How to Accept Alzheimer's and Operate in Alzheimer's World
The Alzheimer's patient starts to feel different. They feel your acceptance. Instead of thinking you are the enemy, they start to feel that you are the protector. Their security blanket.By Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomWhen a person has Alzheimer's disease or another type of dementia they are often difficult to deal with.The behaviors they express are often difficult to accept.As caregivers we just don't understand them very well.Communicating in Alzheimer's WorldIt can be hard to deal with a person living with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. It is hard to understand that a person can't remember.Harder to a...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - December 12, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: acceptance alzheimers care alzheimers insights care of dementia patients caring for an alzheimer patient at home caring for elderly parents searches related to dementia care Source Type: blogs
Visiting a Person Living with Alzheimer's
Many people have told me how difficult they find it to visit friends and family who have Alzheimer ’s and dementia.By Marilyn RaichleAlzheimer's Reading Room“We have nothing to talk about. I don’t know what to say.”“It’s so sad – she is everything she never wanted to be.”“She would hate this so much. This was her worst nightmare.”So the pattern begins...Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading RoomEmail:Visiting makes you sad or uncomfortable,so you don ’t visit.Not visiting makes you feel guilty, so you put off visiting again.“She won’t remember it anyway,” you rationalize.Dementia Patients are Peo...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - December 12, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer s alzheimers care alzheimers caregiving Alzheimers Dementia Alzheimers Disease alzheimers information dementia care health memory memory loss Source Type: blogs
Water is Invisible and Disconcerting to Dementia Patients
The simple fact is many Alzheimer's patients don't like water because they no longer perceive water in the way that you and I do.By Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomWater is nearly invisible and often disconcerting to the typical Alzheimer's patient. They don't like to drink it, and they don't like to take a shower or bath in it.What is the Difference Between Alzheimer ’s and DementiaWe often discuss how difficult it is to get an Alzheimer's patients or a patient with a related dementia to take abath.Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading RoomEmail:Carole Larkin estimates thatbathing is one of the top three problems...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - December 12, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's awareness alzheimer's care Alzheimer's Dementia dementia care dementia help for caregivers help alzheimer's help with dementia care memory care searches related to dementia care Source Type: blogs
The Estrogen Dilemma and Alzheimer's Disease
This article cuts across a broad spectrum of diseases, but is focused on hormones, estrogen and something called the timing hypothesis.This proposition, that estrogen ’s effects on our minds and our bodies may depend heavily upon when we first start taking it, is a controversial and very big idea. It has a working nickname: “the timing hypothesis.”There are some very interesting hypotheses about the health of the brain and Alzheimer's in the article.If the timing hypothesis proves right and estrogen really does protect brains and hearts as long as we start it "at the right time", the calculation only grows that much ...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - December 11, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: Alzheimer's disease estrogen facts about estrogen health life news women Source Type: blogs
Did You Know Dementia Patients Get Agitated When Left Alone?
Are you dealing with an Alzheimer's patients that is mean and ornery? Or, sometimes mean and hard to deal with?Did you know that past a certain stage dementia patients cannot be left alone? Not even for a very short period of time.You Cannot Leave a Person Living with Alzheimer's AloneBy Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomSubscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading RoomEmail:Early on in my caregiving career I learneda very important lesson.You cannot leave a person with Alzheimer's alone even for a very short period of time.After a while I started noticing thatwhenever I left Dotty alone, and when I came backshe was often me...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - December 3, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: care of dementia patients caregiver dementia care elderly dementia care health help alzheimer's help with dementia care memory care memory care facility searches related to alzheimer's Source Type: blogs
I Finally Realized Alzheimer's Was the Enemy - Not My Mom
I wondered if instead of complaining, could I replace the "bad" patterns of behavior that come along with dementia - patterns of behavior that were driving me crazy - with "new" more positive patterns of behavior?Always Be Kinder Than You FeelListen Now orContinue ReadingBy Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomOne of things I noticed very early on in my care giving effort for my mother,Dotty, was that she was engaging in very distinct patterns of behavior.Not only was she engaging in a long list of behaviors that were driving me crazy, day in day out, she was often doing them at the same time of day.We even had a very distin...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - December 3, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: Alzheimer's Dementia care at home care of dementia patients caregiver tips mom searches related to alzheimer's Source Type: blogs
Can an Alzheimer's Patient Wander and Die?
