Are you struggling to talk to someone with dementia?

Ellen takes care of her mother Betty.  Betty has mid-stage Alzheimer’s disease.  Ellen often finds herself frustrated, trying to get Betty to do something, or in even talking to her.

Betty struggles to be independent, or as Ellen says she’s “independently dependent.”  And has been even before there were any Alzheimers symptoms. 

This recent article suggests some ways to communicate with a loved one with Alzheimer’s…

Ten Tips for Communicating with an Alzheimer’s Patient

February 22, 2012 3:12 PM

Do not argue with them. It gets you nowhere…

By Carole Larkin
Alzheimer’s Reading Room
March, 2010

Ever feel like your loved one is ignoring you or that you just weren’t getting through to your loved one? Try some of these tips to see if they help.

Tips for communicating with a mid-stage (or later) Alzheimer’s patients.

1. Make eye contact.  Always approach them face-to-face and make eye contact. Use their name if you need to. It is vital that they actually see you and that their attention is focused on you. Read their eyes. Always approach from the front as approaching and speaking from the side or from behind can startle them.
2. Be at their level.  Move your head to be at the same level as their head. Bend your knees or sit down to reach their level. Do not stand or hover over them – it is intimidating and scary. They can’t focus on you and what you are saying if they are focused on their fear.
3. Tell them what you are going to do before you do it. Particularly if you are going to touch them. They need to know what is coming first so that they don’t think that you are grabbing them.
4. Speak calmly.  Always speak in a calm manner with an upbeat tone of voice, even if you don’t feel that way. If you sound angry or agitated, they will often mirror that feeling back to you and then some.
5. Speak slowly.  Speak at one half of your normal speed when talking to them. Take a breath between each sentence. They can not process words as fast as non-diseased people can. Give them a chance to catch up to your words.
6. Speak in short sentences.  Speak in short direct sentences with only one idea to a sentence. Usually they can only focus on only one idea at a time.
7. Only ask one question at a time. Let them answer it before you ask another question. You can ask who, what, where and when, but NOT why. Why is too complicated. They will try to answer, fail and get frustrated.
8. Don’t say “remember”. Many times they will not be able to do so, and you are just pointing out to them their shortcomings. That is insulting, and can cause anger and/or embarrassment.
9. Turn negatives into positives. For example say “Let’s go here” instead of “Don’t go there”. Be inclusive and don’t talking down to them as if they were a child. Respect the fact that they are an adult, and treat them as such.
10. Do not argue with them. It gets you nowhere. Instead, validate their feelings, by saying” I see that you are angry (sad, upset, etc…). It lets them know that they are not alone and then redirect them into another thought. For example “It sounds like you miss your mother (husband, father, etc…). You love them very much, don’t you?  Tell me about the time…” Then ask for one of their favorite stories about that person).

Original Source:

Ten Tips for Communicating with an Alzheimer’s Patient

 

These suggestions are excellent. 

Make eye contact can be vital.  Looking into her eyes can help her focus on you.  And faces are important!  They eyes have been described as “the window to the soul.”  And for good reason.

Be at her level – or lower.  Most of the time being on the same level works.  Sometimes though getting lower than her so she looks down on you is less threatening.  If she’s upset and getting on the same level doesn’t work, you might try getting lower.  My mother didn’t have Alzheimer’s disease, but I did routinely soak and wash her feet.  And to do it, I would get on the floor at her feet.  It was one of the gentlest things I did, since her feet were fragile.  It is also the one thing that always brought a smile to her face and she enjoyed.

Telling your loved one what you are going to do before you do it can allow her to process the information.  Speaking calmly, slowly and phrasing things positively all add to the calm positive atmosphere you want to create.  It makes living with someone with dementia SO much easier!

Sometimes in caring for someone with dementia you need to remember to “think outside the box,” which can be a matter of stopping and looking at the situation differently.

Because your loved one may not be able to express herself, you may find yourself with a frustrated or even angry person.  And it could be due to a medical condition like an undiagnosed urine infection, pain, or just frustration in not remembering or being able to communicate well.

Or it can be something else.

Sometimes you need to be a detective to figure it out.  It can be the same as taking care of a young child who does not yet have the vocabulary to tell you what’s wrong. 

Do you see how this happens?

It’s okay to find a solution that seems out of the ordinary.  Someone with dementia doesn’t think the same way she did before the dementia.

Cues from the environment – sights, sounds, smells, and more – are not processed the same as a “normal” brain.  So the conclusions can be quite different than what you would conclude.

And that can lead to…?

Yes, frustration…anger…and more.

Many negative emotions.

So, now do you see why staying calm and positive can be so important? 

It can help to defuse a frustrating situation.  As can humor.

Often a laugh can help break the tension.  Even if your loved one doesn’t laugh with you, she can see that you are not upset.  And that can help, too.

Are you feeling tried and frustrated yourself? 

Looking for a guide to navigating the uncharted terrain called caregiving?

Now you there’s a road map to help you come through caregiving whole, happy and healthy.  To more than survive – to thrive in caregiving!

