They become emaciated, incontinent, immobile or enter a persistent semi-coma. Alzheimer's disease afflicts an estimated 150,000 Australians, stiking equally among men and women of all races. Although most people diagnosed with Alzheimer's are older than age 60, the disease can occur in people in their 40s and 50s. Ten percent of those 65 years of age or older and almost half those over age 85, have the disease. Eventually patients become totally incapable of caring for themselves.
Diagnosis is complicated by the lack of a single, simple test to identify the disease.
A definitive diagnosis is possible only with a brain biopsy or an autopsy. No treatment has proven successful in reversing the course of the disease and providing care for patients with Alzheimer's disease is very physically and psychologically demanding. In the last stages of the disease, it is often necessary for those afflicted to be cared for in a nursing home. Nearly half of all nursing home patients in the United States suffer from Alzheimer's disease. People with Alzheimer's disease need a safe, stable environment and should maintain a regular daily schedule.