GerontologyAlzheimer's and Dementia in Las Vegas - Essay Example

In "Intervention Strategies for Exit-seeking Wandering Behavior in Dementia Residents," a study done to assess Alzheimer's patients who wander away from their long-term care facilities, it is noted that the patients are often disoriented and "lack even the most basic safety awareness" (277). In D. Riccio et al's "Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment in Female Elderly Patients with Alzheimer Disease and Other Types of Dementia," current treatments aren't always effective because "in the elderly, chronic comorbidities are more difficult to treat for the incompatible therapies and the likelihood of adverse outcome, including increasing disability and death" (344).

For these reasons (and many more), Alzheimer's is considered to be a serious illness, deserving of attention. As of this year, about 35,000 Las Vegas residents have been diagnosed with dementia. That number is expected to increase to 100,000 Southern Nevadans by the year 2010 (Kumler, para. 16). The same journal article reads that 5 million Americans suffer from the disease. It costs about $18,500 to $36,000 per year, per person, to care for an Alzheimer's patient for a total of $100 billion annually in the United States.

With these staggering figures, and projected increase of dementia in Las Vegas, it is no wonder that the city is making serious strides to take care of Alzheimer's patients, track promising therapies, and keep the public aware. Since 2006, the 2008 opening of the Lou Ruvo Alzheimer's Institute has been touted. This 55,000 square-foot facility will house patients afflicted with the disease. The institute is situated on 61 acres of land in downtown Vegas, and will also include an Alzheimer's Research Center, an academic medical center, and a hands-on museum where patrons can learn about the brain and its activities.

The undated news report "Local Alzheimer's Study Looking for Volunteers" reads that this year may also be a big year for an active research study. Since "more than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer's - a 10-percent increase from just five years ago a local study may help researchers find more effective treatments" (Local, para. 1). According to this report, University of Nevada School of Medicine neurologist Charles Bernick said the only way to come up with effective treatments for Alzheimer's patients is to find new and different ways to study them.

With that in mind, 30 Las Vegas residents, ages 75 and older, will be studied for four years. Intel Corp., maker of computer chips, has teamed up with the Alzheimer's Association in Las Vegas and Portland, Oregon to measure how memory changes in older people. One third of the 30 volunteers receives a laptop, and will be initially asked to identify five to 15 people with whom they regularly interact. Each of those people will be given a badge that monitors their entering and exiting the volunteer's residence.

When the volunteer logs onto the laptop, pictures of those people will appear. The purpose is to track how much interaction with others each volunteer is receiving. The reason, perhaps, is so it can be determined if lack of communication or interaction with others is related to increased memory loss. Another facet of the research is called "caller ID on steroids." This