Alzheimer’s Disease is a common condition, with approximately 6.32 million Americans living with this disease in 2021. Numbers are expected to rise to 14 million by 2060. Alzheimer’s, the most common form of Dementia, affects older adults. And it is becoming more prevalent in younger adults as well.
What is Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease?
When Alzheimer’s Disease afflicts people who are 65 years of age or younger, it is called Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s Disease progressively robs affected people of their memory. It also affects their ability to think, function, and learn new things properly.
Over time, they are unable to take care of themselves. Therefore they require a strong support system and proper care as well. The burden of care usually falls on their spouse, children, or friends. And these people may or may not be equipped to take on such a serious responsibility.
Early Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease
Even though the exact cause of Alzheimer’s Disease remains unknown, age is usually counted as a primary risk factor. Also, followed by genetics. However, Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease can affect people at the young age of 30 or 40.
Here is a list of the few common early signs of Alzheimer’s Disease.
- Inability to remember things/memory loss
- Misplacing things
- Difficulty completing tasks, especially working with numbers
- Confusion or disorientation
- Inability to hold a conversation
- Vision problems
- Inability to learn new things
- Withdrawal from activities
- Mood changes
- Poor or reduced judgment
Importance of Early Detection
When a person starts experiencing early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease, they might not know what’s happening to them, and understandably so. You wouldn’t expect to forget or misplace things at the age of 30, 40, or even 50, since these habits are usually associated with old age. As a result, a younger adult may find it harder to cope with Alzheimer’s Disease. This may worsen their condition and lead to depression, a common byproduct of dementia.
As a relative of the affected person, you might start noticing one or more of these early signs before anyone else. Given the sensitive nature of the matter, you might even be hesitant to talk to them about this, as this may even make their symptoms feel ‘real’ and this may start taking a toll on their physical health as well.
However, if you detect any of the above-mentioned signs in a loved one, you should immediately get in touch with a memory care facility that can guide you and assist you in choosing the best course of action for your patient.
How to Help an Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Patient
Taking care of someone with Early Onset Alzheimer’s is not easy, especially if it’s the first time you’re dealing with anything like this. Alzheimer’s patients tend to become withdrawn, and their relationships with spouses, friends, and children often tend to suffer.
This is why we will talk about what you should consider doing if someone close to you has been diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease.
Consider a Memory Care Facility
As humans and even relatives or friends, we are not always equipped or trained to adopt the role of caregivers, even when it comes to our loved ones. This does not mean you don’t want to do it, but simply that you may not be able to exercise the right approach that will help improve their condition instead of aggravating it.
So what should you do? The pertinent question that may be keeping you up at night is, should you use a Memory Care Facility for Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Patients or resort to in-home care by yourself or a professional?
Memory care facilities cater to individuals dealing with different types of dementia. Given the reason why they exist, they have multiple specialized levels of care, which you will not be able to avail of if you choose in-home care, even by a professional. They provide assistance in various forms, including:
- Medicine management
- Full-time supervision
- Catering to the emotional and mental needs of Alzheimer’s patients
In addition to this, memory care facilities are hinged on improving the quality of life of people living with this condition with assistance from therapies and treatments to improve their condition. This could include:
- Art Therapy
- Touch Therapy
- Sensory Activities
- Visual therapy
These targeted therapies help to try to revive a person’s memory so that they can possibly tread a path to recovery, especially for younger adults dealing with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Benefits of Placement
The biggest impediment that people feel about shifting their loved ones to a memory care facility is placement. What they don’t realize is that a proper facility is actually better for the care and recovery of a dementia patient, especially someone with Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease.
Better Facility and Resources
Older adults are harder to shift from one place to another in hopes of better resources, care and treatment. Placement is a better option for younger adults as they are more mobile and will be able to mint the benefits that these professional care places provide.
Improve Relations
Shifting your loved one to a better facility will enable you to revert back to the role of their friend, child or spouse instead of acting as caregiver, especially when you aren’t trained to do so. This placement will also improve your relationship with them and give you some reprieve too.
Allows Social Engagement
When Alzheimer’s Disease patients live in a community surrounded by people trained to take care of them and communicate with them, it paves the way for social engagement. This will keep them mentally and physically active, and also reduce the chances of feeling isolated and depressed.
Final Word
If a loved one has been diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease, you should consider shifting them to a reputable memory care facility where they will have access to better resources and therapies than they would at home. This will improve chances of recovery, and also alleviate some of your own burden as a primary caregiver, allowing you to return to your job, take care of kids or manage the household.
We Are Here To Help
At Sycamore Creek Ranch Memory Care we are here to help. We want families to make the best decision for their situation
Furthermore, the staff at Sycamore Creek Ranch is proactive. That means we are not waiting for a problem to arise. Instead, we are actively engaged with each and every resident. And with only 16 residents we can do that!
If you are looking for Memory Care in The Woodlands or Memory Care in Spring, Texas come for a tour at Sycamore Creek Ranch! See how we can help.