An Excerpt from "A Guide to Alzheimer's Disease"

Americans are living longer than ever before. The proportion of people age 65 or older will rise from 1 in 8 in 1999 to 1 in 5 in 2030. And the fastest growing segment of the elderly population is made up of people age 85 and older — the very group that’s most likely to have Alzheimer’s disease. What future will these people face? That will depend in part on how successful we are in fighting illnesses that rob many older people of their cognitive function.

The stakes are high. If no effective treatment or prevention is found, 14 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia*, by 2050. Given the aging of the population and the tragic effects of this age-related disease, intense scientific research is under way to find treatments that can prevent, slow, or arrest its progression.

Until promising treatment strategies come to fruition, Alzheimer’s patients and their families must gradually adjust to the realities of the disease. Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s is one of the toughest jobs in the world. However, experts have identified strategies that can help alleviate stress. These include seeking emotional support from family and friends, joining support groups, finding services to help with family care, and acquiring knowledge and skills training. In addition, many practical matters require early planning, for example, getting financial and legal documents in order, investigating long-term care options, and determining what services are covered by health insurance and Medicare.

The information in this guide includes help for family members or caregivers, as well as for the patient. Because the disease is progressive, a major component of coping with Alzheimer’s is foresight and careful, advance planning. Patients, at least in the early stages, can often be partners in that planning. Given that anyone might someday become an Alzheimer’s patient, everyone needs to set family affairs in order with an eye to the special burdens of this disease. In the following pages, you’ll learn about these and other facets of Alzheimer’s disease:

• the destructive process that takes place in the brain of a person with Alzheimer’s
• discoveries that may someday stop Alzheimer’s from attacking the brain
• factors that increase or may lower your risk for the disease
• techniques for managing the care of Alzheimer’s patients
• legal and financial planning and long-term care options
• anticipating the stages of Alzheimer’s and treating common behavior problems

This information is designed to help ease the stress of Alzheimer’s disease. With planning, patience, knowledge, and support, you can better meet the challenges posed by this disease and improve the quality of your life.