The Pros & Cons of Alzheimer’s Testing

Alzheimer’s disease strikes one in nine people over the age of 65. This is a current and terrifying statistic that makes many people shiver with dread over the prospect of growing older. With more than 5.4 million people in American currently suffering from Alzheimer’s, it’s natural to consider the idea of testing for Alzheimer’s disease.

While there are plenty of medical tests that one can have done to determine risk factors of a certain disease, many people are against medical tests on healthy people for Alzheimer’s disease. The real question is – is the information worth knowing ahead of time?

Here are some reasons why Alzheimer’s testing might not be feasible for healthy people:

• Most health insurance companies won’t even cover brain scans or genetic testing involved to determine an Alzheimer’s disease risk. Plus, it’s possible that life insurance companies, along with long-term care insurance companies could deny coverage if they know about the individual’s risk. 
• Most people who develop Alzheimer’s disease don’t display any genetic markers, so, although genetic testing can reveal the risk, it isn’t definitive. Environmental and lifestyle factors also play a role in developing the disease, so probability and predictions cannot be made on genetic testing alone.
• Once a person is tested, the knowledge can cause undue stress on that individual. Likewise, if a person tests negative for increased risk, they may still develop it because other factors are involved.

On the other hand, an individual who finds out that they are at a greater risk of developing the disease may want to take the time to learn more about it, talk to their families about it and, as they say, hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. It isn’t a life sentence, but some people might feel better armed with the knowledge.

Always Best Care has been in the caregiver industry since 1996. During the past two decades they have assisted over 25,000 seniors maintain their independence and improve their quality of life. If you live in the Upper Chesapeake area and are interested in finding out more information about in-home senior care in Bel Air, or senior veteran’s care in Baltimore County, you can call the Always Best Care Fallston location at 410-877-3787 and set up a free consultation.