Most people with Alzheimer's disease have what is known as late-onset disease, meaning that symptoms develop past the age of 60, with the majority of people affected in their 70’s and 80’s. If a person is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease under age 60 (in their 30’s, 40’s or 50’s) this is considered to be early-onset disease.
There are also other types of dementia that affect individuals at a younger age, such as Frontotemporal lobe syndromes (i.e. Pick’s disease), Vascular dementia (VAD), Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and other very rare dementias.
Early-onset Alzheimer's disease and other dementias pose special problems for affected families, including:
- Difficulty obtaining a diagnosis due to the person's young age and healthy appearance, or the assumption that symptoms may be caused by stress, depression or a psychiatric illness.
- Employment concerns related to the person's difficulty completing job duties, and a lack of understanding on the part of employers or human resources staff of how cognitive impairments affect a person’s ability to function in their job and at home.
- Complicated family issues surrounding dependent children living at home, impaired parenting skills, changes in marital relationships, parent-child relationships and assigned roles associated with each of these relationships.
- Financial concerns due to loss of income and health insurance coverage, reduction or loss of retirement benefits, and ineligibility for financial assistance or health care programs available to elderly people with dementia.
- Dealing with difficult and often confounding behavioral symptoms that pose complex care-giving experiences. Often families and caregivers have no precedent to guide or assist them with this new and frightening experience.
The Alzheimer's Association of Greater Cincinnati has programs available to help individuals and families affected by early-onset Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Call 513-721-4284 or 1-800-272-3900 for more information.
Early-Onset Family Support Group
A monthly support group for family members of individuals diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease or other dementia. Click here for support group locations, dates and times.
Early Stage Strategy Group
A series of education and support sessions for individuals in the early stages of dementia and their caregivers. Click here for more information about this program.
Family Care Consultation
An individualized meeting for the caregiver/family members of the affected person focused on providing education about disease process and creating a plan to address current and future care issues. Click here for more information.
Early Stage Dementia Consultation
An individualized meeting for the person in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease or other dementia to provide education and support. Click here for more information.
Employer Consultation & Education
When an employer suspects that an employee may be experiencing some cognitive losses, they can call the Alzheimer’s Association and speak with a clinician to learn how cognitive deficits affect a person’s functional abilities in the workplace and at home. They can learn about resources in the community that assist the employee and family in obtaining a diagnosis. This discussion will also include strategies for communicating that information to the person who may be affected.
Once a diagnosis has been established and the employer has modified the person's job responsibilities to reflect his current abilities, a health care professional is available to meet with the employer to discuss the most successful strategies for keeping a person safely in his job for as long as possible. Educational opportunities on all aspects of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementing illnesses are offered during brown bag luncheon groups or in formal workshop formats.
Various programs and services of the Alzheimer's Association are funded in part by the Ohio Department of Aging through the Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio and the Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc. All services are provided without regard to race, age, color, religion, sex, disability, national origin, or ancestry.
