The Alzheimer's CareGiver

What is Alzheimer's Disease ?

2010-10-20T14:57:00.000-04:00

By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room

URL: http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/2010/01/what-is-al...

A comprehensive overview. Includes definition, symptoms, causes, risk factors, lifestyle issues, test and diagnosis, treatments and drugs.

Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room

The Alzheimer's Action Plan

300 Tips for Making Life Easier

White House Conference on the Challenge of Alzheimer's Disease in the United States

2010-10-06T11:30:00.001-04:00

The information contained in the video is valuable and important. This presentation leaves no doubt that Alzheimer's disease is a threat to our citizens, and a threat to the financial well being of our nation.

From the White House Blog:

The Obama Administration is committed to strengthening our nation’s response to Alzheimer's disease and this meeting was a serious effort to better understand the challenges and opportunities available to us.

For more information on Alzheimer's disease visit the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Reading, Engaging, and Communicating with an Alzheimer's Patient (Podcast))

2010-09-15T10:22:00.000-04:00

By Bob DeMarco

Take the extra step. Walk the extra yard. Engage. Keep on living. Don’t be afraid to try things. Do things that you have always done together. Don’t let anyone discourage you or get in your way.

Make your own parade and have fun.

Click the button above to listen. If you don't see the podcast button go here. You are welcome to comment, share or embed this podcast.

If you would like to hear my Alzheimer's patient, Dotty, read and interact with me -- go here.

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Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. Bob has written more than 1,690 articles with more than 70,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Alzheimer's Disease Changing Patterns of Behavior

2010-08-25T15:00:00.002-04:00

Did you ever think to yourself, I wonder if I could replace the "bad" patterns of behavior that are driving me crazy with "new' positive patterns of behavior?....I did....

By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room

I wonder if Alzheimer's caregivers think about patterns of behavior when it comes to caring for someone suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Many Alzheimer's patients evidence patterns of behavior that drive Alzheimer's caregivers "nuts" or worse.

Did you ever think to yourself, I wonder if I could replace the "bad" patterns with "new and good" patterns of behavior?

I did.

Click above to listen or follow the link below to listen and read.

Original content Bob DeMarco, Alzheimer's Disease Changing Patterns of Behavior (Podcast, Text)

Alzheimer's Caregiver Just Let Them Do it

2010-08-19T13:36:00.002-04:00

clipped from www.alzheimersreadingroom.com

Several months after my great Alzheimer's caregiver idea...I received one of the biggest shocks of my Alzheimer's caregiver life...A shock that sent me into a tailspin like I had never experienced previously in my life -- it sent me to the edge of total despair....

Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room

The Alzheimer's Action Plan

300 Tips for Making Life Easier

Eisai and Pfizer Announce FDA Approval for New Higher-Dose Aricept Tablet for the Treatment of Moderate to Severe

2010-07-23T23:12:00.001-04:00

Specific to moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease.

clipped from www.alzheimersreadingroom.com

Eisai Inc. and Pfizer Inc [NYSE: PFE] announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new once-daily, higher-dose Aricept (donepezil HCl) 23 mg tablet for the treatment of moderate-to-severe Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Aricept 23 mg tablet offers another dosing option for patients with moderate-to-severe AD, for whom few treatments are available.

Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Learning Never Ends

2010-07-13T11:17:00.001-04:00

This is a great lesson for all of us today, as we face our own hard times. Joe never remembered our names, but he knew that we appreciated the life lessons that he shared with us....

clipped from www.alzheimersreadingroom.com

We work with people living with Alzheimer’s in all sorts of settings, and in every one of these settings we find people who are still curious, still able to learn.

Original content Tom and Karen Brenner, the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Vitamin D Deficiency Increases Risk of Cognitive Impairment

2010-07-11T21:29:00.001-04:00

It is now becoming known that for those over 60 years of age Vitamin deficiency is a major health problem.

clipped from www.alzheimersreadingroom.com

David Llewellyn, PhD, of the University of Exeter Peninsula Medical School (UK), and colleagues examined information from 3,325 adults aged 65 years and older from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), a study that was carefully designed to accurately represent the U.S. non-institutionalized population. Vitamin D levels were measured from blood samples and compared with performance on a measure of general cognitive function that incorporated tests of memory, orientation in time and space, and ability to maintain attention.

Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Four Researchers Given Lifetime Achievement Awards By the Alzheimer's Association

2010-07-11T08:44:00.001-04:00

clipped from www.alzheimersreadingroom.com

The Alzheimer's Association recognized four scientists for their extraordinary achievements in advancing Alzheimer research at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease 2010 (AAICAD 2010) in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Honorees for their professional and scientific contributions to Alzheimer research are:

Takeshi Iwatsubo, MD, Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medicine at the University of Tokyo.

Karen H. Ashe, MD, PhD, Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Director at the University of Minnesota.

Marsel Mesulam, MD, Dunbar Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry and Director of the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center at Northwestern University.

Marilyn Albert, PhD, Director of the Division of Cognitive Neuroscience in the Department of Neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Alzheimer's Caregiver Lament -- This is Not the Person I Knew (Audio)

2010-07-03T11:23:00.002-04:00

By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room

In order to communicate effectively with a person suffering from Alzheimer's disease you need to come to an understanding that they are now living in a new world -- I often refer to this as Alzheimer's world....

Click above to Listen. You can share or embed.

Go here for the text version -- Alzheimer's Caregiver Lament -- This is Not the Person I Knew

The Alzheimer's Action Plan

300 Tips for Making Life Easier

Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. Bob has written more than 1,610 articles with more than 8,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Conquering Urinary Incontinence -- The First Bladder Infection of the Year

2010-06-30T14:05:00.000-04:00

Last year my mother had five bladder infections. This is a common occurrence amongst people suffering from Alzheimer's disease and dementia....

By Bob DeMarco

Beginning in 2008, I came upon a solution that not only allowed me to detect my mother's frequent bladder infections, it also allowed us to cut down her urinary incontinence to near zero.

In 2008, I made a simple observation, my mother seemed to be warmer when I held her hand. I also noticed that she seemed to be perspiring a bit.

At the end of one of her regular doctor appointment I brought this up to our personal care physician Dr. Carlos Chiriboga. He decided to test her for a bladder infection and hydration right on the spot.

Hydration no problem. She did have a urinary tract infection. In my discussion with the doctor, I learned that is was possible to have a bladder infection without pain. I now refer to this as the silent bladder infection.

Prior to this new understanding, I was under the impression that when a woman had a urinary track infection she would experience pain, or have an irresistible urge to pee all day long. I learned that older women knew immediately from the symptoms that they had a urinary infection.

When I learned that it was possible to have a bladder infection without the typical symptoms I started to discuss this with my sister and other women. Most of them were surprised to learn what I was learning.

On top of the above, it is now impossible for my mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, to tell me when she is sick, feeling pain, or when she has a headache. I usually notice these symptoms from her non-verbal behavior before she tells me. For example, if she starts rubbing her head I have to ask, do you have a headache? Most times she will say something like, I am OK. After I ask her the same question a few times, very gently, she tells me she has a headache and where it is located.

My mother has never once told me she has a urinary track infection. In fact, if you ask her right now she will tell you she never had one. On top of that, if you ask her if she has incontinence she will tell you no. NO pee pee pajamas, no pee pee underwear, no pee pee pants.

I should interject, my mother was suffering from incontinence since 2000. I know this because she started to have "accidents" in public places. The flood.
_____________________
After I had the experience I described above with our doctor, I started to wonder why a doctor didn't detect my mother's bladder infections with ease. It soon dawned on me why.

My mother's normal body temperature is 97.6 to 97.8.

So, when she went for her typical three month check up and they took her temperature at the doctor's office they would not detect a problem when my mother's temperature was 98.4. This is part one of the solution.

I started taking my mother's temperature every day or two. Sure enough, once her temperature reached 98.4 she had a bladder infection. Every time. Five times last year and once already this year in January.

So here is my first piece of advice. If your loved one is suffering from urinary incontinence start taking their temperature and establish a baseline temperature. It is not unusual for an older person, suffering from dementia, to have a body temperature well below the commonly recognized 98.6.

If you are experiencing the dreaded pee pee underwear, pee pee pajamas, or pee pee bed, get on the stick. Get the baseline temperature established and get rid of the silent bladder infection.
_____________________
Here is something you might find interesting. This last time around within hours of getting the 98.4 temperature reading we had the flood. The big dreaded pee pee flood in the sky. I already thought my mother had the bladder infection and this "event" convinced me it would prove to be true. Unfortunately, it was Saturday and we couldn't do anything about it until Monday.

As a sidenote. It use to "piss" me off (lol, pun) when I would try to tell the woman on the phone that I needed to see the doctor because my mother has a bladder infection. Usually, they want an explanation of how you know this. Of course, when I explain the 98.4 they automatically assume I don't know what I am talking about. I say this use to bother me, no more. I am use to the drill, and I am confident in my diagnosis. I know I am not a doctor -- I am an observer of patterns. And there in lies the solution, look for patterns.
_____________________
In November, 2009 I finally got around to writing -- Urinary Incontinence -- How We Beat Alzheimer's Incontinence -- The Solution. Now, I am feeling a lot more confident, probably cocky, so I am not afraid to use the word - conquered.

