Loss of memory and marred thinking are important symptoms of the Alzheimer’s disease. But certain patients are fortunate in one respect, if they are diagnosed early so that they can cope up with the loss of memory and organize their day-to-day life and also plan their future by sharing their thoughts with their beloved ones so that it can be carried out by them.

In initial stages of the Alzheimer’s disease, affected people have soft declination in their mental functioning. For instance, they might read a lot but in the end they will be able to remember only limited information. They might struggle to recall the names or common words which can be observed by their family member or friends. During the middle stage of Alzheimer’s, major problems related to retention and thinking arises. Patients might forget important details like their phone number address and can get baffled about their whereabouts. In the final stages, patients tend to get depressed, agitated and face severe mental delusions. Their ability to command body movements and communicate is totally lost and they get incompetent to respond to their environment. People could live with Alzheimer’s for about 3 to 20 years, but generally they expire after 4-6 years of diagnosis.

According to the data stated by Alzheimer’s association, around 5.3 million citizens in US are prone to have this disease. Early diagnosis helps the infected people to take part in various things in their lives without getting affected much by the disease according to the director of Information services in Chicago’s Alzheimer’s association, A.Kallmyer. He also adds that there is no permanent cure for the disease, but diagnosis can help them fix certain things and make plans to deal with the future.

There are no medicines available to reduce the progression of the disease but certain adjustments could help in enhancing the mental function in the patients on temporary basis. A collection of medicines named cholinesterase inhibitors helps in keeping the levels of acetylcholine and supports communication between the nerve cells but they are effective only for certain people and for particular amount of time. Another type of medicine called Namenda which has memantine to regulate the functioning of glutamate which is a chemical involved in memory retention is suggested for moderate Alzheimer’s.

Daily life can be more challenging for patients with Alzheimer’s since they may remember the events from long past easily but forget the recent events and conversations. They find it hard to keep track of time and important appointments, or remembering the names of the people. There are some suggestions provided by the Alzheimer’s association regarding the coping with memory loss due to disease.

1. Keeping a journal with significant notes in their hand always is a good thing for Alzheimer’s patients. It should contain their address, important phone numbers and emergency contact information. It should also have a map with the location of their home and the “to do” listing of their appointments and other fact they wish to keep in memory.
2. They should be sure to get home quickly if they get lost. Also it is suggested The National Institute on Aging that patients with Alzheimer’s disease should put on an ID strap on their hands that has the name and number of the person who would get them to home.
3. Have a reliable friend to help them recall the time for meals, medication and appointments.
4. Be cautious with electrical gadgets and other appliances in home and have reminders in journal to unplug iron box, turn off the gas stove etc.
5. Label their drawers and cup boards with pictures and words which describer the contents like socks, clothes, dishes etc.

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