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A Few of Our Favorite Reads about Alzheimers Dementia

01/13Leave a Comment

A Few of our Favorite Reads about

Alzheimer’s and Dementia

Most of these books are available in Paperback or Kindle Version

the-forgetting

Our favorite reads help us to learn about Alzheimer’s, to care for loved ones who have Alzheimer’s and to care for ourselves as caregivers. Read a book and learn about this disease, help others, and help yourself.

The Alzheimer’s Action Plan: What You Need to Know–and What You Can Do–about Memory Problems, from Prevention to Early Intervention and Care

A Caregiver’s Guide to Alzheimer’s Disease: 300 Tips for Making Life Easier
The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementias, and Memory..

Creating Moments of Joy for the Person with Alzheimer’s or Dementia: A Journal for Caregivers

Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s: A Groundbreaking Approach for Everyone Dealing with the Disease

The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program: Keep Your Brain Healthy for the Rest of Your Life

Alzheimer’s Disease: What If There Was a Cure?

The Alzheimer’s Diet: A Step-by-Step Nutritional Approach for Memory Loss Prevention and Treatment (Volume 1)

Alzheimer’s Treatment Alzheimer’s Prevention: A Patient and Family Guide, 2012 Edition

Loving Someone Who Has Dementia: How to Find Hope while Coping with Stress and Grief

Dementia Beyond Drugs: Changing the Culture of Care

When Your Loved One Has Dementia: A Simple Guide for Caregivers

Dementia: The Journey Ahead – A Practical Guide for In-Home Caregivers

What If It’s Not Alzheimer’s?: A Caregiver’s Guide to Dementia (Updated & Revised)

You Say Goodbye and We Say Hello: The Montessori Method for Positive Dementia Care

Dementia: From Diagnosis to Management – A Functional Approach

The Simplicity Of Dementia: A Guide For Family And Carers

Managing Alzheimer’s and Dementia Behaviors

The Living End: A Memoir of Forgetting and Forgiving

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Filed Under: Recommended Reading Tagged With: Alzheimer's, behaviors, Caregiver's, Caring, coping, dementia, reading, signs, symptoms

Can You Spot the Early Signs of Dementia?

10/12Leave a Comment

Can You Spot the Early Signs of Dementia

by Dane Cross

Dementia affects a large proportion of aging adults, most commonly occurring in people from the age of fifty plus. Learning to recognize the early signs of the disease is important when it comes to ensuring the safety of our aging family members and to make sure that their medical needs are met.

The occurrences that can signify the onset of dementia are often slow and quite subtle, but can be identified by those who know what to look for.

It is important to pay attention to small things that your aging relatives seem to be forgetting. Though many people have problems remembering things as they age, dementia will progress and gradually become more severe. The sooner we provide care for those with dementia, the less able they will be to unknowingly put themselves in harm’s way.

Dementia sufferers are typically unaware that they are suffering from the illness, which is why it is important for relatives to pay close attention to any warning signs.

  • If an aging relative begins to forget the names of their family members or other people close to them, then this could be a strong indication.
  • They may often feel confused – pausing for long periods of time in the midst of carrying out daily activities as they try to keep track of what they are doing.
  • If an aging relative is getting confused often during regular activities, it is a good idea they receive a medical evaluation in order to identify what it is that’s causing the confusion, whether it be dementia or otherwise.

Many dementia sufferers struggle to remember parts of their typical daily schedule. For example, if an elderly person reads the morning newspaper every day and suddenly stops for no apparent reason, this could be a warning sign. Of course, it might not always be something as trivial as reading a newspaper – consistently forgetting to take medication at a certain time of day, forgetting to cook a meal, or simply not remembering how to perform everyday tasks they usually carry out with little ease or effort could all be early signs of dementia.

Paying attention and picking up on these signs will help the family to become aware of any problems that might indicate the onset of dementia. Depending on how severe the dementia is, a physician may recommend a care home as an option in order to ensure the well-being and safety of our relatives. These nursing homes make sure that all of their patients are able to function as much as possible, provided with opportunities for social interaction as well as participate in daily activities that allow them to enjoy a high quality of life.

Author: Dane Cross writes on behalf of Maria Mallaband Care Group, one of the UK’s leading care home providers, renowned for offering luxurious, modern facilities and outstanding services.

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Filed Under: Common Questions, Guest Post Tagged With: dementia, early signs, signs, symptoms

Don’t Deny or Overlook Personality Changes that may signal Alzheimer’s

08/072 Comments

Don’t Overlook Personality Changes

personalityMy 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.

Honestly, I thought if anyone in our family lived to be 100–

==>> it would be my mother <<==

People who knew her, loved her because she had a friendly personality and sweet disposition. I believed Mom’s mellow manner had contributed to her constant good health.

Mom loved pink roses, good friends, and her white leather bible, worn soft from much use. I was grateful she lived in a friendly, adult community since her husband passed away several years earlier and left her living alone at 70+. Being surrounded by good friends made Mom’s life happy.

