Alzheimers

Nearly seven million adults aged 65 and older in the United States live with Alzheimer’s disease. At PsychPro Health based in Brockton, Massachusetts, board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner Ana Depina, PMHNP, can help you or a loved one better manage the disease and minimize its progression. She is also available for caregivers to help them. Schedule an in-person or telehealth evaluation with Ana at PsychPro Health by calling the office or booking a visit online today.

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is a common type of dementia that’s common in older adults, affecting about one in nine people aged 65 and older in the United States and 24 million people worldwide. 

It’s a neurodegenerative disease affecting the brain. Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by memory impairment that gradually worsens over time, particularly when left untreated, by destroying cells within the brain. 

What are the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease can cause the following symptoms:

• Memory impairment
• Problems with reasoning 
• Behavior and personality changes
• Difficulty with spatial understanding
• Language impairment
• Forgetting faces, names, places, or facts
• Talking less 
• Difficulty forming sentences
• Mood swings
• Paranoia
• Agitation
• Hallucinations
• Mistrust of loved ones
• Difficulty picking things up, tying shoes, or typing on a keyboard
• Eventually losing the ability to care for yourself

Treatment can help you or a loved one manage symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, but there’s currently no cure for the disease. 

What increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease?

The cause of Alzheimer’s disease isn’t fully clear, but its risk factors may include:

• Family history of Alzheimer’s disease
• Build-up of certain proteins in the brain
• Being Latino or Black
• Traumatic brain injury
• Smoking
• Being over 65
• Obesity
• Heart disease
• Down syndrome
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes 

The risk of Alzheimer’s disease is 10-30% higher in individuals with a family history of the disease.

How is Alzheimer’s disease diagnosed?

Ana completes a psychiatric evaluation virtually or in person to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease or other mental health concerns. She asks questions that determine your or your loved one’s cognitive ability, moods, emotions, behavior patterns, and more. She may recommend completing neurological testing, lab testing, and imaging procedures if you haven’t already.

How is Alzheimer’s disease treated?

Ana offers healthy lifestyle counseling, medication management, individualized therapy, and other forms of therapy to help you or a loved one better manage Alzheimer’s disease and reduce disease progression. 

She can speak with you virtually or in person to complete therapy sessions, manage medications, and make recommendations for healthy lifestyle modifications (diet, exercise, brain-stimulation activities, stress reduction, social support, etc.) to optimize your quality of life.

Is help available for caregivers of someone with Alzheimer’s?

If you’re caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, Ana is available to help you, too. She offers guidance about how to deal with the challenges of being a caregiver and therapy for mental health conditions that may arise as a result. She also offers referrals to support groups and similar programs.

Schedule an in-person or telehealth Alzheimer’s disease evaluation with Ana at PsychPro Health by calling the office or using the online booking feature today.