Conquering urinary incontinence requires two things. The first I already described above. Establishing the body temperature baseline, and catching the silent bladder infection and killing it.

The second thing you need to do is to establish a pattern of pee-peeing. In other words, you have to incorporate the scheduled pee pee into your own already established pattern of behavior.

I describe how I did this in Urinary Incontinence -- How We Beat Alzheimer's Incontinence -- The Solution.

The bottom line is this. I have to make sure my mother pee pee's every two hours. Of course, she says all the time, I don't need to pee pee. I sometimes try to explain to her in a very low calm voice, when you have to pee pee its too late. To be honest, I have all kinds of things I say, in a calm low voice, to get her to pee. Things like, come on, its time to pee and then you'll have a snack. Come on, its time to pee pee and then we will eat. Come on, its time to pee pee and then we will go out and have some fun.

I say all these things to my mother not because I believe she will remember them, but because I want to establish a pattern of behavior.

If you got this far consider this. No pee pee in the bed. None. No need to change the sheets. My mother does not wear diapers, or for people that find that word objectionable -- briefs, depends, or socks.

Sometimes a little pee pee in the pajamas. Sometimes a little pee in the panties or pants. Often-- NO pee pee.

This is my belief. If I don't get my mother to pee pee at least once every two hours, and she pee pees on herself that pee pee is on me.

One of these days I am will get around to writing the Magic Poop Solution. Yeah, I conquered that problem also. It only took around four years to figure that one out.

Feel free to share this article by emailing a friend or caregiver that is going nuts with the dreaded pee pee. Somebody push this up to Stumble Upon, Digg, and Facebook. Use the share button at the top of this article.

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Alzheimer’s Patients Have Muted Emotions

2010-06-27T13:00:00.002-04:00

Perspective on Alzheimer's behavior.

clipped from www.alzheimersreadingroom.com

“One important implication of this work is that when an Alzheimer’s patient appears emotionally blunted, the clinician or caregiver should not assume the patient is depressed and automatically treat with antidepressants, as other organic factors could be at work,” said Todd Feinberg, M.D., a professor of clinical neurology and psychiatry at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, who did not participate in the research.

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Alzheimer’s patients can appear withdrawn and apathetic, symptoms often attributed to their memory problems or difficulty finding the words to communicate.

Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Alzheimer's and the Dreaded Bowel Movement

2010-05-19T14:10:00.001-04:00

I already wrote about how I beat urinary incontinence and bladder infections. That solution is not perfect. Poop. No enema, no pills, no laxatives. How I won the Poop-E war.....

By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room

I really wanted to entitle this article Alzheimer's and the Magic Elixir. However, I am not using anything to mask the taste of my solution so it just didn't fit. I also considered Alzheimer's and the Poop Panacea. Panacea does fit -- panacea is a literary term to represent any solution to solve all problems related to a particular issue.

This article is about implementing a solution to a problem with someone suffering from Alzheimer's disease and having a problem with bowel movements.

I knew the solution to the dreaded bowel movement problem for years. I couldn't get my mother to cooperate. When she wouldn't cooperate, I would give up. At least three or four times over a two year period.

To read the complete article go here --
Alzheimer's and the Dreaded Bowel Movement

Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. Bob has written more than 1,200 articles with more than 9,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Communications in Alzheimer's World

2010-04-27T14:46:00.004-04:00

The most important part of the equation is understanding that something has to change and that something is you.

By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room

In order to communicate effectively with someone suffering from Alzheimer's you need to learn an entirely new way to communicate. Sound easy? It isn't.

We all develop certain patterns of communication over the course of our life. This is the way we communicate.

Most of you probably know a family filled with hot blooded Italians. You might observe them fighting or arguing all the time. You might also notice that they do this, and then almost immediately they shrug it off, acting as if nothing had happen. I suspect this kind of behavior goes across ethnic boundaries.

During the course of your life, you might have learned to correct someone when they say something that is not true. Or, correct them when they get their facts mixed up.

If someone says something mean to you it is likely that you get angry. It wouldn't be unusual for a person to respond to meanness by saying something mean or nasty. You would probably end up apologizing for your behavior and this would defuse the conflict and bad feelings. Make things all better.

You learned all these communication behaviors over the course of your entire life. They are embedded in your personality.

Then Alzheimer's disease comes into your life.

Alzheimer's is a brand new World. It is not your world, and even though you live part of your life in this world, if you had a choice you wouldn't.

When you are the ONE you don't have the choice of leaving Alzheimer's world and going to another place. The reality is clear. You are going to spend years, maybe many years of your life, where a certain fraction of your time -- minutes, hours and days -- are spent in Alzheimer's world.