Click here now to instantly download your own road map!

To your healthy and happy caregiving,

Dr. Ina

Ina Gilmore, M.D. (Retired)
“The Knitting Dr.”

Bestselling Author of “What Do I Say In a Sympathy Card?”

Creator of A HEART PLAN

Founder, www.CaregivingWithPurpose.com and www.TheKnittingYarn.com

Ambassador of Elder Care, www.HowToLiveOnPurpose.com

I realized late the night before that it would be a good idea to wear a knitted heart, since Valentine’s Day is only a few days away. Don’t you think it’s a good idea for the knitting instructor to be showing Valentine crafts at the February Open House?

I could not find the one I made a couple of years ago.

No problem!

I got out the pattern I created a couple of years ago and tweaked it. With only a few yards of yarn, I knit a heart in about 30 minutes. Rather than attaching it with a safety pin, the pin from a shawl pin looked intriguing.

And it worked fine!

Sometimes it’s nice to have a pattern you can knit up quickly and easily.  And a small knitted heart is great fun for Valentine’s Day!  Or any day in February since February is Heart Month!

If you’d like the pattern, just leave a comment on this post. You need to make the comment on the original post on The KnittingYarn to get your pattern. Click here right now to go to the original post and leave your comment.

And have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

To your healthy and happy knitting & caregiving,

Dr. Ina
Ina Gilmore, M.D. (Retired)
“The Knitting Dr.”

Founder, www.CaregivingWithPurpose.com, and www.TheKnittingYarn.com
Creator of A HEART PLAN
Ambassador of Elder Care at www.HowToLiveOnPurpose.com

Are you struggling with giving care to someone with a chronic illness like dementia?

Sometimes is seems as though diseases like Alzheimers test your good humor and sense of humor.  You are probably dealing with many sad things.

Yet if you look for it, you may just find unexpected laughter in as this recent post from Linda on her blog “God, Mom, Alzheimer’s, and Me” shows…

Sound Logic

The following interchange reveals why one should never argue with one’s mother, whether she has Alzheimer’s (as mine does) or not:

Mom: Would you get me a diet coke?

Linda: The dentist says that the acid in the diet coke has hurt your teeth and that you shouldn’t have any for 4 hours before you brush your teeth at bedtime.

Mom: (aggravated) How old am I?

Linda: 87

Mom: (disgusted) Exactly how much longer do you people think my teeth need to last?

 

Original Post:
Sound Logic

Did you smile or laugh?

I sure did!  Not only does it show how people with Alzheimer’s can still think logically, it is a funny story.  It also reminds me of some encounters I had with my mother’s medical and dental team…

And my sister’s response to the professionals’ dictates suggestions.

Ready for it?

“Instead of picking on a 92 year-old woman why don’t they ask what she did to keep her own teeth and be as healthy as she is at her age?”

Good question!  Maybe we all should look to the very elderly and see what they are doing right, instead of finding fault with what they “should” correct.  Still, dealing with these experts may be something you have to do…without annoying them as much as they annoy you.

Counting to 10 helps, as does holding your tongue.  I know it’s hard, especially when you’re physically, emotionally and financially stressed with caregiving.  And then there’s humor…

You’re a caregiver, so you’re dealing with stress just in giving care.  To have the professionals pick at you and the one you love just adds to your caregiver stress.  Often unnecessarily.

Do you know that humor is the antidote to stress?

Finding the humor in the situation can also greatly decrease your stress.  When you laugh deep and loud and long from your belly your muscles relax, your mood lightens and stress flees!

Humor is more than helpful…it’s an essential part of successful caregiving.  Especially if you want to emerge from caregiving whole, healthy and happy!

It’s so essential it’s part of the road map you need to successfully navigate caregiving. 

Does caregiving and caregiver stress remind you of being lost in unfamiliar territory without a map?  Or  maybe a minefield?

Now you can get help with a map for more than surviving – thriving – in caregiving!  Just click here right now to download your own road map.

And remember to smile.  As a wise man often reminded me, “Smile if for no other reason than it makes people wonder what you’re up to.”

To your healthy and happy caregiving,

Dr. Ina

Ina Gilmore, M.D. (Retired)
“The Knitting Dr.”

Bestselling Author of “What Do I Say In a Sympathy Card?”

Creator of A HEART PLAN

Founder, www.CaregivingWithPurpose.com and www.TheKnittingYarn.com

Ambassador of Elder Care, www.HowToLiveOnPurpose.com

She’s feeling frustrated with following a chart.

Great question!

And Barbara, congratulations on stretching yourself to try what sounds like a complex knitting chart!

Been there, done that!  When starting to knit lace or any pattern with a knitting chart, it’s easy to get lost.  Especially when knitting with interruptions or to relieve stress.

Some charts have over 20 rows of knitting in the pattern repeat.  Yikes!

Is it any wonder knitters get frustrated?

Many lace knitting instructions suggest marking off the chart as you go.  That makes sense, although it can still be hard to find your way.  And if you drop a stitch or are just having problems challenges with the pattern, it can be frustrating.

Especially when ripping and knitting, ripping and knitting.

Wondering if there’s an easy solution?

Well, there is.  It’s called a lace lifeline or just a lifeline.

Basically, you thread a finer yarn or thread through the stitches on your needle, and then knit around the thread.  I often like to use crochet cotton or crochet thread.  It’s often a good thickness, and will slip in and out easily without catching on the yarn.

Putting your lifeline in a row that’s all knit or all purl stitches is often easier than trying to thread it through the fancier yarn overs or baubles or knots in lace knitting.  And if you make a note of which row you’re working on, you can find your place easily.

And you can put in as many lifelines as you feel you need.  You could insert one the same row of each repeat if you like.  They can be left in until you’re finished, or pulled out when you’re satisfied you don’t need it any more.  Just be sure you really are satisfied before pulling it out.

Yes, that is the voice of experience.

If you’re a member of the Knitting Yarn, you can click on the link below to view a How To Knit Video on Lace Lifelines I made…

[Content protected for Bronze members only] To view this content please register or log in. Click Here Right Now To Register. Or if you are a member Click Here To Log In.

To see this video, you need to view this post on The Knitting Yarn and be logged in.  Not viewing this on The Knitting Yarn?  Then click here now to read this post on The Knitting Yarn.

Lace lifelines can be an important safety net for all lace knitting, and for knitters starting a new level of knitting.  They can also be helpful when you’re learning how to read your knitting.

Reading your knitting is a skill all knitters should develop.  One of the best books on the subject is Knitting for Anarchists.  It explains the different ways the yarn loops around the needles, and should be part of every knitter’s library.

Click here right now to get your own copy.

To your healthy and happy knitting & caregiving,

Dr. Ina
Ina Gilmore, M.D. (Retired)
“The Knitting Dr.”

Founder, www.CaregivingWithPurpose.com and www.TheKnittingYarn.com
Ambassador of Elder Care at www.HowToLiveOnPurpose.com

Both Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease are progressive neurological diseases.

They both affect the brain.  And about 20% of persons with Parkinson’s Disease will develop Parkinson’s dementia. 

Can someone with Parkinsons Disease also develop Alzheimers symptoms and disease?

Yes, they can.  Many persons with Parkinson’s are 85 years old or older — in the age group also at greatest risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

Both diseases are primarily diagnosed by clinical diagnosis — by examination rather than testing.  Recent studies show promise for PET scans for Alzheimer’s diagnosis.  And now there’s new research that shows tau protein important in iron transport and in the death of neurons in Parkinson’s Disease.

Neurons are nerve cells.  And this research may also explain tau protein’s role in Alzheimer’s disease.  Here’s information about the new study…

Pumping iron: Tau’s role in neuron death revealed

Posted: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:55:44 +0000

Posted by Rebecca Hersher  Category: Neuroscience/mental health

The protein tau has long been at the center of a debate about the causes of Alzheimer’s disease, but how the protein works is still mostly a mystery. A paper published online yesterday in Nature Medicine examines tau’s less-controversial role in Parkinson’s disease and demonstrates that the protein’s function in the brain is intimately related to the transport of iron, a big step toward understanding the molecular underpinnings of both neurodegenerative diseases.

To tease apart the function of tau, the team, led by neurobiologist Ashley Bush of the University of Melbourne, first examined autopsy tissue from people with Parkinson’s. They found iron had built up in the substantia nigra, the part of the brain that stops working in Parkinson’s disease. The team next examined tau’s relationship with iron in a mouse that lacks the protein. Tau knock-out mice older than six months showed accumulations of iron in their brains and developed the cognitive and physical impairments of Parkinson’s disease.

By giving the mice a drug that removes iron, the researchers found that they could prevent these changes. The findings suggest that tau deficiency may cause toxic iron accumulation that leads to the neurodegeneration seen in Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. The results also suggest possible therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative disease, such as such as tau replacement or iron removal, although the authors say it is still unknown whether brain damage from iron accumulation could be reversed by such therapies.

Hyoung-gon Lee, a neurobiologist who studies Alzheimer’s disease at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, says the findings about tau’s role in iron export “definitely provide a new direction for how we should look at tau abnormality in neurodegenerative disease.”

In addition to teasing apart a function of tau, Bush says his team’s work also gives important insight into how mouse models are used to study Parkinson’s disease. “After seven months, the mouse model of Parkinson’s was much more complete and complex,” he says, suggesting that for age-dependent conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, keeping mice into old age may make the mouse model more accurate and useful.

Original Source:

Pumping iron: Tau’s role in neuron death revealed

How can this study of iron and tau protein lead to more study in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases?

Well, there is no animal model for Alzheimer’s Disease.  So as Dr. Lee says above, this may lead to new ways to study Alzheimer’s.

And perhaps other neurological diseases, if the tau protein role can be determined.

Could tau protein and iron be a common cause of neuron damage and death in these diseases?

Yes, it’s possible this could be THE common factor.  Or perhaps it could lead somewhere else.  When you’re caring for someone with one of these diseases, research although interesting probably doesn’t help you much today. 

Right?

It may be helpful for someone diagnosed in the future, which could be useful if you or someone you love is at risk for Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s Disease.  Or maybe exhibiting symptoms without a definitive diagnosis.

Are you caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s Disease?

Giving care to someone with a chronic condition can be the hardest thing you’ll ever do.  It can also be the best.

In caring for someone with a chronic condition you can give love and care.  In focusing on them, though it’s easy to lose yourself.

Do you see how caring for someone else can lead you to forget yourself?

You can spend much of your day and night giving care or worrying  about them.  So much that you forget to take care of yourself.

It might be little things, like missing a meal.  Or maybe it becomes routine to miss meals.  Or losing sleep.  Little things can lead to bigger…often insidiously.

Are you losing yourself in caregiving?  Looking for a way to reclaim yourself, and don’t know where to start?

Now there’s a road map to help you in your caregiving journey.  One that will show you the way to emerge from caregiving whole, healthy and happy.

Click here right now to download your road map!

To your healthy and happy caregiving,

Dr. Ina

Ina Gilmore, M.D. (Retired)
“The Knitting Dr.”

Bestselling Author of “What Do I Say In a Sympathy Card?”

Creator of A HEART PLAN

Founder, www.CaregivingWithPurpose.com and www.TheKnittingYarn.com

Ambassador of Elder Care, www.HowToLiveOnPurpose.com

Do you realize that many times elder care is not fun?

You only have to do it for a very short time to realize how hard it is.

Wondering if there’s an alternative?

Yes!  One way to start is by finding the humor in situations, which can greatly relieve your caregiving stress and make caregiving less burdensome…

When my mother was undergoing radiation therapy, it was a stressful time.  It was the middle of a cold, wet winter.

Midway through the treatments, she lost her appetite and became depressed.  We worried she was losing her will to live.  The only thing that seemed to generate interest in her was holding my sister’s young puppy.

So I searched – and found – a rescued toy poodle named Emma.  The first night Emma stayed with us, she wanted held after supper. 

She seemed so fragile Mother was afraid to hold Emma, so I held her.

Emma made herself comfortable in my lap, with her chin in the crook of my elbow, and promptly fell asleep.

In a few minutes there was a loud snore coming from this tiny dog! 

Mother and I both laughed out loud.  It was the beginning of many wonderful laughs from Emma.  Laughter eased the tension and stresses of caregiving.

Have you found laughter helpful?

Laughter is now more and more recognized as important by the medical community in facing tough and challenging times.  Like caregiving!

This recent article explains how laughter eases caregiver stress…

It’s Okay to Laugh: Appreciate the Humor in Caregiving
January 24, 2012 7:00 PM

By Marlo Sollitto, AgingCare.com contributing editor.

Unexpected humorous moments are common in caregiving. In fact, caregiving can be enlivened by the unprompted remarks and unintentional antics of an elderly parent.

But should we feel guilty about laughing? Is our laughter a sign of disrespect or a lack of love for our family member? Do we want to laugh but don’t because we’re afraid of seeming insensitive?

Even in the most dire of circumstances, elder care professionals insist that it is OK, even helpful, to laugh. “Not only is laughing OK, it’s absolutely necessary,” says Cindy Laverty, a former caregiver who founded The Care Company and The Cindy Laverty talk show, a first-of-its-kind forum that discusses the topic of care.

When Laverty was unexpectedly thrust into caregiving, she had to learn how to navigate the complex and overwhelming world of caregiving. But through that journey, she discovered how she could not only survive, but thrive amid the challenges. Finding and holding onto humorous stories of your own can help you keep an upbeat perspective in spite of the challenges of being a caregiver, she explains.

How to Stop Being So Hard On Yourself

“We go into caregiving with this big dark cloud hanging over us – it’s stressful, it’s so awful. When we go in with that attitude, that’s what it becomes. It is stressful and awful, but when we’re having a horrible day, a good day is sure to follow. And even in the midst of those horrible days, there are funny moments that happen. Recognize and appreciate those moments,” she says.

Take Alzheimer’s disease for example. It robs elders of their memories and ability to care for themselves, and that is tragic. Certainly Alzheimer’s is an awful disease, and there is nothing funny about it. But there are funny moments that happen. When you laugh, you’re not laughing at them; you’re laughing because the moment is funny. “If we don’t follow the whole spectrum of emotion, we get lost in the oppression of a chronic disease,” Laverty explains.

Your laughter can also send a positive, non-alarming message to the elder. If you don’t get upset during a challenging, it’s likely that they won’t either. Laughing can turn into a tension relieving exercise for the caregiver and person with Alzheimer’s who, while cognitively impaired, is still greatly influenced by ambient tensions.

Moments of Humor

When Laverty was caring for her father-in-law, who had open heart surgery and a stroke, one of his favorite activities was golfing. Of course, he could no longer hit the greens, so the Laverty’s set up a chipping station for him in the backyard. “He couldn’t balance well, due to the stroke. When he swung the golf club, I had to squat down and hold his belt, so he wouldn’t fall. One time, he did fall…on top of me. We ended up in a very compromising position. His response was, ‘We have to stop meeting like this.’ We both just cracked up. It lightened up the moment, and turned an awkward situation into a hilarious one.”

