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Lesser Known Early Signs of Alzheimer’s

10/092 Comments

Lesser known early signs of Alzheimer’s you must know

Early-Signs

One of the greatest impairments of the human faculties is the loss of cognitive function. Difficulty or inability to recall information, performing regular tasks such as walking, tying shoelaces or buttoning shirts, and gradually higher order tasks such as writing or problem solving, could be signaling the signs of Alzheimer’s disease. The disease mostly affects adults of 65 years of age and above, though the symptoms could appear as early as 40 years. Here’s what you need to know about some of the lesser known Early Signs and Symptoms .

Alzheimer’s disease progressively limits and incapacitates the brain to remember and retain information, and perform functions that are otherwise simple and ordinary or second to human nature. This could be very frustrating for the one affected by this disease. Alzheimer’s is the most common of all cases reported of dementia, a wider term used for degenerative functions and diseases of the brain.

Despite advancements in medical science, prevention and cure, there is still no conclusive study or research on what causes Alzheimer’s and how to cure it. It becomes highly important to be aware of the subtle signs that could be indicative of Alzheimer’s disease. Seek the doctor’s advice if you notice any of the symptoms below in yourself or your loved ones.

Mood swings and behavioral issues
One of the lesser known symptoms or signs of Alzheimer’s are mood swings – or sudden changes in behavior. Signs could include feeling depressed, irritability, overreacting to minor issues, or showing an unusual lack of interest in activities that were otherwise enjoyable. Occasionally, individuals may seem withdrawn from life activities and may remain silent or unresponsive. Patients have been reported to undergo a phenomenal change in personality and behavioral responses especially once they are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or any other form of dementia. Such signs should not be dismissed as normal or part of the aging process, it is important to consult with a physician to identify conditions.

The failing sense of smell
Perhaps the most suitable of all indicators and commonly unnoticeable, is the failing olfactory function, or sense of smell. Research is suggesting that patients could show a distinct inability to identify scent, recall the experience, and associate or distinguish between various smells, as an indicator of Alzheimer’s disease. Since the disease is degenerative in impact, the human faculties including the basis sense of smell could be impaired.

Increasing confusion and inability to solve problems
Patients are also reported to experience anxiety and demonstrate an inability to solve simple problems such as following given steps to complete an action, deciphering meaning and implications of words, making connections, and repeating an otherwise ordinary task. This could also include patients getting confused about what day it is, whether they locked the door, or recall what they were doing an hour ago, or on a particular day or vacation. This state of confusion could progress into more advanced stages of Alzheimer’s. Although not conclusive, these are classic symptoms of the onset of the disease.

Sleep disorders and disorientation
Some research is corroborating that patients suffering from sleep disorders could develop Alzheimer’s or some form of dementia in later life. Therefore, a healthy and balanced lifestyle adds great value to general well-being and strength, and the absence of it could lead to cognitive impairments of various kind. Patients may often experience disorientation, e.g. what direction to take, which words to choose to convey a message, and how to respond to different situations.
These disorientations clubbed together with occasional to frequent memory loss, such as, where the car keys were last kept, where the superstore is located and how to reach it, significantly impact the quality of life and contribute to anxiety and depression among patients, and even family members and caregivers.

Lifestyle and preventive measures
While available research suggests that Alzheimer’s is incurable or the effects irreversible, a preventive approach could keep the disease away. There is always hope. A healthy lifestyle has far reaching effects and impact on the quality of life. One must be aware of what productive actions to take for a healthy and balanced lifestyle, and identify the routines and regimens that promote and support overall well-being.

The preventive approach advocates for consistent routines in
• regular exercise
• positive and productive social engagements and interactions
• managing stress and sleep schedules
• eating healthy and avoiding alcohol and substance abuse

Much of what we eat determines our general health and well-being. Taking the right nutrients and supplements adds value to the consistent routines of managing a good and healthy lifestyle. Be wise! Start today!
Diagnosis and planning for the future

While the different symptoms reported are indicative, experiencing any one or all of them may not always conclude one has Alzheimer’s. Be very focused in your approach to understanding the disease and read articles and books, and use mobile apps, to get the right information. However, do not ignore and overlook symptoms if they persist and affect the quality of life. Often patients are unable to identify these changes in themselves and deny symptoms, which are otherwise noticeable to family and close friends. A complete medical assessment is required to diagnose any degenerative disease of the brain.

