Music Brings Alzheimer's Patients Out of the Box
When Dotty started singing I realized that the Alzheimer's box is bigger then I ever thought or imagined.By Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomWhile Dotty and I were watching -- TREME on HBO (the show is set in post Katrina New Orleans), One of the main characters Antoine (Wendell Pierce) was walking down Bourbon street when he came up on characters Sonny (keyboard) and Annie (violin).They were playing a song that I had never heard. Amazingly, my mom started singing along with him.How to talk and communicate with dementia patients effectivelyAntoine starts singing the song. As he does this on TV, Dotty starts singing along...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - May 1, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alive inside alzheimer's alzheimer's care dementia care health life news music music for alzheimers patients singing Source Type: blogs
What is The Difference Between Alzheimer's and Dementia
Dementia presents as a group of symptoms, and Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia.By Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomWhen someone is told they have Alzheimer's or dementia,it means they have significant memory problems as well as other cognitive and behavioral issues.Most of the time dementia is caused by Alzheimer's disease.There is great confusion about the difference betweenAlzheimer's anddementia.In a nutshell, dementia isn't a specific disease. Instead, dementia describes a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities severely enough to interfere with daily functioning. Alz...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - April 26, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's Alzheimer's Dementia Alzheimer's disease alzheimer's symptoms alzheimer's vs dementia the difference between alzheimer's and dementia Source Type: blogs
Alzheimer's Affects the Way a Person Thinks, Feels, and Acts
One of the biggest issues we face as Alzheimer's caregivers is learning to understand how a person living with dementia thinks and feels, and why they act the way they do.Early on,many of us conclude that the person living with dementia is being mean to us.The changes that come with dementia can bedistressing to a caregiver.As caregivers we often feelangry, disconcerted and sometimes, we feela sense of heavy burden, hopelessness, and even heartbreak.What is The Difference Between Alzheimer's and DementiaBy Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomSubscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading - This is a Free Service - Join NowAs caregive...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - April 20, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer communication alzheimers care alzheimers caregiving awareness dementia help for caregivers family caregiving help alzheimer's help with dementia help with dementia care Source Type: blogs
13 Things Every Alzheimer's Caregiver Needs to Know
The biggest challenge we face as Alzheimer's caregivers is learning how to understand, cope, and communication with a person living with dementia.By Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomThe task of caring for a person living with dementiais often overwhelming.I took care of my mom, Dotty, for eight and a half years, 3,112 days,so I know how you feel. I understand how you feel.Dementia and Difficult BehaviorThe articles below offersolutions to some of the problems we face each day. They have been tested over timeby thousands of caregivers and they work. Most times it takes a littlepractice and a lot of patience. Some work imm...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - April 19, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer communication alzheimers awareness alzheimers care alzheimers caregiving dementia help for caregivers family caregiving help alzheimer's help with dementia memory care facility Source Type: blogs
The Easiest Way to Collect a Urine Sample from a dementia patient or elderly person
From our reader Judith:How do you get a urine sample from someone who doesn't understand what you're trying to do or resists the invasion of privacy?This is an excellent question and I have not written about this in some time. So here we go.Yes, getting a urine sample from a person living with dementia or an elderly person can be quite a task - sometimes near impossible.Well, I have a solution to this problem thatworks 100% of the time if the person can take a pee on a toilet.Did you know? An Undetected Urinary Tract Infection Can Kill an Alzheimer's Patientby Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomSubscribe to the Alzheimer's...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - April 18, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: collecting a urine sample from a dementia patient how to get a urine sample from an elderly person urinary tract infection urine collection urine sample alzheimer urine sample dementia Source Type: blogs
Alzheimer's Care, Don't Argue
Arguing with a person living with dementia is a common caregiver practice. Eventually caregivers learn this doesn't work, and it only makes things worse. What can you do about it?By Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomI received an email today from our long time reader, Jean. She reminded me of these two little words- don't argue.I remember when I argued with Dotty every day. Guess what -- it made our lives miserable.I wonder what percent of Alzheimer's caregivers argue - like 98.6 percent?Do you argue?How to Get a Dementia Patient to CooperateI was at "wits end".Dotty would tell me to get out, and she didn't need me. I wou...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - April 15, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's awareness Alzheimer's Dementia alzheimers care dementia care dementia help for caregivers family caregiving help alzheimer's help with dementia help with dementia care Source Type: blogs
