Nearly 28,000 Teams Walk To Support Alzheimer's Disease

Across the nation, 27,975 teams walked across the nation on Saturday. The purpose was to walk for memory, a walk for research, for support, and for awareness of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. The walk is for all ages and many cities across America had a good turnout.

In the United States alone, over 5.3 million people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s is the 7th leading cause of death, a fact that many are not aware of. Though it takes years, Alzheimer’s claims all its victims. It triples health care costs for Americans 65 years and older and direct and indirect costs of Alzheimer’s and other dementias to Medicare, Medicaid, and businesses equal or exceed $148 billion each year. Walking for memory brings out the awareness of this fatal disease and helps with research for a cure.

Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that is progressive and ultimately fatal. It is the most common form of dementia. Other forms of dementia occur from things such as stroke, heart disease, taking certain medications, and so on. As of right now, even though we are making a lot of progress towards treatment, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease.

If you suspect that you or a loved one may have signs of Alzheimer’s, it is critical to get immediate help. The first reason is benefitting sooner from the current treatments now available. Plus, there is more time for future plans. Another reason is help and support for both you and your family.

There are 10 warning signs of Alzheimer's disease. These are:

o Memory loss that interferes with every day life
o Challenges with planning or solving problems
o Difficulty completing familiar tasks. This can be at home, at work, or at leisure.
o Confusion with time or place, such as losing track of what season it is
o Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
o New problems with words when speaking or writing
o Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps to find it
o Decreased or poor judgment
o Withdrawing from work and/or social activities
o Changes in mood or personality

If you have any questions or for further information, you can contact the Alzheimer’s Association at 1-877-IS IT ALZ or 1-877-474-8259.