Alzheimer's Disease

 
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    Alzheimer's Reading Room

  • Worried About Alzheimer's Disease ?

    Bob DeMarco
    21 Nov 2009 | 8:19 am
    Regardless of age, you should be worried about Alzheimer's disease..... Worried About Alzheimer's? You Should Be Regardless of age, you should be worried about Alzheimer's disease. A Harris Interactive poll showed that 100 million Americans are touched by Alzheimer's. The same poll showed that more than 33 million Americans are worried about getting Alzheimer's. To continue reading -- go here. Subscribe to The Alzheimer's Reading Room--via Email Worried About Alzheimer's? Tip #1 Exercise If exercise can have this kind of dramatic effect on my mother who already suffers from Alzheimer's, you…

  • Alzheimer's Wandering in Delray Beach, Florida -- New Identification Program

    Bob DeMarco
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:42 pm
    My kinda town.... Bob DeMarco Alzheimer's Reading Room Editor In Delray Beach, Florida they get it. They care. They understand persons suffering from Alzheimer's are likely to wander. Statistics show that 60 percent, over 3 million, Alzheimer's sufferers are likely to wander. It won't cost you 50 bucks to sign up and get into the system. You won't have to pay 25 bucks a year to keep the service active. All you will need to do, if you live in Delray Beach, is go down to the Delray Beach police station, get registered and get a picture taken. "We're building a databank of photographs and…

  • My Alzheimer's Awareness Television Ad

    Bob DeMarco
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:37 am
    Mi sento agitata.... Bob DeMarco Alzheimer's Reading Room Editor I'm feeling agitated. This is when my stomach starts bothering me. I am also suffering from a case of deja vu. Yesterday I published an article -- Study of aging in Group Health patients aims to prevent dementia, including Alzheimer's -- and the following words are stuck in my mind. When older people cannot walk except very slowly, this predicts that they are likely to become "frail" (weak and prone to diseases) and develop dementia. This reminds me of when I first noticed my mother was scrapping her feet on the ground. A sound…

  • Quote of the Day -- Caregivers

    Bob DeMarco
    20 Nov 2009 | 5:57 am
    There are only four kinds of people in the world - those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers.-- Rosalynn Carter Are Alzheimer's Caregivers the Forgotten? Subscribe to The Alzheimer's Reading Room--via Email

  • Study of aging in Group Health patients aims to prevent dementia, including Alzheimer's

    Bob DeMarco
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:15 am
    Every two years, 2,000 senior Group Health patients check in with the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study. The joint project between Group Health Research Institute and the University of Washington (UW) focuses on finding ways to delay or prevent dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, and declines in memory and thinking. It aims to deepen understanding of how the body—especially the brain—ages..... The ACT study has learned many lessons to date, published in nearly 250 scientific articles. The study is known best for findings about the benefits of physical activity: Regular exercise is…
 
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    "Had a Dad" Alzheimer's Blog

  • Alzheimer's Association's new Comfort Zone program for finding the lost

    GBP })i({
    29 Oct 2009 | 12:31 pm
    The Alzheimer's Association has a new GPS-based program to help find dementia patients who wander.  It seems like an upgrade to the Safe Return program, which I purchased for my dad.  (I still have his bracelet--I don't know why I wanted it.) Rather than try to explain it, here's what they sent me: The Alzheimer's Association Comfort Zone™, powered by Omnilink, is the first comprehensive location management system designed specifically for Alzheimer’s, giving people with the disease more freedom and independence in their community while providing their family some peace of…

  • Alzheimer's clinical trial in Pennsylvania

    GBP })i({
    18 Oct 2009 | 7:47 pm
    This study will evaluate an investigational medication for behavior and personality changes in people with Alzheimer's disease. The research site is in Norristown, Penn.  http://www.clinicalconnection.com/clinical_trials/condition/alzheimers_disease.aspx."Had a Dad" Alzheimer's Blog http://alzheimersdad.blogspot.com (c) Gevera Bert Piedmont })i({ Thank you for visiting!

  • rate of Alzheimer's is doubling every 20 years

    GBP })i({
    29 Sep 2009 | 6:07 pm
    Just came across this article on CBS, saying that the number of Alzheimer's sufferers is doubling every 20 years. Currently 35 million people world wide are afflicted, which is 10% more than had been estimated. Barring a medical breakthrough, the World Alzheimer Report projects dementia will nearly double every 20 years. By 2050, it will affect a staggering 115.4 million people, the report concludes. .... The report urges the World Health Organization to declare dementia a health priority and for national governments to follow suit. It recommends major new investments in research to uncover…

  • A new clinical trial for those on Namenda in California

    GBP })i({
    29 Sep 2009 | 5:33 pm
    I found this on the Spark People website: If someone you care about is taking Namenda (memantine), you may be interested in this study of an investigational drug for Alzheimer's disease. The research site is in Newport Beach, Calif. http://www.clinicalconnection.com/clinical_trials/condition/alzheimers_disease.aspx "Had a Dad" Alzheimer's Blog http://alzheimersdad.blogspot.com (c) Gevera Bert Piedmont })i({ Thank you for visiting!

