Alzheimer's Association - September 2006 Charity-of-the-Month

Alzheimer's Association
225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17
Chicago, IL 60601-7633
tel: 1.800.272.3900
tel: 1.312.335.8700
fax: 1.866.699.1246
website: http://alz.org
e-mail: info@alz.org

Safe Return enrollment
tel: 1.888.572.8566
tdd: 1.888.500.5759

'Memory Walk' Fundraising Events
Join more than 200,000 participants in taking steps to end Alzheimer's in our annual fund-raising walks across America.
Sign Up for 'Memory Walk' Events taking place October 2006 http://alz.org/memorywalk/overview.asp

About the Alzheimer's Association

The Alzheimer's Association, the world leader in Alzheimer research, care and support, is dedicated to finding prevention methods, treatments and an eventual cure for Alzheimer's.

Our 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.

The Association's nationwide organization, founded in 1980, includes the national office in Chicago, the public policy office in Washington, D.C., and 300 local points of service across the country.

10 WARNING SIGNS OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

1. 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.

2. 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 forgetting why you came into a room or what you planned to say.

3. 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.

4. Disorientation to time and place.
People with Alzheimer's disease can become lost in their own neighborhood, forget where they are and how they got there, and not know how to get back home.

What's normal? Forgetting the day of the week or where you were going.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. Changes in mood or behavior.
Someone with Alzheimer's disease may show rapid mood swings from calm to tears to anger for no apparent reason.

What's normal? Occasionally feeling sad or moody.

9. Changes in personality.
The personalities of people with dementia can change dramatically. They may become extremely confused, suspicious, fearful or dependent on a family member.

What's normal? People's personalities do change somewhat with age.

10. Loss of initiative.
A person with Alzheimer's disease may become very passive, sitting in front of the TV for hours, sleeping more than usual or not wanting to do usual activities.

What's normal? Sometimes feeling weary of work or social obligations.

* If you recognize any warning signs in yourself or a loved one, the Alzheimer's Association recommends consulting a doctor. Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or other disorders causing dementia is an important step to getting appropriate treatment, care and support services.

Everyone forgets a name or misplaces keys occasionally. Many healthy people are less able to remember certain kinds of information as they get older.

The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are much more severe than simple memory lapses. If you or someone you know is experiencing Alzheimer symptoms, consult a doctor.

We fund innovative Alzheimer research
The Association has invested more than $185 million in Alzheimer research and is a catalyst for generating new knowledge about Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

The Association's two research conferences, the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders (ICAD) and the International Conference on Prevention of Dementia, bring together the greatest minds in dementia research from around the world.

We fund research grants that support investigations into understanding the disease and improving the quality of life for people affected by dementia.

We provide information, education and support
The Alzheimer's Association provides a broad range of programs and services for people living with the disease, families, caregivers, residential care professionals and professional health care providers.

Our 24/7 Helpline can help you address a variety of dementia-related issues:

Medications and treatment options

Skills to provide quality care

Strategies to reduce stress and manage lifestyle changes

Legal, financial and living-arrangement decisions

Clinical trials of potential treatments

Medicare and Medicaid benefits

Professional and community services

Safety

Our Web site at http://www.alz.org is a rich resource with evidence-based content that helps inform our diverse audiences. Our online forums provide people with Alzheimer's and their families a confidential and safe place to share concerns and receive support.

Alzheimer's Association Safe Return is a nationwide identification program that provides assistance in the safe and timely return of individuals who have wandered and become lost.

Each year, we provide more than 100,000 hours of education and support services, including programs for those living with Alzheimer's disease, their families and care providers.

The Alzheimer's Association Green-Field Library, the nation's largest library and resource center devoted to Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, provides reference and research services, reading lists and video guides.

The Alzheimer's Association CareFinder is an online guide that can help individuals with Alzheimer's and their families identify the right care options.

We host national and regional dementia care conferences.

We advocate for change
The Alzheimer's Association represents the interests of people living with the disease and their families to all levels of government as well as health care and long-term care providers.

Through this advocacy effort, we seek to:

Increase annual federal research funds to $1 billion for finding effective ways to prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease

Improve Medicare to meet the health care needs of people with Alzheimer's disease

Preserve and expand quality, affordable long-term care, including caregiver support, to meet the special needs of people with dementia

We're improving dementia care
We are leading the way in making sure that dementia care is safe, respectful and meaningful for every individual. As part of our initiative to improve the quality of dementia care nationwide, we established specific recommendations to raise the standard of dementia care. In addition, we offer classroom and Web-based training based on these recommendations for direct care providers in assisted living and nursing homes.

Join the cause
The Alzheimer's Association invites you to participate in our effort to change the lives of people with dementia and create a world without Alzheimer's.

Become an advocate
Collaborate with people living with Alzheimer's disease, caregivers, families and friends to form a united voice that brings change and hope.

Volunteer
Join the more than 35,000 volunteers whose services are critical to every program and initiative of the Association.

Donate
Your gift makes a difference in the lives of people with dementia and supports research to improve treatment, care and prevention strategies.

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
Alzheimer's (AHLZ-high-merz) disease is a progressive brain disorder that gradually destroys a person's memory and ability to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate and carry out daily activities. As Alzheimer's progresses, individuals may also experience changes in personality and behavior, such as anxiety, suspiciousness or agitation, as well as delusions or hallucinations.

In late stages of the disease, individuals need help with dressing, personal hygiene, eating and other basic functions. People with Alzheimer's die an average of eight years after first experiencing symptoms, but the duration of the disease can vary from three to 20 years.

Although there is currently no cure for Alzheimer's, new treatments are on the horizon as a result of accelerating insight into the biology of the disease. Research has also shown that effective care and support can improve quality of life for individuals and their caregivers over the course of the disease from diagnosis to the end of life.

Causes of Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease has no known single cause, but in the last 15 years scientists have learned a great deal about factors that may play a role. Late-onset Alzheimer's, which chiefly affects individuals over age 65, is the more common form of the illness that is most often associated with the term "Alzheimer's disease." The greatest known risk factors for late-onset Alzheimer's are increasing age and a family history of the disease. The likelihood of developing late-onset Alzheimer's approximately doubles every five years after age 65. By age 85, the risk reaches nearly 50 percent. Scientists have so far discovered one gene that increases risk for late-onset disease.

Rare, familial types of Alzheimer's found in a few hundred families worldwide have been linked to specific genes. Individuals who inherit these genes are virtually certain to develop the disease, usually before age 65, and sometimes as early as their 30s or 40s.

Researchers are working to discover other factors that affect Alzheimer risk. Some of the most exciting preliminary evidence suggests that strategies for general healthy aging may also help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's. These measures include controlling blood pressure, weight and cholesterol levels; exercising both body and mind; and staying socially active.

How Alzheimer's disease affects the brain
Scientists believe that whatever triggers Alzheimer's begins to damage the brain years before symptoms appear. When symptoms emerge, nerve cells that process, store and retrieve information have already begun to degenerate and die. Scientists regard two abnormal microscopic structures called "plaques" and "tangles" as the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Amyloid plaques (AM-uh-loyd plaks) are clumps of protein fragments that accumulate outside of the brain's nerve cells. Tangles are twisted strands of another protein that form inside brain cells. Scientists have not yet determined the exact role that plaques and tangles may play.

Diagnosing Alzheimer's disease
Although Alzheimer symptoms can vary widely, the first problem that many people notice is forgetfulness severe enough to affect performance at home, at work or in favorite activities. Sometimes the decline in memory may be more obvious to a family member or close friend than to the affected individual. Other common symptoms include confusion, getting lost in familiar places and difficulty with language. The Alzheimer's Association encourages everyone who notices these symptoms in themselves or someone close to them to consult a physician.

A skilled physician can diagnose Alzheimer's disease with 90 percent accuracy. Because there is no single test for Alzheimer's, diagnosis usually involves a thorough medical history and physical examination as well as tests to assess memory and the overall function of the mind and nervous system. The physician may ask a family member or close friend about any noticeable change in the individual's memory or thinking skills.

Most diagnostic uncertainty arises from occasional difficulty distinguishing Alzheimer's disease from a related disorder.

Alzheimer's is the leading cause of dementia, a group of conditions that all gradually destroy brain cells and lead to progressive decline in mental function. Vascular dementia, another common form, results from reduced blood flow to the brain's nerve cells. In some cases, Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia can occur together in a condition called "mixed dementia." Other causes of dementia include frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and Parkinson's disease.

