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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Is it dementia, or are you just fed up about all the things you hear about old age, dementia, nursing homes, and eldercare? One of the great things about doing your planning for getting older is that it actually frees you up. Get out of denial and make your plans for likely scenarios of how [...]
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 [...]
Since we are all different, it is no surprise that (should we begin to experience some form of dementia) our symptoms and any changing behaviors will also vary from person to person. Noticeable dementia signs will not be the same in all people. MEMORY AND DEMENTIA Usually the first dementia sign that individuals and families [...]
REDEFINING THE VOCABULARY OF AGING In November 2009, I penned an article on our sister site, TheNewElder.com, titled, “The Vocabulary of Aging” in which I suggested that the Baby Boomers have an opportunity to redefine vocabulary related to aging, senior citizens, eldercare, and longevity. We did it for the computer age (“bandwidth”, “email”, “googling”, “web”, [...]
If you or someone you care for is exhibiting signs of dementia, don’t panic. Before you assume the worst, check out the easy solutions. DRUG INTERACTION CAN CAUSE DEMENTIA In some cases, dementia can be treated and cured because the cause is treatable. Misuse of drugs or alcohol, combinations of prescription and over-the-counter medicines, inaccurate [...]
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