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May 2019 Blog Topics on the Importance of Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease
Week 1
Alzheimer’s Disease: Why Get Checked?
Medical benefits - Getting checked by your doctor can help determine if the symptoms you are experiencing are truly due to Alzheimer’s or some other, perhaps even treatable condition. If Alzheimer’s is the cause, an early diagnosis allows you:
Access to treatment options: While current medications do not prevent, stop or reverse Alzheimer’s, they can help lessen the symptoms, such as memory loss and confusion, for a limited time. An early Alzheimer’s diagnosis provides you with a better chance of benefiting from treatment.
An opportunity to participate in clinical trials: An early diagnosis makes individuals eligible for a wider variety of clinical trials, which advance research and may provide medical benefits.
A chance to prioritize your health: Some lifestyle changes, such as controlling blood pressure, stopping smoking, participating in exercise, and staying mentally and socially active, may help preserve cognitive function.
Week 2
Cost savings
Early diagnosis saves costs of medical and long-term care for both families and the U.S. government. Among all Americans alive today, if those who will get Alzheimer's disease were diagnosed when they had mild cognitive impairment, before dementia, it would collectively save $7 trillion to $7.9 trillion* in health and long-term care costs.
*Source: 2018 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures special report.
Week 3
Week 4
Soothing Music for Agitation and Anxiety
Soft classical music, lullabies, spiritual hymns and/or non-rhythmic instrumental background music can reduce agitation and anxiety during periods of sundowning. Music therapists also suggest redirecting agitated residents to participate in a rhythmic activity such as singing, tapping or shaking percussion instruments, drumming or clapping.