Alzheimer’s Disease

Introduction and Clinical Presentation: A 68-year-old female presents to the office accompanied by her daughter. The daughter states that her mother has been healthy most of her life, except for history of diabetes mellitus type 2 controlled by medication. However, recently her mother has been demonstrating signs of memory loss, language difficulty, and unpredictable behavior. She states that her mother was found wondering on the streets twice in the last month. The mother seems to forget that she just had meals and claims she had not had her medication when she actually just took it. Her mother has always been able to pay her bills on time, but recently she seems to forget to send in payments. Her mother seems to repeat herself over and over and apparently gets upset easily over previously non-stressful situations, such as misplacing a book or the keys. Because the mother lives alone, the daughter is concern about the safety of her mother.