Caring for Patients With Alzheimer Disease

By Abrielle Lamphere, RDH, BSDH and Valerie Nieto, RDH, MS

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a progressive neuroinflammatory condition characterized by memory and communication loss, as well as cognitive decline. The most common form of dementia, AD affects more than 6 million Americans over the age of 65, and is the sixth leading cause of death nationwide.¹ Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a group of symptoms that affect intellectual and social abilities severely enough to interfere with daily function.² There is currently no known cause or cure of AD; however, common risk factors include age, gender, genetics, brain injury, obesity, diabetes, and environmental factors, such as air pollution or geographic location.³

* References can be found in the original article via the link below.
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