Welcome to episode 12 of my series of tiny talks about dementia,
And today I will be speaking about Alzheimer's syndrome.
Alzheimer's syndrome was first discovered in the 1890s by Dr.
Alois Alzheimer.
The first patient that he diagnosed with Alzheimer's was Auguste Deterre.
Alzheimer's syndrome is believed to occur when abnormal amounts of amyloid beta,
Amyloid plaques and tau proteins accumulate in the brain,
Affecting neural functioning and connectivity,
Resulting in a progressive loss of brain function.
The main difference between a healthy brain and a brain affected by Alzheimer's is the marked shrinking of the brain as well as the increased sight of the ventricles,
Or gaps between the brain tissue.
Alzheimer's syndrome supposedly causes 60-70% of all dementias.
It usually occurs in high age.
However there is something called early-onset Alzheimer's,
Which signifies people for who the symptoms revealed themselves below the age of 65.
In dementia care,
People with early-onset Alzheimer's are treated differently from people with later-life Alzheimer's.
Not only because of how different the lives of people under 65 are,
Often still working and responsible for adult children,
But also because of the disease progression,
Which may be more rapid.
People who receive a diagnosis of Alzheimer's often hear that life is over,
At the same time being offered little support or suggestions on how to cope with the diagnosis,
The symptoms and disnews.
As you know,
Me and many others acknowledge that life as you know it is indeed over.
But with a focus on what is possible,
An open mind,
Creativity,
A good connection which can still be built,
And a sense of humour,
There is a lot of life and joy when living with Alzheimer's.
After a diagnosis,
People live on average 3 to 9 years,
So it is essential to make those enjoyable and meaningful.
This is the reason why I speak of Alzheimer's syndrome instead of disease.
As long as we call it a disease,
It seems overpowering.
The person becomes the disease,
Which may lead to stigma,
Neglect,
Exclusion,
Which leads to rapid deterioration and loss of function.
As Cameron Camp says,
We should perceive it just as we see Down syndrome.
With the right cognitive ramps,
Adaptations in the physical environment,
And effort from the social environment,
People with Alzheimer's can remain part of society,
Fulfil essential roles and have meaningful activity,
Which will positively impact on the course of the syndrome as well as their quality of life.