Many of the communication skills and behaviors that you learned in the world outside Alzheimer's world won't work in Alzheimer's world. In fact, the same communication skills and behaviors that allowed you to make sense of the world around you over the course of your life, will make your life in Alzheimer's world worse.

In order to communicate effectively in Alzheimer's world you need to change. The first thing you need to do is start listening. Listen to the person when they repeat themselves or say something mean. Look at their face. In what context are they repeating themselves? Is it when they sit in a certain chair? At a certain time or period during the day? Pay very close attention to the time of day, or the day of the week that these behaviors are occurring. See if you can discern a pattern.

If you can start anticipating the behavior of someone suffering from Alzheimer's then you will soon learn that when the behavior happens it won't seem so disconcerting.

When you finally learn to anticipate certain behaviors, to anticipate behaviors, you might find that instead of driving you crazy these behaviors might in fact become another part of your day.

Your day in Alzheimer's world.

This is only one example. The point today is simple. Once you come to a realization that there is a new world called Alzheimer's world you might finally be able to accept it as part of your life.

Once you accept Alzheimer's world as part of your life, you'll start to have a very different view of the behaviors. You will expect and anticipate these behaviors. Alzheimer's behavior will become a natural part of your life. Not a foreign part of your life.

Understanding that something needs to change is a first step. Understanding that the person suffering from Alzheimer's disease can't and won't change is one part of the equation.

The most important part of the equation is understanding that something has to change and that something is you.

Change is always difficult. In this case made more difficult by the fact that you have been communicating in a certain way over your entire life.

Please note. You won't be changing the way you communicate with family and friends. You will be changing the way you communicate with the person suffering from Alzheimer's disease. You'll need to learn to swith gears. To move seemlessly from world to world.

This won't be easy. But if, if you do it you will change your own life and in a way that you could have never expected.

I suggest you take the time to read these two articles:

Communicating in Alzheimer's World
Alzheimer's World -- Two Circles Trying to Intersect

I'll be writing more about communication in Alzheimer's World in the weeks ahead. I'll make specific suggestions to help you reach the intersection that exists between you and the person suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

It is while in this intersection that life for both parties improves.

Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. Bob has written more than 1,400 articles with more than 9,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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Wii a Useful Tool for Alzheimer's Caregivers

2010-01-05T21:50:00.000-05:00

Back in May I wrote about Wii suggesting it would be an excellent tool for older people and those suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

The game satisfies two needs: social interaction and exercise.

Recently, I am reading articles about how Wii is being adopted by Senior centers and assisted living facilities all across the country. The game of choice seems to be bowling. Wii bowling provides moderate exercise and allows groups to get together much like they would at a bowling alley.

Ninetendo offers hundreds of games that can be played with Wii. You can exercise your body and even exercise your brain with Wii Brain Academy.

To continue reading go here.

Kindle 2: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation)

How To Beat Alzheimer's Incontinence

2009-11-19T17:44:00.000-05:00

We are on a three day roll. No pee pee. No pee pee pajamas. No pee pee underwear. No pee pee pants......

Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room
Editor

My mother suffered from urinary incontinence long before I moved to Delray Beach to take care of her.

My sister Joanne was the first to notice the problem -- 8 or 9 years ago.

Subscribe to The Alzheimer's Reading Room--via Email

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Urinary Incontinence (UI) is a stigmatized, underreported, under-diagnosed, under-treated condition that is erroneously thought to be a normal part of aging. One-third of men and women ages 30-70 believe that incontinence is a part of aging (National Institute of Health, NIH).

You could put everything I knew about urinary incontinence in a thimble before I started to focus on this problem. Reading and learning about the problem helped me come to the conclusion that we could do something about it. A little education is always helpful.
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I want to make something clear. I did not arrive at this current solution to urinary incontinence over night. It took years.

Once we finally developed the current solution, it still took many months before it started to work effectively. Here is some good news. The solution is becoming more and more effective over time.

My solution is not perfect. It does not work every single day. It does not work every single night. I can say this with some confidence -- we no longer experience the flood. Now its more like the little tiny accident.

When we have a problem with incontinence during the day it usually happens because I am tardy or less than perfect in following the program.

If you decide to try this, it is going to be a lot of work. You will need to tailor my solution to fit you own needs or you own Alzheimer's sufferer.

If you are not ready to give this program everything you have to give -- you will likely end up frustrated, or quit.

If you make this work you will end up with a wonderful feeling of accomplishment, and frankly, keep more of your hair.
________________________________
If you really want to solve the problem of urinary incontinence, I suggest you try a little role reversal.

If you were the one with Alzheimer's and urinary incontinence, how would you want to be treated?

