President Ronald Reagan designated the month of November as Alzheimer’s Awareness Month in 1983. At that time, less than two million people suffered with the disease. Today, that number is now closer to five million.

Alzheimer’s disease is one type of dementia, which is characterized by a decline in memory, language, problem solving and other thinking skills that affect a person’s ability to perform everyday tasks and activities. It is the most common type of dementia.

Is there a cure? Currently there are no drugs or treatments to cure Alzheimer’s disease.

However, there are some treatments that can slow down the progression.   Research is constantly being done for new options with the goal of a cure.

Alzheimer’s disease symptoms can vary, but often include: memory loss, trouble solving problems, confusion about space and time, misplacing things, inability to retrace one’s movements and mood/personality changes.

There are ways to help people coping with the early stages of the disease. Help them keep a common daily routine, keep things simple and don’t have too many activities going on at once. Overstimulation can cause confusion and anxiety. Be reassuring and don’t try to change behaviors by reasoning.

*For more information visit: alz.org, mayoclinic.org and alzinfo.org.