A positive mindset. A positive outlook towards life.
While a healthy lifestyle and increased opportunities of engaging in cognitive activities could prevent degenerative diseases of the brain, none of the symptoms, if persisting, should be ignored. Be attentive to changes in your loved ones and yourself. Answer these concerns and learn more about the disease. Establish a healthy lifestyle and exercise the brain with mind relaxing exercises, and other various activities like crosswords, solving riddles and puzzles, and, engaging in rich discourse on topics of interest with friends and family, and such like. Seek medical advice to rule out the symptoms as Alzheimer’s. Remember, there is always hope and ways to manage the quality of life by developing coping mechanisms, accepting support and care from family and friends, and accepting the changes to plan for a better future. Keep well!

Author: Alma Causey
Alma is a mother, wife and a professional blogger. She writes frequently on health, technology and management. Her time is divided between writing and creating exotic cuisines in the kitchen. She loves to discover new places and you’ll often find her globe-trotting with her twins. Find her on Twitter: @Almacausey

 

Filed Under: Common Questions, communication, EARLY STAGE, Guest Post, The Stages, What are the Signs and Symptoms Tagged With: confusion, degenerative functions, early signs of dementia, early symptoms of Alzheimer's, failing smell, mood swings, problem solving

Healthy diet and exercise equal sound sleep for the aging

09/16Leave a Comment

Healthy Diet and Exercise can equal Sound Sleep for the Aging

Insomnia in seniors: Expert tips to help you sleep more soundly

Seniors have trouble to sleep on a daily basis. This problem does not just happen, overnight; it’s a long series of events that unfold and gets to its climax at an old age. However, you have been experiencing this problem that is not the end of it. There is hope of regaining the ability to sleep once again. Here are several tips from experts that will ensure you enjoy your night sleep again.

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Experiencing back pain, Use leg pillow

Although you may not experience a strong back pain that will push you to wake up, that mild, pain will prevent you from enjoying the restful and deep stages of sleep. You can put a pillow between your legs to ensure that you align hip well and minimize stressing your back. However, if you sleep on your back, you can try it by tacking your pillow under your knees, and it will ease the pain. Therefore giving you the chance of resting and going through all the stages of sleep all night.

Nix Naps

If you are looking for a way to sleep and enjoy night rest, then avoid with all possibilities taking naps and snoozing while the sun is up. However, if you cannot completely refrain from the behavior, keep it less than 20 minutes. The best time for naps is early in the day before the sunsets.  When you avoid the afternoon nap, you are sure that you will get the privilege of sleeping like a newborn once again. With all the impossibilities of letting go of the behavior, you can start by doing short walks, engaging in conversations with friends or taking a cold drink.

Yoga For Older Adults

Power down

This is why a majority of people find it hard to sleep at night.  You may think the little things don’t count such as a tablet or the phone. Did you know the digital clock beside your bed might also hurt at night? Blue glow will always interrupt your sleep stages. Therefore, if you are looking forward to peaceful sleep all night with minimum or zero interruptions, be sure to turn off the lights at least one hour before bedtime. This includes TV, computer, and any other blue light sources. Find a different spot for your digital clock to avoid the display light too.

Have a sleep routine

When you are trying to have a better sleep, it is always great if you can get yourself a sleeping routine. With time, your body will get used to the routine, and you will be falling asleep the same time every day. Your body clock will be set so that you feel sleepy and get enough rest for your day. If you keep shifting the time your sleep every day, you will find that on some days you will oversleep while on others you will sleep less. During such days, you will be tired and lethargic and will have a terrible day.

Have a relaxing bedtime ritual

Before you sleep, it is always better for you to do something relaxing. For instance, you can choose to have a meditation session or burn some incense before you go to bed. This will allow your body to release a happy hormone known as serotonin that is responsible for when you feel relaxed and happier. It is also responsible for getting you to have a great sleep.  If you get to bed right after activities that cause excitement and anxiety, it will be difficult for you to sleep. If you do fall asleep at some point, it will be difficult to sleep deeply or for a long time.

Portraits of Old Age on my Travels Kathmandu Nepal

Exercise daily

Working out is the best way to ensure that you have a better sleep and can solve your problems faster and easier and it will be convenient for you to get better sleep throughout the night. The care home has numerous exercise equipments that will let you to enjoy the work out. Just a brisk walk around the home is enough to get you working and ensuring that you will sleep better and for longer.

Conclusion

When you grow older, sleeping becomes a huge hassle. However, there are little things you can do to ensure that you sleep better and for a longer period.

Author: Edward Francis is interested in writing about health and fitness related issues. He has a deep knowledge of this field. Edward also works for care homes and retirement villages.