Would you want to be yelled at? Treated like a baby? Would you want to listen to someone constantly complain about how you are peeing all over yourself?

Would you want to feel all those bad vibes being directed at you?
________________________________
I tried many times to do something about incontinence over the years. All false starts. I gave up every time.

Finally, the problem was so bad that we were using 14 sets of pajamas and 24 panties. My mother was blowing through 3 pajama bottoms a night. Day time, same story with her cloths.

All I can say is, that is a lot of wash.
________________________________
My mother was suffering from incontinence from day one.

I turned to everyone I knew. I listened to their ideas and advice. I turned to women of all ages.

Most of the advice centered around two solutions -- pads and adult diapers.

I have to laugh at myself now as I remember my first trip to the store. I figured I would go in and grab what I needed and get on with the task at hand. Keep in mind I am a man.

Well the aisle that contained these products in Walmart was gigantic. It just went on and on. I think I spent more than 30 minutes trying to figure out which might work for the problem at hand.

In a way, it was mesmerizing. Oddly, since I am a curious person it was interesting to me. Later I thought to myself, wow, this is one big problem.
________________________________
I decided to try the adult diapers. At the mention of this, my mother pitched a fit.

I would get here to put the diaper on grudgingly. As soon as I wasn't looking she would take the diaper off.

If you are an Alzheimer's caregiver you can already imagine the things she was saying. Some of them not very nice.

Let me tell you what I was accomplishing -- I was making my mother miserable and mean. This in turn was making me miserable. The dreaded stomach ache.

Here is what I started to learn.

My mother did not believe there was a problem. It was embarrassing to wear a diaper. It was a sign of old age. If she didn't think there was a problem she would never accept the solution to the problem.

I thought to myself, well if there wasn't a problem I wouldn't wear a diaper either.

I gave up.
________________________________
Here we were again. 14 pair of pajamas, 24 undies.

Now I decided to try the pads, the inserts. I thought I had a new idea that would work.

I convinced my mother's elderly friends to talk to my mother and tell her how they used the inserts, pads, and diapers. How it was a normal part of getting old. I coached them to be very enthusiastic and tell her how great this solution worked. I asked them to smile and laugh all the way.

My mother listened -- in went the pad.

They went home and out came the pad. I know they say that the person suffering from Alzheimer's will eventually get use to the pads and every thing will be beautiful.

I tried and I tried and I tried. I gave up.
________________________________
I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner but I finally decided it was time for a trip into the Alzheimer's bunkhouse. I took my big newspaper pad with me and wrote -- problem incontinence -- right in the middle of the page with a big circle around it.

Then I started writing everything I could think of and remember about this problem all around that circle.

Then like magic like the light bulb went on in my head. I thought to myself, if I can do this I'll be like the Leonardo da Vinci of urinary incontinence (I'm Italian by the way).

To continue reading -- go here.

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Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for news, advice, and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob has written more than 950 articles with more than 8,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

Original content Bob DeMarco, Alzheimer's Reading Room

Should Women Be Worried about Alzheimer's ?

2009-06-03T15:47:00.000-04:00

Current statistical studies indicate that at age 80, there is a one in five chance of suffering from Alzheimer's disease (20 out of 100).

At age 85, the odds rise to one out of every two (50 out of 100). I call this the Alzheimer's danger zone.

It is well known that women live longer than men. But, I don't think it is well known that healthy women live much longer than healthy men, and live into the Alzheimer's danger zone.Women who reach the age of fifty without suffering from cancer or heart disease can expect to live nearly ninety-two years (92).**
Men who live to age sixty-five without suffering from cancer or heart disease, can expect to live to eighty-one (81).

I believe most men and woman would find these aging statistics startling. Especially women marrying older men.

I doubt that 50 year old women are thinking or worrying about Alzheimer's if they have not seen it in their family. It seems to me that they should be very worried. Without a treatment or a cure, 50 percent of the woman in the group described above can expect to suffer from dementia or Alzheimer's.

Here are some things that women can be doing to stay healthy, protect their brain, and decrease the chances of suffering from Alzheimer's.

The list.

Exercise. Note, you need to get sweaty when you exercise. This means getting the heart rate up.
Proper nutrition. Less Baby Ruth bars, Mediterranean style diet.
More mental activites. Games, Wii, Puzzles, search the Internet.
Kindness. Believe it or not, kindness and being conscientious help ward off dementia (reduces risk by 89 percent).
Drink Apple Juice, Fruit or Vegetable juice , they are anitoxidant rich.
Get the blood pressure and cholesterol down.

For more Insight into Alzheimer's Disease
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Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 600 articles with more than 11,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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**Davidhizar, R. (1999). Caregiving from a distance. Hospital Topics: Research and Perspectives on Healthcare

Original content the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Is it Alzheimer's or the Thyroid

2009-05-16T03:29:00.000-04:00

Read the complete article at the Alzheimer's Reading Room.