—Yet, on this day I had been beckoned to Mom’s retirement community on a bad note, and I could feel the anger boiling just below the surface as I sat in the Manager’s office waiting. On this day the manager would “air” the numerous complaints against my mother by other residents. “NOT my Mother,” I was thinking with a grimace.

When the meeting was over, I was more confused than when I first arrived. “My mother was causing problems,” the lady told me as she lowered her head, narrowed her eyes and spoke over the rim of her reading glasses. Mom had told “off-colored” jokes at their weekly reception hour, she’d baked a cake and substituted salt for sugar–on purpose, and laughed raucously when all her friends began to complain and spit chocolate from contorted frowns.

In fact, Mom’s language had been so offensive that the “activity director” declined to repeat Mom’s words and s-p-e-l-l-e-d them out instead. Personally, I thought this woman needed more than reading glasses. Someone else might be doing all that she related-but it wasn’t my mother. My mother had a personality that anyone could love; kind, generous, loving to a fault. But before I could speak my thoughts aloud, the manager was listing more grievances against Mom.

“She goes from house to house at any hour, day or night, complaining to all who will listen about her neglectful children.” The tattling woman ranted on and on– ‘they never come to see her… they steal her money and leave her to go hungry… she has no help and is left alone… and ailing.” She stood as she finished her diatribe with arms crossed tightly over her chest.

I was appalled. I had no idea which resident she was talking about, but it wasn’t MY mother. She was clearly confused!

I’d never heard such complaints against my mother before and could not believe it was true. –I visited twice a week. My two brothers visited one day a week, on alternate days, so Mom had company almost every day of the week. If there were any issues with us or any neglectful behavior, Mom would tell me first–not her neighbors.

I was stunned and upset, and headed straight for Mom’s house after leaving the community office. And, as I’d expected, Mom denied every incident and clearly had no memory of a single accusation. In fact she appeared almost unconcerned about every accusation, which seemed almost as strange as the wild stories I’d just heard.

It was uncommon for Mom to prefer solitude, but in the next few weeks she began to wean herself from her old group of friends. Now, when I arrived she was sitting at home, alone,though not necessarily sad about it. If I suggested new friends, she declined. Her bubbly, bright personality seemed to dim.

Often I found her in the bedroom, still in her nightgown in late afternoon. Yet I ignored what this change in her behavior might predict. I blamed the rumor mill. The strange stories that had circulated a few months earlier had driven my Mom into solitude, I surmised, changed her sweet personality to one of brooding.

And there was more Denial and Excuses for more odd behavior and personality changes–

  • I excused Mom’s inability to find her car after shopping, though I was forced to travel 30 miles to look for it in the Safeway parking lot.
  • I excused Mom for locking herself out at midnight, then knocking on every door in the neighborhood in her nightgown until she found the neighbor who knew my phone number.
  • I excused Mom for “tipping” her favorite beautician with a $100 bill!

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The list goes on and on and I was shocked when the doctor finally diagnosed my mother with Alzheimer’s. As I look back, I can’t imagine why I was so surprised. But I was–and when I told my brothers, they could hardly believe it either. Yet, we all knew something was wrong.

To get help for your loved one, you must be willing to “SEE” the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s. If their neighbors or friends or others begin telling you about their odd behavior–Listen!

If you see behavior that is uncharacteristic for your loved one, or an abrupt change in personality— make an appointment with your family physician. The earlier Alzheimer’s is diagnosed the sooner medications can be prescribed that may slow the progress.

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If your loved one still lives alone but is presenting odd behavior, STAY IN TOUCH.

Call them everyday. Listen to the messages you don’t hear them say. Are they making too many trips to the store, confusing one medication for another, slipping to a fall too many times in every day…

Talk to them each day and stay AWARE of their living circumstances!

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Filed Under: EARLY STAGE, What are the Signs and Symptoms Tagged With: odd behavior, personality change, signs, symptoms

Maria Shriver Announces (Second Edition) The SHRIVER REPORT

10/17Leave a Comment

The Shriver Report

From “Women on the Web” by Sherri Snelling –“The Shriver Report | A Woman’s Nation takes on Alzheimer’s conducted, in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Association, shows that ten million American women are touched by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Of the more than five million Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, two-thirds are women. In addition, 6.7 million women represent 60 percent of the family caregivers of those living with the disease. Since women also make up half of all U.S. employees, the impact of Alzheimer’s disease on our workplace, our health-care system and our family lives is significant and growing.

The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that every 70 seconds someone is diagnosed with this disease. What is perhaps a larger concern is that studies also show that 50 percent of those living with Alzheimer’s are undiagnosed. The toll this disease takes on women cannot go unnoticed. One-third of these female caregivers are caring for an Alzheimer’s loved one 24/7 and almost half provide more than 40 hours of care a week. That means women who are working caregivers, in addition to bringing home the bacon, now come home to another full-time job: caregiver.” [Read More…]

KNOW THE 10 SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF ALZHEIMER’S

10 WARNING SIGNS OF MEMORY LOSS THAT DISRUPT DAILY LIFE

–The Shriver Report– (2010) – The Second Edition –

Available for Pre-Order through the Alzheimer’s Association

Web site at this location: Alzheimer’s Association

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– The FIRST EDITION –

THE SHRIVER REPORT 2009

Available Here

[Learn More]

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Filed Under: News Tagged With: SHRIVER REPORT, symptoms, warning signs

What is the Real Cause of Dementia if it’s NOT Old Age?

