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Sarah Andel, Family Nurse Practitioner Highlights National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month  Bingham – "Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging but a disease of the brain that results in impaired memory, thinking, and behavior," states Sarah Andel, a family nurse practitioner at Bingham Area Health Center. "Normal age-related memory loss differs from Alzheimer’s disease in that with normal memory loss, only fragments of memories may be lost and remembered at a later day," Andel continues. Memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by forgetting entire memories and never remembering them later on. Consult a doctor when you have concerns about memory loss, thinking skills, and behavior changes in yourself or a loved one.
Once a person is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, family and friends should help them make legal plans including living wills and power of attorney. These should include making plans for long-term care and healthcare coverage. Someone should be named to make decisions on behalf of the person with Alzheimer’s when the disease reaches the stage where they no longer can. Plans for finances and property should also be decided. As hard as it may be to make these decisions now, it will make things easier in the long run. Safety is an important thing to be aware of, particularly in the later stages of Alzheimer’s. Six out of ten people with Alzheimer’s will wander and become lost. Caregivers should place locks in an abnormal place (at the top or bottom of the door for example) or enable an alarm system that will alert the caregiver should someone try to leave. Covering doorknobs with cloth that is the same color as the door or covering the door entirely can also help keep wandering to a minimum. Using appliances that have an auto shut-off feature can prevent potential dangers. Keep a list of emergency telephone numbers (family members, friends, fire and police, ambulance, doctor, etc) on hand. Sadly, it is common for people who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease to lose contact with friends for a variety of reasons. Friends and family members may be scared and not know how to react to the news; they may fear how the consequences of the disease will affect their friend or family member. Friendship and support can make a big difference when this diagnosis arises so it can be helpful for friends and family to be told just how important they are and the wish that they continue to be there. Caregivers should not ignore their own physical and mental health. Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s is not easy and can be physically and mentally tiring. Know about support groups and other resources available. Planning ahead can make changes easier. Caregivers should give themselves credit for their hard work and dedication for caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, not feel guilty that they can’t do more. In just the past few months, major breakthroughs regarding Alzheimer’s research have occurred. There is much hope with the developments in Alzheimer’s disease research that a cure may some day be reached, possibly sooner than we think. For more information, support, or referrals, visit the Alzheimer’s Association website at www.azl.org or call 1-800-272-3900. For more information or to make an appointment with Sarah Andel, FNP, please call the Bingham Area Health Center at (207) 672-4187. Bingham Area Health Center is part of the HealthReach Community Health Centers (HRCHC) family. HRCHC is a system of eleven federally qualified, community-based health centers located in Central and Western Maine. Dedicated providers deliver high-quality, affordable healthcare to 36,000 rural and underserved residents in over 80 communities. For further information on HealthReach Community Health Centers, call the Communications Department at (207) 861-3400. |
