Alzheimer's disease, which is a slowly progressive disorder, causes degeneration and death of brain cells, which disrupt a person's ability to function independently causing decline in thinking, behavioural and social skills. Later on, it results in severe memory impairment and loses the ability to carry day to day activities.

A key symptom of Alzheimer's disease is memory loss. In the initial stages, it starts with difficulty remembering recent events. In later stages, memory impairment gets worse along with the development of various other symptoms. Later, difficulty concentrating and thinking, ability to make reasonable decisions and judgments is affected, changes occur in personality and behaviour.

Alzheimer's disease occurs due to a combination of factors such as genetic, environmental factors and lifestyle affecting the brain over time. Brain proteins fail to function normally; brain cells are damaged, lose connections to each other and eventually die.

Risk factor increases with an increasing age and usually gets worse after the age of 65 years. Other risk factors include female gender, family history in the first-degree relative, genetic factors, Down syndrome, post head injury, lack of exercise, obesity, high blood pressure, poorly controlled type 2 diabetes, etc.

As Alzheimer's disease causes memory and language loss, impaired judgement, other conditions such as patient cannot tell if he/she is experiencing pain, or any other symptoms, difficulty in following prescribed treatment plans. In later stages, it can affect swallowing, resulting in inhaling food or liquid into the lungs, pneumonia, affect balance resulting in fall, fracture and bedsores.