What you need to know about Alzheimer’s disease
To date, 125,000 Quebecers have Alzheimer’s disease or a similar disorder. This neurodegenerative disease affects not only those who have it, but also their family and friends. If you’re taking care of someone with Alzheimer’s disease, you likely have a lot of questions, which is perfectly normal. This overview will help you better understand the disease.
In Canada, most people suffering from a neurocognitive disorder have Alzheimer’s disease. This disease is not a normal part of aging. It is progressive and irreversible. Here are the main symptoms.
Symptom
How it manifests
Memory loss
Forgetting recent events, repeating oneself, frequently misplacing or losing objects
Difficulty with day-to-day tasks
Being disorganized in carrying out tasks (e.g., having trouble managing medication or forgetting how to use the microwave oven)
Problems with language
Having trouble finding words or getting words mixed up
Confused sense of time and place
Mixing up times of day, not knowing what month it is, getting lost while driving in familiar places
Poor or impaired judgment
Taking risks, leaving the house without the appropriate clothing on a cold day, trusting strangers with money
Problems with abstract thinking
Having trouble understanding complex instructions or interpreting specific situations, having difficulty managing finances
Changes in personality
Becoming anxious or irritable
Loss of initiative
Being passive, needing encouragement to take part in activities
If you or a loved one is showing some of these symptoms, it isn’t necessarily Alzheimer’s disease. Visit the website of the Federation of Quebec Alzheimer Societies for more information about the disease, or discuss your concerns with your doctor.
The exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease remains unknown. However, certain risk factors have been identified, the main one being advanced age. Other factors such as sex (female), genes and family history, hypertension, diabetes and smoking are also described in the literature.
In over 90% of cases, the disease appears after the age of 65. As it progresses, the symptoms become worse until the person experiences a significant loss of independence and needs help to carry out most or all daily activities, including communicating and walking. It is impossible to predict the speed of progression of Alzheimer’s disease. However, the later the disease emerges, the more slowly it tends to progress.
You may have heard of the Reisberg Scale. Also known as the Global Deterioration Scale, it divides Alzheimer’s disease into seven stages of ability. The website of the Alzheimer Society of Canada describes these stages of the disease.
There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Some medications help to lessen or temporarily stabilize the symptoms, but the progression of the disease is inevitable.
Whatever the stage of the disease, non-pharmacological treatments help to optimize the person’s day-to-day functioning and control cognitive problems and challenging behaviours. Health care professionals can offer support and guidance on how to assist a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease.
For more information, call Caregiver Support at 1 855 852-7784. Our professional counselors are on hand to listen, provide information and direct you to resources and services in your area.
Dr. Fadi Massoud
Internist - Geriatrics at Charles LeMoyne hospital
Clinical Associate Professor, Université de Montréal
Clinical Professor, Université de Sherbrooke
Website of the Alzheimer Society of Canada - www.alzheimer.ca
Traitement pharmacologique de la maladie d’Alzheimer et des maladies apparentées - March 2015 - http://www.inesss.qc.ca/fileadmin/doc/INESSS/Rapports/Geriatrie/INESSS-
Rapport_ETS_TraitementPharmacoAlzheimer.pdf (in French)
Website of the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux - www.msss.gouv.qc.ca/professionnels/alzheimer (in French)
Website of the Alzheimer Society of Quebec - http://www.societealzheimerdequebec.com/wp/about/statistiques/ (in French)
Dementia, Your Companion Guide- McGill University
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