Some lose their ability to walk. The average course of the disease occurs over an eight-year time span. Some may live with it as long as 20 years or more. Alzheimer's occurs when nerve cells that carry messages in the brain, particularly regions that store and retrieve memories, begin to waste away and die. Caring for a victim of Alzheimer's is a 24-hour task.
Patients tend to wander at night, and they frequently run into things.
Also, insurance companies may not help individuals with the disease. ADRD is currently incurable, but various treatments can slow memory loss or remedy psychological problems associated with the disease. These drugs, however, can cause complications in the liver and have other negative side effects. Genetic predispositions interact with other risk factors. Risk factors include advancing age, Down's syndrome, head injury, a low level of education or the presence of certain chemicals in the body.