If your senior loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or you think he or she is at risk for the condition, your first instinct may be to research it as much as possible. Once you’ve learned about how Alzheimer’s affects memory and behavior, you might want to find out lesser-known information about its risks and causes. Here are some facts about Alzheimer’s you might not be aware of.
Alzheimer’s & the Sense of Smell Are Linked
In the future, doctors may be able to determine a person’s risk of Alzheimer’s by their sense of smell. According to the National Institutes of Health, the inability to identify certain odors can be an early warning sign of Alzheimer’s. It’s believed that brain cells linked to the sense of smell are among the first ones Alzheimer’s affects. It’s important to remember smell can also be affected by other conditions, including:
- Brain injury
- Parkinson’s disease
- Sinus infection
If your loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, help is just a phone call away. There are many reasons seniors might need assistance at home. Some may require regular mental stimulation due to an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, while others might only need part-time assistance with exercise and basic household tasks. Assisting Hands Home Care is a leading senior home care provider. Families rely on our expertly trained caregivers to help their senior loved ones maintain a high quality of life.
It Affects More Women than Men
Approximately 3.2 million women have the disease compared to 1.9 million men. Alzheimer’s also tends to progress more rapidly in women than men. By the time a woman reaches age 60, she has a 1 in 6 chance of developing Alzheimer’s, while she has a 1 in 11 chance of developing breast cancer.
If your senior loved one has been diagnosed with a serious condition and needs help with tasks like meal prep, transportation, bathing, and grooming, reach out to Assisting Hands Home Care, a leading provider of home care Phoenix families can trust. We also offer comprehensive care for seniors with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.
Hypertension Lowers the Risk of the Disease
A study conducted by the University of California suggests the effects of high blood pressure aren’t as simple as once believed. The study followed 625 participants in their 90s who were diagnosed with hypertension and found they were 55 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than individuals who had never had high blood pressure. It’s not clear why the effects of hypertension sometimes change with age, and the study shouldn’t be construed as promoting high blood pressure among the elderly.
The majority of Alzheimer’s caregivers are women. Nearly 20 percent of family caregivers eventually give up their jobs to care for their loved ones, and the amount of unpaid care provided annually by caregivers totals approximately $220 billion. Without the right assistance, Alzheimer’s can be challenging for seniors and their families to handle. Seniors living with serious health conditions often need extensive assistance in and outside the home. Assisting Hands Home Care is a trusted provider of around-the-clock Phoenix elderly home care. Our caregivers are expertly trained to assist seniors with bathing, grooming, light housekeeping, and various other daily tasks, and we also offer specialized Alzheimer’s, dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s care. To learn more about our premier in-home care plans, call us today.
