Perez 1

Karla Perez

Mr. Mills

AP English IV

October.02,2017

Increasing Alzheimer's Facility Worldwide

My Thesis

My Introduction

I. What is alzheimer's ?

II. Symptoms

III. What causes alzheimer's?

IV. My Interview

V. How was it discovered?

VI. SATs

VII. Care

VIII. Facility /cost

IX. Cure /Reduction

X. Conclusion

AP English IV
 Perez 2

Mr.MIlls

Karla Perez

October.02,2017

Increasing Alzheimer's Facilities Worldwide

Once forgotten always forgotten is a quote I would alway say. Placing this in my

research paper to explain a little on how this would fit into my topic Alzheimer's. Might have a

little background on what is Alzheimer's which is a big topic with many undiscovered ideas, and

treatments that will be done or could be done. To put to theory Once forgotten always

forgotten Is something that catches my mind making the mind blow always with new ideas. Yet

there are many ideas to be discovered, many people to come and go. Alzheimer's is a big topic to

be discovered.

Worldwide affected the one which no one has found the way to reverse it. How would

you turn it around? How can something so big be remembered in a turn of a light bulb? Have

you ever lost a loved one ? Most of us would say yes how about if I could say not in the way of

losing one physically but mentally. How could that happen you might say well, we could call this

Alzheimer's putting to work a quote that inspires me the most Once forgotten always forgotten

If you forget you can not remember again unless some type of obstacles brings the memories

back to which they have become a memory. Most people can say to knowledge of my personal

experience, people say it hurts the most when they lost a loved one mentally and not psychically.

Imagine having someone you love forget who you are completely and does not even recognized

you for who you are, not being able to have the great time you had with them as you use to.

Compared to a loved member who was lost gone into the heavens. To my experience I would

prefer to have a loved member to be lost into the heavens then here on earth as I get started,
 Perez 3

farther into reading you will discover the meaning of Alzheimer's will blow the mind of many

students,teachers and people worldwide.

Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that is causes problems with the memory, thinking, and

behavior.(http://alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp). Talking about Alzheimer's

brings me to talk about a little of what I know before doing some research on this topic.

Alzheimer's is a disease in which it can not be reverse once you have the disease there is no way

going back to the same you. An example would be more like when losing your mind to

something You could never lose to the mind to. The way I see Alzheimer's is once you have it,

everything that surrounds you will never be the same or might never remember anything around

you. Alzheimer gets more difficult as you age, Alzheimer's has stages as a baby would have

stages of growth. In contrast the difference would be the problem gets worse, and not better as

getting older. Symptoms then come into play with life, as a ball plays a game to win or lose. As

we speak this is not to scare humans on being old not everyone gets this disease as we speak.

Alzheimer's is not normal to get for everyone it is most likely genetic from generations or family

trees. The greatest known risk factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with

Alzheimer's are 65 and older. But Alzheimer's is not just a disease of old age. Approximately

200,000 Americans under the age of 65 have younger-onset Alzheimers disease also known as

early-onset Alzheimers.(http://alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp). As stated

Alzheimer does not just happen to people that grow old but also to ages under 65 as low as 18 or

It can be even lower as my teacher once told me. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, where

dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. What are the symptoms you made

say.
 Perez 4

Symptoms come in many, To go straight to the point Alzheimer's is like the growth

stages on the way babies grow up there are stages. The same way works with Alzheimer,

Alzheimer's has three stages the early stage the middle stage and the late stage. The early stage is

as well called the mild stage meaning it is barely starting to build up and having to have effect on

the person. In the early stage of Alzheimer's, a person may function independently. He or she

may still drive, work and be part of social activities. Despite this, the person may feel as if he or

she is having memory lapses, such as forgetting familiar words or the location of everyday

objects.

Friends, family or others close to the individual begin to notice difficulties. During a detailed

medical interview, doctors may be able to detect problems in memory or concentration. Common

difficulties include: Problems coming up with the right word or name,Trouble remembering

names when introduced to new people, Challenges performing tasks in social or work settings,

Forgetting material that one has just read, Losing or misplacing a valuable object, Increasing

trouble with planning or organizing.(http://alz.org/alzheimers_disease_stages_of_alzheimers.asp)

Many of you can relate to these symptoms wait just a minute do not freak out so soon. Theses

symptoms can happen to everyone we are talking about if they happen to them very often, and

lately as well. Do not go around telling everyone that you have symptoms of Alzheimer do not

get confused as well take a look at your age and the situation you are in does not mean you have

the disease. The next stage is the middle stage which is also called the moderate stage which is a

more advance stage of Alzheimer's a little worse than the early stage which in the previous

paragraph we have stated. Moderate Alzheimer's is typically the longest stage and can last for

many years. As the disease progresses, the person with Alzheimer's will require a greater level of

care. You may notice the person with Alzheimer's confusing words, getting frustrated or angry,
 Perez 5

or acting in unexpected ways, such as refusing to bathe. Damage to nerve cells in the brain can

make it difficult to express thoughts and perform routine tasks. At this point, symptoms will be

noticeable to others and may include: Forgetfulness of events or about one's own personal

history, Feeling moody or withdrawn, especially in socially or mentally challenging situations

Being unable to recall their own address or telephone number or the high school or college from

which they graduated, Confusion about where they are or what day it is, The need for help

choosing proper clothing for the season or the occasion, Trouble controlling bladder and bowels

in some individuals, Changes in sleep patterns, such as sleeping during the day and becoming

restless at night, An increased risk of wandering and becoming lost, Personality and behavioral

changes, including suspiciousness and delusions or compulsive, repetitive behavior like, hand-

wringing or tissue shredding.(http://alz.org/alzheimers_disease_stages_of_alzheimers.asp).

