Learning and sharing information to support loved ones with Alzheimer's and Dementia--
My Mom was a girlie-girl. She stood 5′ 2″ with ivory skin, blue eyes, permed- blonde curls and a constant smile. Mom didn’t smoke or drink or abuse her good health. Even into her 70′s, she ate an apple every day, swallowed a vitamin every morning and weeded a gorgeous Rose garden with agile fingers. [...]
For many years it was thought that memory loss was nothing more than hardening of the arteries suffered by most people during the natural aging process. Often called “senility,” it was common to equate the behaviors of someone with Alzheimer’s as “old age senility.” At 93, my grandmother was considered “senile” and her children forced [...]
Actually, I consider myself a wimp–somewhat. I’ll run a mile to avoid confrontation or verbal battle. On the other hand, just because I don’t like confrontation doesn’t mean I don’t see barbs when they’re slung my way. I’m not sure I accept a new study that found Early Stage Alzheimer’s might show itself as the [...]
“Nearly 15 million Americans are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, and the number is rising, according to a report released Tuesday. ” Reports Health Day News. The article goes on to say, “About 5.4 million people in the United States have Alzheimer’s disease, and their 14.9 million caregivers provided a [...]
A Guest Post by Frena Gray-Davidson “What’s the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia?” asks a sensible middle-aged woman in my Alzheimer’s Boot Camp class for start-up family caregivers. I’m always still amazed to find that is the most common question I get asked. So, writing as a non-medical long term dementia caregiver, here goes. [...]
The Validation Breakthrough: Simple Techniques for Communicating with People with ‘Alzheimer’s-Type Dementia’ by Naomi Feil This book is an outstanding resource for families, friends, neighbors, home health aides, and others working with people with dementia. It presents simple techniques to reduce care-giver burnout and improve the life of the person with dementia From speaking with [...]
Alzheimer’s Disease: What Every Family Needs to Know Author: Douglas Hardwick Alzheimer’s disease touches the lives of millions of Americans. Today, millions of Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s, and 1 in 10 families have a loved one afflicted with it. With no cure in sight, it is important for families to arm themselves with information about [...]
Dementia Causes, Symptoms & Management Methods Author: Jason Morrow Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a set of specific and general symptoms which include a progressive mental decline of cognitive functioning that impacts a person\’s normal daily activities.It is not classified as a disease, per se,but rather as a syndrome which includes characteristic [...]
When my mom came to live with me, I changed her primary care physician to my own personal doctor. His office was near-by and I was already familiar with office and staff. Shortly afterwards, I phoned for an appointment so Dr. Smith could meet Mom and assess her stage of Alzheimer’s. Not wanting to speak [...]
When we can’t remember what happened in the past, we lose a “sense of time.” A “sense of time” is formed by multiple memories which create an “internal clock” that tells us when it’s time to get up, go to work, have lunch or go to bed. We do all these things because we’ve formed [...]
