What is Alzheimer’s?

Alzheimer’s disease is an illness which gradually, progressively destroys brain cells and their connections leading to dementia, the general term for the gradual progressive decline in someone’s memory and other mental capabilities.

The disease becomes more common with advancing age with incidence rising from one in 20 of people in their 60s to one in five after the age of 80. Currently there is no cure for the disease but medication can slow its progress and alleviate the symptoms.

As the brain cells are destroyed, the patient becomes unable to cope with everyday tasks. The first symptoms of the disease are commonly associated with aging; forgetfulness and confusion; and people are often slow to seek help, accepting them as a sign of advancing age.

Stephen Abela, who specialises in geriatric medicine at Zammit Clapp Hospital, urges anybody noticing such symptoms to seek help early on as he explains: “Although we commonly accept these symptoms as inevitable with age, forgetfulness and confusion may be caused by a myriad of things. Often the remedy lies in simply changing the patient’s medication which could be causing unpleasant side effects, in some cases the underlying cause could be a more serious illness which requires immediate medical attention.

“When dementia is at the root of the problem, early treatment can slow down the progress of the disease so seeking help early on is always advisable.”

Dr Abela also encourages people suffering from any type of dementia to retain their independence for as long as possible, since in the early stages there is nothing to stop a person from leading a normal life, especially on those days when they feel much like their old self. In fact, this “early stage” can last anything from five to seven years before the condition becomes acute.

When the condition’s severity increases, sufferers will require full-time care, as they lose their ability to care for themselves, eat or communicate coherently. Caring for a loved one suffering from a debilitating illness is often difficult and the interdisciplinary team at Zammit Clapp Hospital take every measure to prepare the carers for the task ahead of them.

“At Zammit Clapp, we offer a variety of services including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Whenever we treat a patient we also explain to carers what to expect and what they can do to help their relative. The better equipped the carer is, the easier the burden of care becomes.”Thus, carers are encouraged to avail themselves of the additional services available to them and their relative. These services include respite care and home help, which is often resisted in the belief that the patient will be distressed at the introduction of a new person involved in their care. However, it is Dr Abela’s experience that, in most cases, the benefits will exceed the unpleasantness – which is often not as acute as originally feared.

St Vincent De Paul also offers a day activity centre three times a week, organising activities tailored for those suffering from dementia. Such activities benefit both patient and carer, offering the latter a respite and giving the patient an opportunity to maintain some social contact.

The causes of dementia are still something of a medical mystery although genetics seem to play a role in its onset. Lifestyle too is thought to be a key factor and adopting some good lifestyle habits may go some way to preventing the disease. A healthy balanced diet and lifestyle choices such as exercise, cutting out smoking and careful alcohol consumption are recommended to decrease the vascular damage that can lead to dementia.

Besides maintaining a healthy body, keeping your brain ticking over is also thought to be beneficial, so lifelong learning, puzzles and quizzes along with remaining socially active should remain on everyone’s schedule for as long as possible.