Wishing Upon a Miracle
Discovering a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease has been a wish made for the past century and those who wish are still awaiting a miracle. Researcher’s have spent countless hours dating back to 1906 conducting research in hope of discovering what Alzheimer’s really is. Like any other disease or illness, researchers are set out to discover a cure; unfortunately for patients with Alzheimer’s Disease, a cure has yet to come. Extensive research can be costly, but a world without Alzheimer’s Disease would pay great dividends to society. A vast majority of patients in assisting living facilities and nursing homes suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease.
Stated by MacGill, “Nearly 15 million Americans provide unpaid care to a person living with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia (Alzheimer’s Association 2011 Facts & Figures).” Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German psychiatrist and neuropathologist is credited with identifying the first published case of “presenile dementia” in 1907, a condition that is now called Alzheimer’s disease. Far too often, the family of a loved one are told by a doctor that their loved one is unfortunately diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s Disease is a condition that causes unusual changes in the cerebrum, the main part of the brain, which chiefly influences memory and other mental capacities which is not a typical piece of aging. Typically, memory loss is the first side effect that surfaces. In the late stages of Alzheimer’s, the assistance needed is usually provided by close family members and/or medical professionals. As the disease advances, the loss of thinking capacity, dialect, basic leadership capacity, judgment and other basic aptitudes make everyday living incomprehensible without assistance from others. Beside the patient, the connections in the family are incredibly influenced by the infection. In the family, everyone is affected by Alzheimer’s differently. Grandchildren tend to be traumatized when their loving grandparent can longer identify who any one is. As Alzheimer’s progresses, the grandchild is torn as he/she watches as his/her grandparent’s brain becomes succumbed by Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s Disease is most widely known for as a family illness. The chronic stress of watching a loved one slowly decline affects everyone. An effective treatment will address the needs of the entire family, leading to an all round healthy environment. Any individual who provides care and support for the individual diagnosed with Alzheimer’s are put through an immense amount of stress. As a result, each individual providing care must also focus on their own health. Advice from “Breakthrough Drug for Patients” assists by adding, “Emotional and practical support, counseling, resource information and educational programs about Alzheimer’s disease all help a caregiver provide the best possible care for a loved one.” Though families do their absolute best in caring, the stress causes tension between the entire family which in turn is even more stressful to the patient than the disease itself. By creating a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease, families can live in peace knowing that they will never need to experience such a tragic event.
Works Cited
“Breakthrough Drug for Patients.” The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2016.
“Definition of Alzheimer’s Disease.” Alzheimer’s Foundation of America – Definition of Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzhiemer’s Foundation of America, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.
MacGill, Markus. “Alzheimer’s Disease.” Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, 29 Apr. 2016. Web. 23 Nov. 2016.
Rowan Counterintuitive 
Very disturbed to discover most of this post is a close paraphrase of material from a website called caregiver.org. Then there’s the repetition (perhaps inadvertent) that makes the post look much more substantial than it is. The fact that you don’t cite caregiver.org as a source at all makes your use of its content and language seem deliberate.
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I have amended all repetitious material and mistakes.
Thank you.
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Here’s an indication of the quality of your argument, brobeans.
You make a compelling claim that eliminating Alzheimer’s would pay big social benefits.
Both could be considered costs, but you don’t quantify either, or apparently consider that the COSTS are different, and both important: the healthcare costs to paid providers that could be saved, the lost time or lost productivity, or lost unreimbursed expenses of family members who could be otherwise engaged.
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