It is estimated that Alzheimer's disease and related illnesses affect nearly one million people in France, of which 32 000 are aged under 65. Half of all cases of Alzheimer's disease are diagnosed only in France.
The aging of the population increases the prevalence of the disease which mainly affects older people.
Those affected by the disease gradually enter into a situation of dependency. 60% of those diseases reside in their homes. More than a third of them are still in their homes when they are affected by the most severe forms of the disease.
The accompanying a sick person is experiencing for the entourage. The proportion of family members, spouses and children are responsible for taking care of a sick person is 91%. Most states spend more than 6 hours per day to support his lies when at home and 2 hours per day when it is housed in institutions.
France Alzheimer provides assistance and support to family caregivers with groups of words, psychological support, training, workshops, respite ...
Alzheimer's disease has been declared National Big Cause in 2007. It represents a public health concern and a challenge for our society.
Alzheimer's disease is a neurological disease characterized by progressive and permanent deterioration of nerve cells in the brain.
It is the neurodegenerative disease most often about 15 to 20% of people over 80 years. The heredity is responsible for 3 to 4% of cases with an over-representation in an early (<60 years) and very early disease (<40 years).
Alzheimer's disease has several symptoms irreversible, whose appearance is insidious.
Memory Disorders are the most frequent disorder but the disease leads to others cognitive deteriorations. Agnosia is the impaired ability to recognize and identify objects, places and persons in the absence of sensory organs’ disturbances. The apraxia is impaired ability to make gestures. It is therefore the primary cause of addiction because the person is unable to make the gestures of everyday life. Aphasia is an acquired language disorder that impairs the expression and / or understanding speech. Disorders of executive functions cover all the functions needed to control and to perform the tasks of planning and reasoning.
Treatments
There are two types of treatments whose effectiveness has been recognized. These treatments have helped to change the look of the society by ending the idea that the disease could not be subject to therapeutic care.
Care drug treatment is not curative, whose mission is to slow down the expression of disease symptoms.
The care of sick people by non-drug therapies is also important to limit the effects of the disease. There are several different approaches which the information may alleviate some symptoms and to provide more welfare for the sick. Psychosocial approaches or efforts to adapt the environment to patient’s needs have proven their effectiveness. Sensory stimulation, cognitive or social is also used successfully in the treatment of affected people.
For more information on neuro-degenerative diseases, visit the website of France Alzheimer:
France Alzheimer is the only one association in France recognized of public utility in the field of Alzheimer's disease and related diseases, diseases that affect nearly one million people in France.
Since 1985, the date of its creation, it works to support patients and their families, to inform the general public, contribute to research, question the government and train volunteers and health professionals.
France Alzheimer groups associations and local branches throughout France. Volunteers have been over twenty years of service to patients and their families to help, inform and support every day.
To contact the association nearest you, dial 0 811 112 112 (local call cost).
To learn more about Alzheimer's and France's actions, visit their website.
France Alzheimer - The action taken by France Alzheimer - Support patients and their families
