Alzheimer's Disease - Treatment & Care

There are currently no methods of preventing or curing Alzheimer’s Disease. Researchers continue to pursue options to reverse the changes in memory loss and prevent the disease. However, there are treatment options for people living with the disease.

Here are five options to help treat and care for someone living with Alzheimer’s Disease:

1. Medications: Cholinesterase Inhibitors – these inhibitors help strengthen the way nerve cells respond to acetylcholine (which helps cell-to-cell communication) which may help stabilize the symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease. Also Memantine is a drug that slows down the progression of symptoms for individuals suffering from moderate to severe Alzheimer’s Disease.
2. Non-Drug Therapies: sensory therapies such as music therapy can help improve the simple daily functions in an individual with Alzheimer’s Disease. Some of these functions include mood, behavior, and attitude.
3. Nutrition: as the disease progresses, and individual’s memory fades quickly and remembering to eat also diminishes. This can lead to under or overeating. Additionally, individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease sometimes forget to drink water, which leads to dehydration. 
4. Exercise: exercise is important to improve and maintain healthy joints, muscles and most importantly, individuals’ hearts. It also helps keep the agitation and aggression away and can help with sleep.
5. Environment: it is important to adapt the living situation of the individual suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease to make it safe and comfortable. Make sure your loved one has comfortable footwear, a clean environment, and make sure proper handles and support railings are in place. 

Medications won’t stop Alzheimer’s Disease, but they can help slow the progression of symptoms. Getting the proper balance of diet, exercise, and environment allows the individual to keep the disease stable. New treatments aimed at halting, reversing, and possibly stopping the disease process, and others geared towards improving functioning are being tested in clinical research studies.

If you or a loved one is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease and are interested in learning more about clinical research, please visit http://www.thecrcnj.com/CurrentStudies.html.