May 11, 2017 by
Alzheimer’s disease has become somewhat of an epidemic in recent years, and it’s gotten harder and harder to tell fact from fiction when it comes to symptoms, treatments, and risk factors.
The Alzheimer’s care specialists from At Home Independent Living in Syracuse, NY are here to help. We’ve confronted some of the most common myths and revealed the truths behind them:
Fiction: Dad can remember stories from his childhood, so there’s no way he has Alzheimer’s disease.
Fact: Alzheimer’s disease affects recent memories first, which means memories of the more distant past can linger much longer as the disease progresses. This explains why newly diagnosed Alzheimer’s patients can often remember stories from their younger years quite clearly. Also, people with Alzheimer’s tend to go through periods of good and bad days, and can seem to come “back to normal” for short periods of time.
Fiction: Only seniors get Alzheimer’s.
Fact: While it’s true that Alzheimer’s is most commonly diagnosed in people who are 50 or older, a rare form of the disease, early-onset Alzheimer’s, affects people as young as their 30s.
Fiction: My mother had Alzheimer’s, so I will probably get it too.
Fact: Although having an immediate family member with Alzheimer’s slightly increases someone’s risk for developing the disease, it doesn’t mean it’s likely. Most common forms of Alzheimer’s have not demonstrated a clear pattern of heredity.
Fiction: Alzheimer’s can be prevented.
Fact: Because no cause has been determined yet, there’s no known way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. However, there are ways to reduce your risk of getting Alzheimer’s. Lowering your cholesterol and blood pressure, keeping weight under control, avoiding head injury, quitting smoking and reducing alcohol consumption can all help reduce Alzheimer’s risks.
Caring for a loved one with dementia? At Home Independent Living’s Syracuse Alzheimer’s care experts are here to provide expert dementia care for your senior loved one, allowing your family to have peace of mind and enhancing the senior’s quality of life, safety and independence. Give us a call at 315.579.HOME to learn more about our Alzheimer’s care services.