If you have been fortunate enough to have a relationship with a grandparent or even a great grandparent, you may have heard the term “Alzheimer’s” come up once or twice. “Alzheimer’s is an illness of the brain that causes large numbers of nerve cells in the brain to die. This affects a person’s ability to remember things, think clearly, and use good judgment.” (Alzheimer’s Association) Alzheimer’s is a disease that has no cure yet, affects half of all elders that reach age 85. All though it is believed that Alzheimer’s comes with old age, researchers are not quite sure what causes the disease, more than twenty years spent researching the disease with millions being put into the study, patients continue to have little to no …show more content…
Alois Alzheimer examined the cause of death after Auste D. had passed away of an unknown cause. Auste D. family first noted a relatively sudden change in her behavior, dominated by panic, terror, and constant suspicion of him having an affair with their neighbor. Auste D. also neglected her housework, hid objects, and constantly fumbled in the kitchen. Over the next several months, she became increasingly restless and a disturbance to their neighbors. By the time of her admission to the hospital, she suffered from weakening of the memory, persecution mania, restlessness and was rarely free from fear and agitation. After Auste D lost her battle to Alzheimer’s, Dr. Alois Alzheimer was able to examine her autopsy and see that there was an increased amount of shrinkage of nerve cells causing the loss of memory in the …show more content…
(Baxter) Instead of spending millions on research for an inevitable disease such as Alzheimer’s, it is time to spend the money on Alzheimer patients making sure that their time left on earth is under great care, free of injury and unhealthy habits. Due to the incredible high costs of medicine and 24 hour care, nursing homes need to begin getting the funding necessary to take care of their patients. Without the proper funding, nursing homes are forced to often be very low income and feed their patients food that does not meet their dietary requirements and in many times be under staffed. It has been over twenty years of research and all researchers know is that staying active and keeping a clean and healthy diet can reduce the possibility of getting Alzheimer’s. No actual medicine can be used to help prevent the disease but, doctors recommend taking vitamins throughout your life time to ensure that you are staying healthy and have the right nutrients in your body. (Alzheimer’s Association) Once a patient already has Alzheimer’s, there is not much doctors can do besides give the patient anti-depression medicine and sleeping medicine to help the patients through their pain. With no answers to the disease, there is a strong misuse of medicine around Alzheimer’s that can potentially make the patient grow sicker than they originally were.