FAQ's about Memory Loss

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Loss

What is Alzheimer’s disease?
What are the common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease?
Can other medical conditions cause Alzheimer's-like symptoms?
When should I move my family member to a Memory Support Neighborhood?
Is Alzheimer’s disease hereditary?
How long does someone live with Alzheimer's disease?
How is Alzheimer’s disease diagnosed?
Is there a cure for Alzheimer’s disease?
What is “habilitation therapy”?

What is Alzheimer’s disease?
It is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain in which brain cells die and are not replaced. It results in impaired memory, thinking and behavior, and is the most common form of dementing illness.

What are the common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease?

• Short-term memory impairment
• Familiar tasks become difficult to accomplish
• Word-finding difficulties
• Confusion about time and place
• Impaired judgment
• Impaired abstract thinking
• Losing and/or hiding things on a regular basis
• Behavioral changes
• Personality changes
• Loss of motivation/initiative

Can other medical conditions cause Alzheimer's-like symptoms?
Depression, nutritional deficiencies, drug interaction or intoxication, and thyroid imbalances can cause Alzheimer's-like symptoms. Sometimes these symptoms are reversible with a physician’s care. Symptoms are also found with dementias associated with stroke, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Pick’s disease and AIDS.

When should I move my family member to a Memory Support Neighborhood?
If the answer to most of the following questions is “yes”, it may be time for a move:

• Are you concerned about the safety of your loved one at home?
• Are you worried about monitoring medications appropriately?
• Are you concerned about your loved one eating regular, nutritious meals?
• Can your loved one dress, bathe and prepare meals safely and independently?
• Have you recognized an increase in the frequency of agitation, sleeplessness or wandering?
• Is your loved one often frustrated, angry or depressed?
• Is your loved one able to initiate occasions for social interaction or is she or he becoming isolated?
• Are you concerned about the effects that care-taking is having on your own physical and emotional health?
• Is your loved one physically active? (exercise is important for health and well-being)

Is Alzheimer’s disease hereditary?

Both early- and late-onset Alzheimer's disease  are hereditary (a person diagnosed with Alzheimer's before the age of 50 is said to have early-onset Alzheimer's disease) - a person with one or more parent or grandparent  diagnosed with Alzheimer's is genetically predisposed to the disease and has a higher likelyhood of being diagnosed himself. Researchers have discovered the specific gene responsible for early-onset Alzheimer's disease, but do not yet know the genetic basis for the late-onset form. 

How long does someone live with Alzheimer's disease?
People with Alzheimer’s disease live an average of 7 to 10 years and as many as 20 years or more after the onset of symptoms.

How is Alzheimer’s disease diagnosed?
There is no single or simple test to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. A detailed medical history, physical examination and series of neurological tests are conducted. The process is intended to rule out any other possible cause of symptoms. A completely conclusive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease can only be made by analyzing the brain following death. However, physicians today can accurately diagnose Alzheimer’s disease 80% to 90% of the time.

Is there a cure for Alzheimer’s disease?
There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but progress in treatment options is being made every day. There are many medications available to Alzheimer's patients which delay the progression of and symptoms associated with the disease.

What is “Habilitation Therapy”?
Senior Living Residences’ communities follow the “Habilitation Therapy” method to minimize or eliminate difficult symptoms in spite of a person’s progressive limitations due to Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. The goal is to maximize a person’s functional independence and morale. The approach identifies 6 critical “domains” where positive emotions can be created and maintained.

• Physical Domain – It is important to reduce the potential for fear and disorientation in the environment. Color coding, wandering paths, elimination of extraneous noises, elimination of clutter and increased lighting to reduce sun-downing all help to reduce anxiety.


• Social Domain – It is necessary to maximize personal interests and activities while minimizing isolation. People with Alzheimer’s disease have an increasing need for all the social benefits derived from relationships. Activities programs with structured, adult-focused (not childish) activities are critical.


• Functional Domain – The key to success is to continue normal routines for as long as possible and to create supports which encourage independence. Everyday tasks such as dressing must be broken down into simple, sequenced steps and explained clearly to encourage the person to do for it for himself.


• Communication Domain – Staff must be thoroughly trained to help a person with Alzheimer’s disease stay engaged and communicative.


• Perceptual Domain – Alzheimer’s disease alters perception (odors, sights, sounds). It is important to keep the environment meticulously free of clutter and obtrusive noises and to use color-coding and other techniques to enhance orientation and perception of surroundings.


• Behavioral Domain – It is important to enter the persons’ reality and step away from our own. Trained staff know how to employ behavioral management techniques appropriately to help a person with Alzheimer’s disease manage his or her emotions.