I wish I could shout this from the mountain top: "when Alzheimer's or dementia present themselves get the thyroid checked".

100 Million Adults Touched by Alzheimer's

2009-05-06T19:11:00.000-04:00

HBO Alzheimer's Project / Harris Interactive Census

Read more on this topic.

Alzheimer's Reading Room: 100 Million Adults Touched by Alzheimer's

Are Alzheimer's Caregivers the Forgotten?

2009-04-24T16:25:00.001-04:00

clipped from www.alzheimersreadingroom.com

Forty percent of Alzheimer's caregivers end up suffering from depression. Do you want to see this happen to a loved one or friend?

Like it or not, if you are a family member or friend of an Alzheimer's caregiver and you are not helping them--you have abandoned them. I am sure this sounds harsh. But, it's not even close to the harshness of your own behavior.

Alzheimer's is a sinister disease--it kills the brain of the person suffering from Alzheimer's.

And, it will try to kill the brain of the Alzheimer's caregiver.

The Alzheimer's Project -- Caregivers

2009-04-19T11:03:00.000-04:00

By now most of you have heard about the HBO Documentary--The Alzheimer's Project.

I wanted to remind you that part four is entitled "Caregivers". Caregivers airs for the first time on Tuesday, May 12 at 7 PM.

“Caregivers” is a collection of five family portraits that illustrate caring for the different stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

I was actually interviewed as a candidate for the show. One interesting aspect of the interview was that they found me via this blog.

I am really looking forward to watching all four parts. I'll be most interested to see how they handle the segment focused on Caregivers.

I am really looking forward to a show that really shows what it is like to live Alzheimer's from the Front Row. Will this be the one?

HBO usually does a great job. So, my expectations are very high. You are all invited to come here and discuss your reactions and feelings about each segment.

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Bob DeMarco is a citizen journalist, blogger, and Caregiver. In addition to being an experienced writer he taught at the University of Georgia , was an Associate Director and Limited Partner at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and a mentor. Bob currently resides in Delray Beach, FL where he cares for his mother, Dorothy, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. He has written more than 500 articles with more than 11,000 links to his work on the Internet. His content has been syndicated on Reuters, the Wall Street Journal, Fox News, Pluck, Blog Critics, and a growing list of newspaper websites. Bob is actively seeking syndication and writing assignments.

Kindle 2: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation)

Living Alzheimer's From the Front Row

2008-12-30T21:54:00.003-05:00

I often use the term "living Alzheimer's from the front row". This term describes caregivers and others that watch Alzheimer's develop 24/7. Once the disease strikes they get to witness the craziness of it all. On one hand, you have the person suffering from Alzheimer's; on the other hand, you have the person responsible for caring for that person. Unless you are an Alzheimer's caregiver it is almost impossible to either understand or comprehend what it is like living in the front row.

Until you sit in the front row you won't be able to comprehend what it is like living in the "front row" . In the early days of caring the caregiver deals with a disease that is not only impossible to understand; they live with a disease that turns their world upside down. Imagine a person you know all or most of your life and their behavior changes--suddenly--and for the worse. This person, your loved one, begins to act out behaviors with you that you have never seen or experienced before. You want to scream at them or worse, but you come to the realization that this only makes matters worse. You cannot reason with a person suffering from Alzheimer's. They believe what they say to be true and nothing can change it.

It is difficult to describe the range of emotions a caregiver might feel or experience in a single day. Imagine being happy and then sad, caring then angry, focused then frustrated, an almost endless stream of feelings and emotions that conflict. The caregiver lives an anxiety filled life day-after- day. The caregiver nevers knows when this craziness might come to an end. They do know this uncertain fate is heart wrenching.

Most people have difficulty dealing with change. The Alzheimer's caregiver deals with change on a daily basis. Never knowing for certain what is coming, but knowing fully it is coming. Informed caregivers try to get ahead of the curve so they can get prepared for these harsh, sometimes hard to comprehend changes. Knowing that your loved one is going to forget simple things like how to brush their teeth, how to take a shower, and even how to eat is not a pleasant thought. The actual experience and feeling of helplessness cannot be described. Knowing that the day is coming when they --won't know you-- is the most horrific feeling of them all.

It isn't pleasant living in the front row. Yet, somehow we do it. Many of us for years. Trust me when I say this, if you are not living in the front row you could never imagine what it is like.

If you know a caregiver get involved. The first thing you can do is listen to them as they vent. The next thing you can do is arrange for them to get away from it all for a period of time. Hug a caregiver, I assure you it will be an experience you won't forget.

