ElderAuthority.com

Ideas for Contented Dementia

DON’T LEAVE DECISIONS TO OTHERS
Several weeks ago I attended The Silver Tsunami conference here in Dallas.  The keynote speaker was Jolene Brackey.  She is the founder of Enhanced Moments, a business that helps families through Alzheimer’s.   She had several suggestions that are simple, practical, and new for me.  
Ms. Brackey urges us to give adult children and friends permission to NOT take care of us.  If you leave it up to the children to make decisions,… More

ALZHEIMER’S BEHIND BARS

BOOMER PRISON POPULATION DOUBLES
In addition to swelling the ranks of every other aspect of society, more baby boomers are also going to jail.  Between 1995 and 2010, the number of those 55 or older being sent to prison doubled.
With an aging prison population and older folks doing stunts to join them, prisons are now also grappling with an issue the rest of society is also struggling with: the increasing epidemic of Alzheimer’s.
ALZHEIMER’S STATISTICS
Alzheimer’s… More

ADVANCED ALZHEIEMER’S NURSING HOME CARE

DYING WITH ADVANCED DEMENTIA
Last week I attended a conference at UT Southwestern Medical Center on End of Life Issues for Alzheimer’s Patients“.  A presentation by Janice A. Knebl, DO, MBA, FACP, FACOI, DSWOP, that focused on artificial feeding made me aware of how important it is for medical professionals s well as civilians to understand the science as well as the moral and issues.
Those with Advanced Dementia who die in nursing facilities are not recognized… More

DRIVING AND DEMENTIA CARE AT HOME

 
CHECK OUT www.alz.org/driving
Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias can impair insight and judgment, making it difficult for people to understand that their driving is no longer safe. Also cognitive diseases can cause mood and personality changes that make reactions more pronounced.
This site includes four wonderful videos that show how families and friends begin the driving discussion.  I urge you to watch all four of them. I include one of them here,… More

HOW CAN WE HELP FIGHT ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE?

ASK DR. BILL THIES
The Senior Medical Officer from the Alzheimer’s Association, Dr. Bill Thies, was in Dallas this week from the Chicago home office. I got to spend some time with him at two different functions where he made comments and took questions. What he said about one question asked of him is something I couldn’t wait to share.
A woman thoughtfully asked the doctor, “What can we do to assist in the fight against Alzheimer’s?”
THREE THINGS WE CAN ALL DO
Dr. Thies… More

DEMENTIA PREVENTION AND RISK FACTORS

CHOOSE YOUR PARENTS WELL
The senior medical officer from the Alzheimer’s Association, Dr. Bill Thies, while visiting Dallas, TX, was asked about the primary risk factors and preventions of Alzheimer’s.  The primary risk factor, he reported, is something that none of us can control: Genetics.
As of this writing, medical science still does not allow us to pick our parents.  Our genetic predisposition is the primary risk factor for eventually contracting Alzheimer’s,… More

CARING FOR ALZHEIMER’S AT HOME

Alzheimer’s Numbers 2008 via Alzheimer’s Association
FACING THE FUTURE TOGETHER
Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Dallas board member and ElderAuthority guest author, David Downey, appeared on CBS News this week as part of an interview with Carolyn and Dean Morgan (video).  Dean was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s six years ago.
After the diagnosis, the Morgans moved to a retirement community where they continue to support each other while facing… More

LEWY BODY DEMENTIA SYMPTOMS

Lewy Body Dementia is one of the most misdiagnosed of dementias.  It can be confused with Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Major Lewy Body Dementia Symptoms include the following:

Alzheimer-like dementia
Mild Parkinsonism symptoms
Hallucinations and delusions
Intolerance to old-fashioned anti-psychotic medications (neuroleptics)

Early signs:

Hand posturing
Change in mobility
Inconsistent gait

More signs:

Fine motor problems
Drowsiness… More

DEMENTIA SYMPTIONS OR NORMAL SIGNS OF AGING?

As we watch ourselves or loved ones get older, a common question is “What behaviors are dementia symptoms compared to typical age related changes?”
DEMENTIA IMPACTS JUDGEMENT
When someone familiar to us begins to exhibit a pattern of poor judgment and decision-making that strikes us as different from what we have come to expect from them, that could be a symptom of dementia or the onset of Alzheimer’s.  Most of us make the occasional bad decision.  If you are… More

DEFINITION OF DEMENTIA

The Alzheimer’s Association, which serves the families of all who have any form of dementia, defines the condition as being characterized as a loss in memory and other cognitive abilities.  It is caused by various diseases and conditions that damage brain cells.  Dementia is not a normal part of aging.
CRITERIA FOR DEMENTIA
To be categorized as dementia, the following criteria must be met:
In addition to loss of memory, at least one of the following cognitive abilities… More