One important goal of the diagnostic workup is to determine whether symptoms may be due to a condition other than dementia. Depression, medication side effects, certain thyroid conditions, excess use of alcohol and nutritional imbalances are all potentially treatable disorders that may sometimes impair memory or other mental functions. Even if the diagnosis is dementia, timely identification enables individuals to take an active role in treatment decisions and planning for the future.

Treating Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may temporarily delay memory decline for some individuals, but none of the currently approved drugs is known to stop the underlying degeneration of brain cells. Certain drugs approved to treat other illnesses may sometimes help with the emotional and behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer's.

One important part of treatment is supportive care that helps individuals and their families come to terms with the diagnosis; obtain information and advice about treatment options; and maximize quality of life through the course of the illness.

Impact on caregivers
Alzheimer's has a major impact on those who help care for an affected individual. More than 70 percent of people with Alzheimer's live at home, where family and friends provide most of their care. As the disease progresses, it places physical, emotional and financial stress on caregivers as they assume growing responsibilities that may include meeting physical needs, managing daily routines and making important medical and legal decisions.

Impact on society
Alzheimer's takes an enormous toll on society. The Alzheimer's Association and National Institute on Aging estimate that current direct and indirect costs of caring for the 4.5 million Americans with Alzheimer's disease are at least $100 billion annually. By 2030, when our entire baby boom generation is over 65, the number of Americans with Alzheimer's will soar to levels that may exceed our ability to absorb the added cost.

Hope for the future
As the pace of research accelerates, scientists funded by the Alzheimer's Association, the pharmaceutical industry, universities and our federal government have gained detailed understanding of basic disease processes at work in the Alzheimer brain. Experts believe that several of these processes may offer promising targets for a new generation of treatments to prevent, slow or even reverse damage to nerve cells. Many experts are also convinced that ongoing research will soon clarify the role of cardiovascular factors or other aspects of risk that individuals may be able to influence through lifestyle. A strategy to delay the onset of Alzheimer's by five years could halve the number of affected individuals over the next 50 years.

Alzheimer's disease statistics

Alzheimer's disease in the United States

An estimated 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease. The number of Americans with Alzheimer's has more than doubled since 1980.

The number of Americans with Alzheimer's disease will continue to grow - by 2050 the number of individuals with Alzheimer's could range from 11.3 million to 16 million.

Finding a treatment that could delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease by five years could reduce the number of individuals with the disease by nearly 50 percent after 50 years.

A Gallup poll commissioned by the Alzheimer's Association found that 1 in 10 Americans said they had a family member with Alzheimer's and 1 in 3 knew someone with the disease.

Increasing age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's. One in 10 individuals over 65 and nearly half over 85 are affected. Rare, inherited forms the disease can strike individuals as early as their 30s and 40s.

A person with Alzheimer's disease will live an average of eight years and up to as many as 20 years from the onset of symptoms as estimated by relatives. From the time of diagnosis, people with Alzheimer's survive about half as long as those of similar age without dementia. Average survival time is affected by age at diagnosis and severity of other medical conditions.

The cost of care to families

National direct and indirect costs of caring for individuals with Alzheimer's disease are at least $100 billion, according to estimates used by the Alzheimer's Association and the National Institute on Aging.

The average lifetime cost of care for an individual with Alzheimer's disease is $174,000.

More than 7 out of 10 people with Alzheimer's disease live at home, where family and friends provide almost 75 percent of their care. The remainder is "paid care" costing an average of $19,000 per year. Almost all families pay this out of pocket.

The cost of care to government, long-term care and business

Medicare costs for beneficiaries with Alzheimer's are expected to increase 75 percent, from $91 billion in 2005 to $160 billion in 2010; Medicaid expenditures on residential dementia care will increase 14 percent, from $21 billion in 2005 to $24 billion in 2010, according to a report commissioned by the Alzheimer's Association.

Half of all nursing home residents have Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder.11 The average cost for nursing home care is $42,000 per year,12 but can exceed $70,000 per year in some areas of the country.

Alzheimer's disease costs American businesses $61 billion a year, according to a report commissioned by the Alzheimer's Association. Of that figure, $24.6 billion covers Alzheimer health care and $36.5 billion covers costs related to caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's,

including lost productivity, absenteeism and worker replacement.

For more information about Alzheimer research, treatment and supportive care, please contact the Alzheimer's Association.

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