A STUDY ON EARLY DETECTION OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND ITS IMPACT OF TREATMENT APPROACHES AMONG AGE GROUP OF 60 AND ABOVE ELDERLY PEOPLE SELECTED OLD AGE HOME AT TUMKUR

Introduction: Alzheimer's Disease is a disorder of the brain. It is the most common form of Dementia and constitutes 75% of all dementia cases. Alzheimer's disease-associated Dementia is amongst the chief causes of debilitation in the elderly (>65 years of age). It is a progressive disease that remains undiagnosed at its prodromal stages due to the absence of noticeable symptoms, but as the disease progresses further and symptoms first appear, the extent of neuronal damage becomes irremediable. Objectives: 1. to assess the early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease among elderly residents using standardized screening tools. 2 To find the impact of treatment approaches in Alzheimer's disease. 3. To explore the effectiveness of physical exercise and deep breathing techniques in improving early detection of Alzheimer's disease. Methods: The study sample size is 60. The researcher used the Alzheimer’s Questionnaire based on the Mini-Mental State Examination (M.M.S.E.) Interview, British Columbia Health Ministry, copyright by Banner Sun Health Research Institute. Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Alzheimer’s disease Questionnaire and Impact of Treatment: Non-pharmacological approaches such as Simple Physical Exercise, Deep Breathing Technique, and Meditation, and the tool have been translated into Kannada for easy application by elderly people. Results: The study sample consisted of 60 elderly people; 62% had normal cognitive function, 32% had mild cognitive impairment, and 2% had Dementia. The lifestyle structure of the older adults is that about 32% have no physical activities, 15 is about 25% have a history of diabetes, 7 is about 12% have a history of hypertension on regular medication. The t-value for the relationship between age group and memory loss is t = 1.9. Therefore, there is a significant relationship between the aging process and memory loss. Findings show that 90% of individuals benefited from physical exercise, 75% from deep breathing, and 80% from meditation, highlighting the promising potential of non-pharmacological approaches to improve quality of life for those with Dementia.