The world celebrates September 21 every year International Alzheimer’s Day. Alzheimer’s disease is a type of senile dementia that occurs in people over the age of 65. It is characterized not only by memory loss, but also by:

• slowing down of mental activity;
• inability to build logical chains;
• speech disorder;
• difficulties with everyday activities.

This process lasts for years and causes suffering not only to patients, but also to their relatives. Although almost 50% of the elderly suffer from the disease, a cure for it has not yet been invented and the causes of its occurrence are not known for sure.

When there are suspicions that one of the family members is ill, it is necessary to immediately contact specialists. Although doctors have not yet learned how to treat the disease, they are able to significantly slow down its development. There is a self-test to determine the symptoms. For this, a person who has suspicions of the disease should be asked several questions:

• Remember three words that are not related to each other.
• Draw a clock with a round face so that the hands point to 14:15.
• List the months of the year in reverse order.
• Orally subtract from one hundred to five.

Early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and referral to specialists can significantly improve the quality of life not only of the patient, but also of family members.