Speech Outline 6x3412

Karly Childress Alzheimer’s Disease Specific Purpose: Central Idea:

To inform my audience of the five major symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease. The five major symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are changes in mood, memory loss, trouble understanding visual images, challenges in planning or problem solving, and decreased judgment. Introduction

I. In the United States, 5.3 million people are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and a new individual is diagnosed with the disease every 70 seconds. Unless something is done, by 2050, up to 16 million Americans will have Alzheimer’s, and a new case will be diagnosed every 33 seconds. In May 2010, Alzheimer’s became the 6th leading cause of death. II. I want to inform you of the five major symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. a. Some of us might have a family member develop the disease so we should all learn more about the disease. III. The five major symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are changes in mood, memory loss, trouble understanding visual images, challenges in planning or problem solving, and decreased judgment. Body I. Someone with Alzheimer’s disease begins to experience a change in his or her mood and personality. A. First, they can become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious. 1. They may be easily upset at home, at work, with friends or in places where they are out of their comfort zone. B. Second, they can have a sudden change in their mood. 1. They can have rapid mood swings, and go from calm, to crying, to anger for no apparent reason.” II.

People with Alzheimer’s disease also experience memory loss. A. One of the most common signs of Alzheimer’s is memory loss; especially forgetting recently learned information. 1. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish symptoms of AD from symptoms of aging. a. Patients forget important dates or events; asking for the same information over and over; relying on memory aides or family for things they used to handle on their own.

Karly Childress III.

The third symptom of Alzheimer’s disease is trouble understanding visual images. A. They may have difficulty reading, judging distance and determining color or contrast. 1. In of perception, they may a mirror and think someone else is in the room and not realize they are the person in the mirror.

IV.

People with Alzheimer’s disease have challenges in planning or problem solving. A. Everyday problems that use to be easy become overwhelming to people with Alzheimer’s Disease. 1. They may have a problem with their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. 2. They may also have trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. 3. They might have difficulty concentrating and take much longer to do things than they did before.

V.

The fifth symptom of Alzheimer’s disease is a decrease in one’s judgment. A. A person with Alzheimer’s Disease will begin to make bad decisions on common sense things. 1. They may use poor judgment when dealing with money, giving large amounts to telemarketers. 2. They may pay less attention to grooming or keeping themselves clean. Is there a way to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease? A. The best-selling author Jean Carper discovered 100 scientifically tested ways to decrease the odds of Alzheimer’s, memory decline, and other forms of dementia. B. There is a 30 minute video on her website jeancarper.com with Katie Couric.

VI.

Conclusion I.

II.

In summary, I hope you are more aware of the five major symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, which are a change in one’s mood, memory loss, trouble understanding visual images, challenges in planning or problem solving, and a decrease in one’s judgment. Alzheimer’s is a deadly disease. It is the sixth leading cause of death, but by leaning the signs and catching it early you could save your life or the life of a loved one. Thank you.

Karly Childress Reference List Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s Disease. February 17, 2011, from http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_alzheimers_disease.asp Konishi, K. (2009). Effects of aging on behavioral symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease. Psychogeriatics, 9, 11-16. February 17, 2011, from Academic Search Permier. Leifer, B. (2008). Alzheimer’s Disease: Seeing the Signs Early. American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 21, 588-595. February 17, 2011, from Academic Search Premier. Segal, J. & Wayne, M. April 2009. Alzheimer’s Disease. Signs, Symptoms, and Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease. February 17, 2011. http://www.helpguide.org/elder/alzheimers_disease_symptoms_stages.htm