Alzheimer's patients often wander and get lost. This behavior can happen at any time or at any stage of the disease. Just because they have never wandered before, doesn't mean they won't do it in the future. Wandering can sometimes result in death.The Alzheimer's Association estimates that 60 percent of persons living with Alzheimer's or a related dementia will wander.Think about it - 6 out of 10.I can assure you if your loved one wanders away, you cannot locate them, and they are lost to you, it can become one of the most horrible and terrifying experiences of your life.Imagine your heart pounding, a sense of hopelessness...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - November 30, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's wandering statistics alzheimers wandering education how to prevent wandering learning wandering tips Source Type: blogs
My Mother Living with Alzheimer's Wandered, and I was the one that was "scared to death"
When a person suffering from Alzheimer's disease wanders away they are at risk. They can die. Of those lost more than 72 hours, only 20 percent survive.By Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomHow many Alzheimer's patients wander each year?How many are found? How many die from exposure or in accidents?Here is an educated guess --around 125,000 persons suffering from Alzheimer's disease wander away each year.Is it possible that more than 300 Alzheimer's sufferers wander and/or get lost each day? That is an enormous amount of risk. Could it happen to you?What is the Difference Between Alzheimer ’s and DementiaCurrent statisti...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - November 30, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimers wandering care of dementia patients dementia care elder care help alzheimer help with dementia care home care learning memory care senior care Source Type: blogs
DNA Vaccine Reduces Tau and Beta-Amyloid in Alzheimer's Mice
This study is the culmination of a decade of research that has repeatedly demonstrated that this vaccine can effectively and safely target in animal models what we think may cause Alzheimer’s disease. I believe we’re getting close to testing this therapy in people.” ~ said Dr. Roger Rosenbe rg, founding Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at UT Southwestern.What is the Difference Between Alzheimer ’s and DementiaThe study was conducted by the UT Southwestern ’s Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute.Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading RoomEmail:A DNA vaccine tested in mice reduces accumulation of both ty...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - November 26, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's research alzheimers Beta Amyloid dementia dna health memory memory loss science tau vaccine Source Type: blogs
Can Baby Dolls Calm Dementia Patients?
“To see the light in her eyes when she has a baby in her arms, I don’t care if it’s real or if it’s pretending,” said Ellen Swarts. “If that gives her comfort, I am A-OK with it.”Many caregivers resist the idea of using baby dolls as a therapy for Alzheimer's patients because they don't want to treat a person living with dementia like a child.This is not the case. Many of our experts including Rachael Wonderlin and Nancy Wurtzel havewritten about the wonderful calming effect baby dolls can have on patients in memory care facilities.The Importance of Socialization in Dementia CareBaby dollscalm patients, help ...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - November 25, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's awareness alzheimer's baby dolls alzheimer's care dementia care dementia help for caregivers elderly dementia care help alzheimer's help with dementia care memory care Source Type: blogs
Can You Get Your Loved One to Sing this Song on Thanksgiving?
We care every day. It isn't always easy, but we give of ourselves selflessly all year round. For this we should be proud. Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks. So on this day, I say thanks to all of the Alzheimer's caregivers around the world - You are accomplishing more each day than those around you might be imaging.Did you know?80 percent of those living with Alzheimer's or a related dementia are cared for at home.More than 15 million Americans care for someone with Alzheimer's.40 percent of stay at home caregivers are men.Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading RoomEmail:I chose this song because it uses the word"Yes" ove...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - November 22, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimers care alzheimers insight caergiving care of dementia patients purpose in life. Thanksgiving Source Type: blogs
What ’s the Difference Between Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia?
In a nutshell, dementia is a symptom, and Alzheimer's disease is the cause of the symptom. When someone is told they have dementia, it means that they have significant memory problems as well as other cognitive difficulties, and that these problems are severe enough to get in the way of daily living.....Dementia presents as a group of symptoms, and Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia.When 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.By Bob DeMar...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - November 20, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: Alzheimer's Dementia Alzheimer's disease alzheimer's vs dementia symptoms the difference between alzheimer's and dementia Source Type: blogs
16 Ways to Get a Dementia Patient to Eat More Food
Alzheimer's and dementia patients often eat less, and have difficulty eating, because of problems like chewing, swallowing or digesting food.Alzheimer's and dementia patients sometimes lose interest in eating. This can happen for a long list of reasons including loss of taste, the ability to smell, memory loss, and thinking they already ate.Medications can also effect appetite, and can increase constipation.When a person has Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia, these problems can becomemore pronounced, and often effect mood, behavior, and physical functioning.Topic -How to Get an Alzheimer's Patient to Eat More FoodB...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - November 19, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: assisted living and memory care facility care of dementia patients dementia care dementia patients refusing to eat do people with Alzheimer's forget they ate help alzheimer's senior care Source Type: blogs
Dementia Patients Face Needless Transitions in Last 90 Days of Life
This study finds such transitions are not consistent with goals of providing dying patients with comfort.By Alzheimer's Reading RoomA study in theNew England Journal of Medicine reports thatnearly one in five nursing home residents with advanced dementia experiences burdensome transitions in the last 90 days of life.This includes moving to a different facility in the last three days of life or repeat hospitalizations for expected complications of dementia in the last 90 days of life."Ultimately, all of these problems are signs of care gone awry.The best care for a patient with advanced cognitive impairment near the end of ...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - November 10, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: aging alzheimers care alzheimers information dementia elder care health medical science nursing home palliative care Source Type: blogs
My Hospice Care Experience
Hospice care is designed to bring the highest quality of life to persons that are living with a serious illness, and are often close to death.Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomThere is a common notion thatHospice helps people die. I don't see it that way.Both of my parents, Frank and Dotty, died at home in their bedroom with the assistance of Hospice by the Sea, Boca Raton, Florida.Hospice did not help my parents to die,they helped them live to the very end of their life with dignity and compassion.Hospice accomplishes their mission of palliative care with a coordinated team of healthcare professionals.Hospice palliative ...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - November 8, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's alzheimer's awareness alzheimer's care alzheimer's dying dementia care elder care family caregiving help alzheimer' s help with dementia care Hospice Care palliative care senior care Source Type: blogs
