Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Ironwood Carnegie Library holds Alzheimer's presentation

KIM E. STROM

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Ironwood - One of the key things to remember when considering the difference between the warning signs of Alzheimer's and normal, age-related memory problems, is what is normal for the person. "Cognitive problems can vary from person to person," said Sundi Tayor with the Greater Michigan Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.

The third in a series of four main programs, Taylor gave a presentation on the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer's at the Ironwood Carnegie Library Monday. Previously, Taylor spoke on Effective Communication and Alzheimer's and Understanding Alzhiemer's and Dementia.

The next presentation will focus on Healthy Living for Body and Brain and will be scheduled at a later date. The Alzheimer's Association offers several specialty programs as well.

The ten warning signs of Alzheimer's are:

1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life.

2. Challenges in planning or solving problems.

3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks.

4. Confusion with place or time.

5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships.

6. New problems with words in speaking or writing.

7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps.

8. Decreased or poor judgement.

9. Withdrawal from work or social activities

10. Changes in mood and personality.

Another thing to consider is whether the issues are happening more and more frequently and whether they disrupt the daily life of the person, she said.

Writing things down as they occur with the dates can help as this serves as a memory aid for the person and a way to track symptoms, said Taylor.

Sometimes diagnosing can be hard because the patient may try to mask symptoms of forgetfulness out of embarrassment. "She covered a lot up," said one member of the audience whose mother suffers from the disease.

Occasionally needing help remembering things can be a normal part of aging, said Taylor. It's normal to forget where you put something, for example, but most people have the ability to retrace their steps and remember that way. A person with Alzheimer's does not have the ability to retrace steps, said Taylor. It's also normal to temporarily forget something, and then remember it later. An Alzheimer's patient cannot recall things later that they once knew.

Even vision can be affected, said Taylor. Lines of text might look wiggly, for example, and there will be tripping and balancing issues. Dark things ahead on the road might appear to be holes. Sheets with flowers on them may look like bugs, is one example an audience member gave.

"We always have to join in someone's reality," said Taylor. In other words, it's not effective to tell an Alzheimer's patient he or she is not experiencing something. "It's real to them," she said.

Asking the same questions repeatedly is another sign as well as irritability due to misunderstanding of time and place. A person may wonder why they have to wait in line, for example. Or a person may think someone has stolen something or moved it around on them when they lose the memory of where they placed something, said Taylor.

Poor judgement can result in a decreased standard of living. People may withdraw from social activities when they realize they can't keep up and they can tend to isolate themselves from the public, she said. A persons comfort zone shrinks and there are changes in day to day functioning, according to the video Taylor presented.

It's important to remember a person doesn't have to have all the symptoms to have Alzheimer's. It's the change in the usual pattern of functioning that's key.

Diagnosing Alzheimer's early is important for several reasons. Although there is nothing that can reduce the build-up of plaque on the brain associated with Alzheimer's there are medications that can ease symptoms, especially in the early stages, said Taylor.

If a person suspects a loved one of having Alzheimer's symptoms, it is recommended that the situation be assessed, ask others close to the person if they've noticed changes as well, then have a conversation with them. Then offer to go to the doctor with them.

To reach out to the Alzheimer's Association, call 1-800-272-3900.

To learn how to be a part of a study on Alzheimer's visit alz.org/TrialMatch.

 
 
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