It is considered that approximately 46.8 million people around the globe suffer from Alzheimer's. This number is increasing every year which makes it a subject of interest for everyone.
What most people don't know is that in the United States, at every 66 seconds a new person is becoming a patient after being diagnosed with Alzheimer. The statistics show even more drastic numbers when we refer to seniors, a category in which 1 out of 3 elderly people dies of either dementia or Alzheimer. The alarming situation became a national problem after it was proven that it kills more than prostate cancer and also breast cancer together. Having some basic knowledge of this disease is essential for public health and the Alzheimer's Organization is trying to offer all these information in an organized manner through their website.
What is Alzheimer's Disease?
Alzheimer's Disease is currently categorized as being the 6th cause of death in the States. Physicians describe it as being a progressive degenerative brain illness, which currently has no treatment. As a result of this degeneration, the nerve cells in brain suffer deterioration modifications which ultimately will lead to death. The website offers an up to date list of the most frequent symptoms which can help people seek medical help during the initial stages. These symptoms can include memory losses, difficulties solving easy problems, incapacity in completing daily tasks such as cleaning the house, time and location confusion and nevertheless a change in the personality of the affected person.
What does it mean to live with Alzheimer?
This subject is closely presented in one of the pages from the Alzheimer association website. It follows a step by step guide of how people should act once they were diagnosed with the pathology and what should be their expectations. One of their mottoes is represented by the fact that no person who suffers from Alzheimer's should have to face it alone, underlying the importance of having someone next to the patient all the time. More than this, the treatment for this disease is considered costly and requires a close analyzation of the budget once a member of the family is diagnosed. The website offers a helpline which is available 24 hours a day /7 days per week and which has the role of informing of all the possibilities of how this costs can be covered.
Support Groups
The website also offers information regarding support groups.As it was stated, this disease requires a lot of attention and the patient shouldn't be alone. Currently, they focus on support groups which are available in the United States. An interactive map is available which be used by the viewers to select the state where they live and a list of all the groups which are available in their area will be listed. These represent places where both the patient and the family members can meet to talk about their challenges, share their feelings and empathize with others and even learn some new tricks of how to prevent some complications or accidents.
More resources about the pathology
In one of their sections entitled "Virtual Library" the organization shares with the world peer review latest articles. There is also an application available for mobile phones which makes the searching process even easier. The library contains a comprehensive resource list of frequently asked questions regarding dementia and Alzheimers. Also, it gives access to the view of all the organization's previous publications which are free to download and read in their Publication section.