While reading I have found out more than what I knew before the disease when it goes into

progress as getting older the disease gets worse the mind thinks goes out of control it would be

like the person does not even know it is them inside the body of the mind. Asking the name of

the person, but then they can not answer the question, or ask them where they live and they are

confused on where they are or who they are. At the age I have right now I can tell you how much

I have experience with elderly with alzheimer at each stage. It is not easy at all, we all can say

that in which have experience with elderly's having alzheimer's. Continuing to the next stage of

Alzheimer's it is the late stage the worse of all the one I was talking about in the first page of

losing loved one mentally which in the late stage also called the severe stage of them all. In the

final stage of this disease, individuals lose the ability to respond to their environment, to carry on

a conversation and, eventually, to control movement. They may still say words or phrases, but

communicating pain becomes difficult. As memory and cognitive skills continue to worsen,
 Perez 6

significant personality changes may take place and individuals need extensive help with daily

activities. At this stage, individuals may: Need round-the-clock assistance with daily activities

and personal care, Lose awareness of recent experiences as well as of their surroundings,

Experience changes in physical abilities, including the ability to walk, sit and, eventually,

swallow, Have increasing difficulty communicating, Become vulnerable to infections, especially

pneumonia.(http://alz.org/alzheimers_disease_stages_of_alzheimers.asp). The late stage is the

most hurting to watch the love one slowly be gone into a mentally break down. An experience I

had was during the summer I took a CNA classes through ABtech we all went to do the hours at

a nursing home called Aston Park a unit facility with Alzheimer patients. I have never in my life

ever experience anything like that in my life. It was like I was looking at the other side of the

world I have never seen before. Where elderly were like little babies once again, nothing could

be done to help them go back to the way they were before. The first time I ever went to the

nursing home I literally almost cried my eyes out looking at how fortunate the world outside the

building was much happier than between the four walls not being able to do anything on your

own. I spent my whole summer working with them I have learned a lot about things out of my

understanding. Experiencing the time I spent with Alzheimer's patients made me reflect the way

I treat people and how to understand the way they feel.

The cause of Alzheimer's is unknown to my knowledge. Alzheimer's is a disease in which

nothing can reverse it. According to an article I read online was the cause of Alzheimer's is the

brain cell death. As well the brain size shrinks over time with Alzheimer's the tissue inside the

brain called nerve cells less and less are produced and fewer connections are made throughout

the human brain. Nerve tissue called platelets and tangles, the platelets are found in the dead cell

and start to build up in the brain the buildup is made of protein. The tangle are within the brain
 Perez 7

neutrons(Medical News Today). According to (Medical News Today) this is not the only cause

involve in Alzheimer's, they also say it can be involved with the aging as well as family history

or genetic. As well there are many reason why it is causes that are not discovered in the world.

My interview was done a nursing home on brevard road Asheville,NC the nursing home

is called Aston Park. I interviewed a nurse that works there which works in the hall that has

Alzheimer's patients my experience with her was awesome. I learned a lot on how to treat

patients with care. How to communicate with my patients, and how to understand them very

well. Learning how to build a strong connection with patients with alzheimer's was an

experience I have never had before in my whole life. Sharing my experience with you is that my

experience was hard especially that the patients was not capable of communicating with me. The

patient was not aware of what they were doing or who they were at the moment. This was a

challenge I was able to complete. I loved working with them at the beginning I was a little stress

about it because I could not find a way around the whole situation or how to approach them, or

what to say to the patient. Something that helped me was the fact that I had some information

over the patient's. Coming so far help realize the other side of the world.

Might be wondering who discovered Alzheimer's, A person called Alois Alzheimer was

given credit in 1906 for discovering Alzheimer's. On a day he has a women patient named

Auguste D, who was in the hospital since 1901. The women was just 51 years old and was

showing early signs of dementia including memory loss, confused, hallucination. Alzheimer

treated her documented her symptoms in depth, he would as well sit by her and have a regular

conversation with her which got him to notice a change with her as it came for her to write a

word. She would state how she would lose herself. Later on she died in 1906 at the age of 55

years. Alzheimer's then requested that her brain was sent to him for research, he studied the
 Perez 8

brain, he found what we call now the hallmarks which is a buildup of plaques and tangles in her

brain he also found the signs of cerebral atrophy another finding typical in Alzheimer's disease.