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Bob DeMarco—My Profile

Also see:

A Wonderful Moment in Time--Mom dances for the first time in years

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A Simple Three Minute Test Can Detect the Earliest Stage of Alzheimer's disease

High cholesterol levels in your 40s raises Alzheimer's risk

Learning to Speak Alzheimer's: A Groundbreaking Approach for Everyone Dealing with the Disease

A Wonderful Moment in Time--Mom dances for the first time in years

2008-12-30T21:52:00.000-05:00

Wonderful people.

I have a vivid image of the look on mom's face and of us dancing. I will have that image in my mind forever. This is the kind of moment that really knocks home to me why I am here with mom. Moments like this help keep me energized and focused.

My name is Bob and I am the sole caregiver for my mother who suffers from Alzheimer's disease.

One of the biggest problems I face as a caregiver is keeping my mother socialized. If it was up to her she would sit around all day in the dark, rarely speaking. If you have experienced this you know how really disconcerting this can be.

About two years ago, I decided to take my mother out to the Banana Boat in Boynton Beach. The Banana Boat is an outdoor restaurant on the Intercoastal Waterway. The "Boat" has an outdoor restaurant and an outdoor bar where you can eat and listen to live music. Since my mother rarely speaks when we go out to dinner, I decided we would sit at the bar and eat. This would insure we had movement and people talking around us.

My mother ordered chicken wings and french fries, one of her favorites meals. My mother's eyes almost popped out of her head when she saw "a big basket of french fries". She was delighted. We had a very good time that night and I decided to do it the next Friday night. Pretty soon we were doing it most Friday nights.

After a few weeks, women started to come over and talk to us. The attraction was an older man with his elderly mother; they wanted to say how nice it was to see us. Keep in mind my mother was 90 at the time. Of course, they were saddened to hear that mom was suffering from Alzheimer's. Soon both women and men were coming over to talk.

I should point out that the Banana Boat is the kind of place that attracts many of the same people week-in-week-out. Since we go around 6:30 we catch the happy hour crowd many of whom stay until 8.

After a while, a small group of people started saving a chair for my mother as they were expecting us. The first time we missed a Friday one woman asked for our phone number and told me they were worried about "mom" when we didn't show up. So they wanted to be able to check if we hadn't told them we wouldn't be coming the next week. Now we call to let them know if we are not coming.

As time went on, our little group of friends started to get bigger and this turned out to be a "God send". Each week, one by one these wonderful people come up and start talking to my mother. She really enjoys this and her attitude perks up right away. They treat her just like everyone else and talk to her like she is one of the gang. This year a group got together and took my mother to the casino to play slot machines on here birthday. I cannot put into words how much this meant to mom and me.

My mother loved to dance. So, each and every week I asked her if she wanted to dance. Our new friends would also ask mom to dance--men and women alike. I could tell that mom wanted to dance but she always said, no. Mom is no longer confident around crowds or people she doesn't know, so while her instinct is to dance her brain is telling her no. I can tell you mom was never shy about dancing and she is a good dancer.

Last Friday night, I asked mom if she wanted to dance. She said, no. But, I could tell she really did want to dance this time. When we were getting ready to leave, and as mom stood up, I started dancing with her right on the spot. She was shaking it a little bit and had a big smile on her face. By the time we were done people had tears in their eyes and smiles as big as big could be. Wonderful people.

I have a vivid image of the look on mom's face and of us dancing. I will have that image in my mind forever. This is the kind of moment that really knocks home to me why I am here with mom and situations like this really help me to keep at it.

I can assure you it was really a wonderful moment in time.

Original content the Alzheimer's Diary

Five Ways to Keep Alzheimer's Away

2008-12-30T21:51:00.001-05:00

A recent article on CNN.com, Five Ways to Keep Alzheimer's Away, mentions five ways to keep your memory sharp: antioxidants, fish oil supplements, phosphatidylserine supplements, curry, and Cross-training your brain. This article is part of a discussion about Alzheimer's and yesterday's news about how herbal supplement Ginkgo biloba doesn't stop Alzheimer's. I believe that supplemnts are a good part of any regimen to improve health. Scientific evidence supports the value of taking supplemens and indicates that supplements can help stave off a long list of diseases including heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's.

However, I am starting to get the feeling that people believe there is magic in those pills; and that, they can start taking these supplements in lieu of healthy life practices and get a positive result by pills alone.

It is my belief that supplements are worthwhile and a great way to stay healthy. However, it is also necessary to take good care of you body and address medical issues if you want to stay healthy and disease free in older age.

For example, I recently wrote about how high cholesterol in your 40s increases the odds of contracting Alzheimer's--by 50 percent.