Laverty’s mother-in-law also provided some comic relief during her bout with Alzheimer’s disease. She was missing her four front teeth – each one lost when she bit various home health workers. “If someone bent over, or got too close, she would bite them,” Laverty says. “Needless to say, that is a dangerous and unwanted behavior. But no matter what we tried, we couldn’t get her to stop. Getting a caregiver to stick around wasn’t easy. But you can’t deny it…the situation was funny.”

Lessons for Caregivers

Laverty also found ways to lighten up stressful moments. Like bath time. Her mother-in-law refused to bathe, because the Alzheimer’s made her afraid of the water. One evening, Laverty ran a warm bath, put Mr. Bubble in it, lit some candles, played a Dean Martin CD and poured a glass of non-alcoholic champagne (her mother-in-law’s favorite drink back in the day) “She got right in the bathtub. But then we couldn’t get her out,” Laverty laughs.

Simple Joys Make Life Worth Living

Laverty reminds us that “caregiving is our final walk with our loved one. What do you want that journey to look like? Do you want it to be miserable and laden with despair? Or do you want it to be a special time in which special memories are made? At the end of the day, as mad as I got at my in-laws when I was caregiving, I’d give anything if I could just hold their hand one more time.”

Humor in the Media

The media has picked up on the fact that caregiving can be funny. For example, Fox Television’s hit TV sitcom Raising Hope stars Cloris Leachman as Maw Maw, the great-grandmother, once the rock of the family who now vacillates between moments of lucidity and dementia. In her mind, the house is infested with mongooses, she’s cheating on her dead husband and it just might be World War II.

The Number One Issue That Causes Caregivers to Break Down

It’s not just made-for-TV moments that have grabbed the media spotlight. In a real-life example, Justin Halpern moved in with his 73-year-old father after hitting hard financial times. He soon discovered that with old age, his father had lost all inhibitions, and said whatever was on his mind. Halpern, who describes his dad as “like Socrates, but angrier and with worse hair” began writing down his father’s rants and posting them to a Twitter account. Now, more than a million people follow Halpern’s philosophical musings on Twitter. As a result, Halpern was offered a book deal. In less than three months, the aptly named Sh*t My Dad Says made it to the New York Times Bestseller List.

Humor is a Necessity

Laverty urges all caregivers to give up the role of the martyr. “If you listen to the news then you know that caregivers are supposed to feel overwhelmed and exhausted and without hope,” she says. “When that mentality takes over, it’s a recipe for disaster. Don’t fall into victimization! I urge you to avoid adopting this mentality. It’s a horrible place to be and the longer you stay there, the more difficult it becomes to get out!”

Caregiving is hard – we’re not dismissing the gravity and hardship of the situation. But, during the tough times, it can be too easy to forget the importance of humor. Etch the funny memories in your spirit, and hold them in your heart. When you’re loved one is gone, you’ll be glad you did.

Read real-life upbeat, funny stories and words of inspiration here at AgingCare.com’s Breath of Fresh Air – a lighter side of caregiving.

Copyright © 2012 Care2.com Inc. All rights reserved.

Original Source:

It’s Okay to Laugh: Appreciate the Humor in Caregiving

So what are three ways laughter reduces your caregiver stress?

• Instantly relieve tension.  Laughter reduces the tension in your muscles.
• Calming influence.  Defusing a difficult or sad situation with humor and laughter can bring an air of calm.  Immediately.
• Making happy memories to last beyond your caregiving.  You want to remember your loved one with happy memories, right?  Making things pleasant with laughter, fun and humor can create happy memories you can cherish long after you can no longer physically hold your loved one.  Although they are both no longer here, I still smile every time I think of Emma snoring loudly, and our laughter!

Do you see now how powerful laughter is?

It may just be one of your best “secret” weapons!

Wondering where can you find something to laugh about?

• Old television comedies or movies.  The humor in classic comedies like “The Andy Griffith Show” or “I Love Lucy” never go out of style.  The fashions may, but the “clean” humor is timeless.  And an episode may just coax a smile from your loved ones when jokes and other things fail.
• Everyday situations.  Laughter defuses the tension.  Your loved one may be afraid you’ll be mad.  Especially someone with dementia may think if she does something wrong, you’ll be angry.  Try laughing instead.
• Newspaper or online comics. Want to include someone in the caregiving who cannot otherwise participate? Make it his or her “job” to give you a daily laugh.  It’s a win-win situation! You can get free online comics here.

Think caregiving is hard?

You’re not alone. 

It may just be the hardest thing you ever so.  It can also be the best thing you ever do – giving care, time and love to someone you love.

Laughter is an important part of more than surviving – thriving – in caregiving.

Wondering how laughter and humor fit into your caregiving journey?

