Guys if you aren't aware of it,So Don't worry
What is Alzheimer's Disease
- Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases.
- Alzheimer's is not a normal part of aging, although the greatest known risk factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with Alzheimer's are 65 and older. But Alzheimer's is not just a disease of old age. Up to 5 percent of people with the disease have early onset Alzheimer's (also known as younger-onset), which often appears when someone is in their 40s or 50s.
- Alzheimer's worsens over time. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer's, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment. Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Those with Alzheimer's live an average of eight years after their symptoms become noticeable to others, but survival can range from four to 20 years, depending on age and other health conditions.
- Alzheimer's has no current cure, but treatments for symptoms are available and research continues. Although current Alzheimer's treatments cannot stop Alzheimer's from progressing, they can temporarily slow the worsening of dementia symptoms and improve quality of life for those with Alzheimer's and their caregivers. Today, there is a worldwide effort under way to find better ways to treat the disease, delay its onset, and prevent it from developing.
"Where words fail, music speaks."
The famous phrase penned by writer Hans Christian Andersen rings true for many people with Alzheimer’s disease – even in the very late stages. Ezinma Ramsay, 24, a classically trained violinist in New York City, performs weekly for a man with the disease, fulfilling a request from his daughter. “He can’t remember what day it is sometimes when I perform, but he knows the music,” Ramsay says. “He’ll whistle along, and sometimes his caregivers say he’ll whistle for the whole week. It’s amazing.” Indeed, music therapy can promote wellness and enhance memory among those with the disease.
What is music therapy?
Al Bumanis, director of communications at the American Music Therapy Association, which represents roughly 4,000 certified music therapists nationwide, says much of music therapists' work is geared toward the aging population. You’ll find music therapists in nursing homes, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities and at community centers. Bumanis defines music therapy as a health profession that uses music as a treatment tool to address non-musical goals. For example, music can be used to elicit a happy or memorable moment from someone's past, which may decrease anxiety by promoting relaxation or give an otherwise sedentary person enough energy to get up and boogie.
The science of music memory
Music can connect people and enrich their lives, says Ruth Drew, director of family and information services at the Alzheimer’s Association in Chicago. “Many people with Alzheimer’s disease may not be able to initiate meaningful activity, so music can be a big part of that,” Drew says, adding that music can affect someone’s level of boredom or agitation, calm them or lift their spirits. “I can tell you that caring for someone in a great mood is a lot easier, fun and safer than caring for someone who’s scared, upset and unhappy.
Affection and closeness
Later forms of the disease can affect a person's ability to interact with loved ones through emotional closeness and expressing affection through speech, according to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America. However, music can reinvent this closeness between someone with Alzheimer's disease and his or her spouse, friends and family. The foundation says music can prompt hugs, kisses and caresses, plus lead to gentle, rhythmic movements such as rocking in a chair or patting their leg to the beat.
Different strokes
Don’t push your musical tastes on your loved one, Bumanis warns. “I don’t know if they’re going to go for the Allman Brothers and the Grateful Dead, but you never know,” he says. If you’re caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, play music that the person enjoyed when they were 18 to 25 – whether it’s classical or country, Cher or Ol’ Blue Eyes. If they say it sounds terrible, try something else, and keep track of what they like most. Another option is to load their favorite music into an old iPod or MP3 player so they always have music handy
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