Filed Under: Care Tips, Guest Post, Healthy Aging, Healthy Diet Tagged With: aging and diet, aging and exercies, aging and sleep

8 Things Can Change How You Approach Caregiving

08/091 Comment

How These 8 Things Will Change the Way You Approach Caregiving

 

Patients who suffer from severe illnesses that are going to stay with them for their remaining lives are the ones who usually rely on others for help. The people providing the patients with assistance and helping them perform tasks regarding everyday work could be anyone from a family member to a paid nurse. Science has continuously worked in making better treatments for these illnesses, but while complete cure of all types of cancers, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes is far-fetched, caregiving has evolved further to provide the patient with better care.

1) Monitoring Health Remotely: 

Remote monitoring is one of the most recent inventions that have been immensely helpful to the patients and the doctors alike. These monitoring systems are used by patients while they are in their own homes and can save the patient trouble to go to the doctors for check-ups. It is a small device that has the capacity to measure some particular issues related to health. Remote centers then analyze the data provided by the monitor and instantly let the patient know if the patient’s health is not normal. This data can provide the caregiver if the doctor’s attention is needed or not.

2) Wireless Home Sensors:

Sensors that have the capacity to alert anyone in charge of the patient can be of great help to the caregiver. Not only would it decrease the need for the caregiver to be present with the patient at all times, but it will be able to let the sufferer be more independent. Sensors can be installed around the house or caregiving centers to alert the caregiver if there is any activity or lack thereof in the area where the affected person is. Laundry room and bathrooms can pass alerts if there is a flood in any of the rooms while an alert can also be issued if any electrical appliance is left on for too long. These tools are specifically helpful for people with Alzheimer and their caretakers.

3) Toilet and Pill Sensors:

These sensors offer readings in the toilet where any person may be concerned about their privacy. The system monitors how many times the patient goes to the toilet and through monitoring the urine. The sensors also can be placed on the pillbox and let the patient know if they have not taken their medicine for the day. All this data can be compiled by the Lively app to be presented to the doctor when need be.

4) Tracking Devices and GPS: 

Devices that can track location are helpful for people who have dementia and tend to wander off. It can alert the caretaker if the wearer of the device wanders outside the house. Or even change their positions from one room to another and let the caretaker track the patient down without performing an extensive search.

5) Medication Alerts: 

Another option for people suffering from dementia and have trouble keeping track of pills is the technology that can help manage your pill intake. It is an automated pill dispenser which beeps and opens itself up reminding the person that it is time for their medication. This can provide some relief to the caretaker when medication intake is concerned.

6) Health Trackers:

Then caring for a patient, things such as doctor’s appointment, health record and insurance for the sufferer matters a lot. It can be hectic to find and compile all the documents every time they are updated. HealthVault has come up with a cloud based system which keeps tracks of all your files and documents that are required for the patient. Caregiver and the doctor can update the data about the patient’s health, appointments and even insurance documentation in the cloud with less hassle.

7) Personal Response System:

A personal emergency response system consists of three components; a small radio transmitter which sends signals to a console connected to your telephone which then connects to an emergency response center. The emergency response center then monitors the calls for the patient and alerts the emergency staff to respond immediately to the point where the distress call is coming from. The small radio transmitter can be either worn around the neck or around the wrist. So any caregiver doesn’t have to be too concerned about the lack of communication as the patient is able to act on their own if the caregiver is not around.

8) Audio Monitors:

Just as audio monitors are used by parents to keep themselves updated about the baby, the same way they can be used to monitor a patient in a different room. Especially when the patient is sleeping, their sleep can be monitored without invading their privacy, and any sign of distress can be picked up instantly by the caregiver.
Caring for your loved is one of the noblest things that you may do in your life, however, it can become tiring. These gadgets although may be small, but they can make drastic changes in the lives of the patients and the caretakers. They have the capacity to give the patient a better chance of being independent while also give the caretaker some time off from the patient.

Author Sherley Alaba: An eagle-eyed wordsmith, a writer, and translator, always interested in ways which can help individuals (especially youth and women) reach their full creative potential. My focus has been on writing, producing and editing stories on business, finance, interesting personalities, entrepreneurs, culture, the environment, gastronomy, lifestyle, and social issues. Currently, she is associated as a blogger with Centra Care Florida, an urgent care center in Tampa and other cities in the vicinity such as Conway, Longwood, Orange Lake and others. You can find her @sherleyalaba

Filed Under: Care Tips, Guest Post, The Caregiver

6 Warning Signs in Elderly Should Never be Ignored

06/243 Comments

 

6 Warning signs in Elderly that should never be ignored

Taking care of a senior is very critical and we must always be alert for health warning signs. As people advance in age, especially when in advance stages of Alzheimer’s or Dementia, they may appear to be more childlike. If an elderly person has dementia, there may be specific things that he/she take special interests in while losing focus on other important things in their life. We must be aware of  any Health Warning Signs.

caregiver

Older folks generally require special attention, and there are times when as a caregiver you will notice that they have started to develop changes or new behaviors. Depending on age, you may notice that some older folks forget minor things and have a low concentration on what they are doing. Others may develop new sleeping habits while some have difficulty sleeping which makes them restless. As a caregiver, there are six signs you should never ignore at all cost.