09/13Leave a Comment

The real cause of Dementia is not old age

For many years people believed that natural aging meant our mental capacity shrank until we reached the stage of ‘senility,’ an eventuality for everyone if you lived long enough.  Thank goodness, we know better than that today.

What we know now:

  • Dementia is not the natural result of aging
  • Dementia is caused by specific, identifiable diseases
  • Diagnosis is important to identify the dementia’s that are treatable
  • A proper evaluation is needed for management of the diseases that aren’t curable

CAUSES OF DEMENTIA: The list of diseases than can cause dementia is long, including: Metabolic disorders, Structural problems of the brain, Infections, Toxins, Autoimmune diseases, Psychiatric disorders, Multiple Sclerosis,  Alcohol abuse, and others.

SYMPTOMS OF DEMENTIA:

Usually dementia indicates a decline of intellectual ability severe enough to interfere with daily functions of a person who is awake and alert.  This can mean a loss of ability in the areas of; math, vocabulary, abstract thinking, judgment, speaking and physical coordination.
Dementia can be caused by many diseases, some are curable but some are not. That’s why it is so important to have any memory-loss issues evaluated by your physician.

In this article I only discuss the major causes of Dementia today:

  • Alzheimer disease
  • Huntington disease
  • Lewy Body dementia
  • Parkinson disease
  • Frontotemporal dementia, including Pick disease
  • Vascular (blood vessel) disease
  • Binswanger disease

Most Research indicates Dementia is caused by:
50-60% caused by Alzheimer disease
10% caused by Multi-infarct disease
10% caused by combination Multi-infarct/Alzheimer disease
5-10% caused by Lewy Body Dementia
5% caused by Frontotemporal Dementias
10% caused by a combination of the remaining causes listed above

Alzheimer Disease

The symptoms of Alzheimer disease usually appear gradually and over an extended period of time. Early in this disease only memory may be affected, but gradually intellect and physical decline occurs.

Later, impairment in both language and motor skills is seen.

  • trouble understanding explanations
  • give up reading or watching television
  • increasing difficulty doings tasks that were once easy
  • get lost easily
  • forget how to turn on the stove
  • show poor judgment
  • changes in personality with outbursts of anger

This disease is slowly but relentlessly progressive. Late in the disease the person becomes severely impaired, incontinent, unable to walk and have their vocabulary reduced to one or two words.

Lewy Body Dementia

The symptoms of Lewy Body Dementia is similar to Alzheimer disease but is usually accompanied by mild symptoms of  Parkinson disease early in the course of the illness. Common symptoms for this type of dementia are stiffness, slowness, and poor balance. One urgent reason to have a diagnosis for Lewy Body dementia is that people with this illness experience adverse side effects from neuroleptic medications. These medicines should be avoided. Depression is also common in Lewy Body dementia.

Multi-Infarct or Vascular Dementia

In the past, dementing illnesses were thought to be caused by “old age,” or “hardening of the arteries.” Now, we know this is not true. In multi-infarct dementia, repeated strokes destroy small areas of the brain. The accumulative effect of the damage from these repeated, small strokes leads to dementia.

Multi-infarct dementia’s progress in a step-like way. Instead of the gradual decline as with Alzheimer disease, they have plateaus without symptoms, then drop-offs to a new stage.  Sometimes the cause of these repeated strokes can be found and treated. In this case the repeated damage can be prevented.

Some people have both, Multi-infarct disease and Alzheimer disease.

Binswanger Disease (also called Leukoariosis)

This is an uncommon vascular dementia. It can be identified on an MRI or CT scan and at autopsy. It is thought to be caused by sustained high blood pressure. This diagnosis has been given more often as more MRI scans become readily available.  Currently, controlling high blood pressure is the only treatment available for this dementia, and it is not known if this also slows the progression of the disease.

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There are other illnesses that cause symptoms of dementia as well, though there numbers are small. Still, it implores us to have any symptoms of memory-loss or change in personality evaluated by a family physician. As we learned from the causes of Dementia, there are treatments available for a few. Depending on the form of dementia, in some instances the progression may be slowed or stopped altogether with early diagnosis.

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A few Tools to help the person with dementia to function better on their own

Northwestern Bell 1 Big Button Phone WhiteBlue Weekly Pill TurtleFlipper Big ButtonMedcenter Talking AlarmLIGHTED BIG BUTTON TV REMOTEMemory Loss Digital Calendar Clock

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A few Activities that require No long term Memory

50’s Ultimate Rock & Roll CollectionFilm-Star Portraits of the FiftiesKids Say the Darndest Things!The Ultimate Johnny CarsonFirst Lady of Comedy: Lucille Ball Four PackThe Honeymooners – Classic 39 Episodes

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Filed Under: Common Questions, What are the Signs and Symptoms Tagged With: cause of dementia, symptoms

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