his anger when he cannot find his wallet, his eyeglasses, the newspapers, which he claims people have moved. J. Lowe asks "Is this just old age? Or could my father have Alzheimer's disease?".

As people age, remembering becomes more of a chore and it is quite normal at any age to forget a name or misplaced items. Alzheimer's disease causes much more distress. It is a type of dementia which affects how the brain works, resulting in a loss of reasoning, thinking and judgement skills. Alzheimer's interferes with a person's ability to:

❒ recall recent memories.

❒ remember names.

❒ perform everyday tasks.

❒ use good judgement.

❒ think and speak clearly.

In its very early stages Alzheimer's disease can be hard to detect. Some signal signs for Alzheimer's which should not be ignored are:

❒ The person often misplaces their belongings, putting them in strange places and accuses others of taking their things.

❒ The person forgets commonly used words and repeats things often

❒ The person experiences problems with adding or subtracting.

❒ The individual finds it hard to recall the sequence and content of a movie or television show they are watching.

When the illness worsens:

❒ The person acts suspicious.

❒ The individual may not remember the date or what day of the week it is. He or she may not recall where they are or know how to go to familiar places.

❒ The person finds it difficult to make choices.

❒ There is marked withdrawn behaviour and loss of all interest in social activities.

When these warning signals are noticed in a relative or friend, they should see a physician for evaluation. There are several other physical disorders which can mimic Alzheimer's disease and these include:

❒ Thyroid disease

❒ Stroke

❒ Depression

❒ Parkinson's disease

These diseases should be screened for and eliminated before the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is made.

Statistics show that at age 65, one in 20 individuals have Alzheimer's Disease. By this age 85 this number has increased to one in five persons!

The exact cause of Alzheimer's disease is unknown but it can run in families. People with a family member with Alzheimer's disease are more likely to develop the disease.

There is no specific test to diagnose Alzheimer's but by performing a detailed mental status assessment and administering some written tests, the physician is able to determine if mental function are affected, which ones, and how severely. If Alzheimer's if diagnosed then the outcome is best when treatment is started early on.

Alzheimer's diseases progresses at different speeds for different people. In the early stages of Alzheimer's the person is unable to recall recent events or remember the names of friends.

In the middle stage the person has trouble recognising family members, is depressed and needs help caring for themselves.

In the late stages the individual does not recognise loved ones or even remember their own name. They lose the ability to speak, feed or dress themselves. Eventually they even loose bladder and bowel control. This is a sad illness which takes from a person their dignity as more and more brain cells die and progressively larger areas of the brain are affected.

Medication cannot cure Alzheimer's but can slow the development of the disease. Best results occur when medication is given early in the disease.

J. Lowe should have her father examined and assessed by her family physician.

Write Lifeline

P.O. Box 1731

Kingston 8