Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia characterized by changes in certain regions of the brain, which cause nerve cells and their connections to malfunction.
Alzheimer’s disease is growing in Colorado, and is projected to keep rising. 91,000 people ages 65 and up have Alzheimer’s in Colorado. There are 307 million hours of unpaid care provided by Alzheimer’s caregivers, and Alzheimer’s costs the state Medicaid program $789 million in total.
Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia can be very emotionally and practically challenging to manage as the patient, family, or caregiver. It can be demanding to manage because when someone has dementia they begin to experience memory loss, personality changes, mood changes, confusion with time or place, communication problems and many other complications.
Having a family member with Dementia can be extremely heartbreaking for many: for example, going to see them and they don’t remember who you are, or talking to them and they’re rude, even though they can’t help it. “My grandma has dementia and it’s hard seeing her like this but not being able to do anything about it.” Avyn Ray.
People with any form of Dementia also are likely to have depression or anxiety. It is usually diagnosed at the beginning of their condition, but it can happen at any time. Some people may become depressed because they don’t have anything to look forward to. Other people may become depressed because of damage to parts of the brain involved in mood. Treating depression in someone who has Dementia can be challenging but it can still be treated.
Dementia is a severe disease and not only affects your brain, but it affects life expectancy. There are seven stages of dementia, and as someone goes up in stages, their life expectancy gets shorter and shorter. Stage 1 is too early to know with not very many symptoms. Stage 2 is more than 10 years with forgetting words occasionally. Stage 3 is 10 years and will have trouble remembering things and forgetfulness. Stage 4 is 3 to 8 years old, have trouble with daily tasks and forget recent events. Stage 5 is 1.5 to 6.5 years, experience personality changes and have trouble doing things on your own. Stage 6 is 4 years or less, have delusions and difficulty sleeping. Stage 7 is 2.5 years or less needing help to do everything and often can’t recognize family members. dementia stages
Dementia is something that should not be taken lightly and has become a problem in Colorado. It is important to be aware of the side effects, and how it can affect everyone around you.