The cost of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s can be astronomical. Doctor visits, specialized testing, in-home aides, and medications can add tens of thousands of dollars to your medical costs. And if there comes a time when you need to go to a nursing home, those expenses will skyrocket. Trying to get a grasp on these costs may be overwhelming, if not frightening, to the average person.
Category: Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s: Handling Legal Affairs
Worrying about your health is only part of the emotional stress created by Alzheimer’s disease. Once the reality of having Alzheimer’s begins to set in, you may begin to fret about other more practical matters and your future. Who will make decisions for you when you can no longer make them? Who will care for you when your condition worsens? Where will you live when you can no longer remain at home? How will you finance the cost of your care?
Alzheimer’s: Employment Benefits
Whether you can work depends on your current health and the type of job you do. You may need to make some changes such as cutting back hours or doing less demanding tasks to adapt your work situation to your health. Keep in mind that the American with Disabilities Act offers some protection to people who have Alzheimer’s disease. Companies with fifteen or more employees must make “reasonable” accommodations for job applicants with physical or mental disabilities. You can also talk to your employer about benefits such as paid sick leave or other short-term disability benefits.
Alzheimer’s: Treatments in Future
It’s been a century since Alois Alzheimer first spotted the plaques and tangles inside the brain of his patient, Auguste D. Our understanding of the disease that bears his name has since grown considerably, much of it in recent decades. But even as scientists around the world scrutinize the various aspects of this baffling disease, myriad mysteries remain. What exactly is the cause of Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer’s: Making Future Arrangements
Having Alzheimer’s doesn’t guarantee that you’ll move to a nursing home someday, but it certainly does increase the odds. As the disease progresses, you may begin to experience wandering and exhibit behaviors diat will become increasingly difficult for your caregiver to manage. You may also require greater physical care than your caregiver can provide.
Alzheimer’s: Treatment Beyond Approved Medication
The quest for medications beyond the five currently approved by the FDA is ongoing, rigorous, and intense. It appears to be a matter of time before new therapies are approved. These are just a few of the drugs now being studied:
Continue reading Alzheimer’s: Treatment Beyond Approved Medication
Alzheimer’s: Do Foods Play A Role?
Nutrition research in recent decades has found a major link between the foods we eat and the state of our health. Not surprisingly then, some scientists are examining whether certain ingredients in foods may help ward off Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s: Do Herbal Supplements And Vitamins Have A Role?
Huperzine A
Huperzine A is an herbal supplement derived from the plant Huperzia serrata. In China, it has been used for centuries as a treatment for swelling, fever, and blood disorders. Recent clinical trials in China have reportedly shown that huperzine can also benefit people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Continue reading Alzheimer’s: Do Herbal Supplements And Vitamins Have A Role?
Alzheimer’s: Will We Ever See A Vaccine for Alzheimer’s Disease?
Dreams of a vaccine to protect against Alzheimer’s have not completely vanished with the discontinuation of AN-1792, a vaccine under investigation by Elan Pharmaceutical.
Continue reading Alzheimer’s: Will We Ever See A Vaccine for Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer’s: Can Statins Slow Alzheimer’s Disease?
People who have high cholesterol are often given medications known as statins, a class of drugs chemically known as 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitors.
Continue reading Alzheimer’s: Can Statins Slow Alzheimer’s Disease?