LTC Administrators and Alzheimers's Disease Essay

LTC Administrators and Alzheimers's Disease - Essay Example According to the Alzheimer’s Association of America, 5.3 million Americans have this disease in 2015 (Alzheimer’s Association of America, 2015). The ages for the affected individuals varies as 5.1 million of them are above the age of 65 while 200,000 are under the age of 65. The Association also states that two-thirds of the affected are women. The figures state that from the 5.3 million affected individuals 3.2 million are women while 1.9 are men. In addition, the number of patients is expected to grow each year as the proportion of Americans who are above the ages of 65 continues to grow. It is projected that by 2025, the number of people suffering from Alzheimer’s will have increased to 7.1 million and by 2050, the numbers will have already reached 13.8 million people. This is an alarming prediction since such numbers will hamper any form of research, and the chances of obtaining a medical breakthrough will be very slim. Alzheimer’s has no known cure, but there are medications if administered, can help the patients to cope with the disease (Newport, 2013). When the symptoms appear, it is advisable see a physician or a neurologist to plot the next course of action. A majority of diseases irrespective of their scope can be managed if detected early. Individuals living with Alzheimer’s need specialized care, and there are a few options for the families of the affected. They included home health care, nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Nursing homes provide personal and custodial care to the individuals who cannot do it themselves. Nursing homes are not the primary facilities for taking care of Alzheimer’s patients as well as other individuals with acute illnesses. Nursing homes bring about complaints from both the patients and the caregivers. Patients might feel that their autonomy had been eroded since they have no freedom