According to the National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer’s, early identification of Alzheimer’s may lead to earlier medical treatment. This is due in part to two things: 1) medical advances allowing a better understanding of cognitive decline due to age versus Alzheimer’s and 2) new criteria from expert panels of the National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer’s, for clinical diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s. The new criteria helps identify people who are in the symptomatic predementia phase of Alzheimer’s, known as mild cognitive impairment. The new diagnostic guidelines replaces previous techniques for identifying early stages of Alzheimer’s, and provide medical professionals with a new tool to assess their patient’s cognitive impairments. This evolved criteria for diagnosing mild cognitive impairment is crucial as early stages of the disease can only be determined by a clinician. The criteria used will allow a medical provider to differentiate between cognitive issues from age, other causes, and that of Alzheimer’s.
The Alzheimer’s Association predicts that by the year 2050, the presence of Alzheimer’s will triple, affecting more than 13.6 million people in the U.S. The rise is estimated to create medical costs up to $1.1 trillion by that time. With early detection techniques, health care providers can implement critical treatment to provide important options to those in need.
We at Bonny G. Rafel have worked with many people suffering from Alzheimer’s to help them receive disability benefits that they are entitled to. If you have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and are unable to continue working, we can help you apply for the disability benefits you deserve.
–By Alexander C. Schaffel, Esq.