by Heather Hess

Created on: May 25, 2010

If you are caring for a loved one who has Alzheimer’s you know that providing that care can be exhausting, overwhelming, and confusing. What you may not know is that Alzheimer’s disease is only one form of the dementias. There are many others, however, Alzheimer’s is the most common.  Additionally, your loved one may not exhibit what we know as typical symptoms of dementia. First, it is important to understand what dementia is. Secondly, knowing the types of dementia may help in understanding your loved one’s cognitive decline.

Alzheimer’s Dementia is a progressive brain disorder named after the first doctor that described the condition in 1906, Alois Alzheimer.  According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease with 4.9 million being senior citizens as of 2007.

Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging; rather it is a disease that affects memory, behavior, and the overall thinking process.  So how do you know if someone is in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s? Here are some symptoms to keep in mind. Your loved one may exhibit memory loss, problems with language, have problems performing routine daily tasks, disorientation, poor judgment, misplace things, exhibit changes in mood or behavior, personality will change, and may lose initiative.

Alzheimer’s patients exhibit behavioral symptoms such as agitation, aggression, anxiety, and their sleep is disturbed. Caregivers may find behavior symptoms the most discouraging and difficult to deal with. The important thing to understand is that Alzheimer’s is a result of progressive damage to the brain. Each area of the brain is responsible for different functions; therefore, Alzheimer’s patients will show different symptoms depending which areas of the brain are affected. Between 70 to 90 % of people with AD will develop behavior symptoms. So how do caregivers deal with this difficulty? Experts encourage caregivers to remain calm and attempt to be patient, understanding, and flexible. Do not take behaviors personally. Your loved one’s disease is the cause of agitation, not the person themselves.

In addition to brain cell damage, the side effects from drugs may cause behavior symptoms as well. There are a couple of options when treating behavior symptoms of AD. Some physicians will attempt to identify the symptoms and understand their causes. They will also attempt to identify statins (or

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