Now there’s a road map to show you how to navigate caregiving.  And yes, laughter IS an important part of your caregiving. 

Click here right now to download your road map!

To your healthy and happy caregiving,

Dr. Ina

Ina Gilmore, M.D. (Retired)
“The Knitting Dr.”

Bestselling Author of “What Do I Say In a Sympathy Card?”

Creator of A HEART PLAN

Founder, www.CaregivingWithPurpose.com and www.TheKnittingYarn.com

Ambassador of Elder Care, www.HowToLiveOnPurpose.com

And what I have decided is I’m working on my own version of a generic sock.  Right now it’s knit cuff down, because the arch shape seems to work best that way.

The arch shape is based on Elizabeth Zimmermann and Meg Swansen’s “Arch-Shaped Stockings” pattern, available from Schoolhouse Press.

My current interest in socks started while caring for my mother.

In her later years, it was often hard to keep her warm.  And her feet in particular would get cold.  The socks available in the stores were seldom what she wanted, so I decided to knit her a pair of socks.

I knit the first pair cuff down.  Some knitters say to fit precisely you need to start at the toe and work up. I wanted to be sure these fit as well as I could.  So, I slipped them carefully over her foot to frequently check the fit.  I wanted to be sure there was no problem with too tight socks cutting off her circulation or too loose socks causing wrinkles  and maybe sores.

Could they easily be slipped on and off?

Yes!  While I knit the socks with double pointed needles, initially I slipped the stitches onto circular needles to check the fit.  After the practice of a few fittings, leaving the stitches on four double pointed needles worked fine.

Ribbing tends to fit more snugly than other patterns, and seems more forgiving for three dimensional projects like socks.

I ended up using a spiral ribbing pattern on the leg and top of her foot, which worked out very well. They socks fit, and she enjoyed wearing them.  Even if they were turquoise blue!

My current socks are for myself, and they are also knit from the cuff down. 

And, yes, once again I altered the pattern.  I like the arch shape.  The other options, not so much. 

Wondering how many ways I deviated from the how to knit socks instructions?  Here are three ways…

1. The cast on.  Might as well start altering the pattern immediately!  Actually, I discovered this when knitting socks for my mother.  Using a provisional cast on and then when the sock is off the needles, going back and binding off with an elastic bind off makes a great cuff edge for someone with concerns about leg swelling. Or just a different shaped calf (larger or smaller than usual). The bind off expands nicely yet snugly fits.
2. 1 x 1 ribbing in the leg and foot instead of the pattern.  I still like ribbing, and feel the socks stay up better with it than with stockinette stitch.  For beginners, stockinette stitch is often easier because in the round the stitches are all knit.
3. The heel is a mitered heel instead of a saddle heel.

Do you see how important knitting was to my caregiving?

Not only did it help relieve the stress of caregiving giving me a much-needed few minutes respite, it also provided some great projects!

Without knitting, I probably would not have come out of caregiving whole and happy.  Even with my family’s help and my professional caregiving experiences. 

Of course it’s not just knitting that helped me survive.  It was much more.  It seemed at times like traveling along roads without a map.

Easy to get lost and off track if you don’t know the route.

You know what I mean?

It takes a road map to successfully navigate caregiving, to more than survive – to thrive – emerging happy and whole.

Now you can download your own road map.  Just click here right now to download!

To your healthy and happy knitting & caregiving,

Dr. Ina
Ina Gilmore, M.D. (Retired)
“The Knitting Dr.”

Founder, www.CaregivingWithPurpose.com and www.TheKnittingYarn.com
Ambassador of Elder Care at www.HowToLiveOnPurpose.com

This week there is new research from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine about Alzheimer’s Disease regarding a new  method to study Alzheimer’s brain cells.

One of the BIG Challenges in Alzheimer’s research is the lack of a model to to test cells for further study.  A model to study both the disease process and the reactions of Alzheimer’s cells to therapies is necessary to study it outside humans. 

Until recently there has been no Alzheimers test other than a doctor or other health care professional examining the patient.  Recently there has been success with PET Scan imaging studies.  And Alzheimer’s testing in the lab has also had similar problems because Alzheimer’s Disease is a disease of humans.

Researchers used new technology to turn skin cells from Alzheimer’s patients and into brain cells.  Embryonic stem cells are not used, rather induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) were used.  Inducing something in medicine means to cause it to happen artificially, not in nature.

Wondering what induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) are?

Well, iPSC are cells usually from adult somatic (body) cells that are artificially converted into stem cells. 

Lawrence S.B. Goldstein, Ph.D. explains more about this technology in this video…

If you can’t see the video, click here to see it.

The press release from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine follows, then my comments…

Researchers Induce Alzheimer’s Neurons From Pluripotent Stem Cells

First-ever feat provides new method to understand cause of disease, develop drugs

January 25, 2012 | By Scott LaFee

Led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, scientists have, for the first time, created stem cell-derived, in vitro models of sporadic and hereditary Alzheimer’s disease (AD), using induced pluripotent stem cells from patients with the much-dreaded neurodegenerative disorder.