  1. Throbbing tooth

This happens mostly when you serve a cold meal. They may feel a sharp twinge or dull throb. This warning sign is primarily associated with a damaged tooth nerve due to cracking or rotting of the pearly white surrounding. If you ignore this, the bacteria continue to develop, and it can infect the inner nerve system right from the mouth down the entire body. Instead of taking the older adult through a hard time trying to treat an already spread problem, a simple regular cavity check is necessary. It will help eliminate the problem with minimum side effects.

  1. Sharp side pain

Caregivers

A sharp, consistent pain on the right side can lead to severe problems and should be considered a warning sign. This may be an appendicitis problem or ovarian cyst. This pain is developed when something blocks the way where the appendix empties into the colon. As the organ gets dangerously inflamed, it can cause a dangerous and terrible pain. The inflammation may even lead to the organ bursting. The ovarian cyst or twist can block the blood flow to the ovaries within few hours. If this is the case, you may be looking for a possible emergency surgery. If you ignore the on and off right side pain in an old person, the damage may become unbearable.

  1. Severe head pain

Often, the headache has been a normal problem with both old and young people. When you take long hours under direct sun heat, you are likely to feel the head pain. Another common reason for head pain is when you have excessive pressure to perform and deliver an individual task, but you don’t have the relative credentials to meet your target. This does not raise the alarm.

However, if you notice extensive severe head pain, accompanied by other symptoms like a visual aura, a headache could be a warning sign. It can be a signal for a brain aneurysm. If this is the case, then the risks of the weak spots tearing or leaking may bring a severe headache. This problem can even block the blood supply to specific tissues due to escaping blood. At such times, you should ensure that you keep the old person under immediate physician watch to make sure that the problem is regulated before it gets out of control.

  1. Excessive back pain

Most seniors face back pain. This is a problem that you will often note after extreme seating or bending. When the old person gets into activities that involve seating, bending or jumping up and down, you will find that they are not actively engaging in the activity. Back pain problems also are attracted to an issue with the bones. If you note such issues, the appropriate thing to do is engage the person in activities such as body massage.

  1. Sudden memory loss

Old people tend to have a short concentration span. This problem gets intense  for those with Alzheimer’s dementia as they may even forget where their rooms are or what they were supposed to do within a particular time. Other older folks may not remember their name or other basic things like if they have eaten or taken a shower. The best way to help the person with their memory is by introducing short-term activities that will keep their brain more active.

  1. Loss of appetite

2013 The CareGivers apron

As a caregiver at Stroke rehab home, you should be able to tell when a senior within your watch does not eat. Often, loss of appetite can be a warning sign associated with symptoms of being sick. However, lack of appetite can also mean the person wants a change of diet. Therefore, you should always ensure you find out the problem behind the appetite loss.

 

Author: Edward Francis is interested in writing about health and fitness related issues. He has a deep knowledge of this field. Edward also works for care homes and retirement villages.

Filed Under: Care Tips, communication, Guest Post, Healthy Aging, What are the Signs and Symptoms Tagged With: Elderly warning signs, excessive back pain in elderly, Health of Elderly, severe head pain in elderly, Sharp pain in elderly, tooth aches in elderly

Home Test for Alzheimer’s – Will You Take the Test?

04/155 Comments

 HOME TEST FOR ALZHEIMERS

This morning, I received an update from the Alzheimer’s Association

Recent News“On Thursday, April 6, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that they have approved at-home genetic testing through the 23andMe Personal Genome Service Genetic Health Risk (GHR) test, which tests for genes associated with risk of 10 diseases or conditions, including late-onset Alzheimer’s. People will be able to send 23andMe a saliva sample and receive their genetic data back through the mail.”

You can find and read the entire article here -> Alzheimer’s Association blog.

I understand it can be unsettling to learn about a family member with Alzheimer’s, even more so when it pertains to yourself. Some folks want the information and others do not. Would you want to know?  [Read more…]

Filed Under: about Me, News Tagged With: alzheimers testing, dementia knowing, know in advance

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