Definition: Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain’s nerve cells, or neurons, resulting in loss of memory, thinking and language skills, and behavioral changes.1 Characteristics of the Alzheimer’s disease:
• Confusion about times and places • Difficulty completing daily tasks (brushing teeth, getting dressed)
• Changes in mood and personality (may include mood swings, withdrawal, and
• Difficulty articulation (can’t find right words, unable to hold a conversation)2
Prevention:
• According to the Mayo clinic, there is little that one can do to prevent Alzheimer’s
disease, and currently drug therapies are being studied in more depth to see if there is any that will slow the possibility of contracting the disease3
Some statistics about Alzheimer’s disease:
• Approximately one in ten persons over age 65 and almost half of those 85 or older
• Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed in around 4.2 million to 5.8 million Americans • In one out of four cases family members are actually the caregivers to those with
Treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease:
• Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
• There are four drugs used to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. They are:
Cognex, Aricept, Exelon and Razadyne. These stop the enzymes that break down the brain’s chemical acetylcholine, and may help slow the symptoms.
• Namenda is used to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease, and slows the
decline in mental functioning. Aricept was also recently approved to treat severe Alzheimer’s as well as mild and moderate.5
1 Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 2007 <http://www.alzfdn.org/alzheimers/index.shtml> (28 June 2007) 2 Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 2007 <http://www.alzfdn.org/alzheimers/warning_signs.shtml> (28 June 2007) 3 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 12 January 2007 <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alzheimers-disease/DS00161/DSECTION=> (28 June 2007) 4 Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 2007 <http://www.alzfdn.org/alzheimers/statistics.shtml> (28 June 2007) 5 Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 2007 <http://www.alzfdn.org/alzheimers/treatment.shtml> (28 June 2007)
Current research findings on family adaptation to Alzheimer’s disease:
• Chronic stress and immunity in family caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease victims6
Shows higher levels of stress compared to those not in a similar situation However, no significant immunological differences of those who are
Alzheimer’s disease caregivers to those who are not
• Communicating with persons with Alzheimer's disease: experiences of family and
Looked at communication processes between both formal (doctors and trained
personnel) and familial caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s disease
Two important ideas that are needed to ensure good communications:
environmental adjustments and reassurance
By being able to redirect and manage the disruptive behavior during episodic
events increases the length of time a familial caregiver is able to keep their loved one in the home
• Burden among family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease in nursing
Age played a large factor into the amount of burden fell after
All other characteristics showed no significant variations Those who were seen as more involved in the care of the person with
Alzheimer’s disease felt a greater sense of burden
Experienced caregivers are more likely to implement the proper coping
Resources for families
• ElderCarelink is a website where family members and those suffering with
Alzheimer’s disease can go to get references and a list of resources in their area. They provide links to facilities and different organizations depending upon the needs of those that contact the organization
According to a staff member, for Minnesota, a great resource to find
information about Alzheimer’s in our state is the State of Minnesota Website
Chris Avery ElderCarelink.com Email address: cavery@eldercarelink.com
6 Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K., Glaser, R., Shuttleworth, E. C., Dyer, C. S., Ogrocki, P., & Speicher, C. E. (1987). Chronic stress and immunity in family caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease victims. Psychosomatic Medicine, 49, 523-535. 7 Richter, J. M., Roberto, K. A., & Bottenberg, D. J. (1995). Communicating with persons with Alzheimer's disease: experiences of family and formal caregivers. Psychiatric Nursing, 9, 279-285. 8 Tomatore, J., & Grant, L. (2002). Burden among family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease in nursing homes. The Gerontologist, 42, 497-506.
SUSANE - Sustainable, sanitary and efficient management of animal manure for plant nutrition Impact of medicated feed on the development of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in integrated pig-fish farms in Vietnam. 1. Introduction Use of animal manure as fertilizer of aquaculture ponds is practiced widely in Southeast Asia. Pigs are raised in houses on the edge of ponds and
The following is a brief snapshot of the changes within the Practice over the past 10 years. It has been an interesting exercise for us as a practice to produce this comparison and we hope you find it interesting. There is a commentary on all the data listed at the end of this document. Should you have any observations or comments the practice Consultation Rate Actual Numbers and Percenta