Aging can negatively affect a senior’s memory, and it can also increase the risk of Alzheimer’s. However, not all cases of memory loss are connected to the disease. Emotional disorders and medications can cause confusion, forgetfulness, and critical thinking problems. In contrast, Alzheimer’s causes memory impairment in older adults. Learn about the connections between Alzheimer’s disease and memory loss.
Poor Decision-Making
Although medicines can lessen the symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s, this type of treatment doesn’t cure the disease. As the condition continues to damage brain cells, seniors may go from making occasional bad decisions to making poor decisions most of the time. The brain cell damage prevents seniors from thinking clearly, leading to inadequate responses or adverse reactions. Before seniors develop the disease, their minds are able to reason and make sound judgments, but as the disease progresses, seniors may have difficulty remembering the purpose of ethical and moral decisions.
If your loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, help is just a phone call away. There are many reasons seniors might need assistance at home. Some may require regular mental stimulation due to an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, while others might only need part-time assistance with exercise and basic household tasks. Home Care Assistance is a leading elder care provider. Families rely on our expertly trained caregivers to help their senior loved ones maintain a high quality of life.
Forgetfulness
In the early stages of Alzheimer’s, memory loss may be mild, causing seniors to occasionally forget things such as the date or someone’s name, but the forgetfulness isn’t constant. The biggest issue will likely be the frustration felt when continuing to forget people, places, and things that are normal parts of life. After a small mistake, your parent may be able to correct the error. For example, if your loved one refers to you by one of your sibling’s names, he or she may quickly fix the mistake and say your name. However, as the disease progresses, forgetfulness will become more common.
Losing Track of Essential Objects & Information
Maintaining schedules and keeping up with medications may be difficult for seniors living with age-related memory loss. With Alzheimer’s disease, older adults misplace items frequently and have difficulty recalling where they placed the objects. If your loved one loses his or her keys from time to time, this is nothing to get too upset about. However, if your loved one misplaces the keys multiple times throughout the week, he or she might have Alzheimer’s disease and needs to visit his or her primary care physician to receive an official diagnosis. When Alzheimer’s goes untreated, it can speed up cognitive decline and disrupt quality of life.
Aging adults who need help managing mental and physical health issues can benefit from the assistance of highly trained professional caregivers. Seniors who want to remain healthy as they age can benefit in a variety of ways when they receive professional home care. Waterloo, ON, Home Care Assistance is here to help your loved one accomplish daily tasks, prevent illness, and focus on living a healthier and more fulfilling life.
Difficulty Planning & Solving Problems
The accumulation of amyloid and tau proteins in the brain can lead to Alzheimer’s and cause a senior’s memory to decrease faster. Prescriptions can block, detangle, and try to destroy those proteins, but the disease is incurable. As the brain becomes inflamed, solving problems and planning become more challenging.
This type of memory loss makes it difficult for seniors to live alone. Instead, they need assistance with cooking, paying monthly bills, scheduling regular checkups, doing household chores, and more. The brain inflammation reduces seniors’ ability to focus as quickly as they once could, and without adequate care, they could harm themselves or others.
Without the right assistance, Alzheimer’s can be challenging for seniors and their families to handle. If you’re looking for professional Alzheimer’s care, Waterloo Home Care Assistance provides high-quality care aging adults and their families can count on. All of our hourly and live-in caregivers are trained to help seniors with Alzheimer’s live happier and healthier lives, and we also provide specialized dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s care. Call one of our Care Managers at (519) 954-2111 to learn about our customized in-home care plans.