I believe most people know if you suffer from hypertension (high blood pressure) the odds of suffering from any number of diseases rises dramatically as you age. Less well known is the fact that if you have a big belly in middle age the chances that you could suffer from dementia are tripled.

Previously I wrote an article about Alzheimer's and the likely devastating effect it could have on baby boomers. I suggested a list of things that are proactive and have measured scientific benefits. In addition to the issues with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and a big belly I suggested a few additional ideas that I believe can help.

A recently released study showed that regular exercise is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of dementia and can help slow progression of Alzheimer's disease. Another recent study at Harvard found that those who regularly drank a cocoa flavanol rich beverage had an eight percent increase in brain blood flow after one week, and 10 percent increase after two weeks. Studies also show that people with higher levels of vitamin B12 were six times less likely to experience brain volume loss.

These are the kinds of things I believe raise the odds of fighting off Alzheimer's and dementia in older age. Please keep this in mind, the longer you live the greater the chance you will suffer from dementia. Once Alzheimer's or dementia present it is to late. So the time to get started is now.

My mother suffers from Alzheimer's and is 92 years old. Prior to the age of 85 she never suffered a major illness, never had an operation, and was still functioning on her own.

Bob DeMarco—My Profile

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Five ways to keep Alzheimer's away

By Elizabeth Cohen
CNN Medical Correspondent

(CNN) -- Blanche Danick may be 86 years old, but she's pretty hip. She keeps up with all the latest health news, and a while back, she called her daughter wanting to know whether she should start taking the herb ginkgo biloba. She'd heard it might stave off Alzheimer's disease.

"I told her not to bother, that it wouldn't make much of a difference," says her daughter, Edythe London, a professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at the University of California, Los Angeles. "On the basis of what I've read, I don't think it staves off dementia."

London's advice makes a lot of sense, according to a study out this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Ginkgo is a top-selling herb and has been hailed by some as a memory-booster, but the new University of Pittsburgh study found it didn't help prevent Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia in more than 3,000 elderly study subjects.

Ginkgo manufacturers say this isn't the first -- or the last -- word on the herb. "There is a significant body of scientific and clinical evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of ginkgo extract for both cognitive function and improved circulation," said Mark Blumenthal, executive director of the American Botanical Council.

London's still skeptical. "But I do tell my mother there are other things she can do," says London, who's studied the brain and aging. "I tell her to go out and do things and see people every day and be active." Studies have shown that physical exercise, the kind that keeps the heart healthy, also keeps the brain healthy, according to the National Institutes of Health's Cognitive and Emotional Health Project.

People are like rats, London says. "If you put a rat in a cage by itself, it won't do well on cognitive tests. But if you give it toys and put other rats in its cage, they're going to be smarter rats."

In addition to playing with toys and hanging out with your fellow rats, here are five other tips for keeping your memory sharp. London says they help work on memory centers of the brain, including the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus, identified in the diagram above.

1. Antioxidants

London makes sure her mother takes vitamins A, C, and E. They're antioxidants, which prevent cell damage and are believed by some to slow down diseases of aging. "There are studies that suggest antioxidants might prevent dementia," she says.

2. Fish oil supplements

Dr. Gary Small, director of the UCLA Center on Aging, says aging brains show signs of inflammation, and fish oil has anti-inflammatory properties.

3. Phosphatidylserine supplements

Phosphatidylserine is a lipid found naturally in the body. Small says he's not 100 percent convinced these supplements will help stave off dementia, but they're worth a try. "If I start having memory problems when I get older, I'll give them a trial run and see if they help," says Small, author of the new book "iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind."

4. Curry

Small, who's 57, says that as he gets older, he might also try eating more foods with curry in them. "Some studies in Singapore show that those who ate curry once a week had better memory scores," he said.

5. Cross-training your brain

"Our brains can be made stronger through exercise," says Andrew Carle, assistant professor of in the department of health administration and policy at George Mason University. "In the same way physical exercise can delay many of the effects of aging on the body, there's some evidence cognitive exercise can at least delay the onset of Alzheimer's."

But Carle says it's not enough to do just one kind of brain exercise. "Doing a crossword puzzle every day is good, but it's the equivalent of doing only pushups -- your arms will get strong, but not the rest of your body."

He recommends doing other activities in addition, such as computing numbers in your head instead of using a calculator, or using one of the "brain gym" computer games designed to enhance brain function.

As for London, who's 60, she thinks her best bet at staving off dementia doesn't come in a bottle, or on a dinner plate, or in a computer game. "I'm going to keep working on my research, and surround myself with young people, and do a lot of exercise," she says. "I'm going to be a happy old lady. That in and of itself is going to do a lot of good for my brain."

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