alzheimer’s association

alzheimer’s association

Services and more

Greater East Ohio Area Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association covers 17 counties including Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull. It provides a wealth of resources for families and caregivers.

Alzheimer Association services: Care consultation, caregiver support groups, education programs, speaker’s bureau, resource center and help line, 800-272-3900. Youngstown office is at 3695 B Boardman-Canfield Road Suite 301, Canfield, 330-533-3300. Living with Alzheimer’s, a five-part program, will be offered in July in Leetonia. Call the 800 number to register.

The disease: Alzheimer’s disease is the progressive degeneration of brain activity that impairs memory, thinking and behavior. It is the most common type of dementia and is not part of typical aging. More women are affected than men because women tend to live longer. Dr. Alois Alzheimer identified the disease in 1906; the Alzheimer’s Association was founded in 1980. Alzheimer’s disease is identified by changes in brain tissue, neurofibillary tangles and amyloid plaques.

Lifestyle factors: Maintaining good cardiovascular health, diet including antioxidants to benefit brain and body, exercise and “mind” games like puzzles, chess, reading. Learn something new to open new brain paths.

Warning signs: Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between age-related change and the first sign of Alzheimer’s. Some clues are memory loss that disrupts daily life; challenges in planning or problem solving; difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, work or leisure; confusion with time or place; trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships; new problems with words in speaking or writing; misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps; decreased or poor judgment; withdrawal from work or social activities; and changes in mood and personality.

By the numbers: More than 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer’s. It’s the sixth leading cause of death. Half of the people older than 85 years old have Alzheimer’s. People with Alzheimer’s can live 25 years or longer after the onset of the disease. The disease costs $200 billion annually. For every family member affected by Alzheimer’s, the risk goes up 10 percent for others in the family. The Greater East Ohio Area Chapter serves 60,000 people with Alzheimer’s.

Online: www.alz.org.