“Creating highly purified and functional human Alzheimer’s neurons in a dish – this has never been done before,” said senior study author Lawrence Goldstein, PhD, professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and director of the UC San Diego Stem Cell Program.  “It’s a first step.  These aren’t perfect models.  They’re proof of concept.  But now we know how to make them.  It requires extraordinary care and diligence, really rigorous quality controls to induce consistent behavior, but we can do it.”

The feat, published in the January 25 online edition of the journal Nature, represents a new and much-needed method for studying the causes of AD, a progressive dementia that afflicts approximately 5.4 million Americans.  More importantly, the living cells provide an unprecedented tool for developing and testing drugs to treat the disorder.

“We’re dealing with the human brain.  You can’t just do a biopsy on living patients,” said Goldstein.  “Instead, researchers have had to work around, mimicking some aspects of the disease in non-neuronal human cells or using limited animal models.  Neither approach is really satisfactory.”

Goldstein and colleagues extracted primary fibroblasts from skin tissues taken from two patients with familial AD (a rare, early-onset form of the disease associated with a genetic predisposition), two patients with sporadic AD (the common form whose cause is not known) and two persons with no known neurological problems.  They reprogrammed the fibroblasts into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that then differentiated into working neurons.

The iPSC-derived neurons from the Alzheimer’s patients exhibited normal electrophysiological activity, formed functional synaptic contacts and, critically, displayed tell-tale indicators of AD.  Specifically, they possessed higher-than-normal levels of proteins associated with the disorder.

With the in vitro Alzheimer’s neurons, scientists can more deeply investigate how AD begins and chart the biochemical processes that eventually destroy brain cells associated with elemental cognitive functions like memory.  Currently, AD research depends heavily upon studies of post-mortem tissues, long after the damage has been done.

“The differences between a healthy neuron and an Alzheimer’s neuron are subtle,” said Goldstein.  “It basically comes down to low-level mischief accumulating over a very long time, with catastrophic results.”

The researchers have already produced some surprising findings.  “In this work, we show that one of the early changes in Alzheimer’s neurons thought to be an initiating event in the course of the disease turns out not to be that significant,” Goldstein said, adding that they discovered a different early event plays a bigger role.

The scientists also found that neurons derived from one of the two patients with sporadic AD exhibited biochemical changes possibly linked to the disease.  The discovery suggests that there may be sub-categories of the disorder and that, in the future, potential therapies might be targeted to specific groups of AD patients. 

Though just a beginning, Goldstein emphasized the iPSC-derived Alzheimer’s neurons present a huge opportunity in a desperate fight.  “At the end of the day, we need to use cells like these to better understand Alzheimer’s and find drugs to treat it.  We need to do everything we can because the cost of this disease is just too heavy and horrible to contemplate.  Without solutions, it will bankrupt us – emotionally and financially.”

Funding for this research came, in part, from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the Weatherstone Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Hartwell Foundation, the Lookout Fund and the McDonnell Foundation.

A patent application has been filed on this technology by the University of California, San Diego.  For more information, go to: http://techtransfer.universityofcalifornia.edu/NCD/22199.html

Co-authors are Mason A.  Israel and Sol M.  Reyna, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and UCSD Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and UCSD Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program; Shauna H.  Yuan, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and UCSD Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and UCSD Department of Neurosciences; Cedric Bardy and Yangling Mu, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies; Cheryl Herrera, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and UCSD Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine; Michael P.  Hefferan, UCSD Department of Anesthesiology; Sebastiaan Van Gorp, Department of Anesthesiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Netherlands; Kristopher L.  Nazor, Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute; Francesca S.  Boscolo and Louise C.  Laurent, UCSD Department of Reproductive Medicine; Christian T.  Carson, BD Biosciences; Martin Marsala, UCSD Department of Anesthesiology and Institute of Neurobiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia; Fred H.  Gage, The Salk Institute of Biological Studies; Anne M.  Remes, Department of Clinical Medicine, Neurology and Clinical Research Center, University of Oulu, Finland; and Edward H.  Koo, UCSD Department of Neurosciences.

About Alzheimer’s disease

An estimated 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.  Two-thirds are women.  By 2050, as many as 16 million Americans are projected to have the disease.  In 2011, the economic cost of caring for Alzheimer’s patients exceeded $183 billion, projected to rise to $1.1 trillion by 2050.  Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, killing more than 75,000 Americans annually.  Currently, there are no drugs to prevent, alter or cure the disease.

Original source:

Researchers Induce Alzheimer’s Neurons From Pluripotent Stem Cells

Do you see how exciting this new research is?

While preliminary, it is exciting to think it can lead to new study of Alzheiemer’s disease.  And new treatments, including new approaches to treatment may be in the near future.  Surely they are closer than they were a decade ago!

Are you caring for or worried about someone with Alzheimer’s?

You’re not alone. With over 5 million persons in the U.S. with Alzheimer’s, those numbers are huge.  And even more concerning is the projected numbers in 2050 – triple what they are today!

In the midst of all those people affected, it’s easy to feel isolated and alone when you are caring for someone with any dementia.

