LIVE INTELLIGENTLY WHILE IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE The ElderAuthority tries to provide the best advice available for aging well and making the most of maturity. It is important to exercise, eat a healthy diet, use your brain, and have a network of friends. My husband and I are in our late 50′s and try to [...]
DEFINITION OF PSP “Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a rare brain disease that has no known cause, treatment, or cure…the long name indicates that the disease begins slowly and continues to get worse (progressive), and causes weakness (palsy) by damaging certain parts of the brain above pea-sized structures called nuclei that control eye movements (supranuclear)”. [...]
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 [...]
Muhammad Ali and Michael J. Fox both have Parkinson’s disease. Yes, they suffer from the symptoms of Parkinson’s, but they go on with their lives, using their special talents to make their lives meaningful. EDITOR’S NOTE: My mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s eleven years before she passed away. During those years she made sure she [...]
PHONE CALL WITH LEWY BODIES Late hour phone calls usually raise concern, particularly when you are a primary caregiver for a parent. Muting the TV, I could tell from my wife’s side of the conversation that her mother, Lida, was agitated, worried, and particularly paranoid about something that evening. After several minutes of trying to [...]
CONTINUUM OF CARE During the last seven years of her life, my mother progressed through the continuum of care in a series of retirement communities. Initially, both of my parents moved to the independent living wing of a retirement facility that also offered assisted living and memory care. After my father’s death, Mom lived in [...]
“Simple” is almost always your friend. It becomes even more so once you are caring for someone elderly. Common tasks, such as dressing, have a way of turning into previously unimaginable ordeals for the individual and their caregivers. Elder care products may be found in many forms, but thank NASA for one of the greatest. [...]
If you have never tried to put on your own support hose, or much worse, the support hose of someone else, you have no idea what an ordeal it is. This video offers some eldercare solutions that should help. In the years I was my parents’ primary caregiver, the task I found the most challenging [...]
Developing brain disease is a great fear for those who are moving into their later decades. While there is no known cure for or prevention of Alzheimer’s disease most other brain diseases have a much better prognosis. ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE It is estimated that 5.3 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. That includes 5.1 million individuals aged [...]
In addition to the loss of speaking ability, this loss of throat control also causes problems with swallowing. Most Parkinson patients consume dozens of medications at timed intervals throughout each day. Each is taken with a sip of water or juice. Meals and dietary planning become more of an issue as patients have to be [...]
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