ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disorder that is manifested by cognitive and memory deterioration, progressive impairment of activities of daily living and a variety of neuropsychiatric symptoms and behavioral changes, it is a progressive pathological process, which progresses through different clinical stages, with dementia occurring at a stage in which the pathological changes are already widespread. To describe the importance of identifying Alzheimer's Disease, its clinical manifestations and related risk factors, including the role of nursing in caring for the pathology. this is a study with a qualitative approach, being a narrative review, with inclusion parameters articles published in full in the last 10 years, in English, Spanish and Portuguese. The mild dementia phase is characterized by a progressive worsening of amnestic symptoms, associated with cognitive disorders. In the moderate dementia phase, the patient becomes more dependent for instrumental activities of daily life. In the severe dementia phase, the patient is totally dependent, with memory reduced to fragments of information, temporal and personal disorientation. Nurses, as care coordinators, need scientific knowledge to face the pathology. It concerns nursing professionals to cover the patient in a holistic way, providing humanized, respectful care so that those with Alzheimer's Disease and their families obtain a better quality of life and psychological and physical well-being.