Southern Indiana chapter kicking off early detection initiative for Alzheimer’s disease

Clark County

Discussion

May 23, 2009

Know the signs of Alzheimer’s?

By DANIEL SUDDEATH The News and Tribune Sat May 23, 2009, 08:46 PM EDT

Every 70 seconds, someone gets Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Web site www.alz.org.

Early detection of the disease gives the diagnosed the ability to make their own choices for treatment and care and can extend their life, according to Teri Shirk, president of the Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana chapter of the national Alzheimer’s Association.

Being proactive is one of the driving forces behind Know The 10 Signs of Alzheimer’s, an early-detection campaign by the association that begins this week.

Diagnosing the disease during its initial stages will allow a patient to receive “the right medical care and have a better quality of life,” Shirk said. “It will help extend the life cycle.”

Alzheimer’s patients typically live between eight and 20 years after being diagnosed, according to Shirk.

More than 120,000 Hoosiers will have Alzheimer’s by 2010 and that number is only expected to grow as the baby boomer generation ages, according to Shirk.

“It’s growing by a very quick pace,” she said.

To draw awareness, the chapter is pushing informative brochures and working with physicians in Clark and Floyd counties to tell their patients about the disease. TV ads also will be running in the coming weeks, showcasing the 10 signs which include memory change, confusion with time and trouble with spatial relationships.

Beyond the foremost concern of extending an Alzheimer’s patient’s life, Shirk said early detection of the disease can actually save the health care system millions of dollars.

According to a study of the Wisconsin health system published in the May 12 edition of the magazine Science Daily, early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s could save an average of $10,000 per patient in that state.

“Really, the health care system in the long run is going to bankrupt itself,” Shirk said, as much of the potential cost-saving would impact the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs.

According to Shirk, most Alzheimer’s patients are older than 65, though there are approximately 500,000 Americans younger than 65 with the disease.

In March, Alzheimer’s Association Chief Executive Officer Harry Johns called for a strategy that would address the problem. He stated in a news release that health care costs are more than three times higher for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias than for other people age 65 and older.

“With the country facing unprecedented economic challenges and a rapidly aging baby boomer population, now is the time to address the burgeoning Alzheimer crisis,” Johns said.

10 WARNING SIGNS OF ALZHEIMER’S

• Memory changes that disrupt daily life.

• Challenges in planning or solving problems.

• Difficulty completing familiar tasks.

• 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.

• Changes in mood and personality.

— www.alz.org

Alzheimer’s group hosts speakers

The Alzheimer’s Support Group will host guest speakers on financial issues at its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Green Valley Care Center’s main dining room, 3118 Green Valley Road, New Albany.

James Adams, financial adviser for Edward Jones, will speak on financial issues in the care of Alzheimer’s patients. Lisa Mayfield, partner with the law firm, Coffin, Coffin and Mayfield, specializes in elder law and disability claims and will speak on Medicaid and estate planning. A question-and-answer session will follow their presentations.

Meetings are open to anyone who is interested in the topic.

Call Wayne Obertate at 812-945-2341 for more information.

— Contributed