Alzheimers Disease- Just mind boggling

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Specializes in LTC.

I'm a LPN that specialize in alzheimers and I just find that the disease itself is just mind boggling. "They" say ( doctors, sciencitist, and researchers) that if one keep their mind sharp then the chance of getting the disease is lowered. I just don't get it. At my facility we have residents that used to be teachers, sciencitists, CEO's of major companies, CRNP, and quite a few nurses. I'm sure these people exercised their brain in their careers but still got the disease. I just don't get it.

Anyway, I love my residents and love living in their world. :)

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I really like your post. Your observations are quite interesting. I also like that fact that you seem so caring. You know what is really mind boggling? The fact that for every person who has Alzheimer's today there will be 4 with it in 25 years. That could change if modern medicine comes up with new treatments. I can't see our society absorbing the cost of those kind of numbers, it is like some sort of demographic tsunami. Am providing the care for my mom who has it right now, am also fearing for myself. Am actually doing mind exercises hoping it will help but I like you have reservations about how effective that will be. Thanks again for the nice post.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

Just read in recent edition of Endocrine Today that someone did a study about the similiarities of alzheimers and diabetes. Some MD's are now calling it Diabetes Type III. Lots of controversy yet, of course, till more studies are done but it could mean blood sugar checks for Alz patients and periodic snacks instead of conventional meal times.

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Keeping ones mind sharp isn't just during their working career, "they" say that the mind should be kept sharp (ie doing puzzles, hobbies, things that make you think, etc) during ones life time.

I recall years ago (not sure how many) reading (don't recall what) but anyway, the "research" was showing that the majority of Alzheimer's patients were non-college educated.

But in my personal experience with working with Alzheimer's patients, the majority seem to be college educated.

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Just read in recent edition of Endocrine Today that someone did a study about the similiarities of alzheimers and diabetes. Some MD's are now calling it Diabetes Type III. Lots of controversy yet, of course, till more studies are done but it could mean blood sugar checks for Alz patients and periodic snacks instead of conventional meal times.

More and more ilnesses are being linked to longt term inflammation in the body...interestin read is Inflammation Nation-can't remember the author. Really deals with our high carb, high sugar diet...

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
African Americans and Hispanics are at a higher risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, but most shocking is the fact that blacks are more likely than any other race to develop the degenerative disease, according to a new study released by the Alzheimer's Association.

Older African Americans are nearly twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's than whites, and Hispanics are about 1.5 times more likely than whites to develop the disease, results show.

While it is unclear why the disease takes such a devastating toll on minorities, the report says conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes-both of which are known risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and dementia-are more common in older blacks and Hispanics than in whites and probably contribute to the prevalence among the groups.

"Likewise, lower levels of education and other socio-economic characteristics that are associated with increased risk for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias are more common in older African Americans and Hispanics than in older whites,'' the report says.

Here's the rest of the article: http://www.bvwellness.com/2010/03/21/new-study-african-americans-more-likely-than-any-other-race-to/

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But in my personal experience with working with Alzheimer's patients, the majority seem to be college educated.

Could it be that the majority Alzheimer's patients actually getting treatment are college educated? The reason being that a college education tends to lead to better and much earlier access to health care.

In my direct experience, the disease does not appear strike the college educated any harder than other groups. I think people do tend to say, "Oh my, she was a brilliant scientist but look at her now.." I never hear anyone saying, "Oh dear, she was a factory worker, and now just look at her."

I did my first semester clinical in a very high end local nursing home. Dementia patients there all came from fairly wealthy families. Some were former CEOs of very large, high profile companies. Every one of them was college educated. However, in the very low end nursing home I got my first CNA job at, the dementia patients ranged from absolutely destitute to college educated. Not a former CEO in the bunch though.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Could it be that the majority Alzheimer's patients actually getting treatment are college educated? The reason being that a college education tends to lead to better and much earlier access to health care.
In my experience, I have observed that the poorer Alzheimer's patients who fall toward the bottom rung of the economic ladder tend to be taken care of at home by spouses, adult children, or grown grandchildren for many years and/or until the family becomes overwhelmed. These poor Alzheimer's patients tend to go for years without medication or treatment for their progressive dementia. Moreover, I've also noted that the Alzheimer's patients that I have encountered in nursing homes tend to come from educated, solidly middle-class and upper-class families.
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