Sunday, 28 March 2021

Understanding Why Alzheimer’s Affects Short-Term Memory

One of the most noticeable symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease – a disease affecting approximately 10% of seniors over the age of 65 – is short-term memory loss. If you have a loved one who has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, you may be wondering why and how the condition impacts a person’s memory, and how to cope with emotional side of it.

How Alzheimer’s affects memory

During the earlier stages of the disease, you will notice that your loved one can remember some things and not others. You will probably find that while they can remember their children’s names and where they grew up, they might struggle to recall what they had for breakfast just a half an hour ago. This is because memory loss relating to Alzheimer’s follows a ‘first in, last out’ pattern.

Older memories are stored in a different part of the brain than newer memories. Generally, older memories are stored in the frontal, lateral, and parietal lobes, while newer memories rely heavily on the hippocampus for effective recall. Unfortunately, the hippocampus is almost always the first part of the brain to sustain damage as a result of Alzheimer’s Disease.

As the disease continues to progress over the years, the memory loss will worsen, and the person’s older memories will also gradually fade. This can be heart-wrenching for the individual’s loved ones to watch.

How to cope

At first, it will be challenging to have a conversation with your senior friend or relative and you may find yourself feeling frustrated or even angry. This is normal. As their memory loss worsens, your emotions may change from anger to sadness, which can prove even more difficult to deal with.

The key is to try to follow a regular routine, as most people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s thrive on consistency. You should also ensure that you practice self-care and take breaks from caregiving duties to spend time with other loved ones. Laugh, smile, live. Most importantly, allow yourself to feel any emotions that may crop up along the way, and seek help if ever you need to talk to someone, or if you experience a decline in your own mental wellbeing.

It can prove extremely helpful to share the caregiving load with other family members or to embrace the services of a home care assistance agency. There are full-time and part-time senior home caregivers at your disposal to suit your needs and your budget. If you need a breather, take it! You're doing an amazing job.

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