5 Tips How to get an Alzheimer's Patient to Shower
Getting a person living with Alzheimer's or dementia to take a shower or bath is one of the most common problems we face as caregivers.One of the earliest problems I faced with my mother, Dotty,was getting her to take a shower.In the beginning, I would typically make a common Alzheimer's caregiver mistake -I would try to convince my mom to take the shower.Learn More -Care of Dementia PatientsThis usually resulted in me tryingto convince her that she needed a shower,the importance of the shower for good health (hygiene), or trying to convince her she would "stink" if she didn't take a shower.By Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Readin...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - April 14, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's care alzheimer's tips care of dementia patients how to get a dementia patient to shower how to shower a patient in a nursing home memory care facility Source Type: blogs
How the Discovery of Alzheimer's World Changed My Life
Once you make it to Alzheimer's World the stress and anxiety associated with caregivng are greatly reduced.Amazingly, many of the behaviors that were driving you crazy become normal.Learn More -How to talk with someone who has dementiaBy Bob DeMarcoAbout Alzheimer's Reading RoomWhen I arrived on the scene to take care of Dotty in 2003 you would think all I had to do was use the communications skills I had developed over the course of my life and everything would be "Hunky-Dory".3 Ways to Redirect a Dementia Patient and Embrace RealityAs is turned out it was more like "heartbreak hotel" in the beginning.I had a good grasp f...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - April 13, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: Alzheimer World Alzheimer's Communication alzheimers caregiving behavior dementia care help alzheimer's help with dementia care learning memory care facility nursing home stress Source Type: blogs
Accepting Repetitive Alzheimer's Behavior as the New Normal
It was only after I finally understood that the behaviors my mother was engaging in were normal for a person living with Alzheimer's disease that I was able to finally accept Alzheimer's.I contemplated the problem for years.how can you stop a person that has Alzheimer's disease from asking the same question over and over?How can you stop a person living with Alzheimer's disease fromengaging in the same behaviors over and over?Help me.Article -10 Things a Person Living with Dementia Would Tell You If They CouldBy Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomWe enlisted the advice of a geriatric psychiatrist to help us come up with a ...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - April 12, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's awareness alzheimer's care Alzheimer's Dementia care of dementia patients at home caregiving dementia care family caregiving memory care facility searches related to alzheimer's Source Type: blogs
Alzheimer's Breakthrough: Researchers Fix Genetic Risk Factor for Alzheimer ’s Disease in Human Brain Cells
Scientists have known for decades that people with two copies of a gene called apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) are much more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease.One copy of the apoE4 gene variantdoubles the risk (likelihood) of developing Alzheimer's disease.Having two copies of this genetic variantputs people at 12 times the risk.The apoE4 variant is the largest known genetic risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease.What is the Difference Between Alzheimer ’s and Dementiaby Alzheimer's Reading RoomSubscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading - This is a Free Service - Join NowScientists Fix Genetic Risk Factor for Alz...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - April 11, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: Alzheimers Prevention alzheimers research alzheimers risk alzheimers symptoms alzheimers treatment APOE4 brain science Source Type: blogs
My Transformation from Sadness to Joy as a Caregiver
I realized that little by little and without noticing, I had accepted his illness and I had found new ways to relate to him, ways that were genuinely satisfying for both of us.I went to theAlois Alzheimer Center one day to visit Ed, my Romanian soul mate of 30 years. I didn't really want to visit because my visits were boring. And, I was angry about Ed's condition. I wanted my old Ed back, but I knew that was impossible. So I just forced myself to visit that day.Once I was there I spontaneously got an idea for a little game to play with Ed.I started the visit by handing him one of his many stuffed animals, an act that alwa...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - April 10, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's care care of dementia patients caregiving dementia care fun games health help alzheimer's impact of dementia on caregivers joy transformation Source Type: blogs