An amazing fact to know is that not until 1995 they found the medical records documenting her

care for Auguste D. as well as his conversations with a follow up of brain tissue of Auguste. The

notes left behind by Alzheimer's let other researchers and scientist to directly verified the brain

changes he had described in his lecture. Alzheimer died on december 19,1915 he was only 51

years old and died from an infection in his

heart.(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181715/)

In my research I found many things in statistics over alzheimers worldwide nearly 44

million people have alzheimer's or a related

dementia.(http://www.alzheimers.net/resources/alzheimers-statistics/). As well one in four with

alzheimer's disease has been diagnosed they are most common in western europe following up

by North America( http://www.alzheimers.net/resources/alzheimers-statistics/). One third of

americans over age 85 are afflicted with the illness. As predicted 5.3 million americans are living

with alzheimer's disease. In addition unless a cure is found more than 16 million americans will

have the disease by 2050. Racial Makeup of Alzheimers

65-74 Years of Age; 2.9% Caucasian, 9.1% African American, 7.5% Hispanic. 75-84 Years of

Age; 10.9% Caucasian, 19.9% African American, 27.9% Hispanic. 85 Years of Age and above;

30.2% Caucasian, 58.6% African American, 62.9%

Hispanic.(http://www.alzheimers.net/resources/alzheimers-statistics/). After this research I can

say that Alzheimer's is most common in hispanics than any other race. Which in fact surprised

me very much, the fact that if there is no cure then that would mean that the number will increase

each year with it being genetic and having no cure. In my opinion I feel like this is scary because
 Perez 9

you never know when you are going to get the disease or if you are at risk of getting the disease

that is not a curable disease.

Care ever wondered how would you care for someone who would has Alzheimer's. What

type of care would you give them and what type of treatments would they receive from you, or

from anybody caring for them. To my knowledge the way approaching a patient with alzheimer's

is from the front never come from the behind them. If coming from behind them you will cause

them to get scared and become traumatized, getting them to at a surprise moment making them

more confused them what they already were before. Approach them from the front that way they

see you. If coming to them to give them care try not to overwhelm them with many words this

will cause them to get confused. Try not to ask them many things such as their history, what they

did the day before you will cause them to get frustrated with themselves avoid many of things

that would cause them to get confused. When dealing with a more advance patient this one is a

little more simple to explain at this point the patient would be in the late stage of Alzheimer's

they will no longer be able to speak, some will be able to but very little. To this point many of

them have had a stroke causing parts of its body where they can not move anymore which makes

it harder for them to do things on their own. There are many approaches you can have with them

many work and many do no work. The best one is to stay positive and to be patient remember

they are like babies.

A nursing home is a type of facility where elders that can not longer be cared by the

family or as well are in a recovery mode go here. Near you there can be up to one or none or

even more than five nursing homes. In my location there are about ten nursing homes of what I

know of, in one of them I went to do my clinical hours it is called Aston Park. It is a very diverse

facility including employers. In such meaning I would like to have more facilities in which the
 Perez 10

elderly can go for many reasons. In first of all to start with one the family member sometimes

can not take care of the elderly that are growing up and is harder for them to get around the

world. They are in need of a special care in which some of the families can not given them that

type of care. This is when the nursing homes come in handy to help them out. The only problem

with the nursing home is that they do cost a lot of money and that is why many of the families do

not put the elderly in nursing homes they just leave them at home which is more dangerous for

them because it is like having a little child all over again. They do not know much of the world

no more. Another problem is the situation the elderly is going through for example how we are

talking about Alzheimer's, when an elderly has alzheimer's it is very dangerous not to give them

special care they do not know who they are especially they do not know where they are. There is

also something that is know as at home facility where you can give the family member a care

from home but this would mean that would give the person everything they need being at home.

Each start should have more facility this would help the communities and family members the

way the facilities should be is they should be affordable for family member to put the elderly's

inside of a facility home and get cared like they are suppose to. The problem with that is many

people view this as a cruel thing to do to a family member, they would say that they do not love

them because they are getting rid of them but that is not true. This just means that they can no

longer give the same care they use to because of the extra things like work, school, or other

children you may have. In my opinion they should have more facilities that would have an

affordable price in which it should not be a problem to get help.

Is there a cure for Alzheimer's sadly no to my knowledge. No one has found a cure for

Alzheimer's it is like cancer there is no cure. There is such a things as how to slow down the

disease way to reduce the disease, but can not stop it. Some reductions that are available are
 Perez 11

starting from a young age doing memory puzzles as well as the fact that memory exercises really

help them with slowing them down I learned this from my CNA teacher over the

summer.(https://www.caring.com/articles/slowing-alzheimers-progress)

From all of the above material I covered was that I want more Alzheimer's facilities

because there is an increasing number of people with the disease which need more help with the

care of their own health.

Work Cited

Alzheimer's Statistics. Alzheimers.net, www.alzheimers.net/resources/alzheimers-statistics/.

alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp.

Stages of Alzheimer's & Symptoms. Alzheimer's Association,

alz.org/alzheimers_disease_stages_of_alzheimers.asp.