Alzheimers

            Dementia is the loss of intellectual and social abilities severe enough to interfere with daily functioning. For centuries, people called it senility and considered it an inevitable part of aging. It is now known that dementia is not a normal part of the aging process and that it is caused by an underlying condition. People with this condition need special assistance to carry on with their normal lives. This paper will explain some of the social services that are helping to combat this disease and an analysis of the services effectiveness. More than four million older Americans have Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia. And that number is expected to triple in the next 20 years as more people live into their 80s and 90s. Still, there's reason for hope. There are as yet no cures, but researchers studying Alzheimer's have made progress, especially in the last 5 years. New drugs that can temporarily improve mental abilities in some people with mild Alzheimer's are now available, and more drugs are being studied. Researchers also have discovered several genes associated with Alzheimer's. Furthermore, scientists are defining subgroups of dementias and their distinguishing characteristics in the hopes of refining treatments. Although Alzheimer's disease is the most common of the dementias, there are many types, even hundreds, of dementias " some reversible, and others, like Alzheimer's disease " irreversible. What is Dementia? Dementia is the loss of intellectual and social abilities severe enough to interfere with daily functioning. For centuries, people called it senility and considered it an inevitable part of aging. It is now known that dementia is not a normal part of the aging process and that it is caused by some underlying condition. Symptoms of dementia vary in severity, order of appearance and with the type of dementia. But all dementias involve some impairment of memory, thinking, reasoning and language.