Wondering why caregiving can be lonely?

Problems arise on the weekends or at night, or just anytime you’re the only one available. 

It takes a certain kind of compassion to give of yourself to another, and to care for her when she can no longer care for herself.  Not everyone has it.

I call it the heart of a caregiver.

It’s probably an important part of who you are.  And definitely it’s why you do what you do.

Caregiving may be the hardest thing you ever do…and the best.  You’re giving yourself to someone you love.

Even if she can no longer love you…

Is caregiving a journey you don’t see an end to?  Or a happy ending?

Caregiving can make getting lost on the highway seem like a piece of cake! 

Are you feeling alone and lost in caregiving?

Well, you’re not alone…

Now there’s a road map to show you how to navigate caregiving. 

Click here right now to download your road map!

To your healthy and happy caregiving,

Dr. Ina

Ina Gilmore, M.D. (Retired)
“The Knitting Dr.”

Bestselling Author of “What Do I Say In a Sympathy Card?”

Creator of A HEART PLAN

Founder, www.CaregivingWithPurpose.com and www.TheKnittingYarn.com

Ambassador of Elder Care, www.HowToLiveOnPurpose.com

Recently Kara asked where she can find free Nordic knitting techniques?

I’ve found Nordic knitting techniques in books and patterns. 

Free knitting techniques can be a challenge.  Nordic knitting is usually for intermediate and advanced knitters.  And finding free knitting patterns for a smaller audience can be challenging.  When you know where to look, it’s easier though…

Here are several places you can look…

• Sometimes you can find the techniques explained in knitting patterns.
• Another free source may be a library book on Nordic knitting.
• The largest selection of free online Nordic knitting patterns I’ve found is on Ravelry, a membership site for knitters, crocheter, weavers, designers, spinners and dyers.  Ravelry has 89 free Nordic knitting patterns listed. A Ravelry membership is free.
• Nordic knitting is a large topic.  You could try searching by region or country, or by the type of project you want to knit.  Examples include Faroese shawls or Icelandic sweaters.
• Nordic knitting techniques are described in some books.  One of my favorite books is “Folk Mittens.“  It has nice descriptions of the different techniques with patterns for knitting around the world.  I used it to make my Norwegian Mitten pictured in this post.  You may find a copy at your library or perhaps you can borrow one from a knitter you know.

My Snowflake Christmas Knitting Balls Pattern is a Nordic-inspired pattern.  They make nice Christmas gifts, and are small projects you can take with you.   Click here to download it now. 

To your healthy and happy knitting & caregiving,

Dr. Ina
Ina Gilmore, M.D. (Retired)
“The Knitting Dr.”

Founder of www.CaregivingWithPurpose.com and www.TheKnittingYarn.com
Creator of A HEART PLAN
Ambassador of Elder Care at www.HowToLiveOnPurpose.com

The death this week of Coach Joe Paterno, longtime head football coach at Penn State seemed sudden.

I don’t know that it was, or any more about the circumstances than have been reported.  Still, coming about two months after his reportedly abrupt dismissal, I have to wonder…

One of my uncles was a middle manager for a large corporation for most of his career.  When the company started downsizing, he was encouraged to take early retirement.  When he refused initially, eventually he was forced into it.

And died about two years later of complications from a heart attack.  Or more likely, a broken heart.

In many ways his job and career was his family.  He had friends through work, and probably had more in common with many of them than his biological family. 

The stress of losing his job was probably similar to the stress someone else would feel if they lost a spouse, or maybe a child. 

And I wonder how many others there are like him…

Are you caring about someone who is nearing retirement age?

Wondering about how you could maybe help him or her ease into it?

Often a job seems to become part of someone’s personal identity.  This happens with professionals like doctors.  So much so it can be hard to leave the job without feeling like you’re leaving yourself.

Three ways to honor retirement wishes and help the decision-making process…

1. Can retirement be the potential retiree’s decision?  It can be less stressful for him to make the decision, than to have it made for him. This is often especially true for professionals and for anyone who views their job as a part of who he is.
2. Does he have hobbies or other activities and interests to fill in the time?  Someone who devotes his life to his job may not have other activities and hobbies.  Perhaps you can encourage him to develop some.  Or even to mentor someone else, sharing his knowledge.
3. Can including him in family activities help ease the transition?  Maybe your entire family can help by making him feel useful…and loved.

Retirement can be an adventure!  It can open new opportunities to do something you’ve always wanted to, or maybe to help others.

Now you can have a road map for navigating major life changes like retirement and caregiving…

Turning them into positive experiences and emerging happy and whole.

Click here right now to download your road map!

To your healthy and happy caregiving,

Dr. Ina

Ina Gilmore, M.D. (Retired)
“The Knitting Dr.”

Bestselling Author of  “What Do I Say In a Sympathy Card?”

Creator of A HEART PLAN

Founder, www.CaregivingWithPurpose.com and www.TheKnittingYarn.com

Ambassador of Elder Care, www.HowToLiveOnPurpose.com