Forty-Five percent of all Alzheimer's patients and caregivers are not informed of their diagnosis. Alzheimer’s is a neurological disease that affects the brain cells of the elderly, causing patients’ brain cells to deteriorate. This deterioration leads to a shrinking of the hippocampus which causes memory loss. Despite the effects of this debilitating disease, patients should not be informed of their diagnosis because it can lead to depression, paranoia, and unnecessary stress.
Telling patients of their diagnosis could lead to deepening depression. Experts have estimated that almost 40% of Alzheimer’s patients become depressed. Some people might say that Alzheimer’s patients should be informed of their diagnosis so that they can make the most of their final days and right their wrongs. However, for most people, a knowing that they are going to be a victim of a terrible disease will instead cause them to lose their love for life. They may be ashamed to be taken by a disease or scared to forget the faces of their loved ones. This could be the root cause of their depression.
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The article, “Alzheimer’s Disease and End-of-Life Issues,” states, “Although one does not die of Alzheimer’s disease, during the course of the disease, the body's defense mechanisms ultimately weaken, increasing susceptibility to catastrophic infection and other causes of death related to frailty.” Some people argue that patients have a right to know of their diagnosis and to what is going to happen to them. Unfortunately, when a patient is told of their disease, they might begin to question themselves, and become scared if they forget any little thing. It is best to withhold their