Dementia is not a disease in and of itself. Dementia describes a group of disorders that cause a loss of normal functional activities such as dressing, eating, and remembering. Dementia may also cause a loss of control of emotions and personality changes. Common symptoms include memory loss or loss of language function. Dementia can have many root causes, the most well known of which are Alzheimer's disease and stroke.
Alzheimer's disease is a form of dementia that most often occurs after age 60 but can occur in younger individuals. The likelihood of experiencing Alzheimer's is greater if there is a family history. Initially, an individual may lose the ability to remember names or recent events. With time the symptoms become worse and may ultimately result in an inability to speak, read or write. Individuals may wander away from home, forget how to perform daily care activities or become aggressive. Typically patients in the later stages of Alzheimer's require total care.
Dementia and Alzheimer's disease may be diagnosed by history and physical examination, MRIs, neurological examinations and neuropsychological testing. Physicians who specialize in these conditions are neurologists, psychiatrists, and neuropsychologists.
In order to prove your disability to Social Security, you need to either document that your condition or conditions meet or equal in severity the criteria found in the Social Security Commissioner's regulations or, if you are an adult, that your condition and symptoms are so severe that you are unable to work. If you are a child under 18, you must similarly show that your condition or conditions meet or equal in severity the criteria in the Social Security Commissioner's regulations or that your condition or conditions functionally equals the Commissioner's regulations. The law firm of Sheryl Gandel Mazur has experienced disability attorneys and has been representing individuals in their Social Security disability appeals for over twenty five years. Let us help you receive your Social Security disability benefits.
Our disability law firm represents individuals:
- In filing their initial disability applications
- In handling cases at the initial level including appealing initial denials
- In handling cases at the reconsideration level including appealing reconsideration denials
- In handling cases at the hearings level
- In appealing and handling cases at the Appeals Council level
- In appealing and handling cases at the Federal Court level
This firm also handles SSI child's disability cases at all levels.
Organizations: Alzheimer's Association (http://www.alz.org/), Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation (http://www.alzinfo.org/); In New Jersey: www.alz.org/alznj.
