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By Cristina G. June 7, 2019
I use to work as a nurse aide in an assisted living home in Anchorage about ten years ago. At that time, I met a kind, soft spoken doctor while working there. He was in great shape for his age, I’d say he was in his 60’s. But rather than working for our facility, he was being admitted for Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is one of the top ten leading disease in the US. Alzheimer’s disease was discovered in 1906 by Dr. Alois Alzheimer. It is a form of dementia with no current cure. It is also the most common cause of dementia. The cause is still unknown, but it effects mainly the elder population. An estimated 5.8 million Americans are living with this disease. The majority of people with Alzheimers is 65 and over. Roughly 200,000 are under 65 and that is known as younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Symptoms occur slowly (known as early-onset Alzheimer’s) and worsen over time. Early onset Alzheimer’s disease symptoms include memory loss like who your grandchildren are. Forgetfulness, such was leaving the stove on. Hard time finishing something that a was once so simple, like putting the dishes away. Decision making, even if it is something simple as which color you want. And confusion with being oriented to time and place, such as thinking your a teenager again living in the south. Changes in mood, withdrawing from people, and depression are also symptoms and they worsen over time. At the ALH I use to work at, there was a lady who would ask us about the ship we were on all the time. She’d confuse the ALH with a cruise ship and we would correct her, but it was always a ship to her.
There is no known cure for Alzheimer’s Disease. But there are things you can do to delay early onset of Alzheimers. Keeping your mind sharp by doing activities such as reading, learning new things, cross word puzzles, keeping a journal or writing stories. Things that help keep the mind going. The more active you are physically and mentally the better it is for your body, as there is evidence that dementia is lower for people more active in these aspects of life. 80% of people with Alzheimers disease have cardiovascular disease. Reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease may reduce your chances of Alzheimer’s disease (along with many other disease such as heart attacks and strokes) It’s recommended to do things such as exercise, eat healthy, quit smoking, drinking alcohol…all the things your regular doctor tells you to do.
This disease is irreversible. There is no cure but there is medication that can help with early and middle stages of AD. There are medications for every stage of AD.
In China, many herbs are used to help treat AD. A quote from an article cited down below: “According to TCM theory, AD is assumed to be correlated with kidney essence vacuity and turbid phlegm blocking upper orifices. The whole cognitive function may worsen because of the aggravation of kidney essence vacuity, deficiency of blood and qi, and phlegm and may eventually lead to multiple cognitive domains impairment in the progress of AD [52].”
“In recent years, scientists have isolated many active constituents from herbs, such as huperzine A, which can alleviate AD and neurodegenerative syndrome with fewer side effects than conventional drugs.”
The benefits of massage therapy for someone with AD:
Studies have found an increase in dopamine and serotonin. Decreased agitation and aggression, and better sleep. When working at an ALH, I can tell you some of the only touch elders get is when they are being helped out of bed, to the bathroom, getting dressed. You would be surprised at how little family visits them, let alone lovingly touches them. This article said it was more like being “handled” than being touched, which is something I can agree with. Weather you take a western approach or a TCM approach or both, massage and touch has many benefits.
As someone who has worked in healthcare for many years, I have witnessed “the nursing home burnout” first hand, and patients with dementia is one of the many reasons. The patient who becomes lonely, depressed, agitated and aggressive would highly benefits from touch and massage, and a friendly conversation. It may calm them down, make them happy, less aggressive, easier to redirect.
Reducing risk of early onset of Alzheimer’s disease:
American Population with Alzheimer’s:
Early onset of Alzheimer’s disease:
TCM quote from article:
Study of massage therapy benefits:
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