More than 6.2 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month – a month to raise awareness, show support, and ultimately further the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.
UNDERSTANDING ALZHEIMER’S
Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking, and behavior. Symptoms eventually grow severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases. Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging. The greatest known risk factor is increasing age (majority of people with Alzheimer’s are 65 and older). Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer’s, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment. Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. On average, a person with Alzheimer’s lives 4 to 8 years after diagnosis, but can live as long as 10 years, depending on other factors. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s. While there are therapy treatment options to slow down its progression, there’s still a lot left to know about Alzheimer’s to find a cure.
HOW TO HELP THE ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE CAUSE
There are many ways to help the Alzheimer’s disease cause. Here are a few ways to help:
- Social Media avenues consist of spreading the word on social media, changing your social media cover photo, or using a Facebook profile picture frame. There’s a readymade infographic on the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America website to spread the knowledge of what Alzheimer’s looks like and how many people are affected by it as well as the roll of the caregiver.
- Wear Teal. Wear teal and share this picture along with the reason why you’re joining the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.
- Join the Walk. AFA is holding a national virtual Alzheimer’s walk to raise awareness in your community and funds for affected families by Alzheimer’s.
- Create a fundraiser or donate. There are different ways of creating a fundraiser, whether on Facebook or directly on the AFA’s community fundraising page. Funds can go a long way towards supporting programs and services for affected families as well as a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
- Get a memory screening. It’s difficult to recognize symptoms of memory loss in oneself so take a free, virtual memory screening to check your own brain health.
FREEDOM HOME CARE PROVIDES ALZHEIMER’S CARE
The best place for a person suffering from memory loss is a familiar place. Freedom Home Care provides just that during a truly difficult and challenging transition for a family. Freedom Home caregivers go through specialized training in order to work with an individual with Alzheimer’s disease. Freedom Home Care provides this trusted in-home care in Chicago and the surrounding areas, such as, Buffalo Grove, Oak Brook, and Winnetka. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease and it is in maintaining that regular routine safe living environment that Freedom Home Care and Medical Staffing can help. Freedom Home care can specifically help in managing changing behaviors, providing nutritional support with specially prepared meals, providing mind-stimulating activities, encouraging and creating social interaction, supervising daily activities, and more. Freedom Home Care is personal in its approach as it tailors to what a client needs. Each and every day, you and your family are not alone.
