Could a combination of the vitamins B12, B6 and folic acid be first effective “drug” to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease? The concept looks promising. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences recently published information about a study on aging volunteers that has demonstrated how this combination of B vitamins has, in their trials, slowed atrophy of gray matter in brain areas affected by Alzheimer’s disease. In the words of senior study author A. David Smith, professor emeritus of pharmacology at Oxford University in England, “It’s a big effect, much bigger than we would have dreamt of.”
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Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook
Few people who have fulfilled the caregiver role to an elder would say it's an easy job. However, most caregivers are either adult children who have at least matured into their 40s or 50s, or else they are mature spouses of the ill person. These caregivers have a few decades of living behind them and hopefully have been able to enjoy some young years where their responsibilities, at the most, were to take care of themselves, a spouse and their children.
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Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook
Children can be frightened by the changes in the grandparent who was once gentle and loving, but could now have become cranky and occasionally downright mean and abusive. How we, as parents, handle the changes in our own parents can affect how well our children handle the changes. But each child is different and each set of circumstances is different. So where to you start when it's time to explain?
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Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook
...My mom was a supreme example. She fell in her apartment—often more than once a week. She had memory problems. She was taken advantage of by telemarketers. She had digestive issues. However, when I took her to her doctor, what I called her "hostess personality" took over. While she may have complained of pain in the car during our drive, the minute she had a chance to tell her doctor how terrible she felt she was perkiness personified.
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Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook
Dear Carol: My sister Jean has wanted our mom to see a doctor about memory issues for months but Mom says she’s fine. Jean lives out of town, so she set aside a day to come into town and take Mom to lunch and get Mom’s hair cut. Then, Jean sprung a doctor appointment on Mom and, not surprisingly, Mom refused to go. She and Jean had a fight. I took Mom’s side which probably didn’t help matters. Mom already sees her doctor for osteoporosis and severe arthritis, but she won’t take memory tests even though her memory is slipping a lot. She also has some confusion.
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Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook