Imagine that a family is sitting in a doctor's office, waiting to find out the results from medical tests that were performed on a loved one. As they sit and patiently wait, the elderly person with them grows more and more uneasy and will no longer sit quietly, much less calmly. Finally the doctor returns with the test results only to increase the worry instead of lessen it. They have been told that their loved one is suffering from the first stages of what's known as Alzheimer's disease. The lives of that family have just drastically been changed. Now they have to figure out not only what that means, but how to deal with it as well. They are faced with a job that none of them ever planned or trained for. It's time to learn as much as possible about this new obstacle in their lives, Alzheimer's disease.
             Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder that is gradual but irreversible in decline of human life. These characteristics range from memory loss, severe changes in behavior, to the ending of life itself.¹ Alzheimer's is also known as a form of dementia, a term used to describe a group of symptoms that are caused by changes in brain function. Dementia sometimes acts as an umbrella term for several symptoms related to the decline in cognition skills. Alzheimer's disease is often hidden under other known and treatable diseases, since it has some of the same symptoms. These symptoms may include asking the same questions repeatedly; becoming lost in familiar places; the inability to follow directions, learning difficulties, or neglecting personal care. ¹ Alzheimer's dementia has grown to become one of the most common and most feared diseases afflicting the elderly. It is recognized as the most common cause of loss of mental function in persons age 65 and over, and is the forth-leading cause of death among senior citizens here in the United States.² In our society, at least...