  • new device offers comforts for dementia patients

    GBP })i({
    20 Sep 2009 | 5:59 pm
    Jeannette Twomey, inventor of the Kind Reminder, sent me an email recently to tell me about her product.  It's a little device that plays a recorded message with the push of a large button.  The caregiver can leave a simple message like, "It's Tuesday and I'll see you at 5 p.m." or any information that the dementia patient may need to access frequently. The recorder is inexpensive and 5% of the purchase price goes to the Alzheimer's Association. If my dad was still alive, I'd have no problem shelling out $20 for this!  Maybe if he had had a recording of my voice to carry…
 
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    WordPress Tag: Alzheimers Disease

  • A Night with the President: A New World Order

    bendotyoder
    21 Nov 2009 | 12:49 pm
    Throughout President Bush Sr.’s speeches and presidency, the theme of “A New World Order” is prevalent. As demonized of an ideal as it is, his New World Order (NWO) is not manifest destiny and it is not Pax Americana. The Bush agenda (both Jr. and Sr.) sought to spread the peace and prosperity that already had made America great. In the book, “Heartbeat: George Bush in His Own Words,” he comments on it. “The NWO really is a tool for addressing a new world of possibilities. This order gains its mission and shape not just from shared interests but from shared…

  • 10 warning signs of Alzheimer's Disease

    columbiaagedcare
    19 Nov 2009 | 2:49 pm
    The Alzheimer’s Association in the US have provided 10 signs to help you recognise that Alzheimer’s Disease might becoming a problem for an elderly person in your care. 1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life One of the most common signs of Alzheimer’s is memory loss, especially forgetting recently learned information. Others include forgetting important dates or events; asking for the same information over and over; relying on memory aides or family members for things they used to handle on their own. 2. Challenges in planning or solving problems Some people may experience…

  • Health Care Reform That Works? Try Prescribing Some Creativity...

    Lora Wilson Mau, MA, R-DMT
    19 Nov 2009 | 12:47 pm
    A recent report has demonstrated that health care costs may actually DECREASE when arts are incorporated into health care settings. Some of the benefits for the patients include shorter hospital stays and a need for less medication. Benefits for the employees include increased satisfaction on the job and greater job retention, especially with nursing staff. These findings and more are reported in the 2009 State of the Field Report for ArtsInHealthcare. A 33 page document, this report highlights the researched benefits of all forms of art, be they incorporated into the institutional setting…

  • How to control your emotions.

    probaway
    18 Nov 2009 | 9:56 pm
    Human brain disease is a subject that peaked my interest, as I am self diagnosed with strange abilities and given the superhero name of Apophenio. That self absorbtion, to my way of thinking, means the ability to see things which other people do not see and to hear, feel and comprehend things which others don’t. Since I have given the supername to myself implies I have some sort of mental disorder, for me, a lecture by one of the world’s foremost researchers on brain pathology was a not to be missed. Katherine Rankin from UCSF gave at talk entitled, Is there a Neuroanatomic…

  • 12 Family Movies to Watch This Holiday Season With Someone Who Has Dementia

    Lauren Watral
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:25 am
    ~Found in caring.com by Paula Spencer Looking for a holiday activity someone with dementia can enjoy with the whole family, including kids, during the upcoming holidays? An intergenerational movie is a stress-free way to share time and togetherness. Here are 12 family movies to consider, organized into three categories: newish movies, old movies, and something different. New(ish) Movies “Enchanted” Wholesome, cute, and clever, it starts as a classic Disney princess cartoon, then the drawn characters turn into real actors, including Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey (who look and sound…
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    The Myth of Alzheimer's

  • Researchers establish more hope for postponement of dementia

    A study recently published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry found that persons who smoke or who have high blood pressure or diabetes in middle age are more likely to develop dementia. Researchers enlisted 11,151 men and women who were between the ages of 46 and 70 when they joined the study in 1990-1992 [...]

  • Lead found in children’s products sold in major US retailers

    Last month, we blogged about Target Corp incurring a $600,000 civil penalty for selling toys sold between May 2006 and August 2007 that contained dangerously high levels of lead paint This evening, I caught a story on yahoo.com which reported on a report released by the Center for Environmental Health which tested over 250 children’s products [...]

  • Intergenerativity - a new concept for encouraging creative change

    Today our group (from the US, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom) presented a workshop on “Intergenerativity: learning  “between” and “among” to create the sustainable “beyond”.” I am at the World Appreciative Inquiry Conference in Kathmandu, Nepal. Appreciative Inquiry was developed a Case Western Reserve University by David Cooperider and colleagues. It is [...]

  • How can we really reform health care? Ask AHMA and APHA

    Namaste from Nepal (more about that in a later post) It seems fairly clear that Obama will succeed in starting change rolling in health care. He co-opted many of the big moneyed players (pharma, doctors, hospitals, and even for a time insurance companies before they reclaimed their appropriate bad guystatus). The question is whether the seeds [...]

  • Exploring the dark side of hope

    Peter and I often tread the fine line between being critical of the hype of the pharmaceutical industry and their lofty promises for a “cure” or “preventative therapy” for dementia, while promoting a more honest and realistic sense of hope for those affected by brain aging. Sometimes people criticize us for suggesting that we should not [...]
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    Alzheimers Care Blog

  • Portrait of Alzheimer’s

    Erin Whalen
    19 Nov 2009 | 5:51 pm
    Today, I heard an interesting interview with Judith Fox, a professional photographer.  Her husband has Alzheimer’s and she has been documenting his disease process in photographs and recently published a book, I Still Do. Her photos and voice speak to remaining love despite the losses associated with Alzheimer’s disease. You can listen to the interview here, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120568216&ft=1&f=13, see the photos here, www.judithfox.com , and read her blog here, http://judithfox.wordpress.com/.

  • Taking Steps

    admin
    20 Oct 2009 | 7:13 pm
    Recently,  Senior Living Residences (SLR), www.SeniorLivngResidences.com, teamed up with its academic affiliate, the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center (BU ADC), www.bu.edu/alzresearch, to raise more than $10,000 for research, education and care in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Our team included faculty, professionals, and volunteers from both SLR and the BU ADC. We joined thousand of other Massachusetts residents taking part in Memory Walk, www.alz.org/memorywalk, a nationwide effort to raise vital funds for care, education, and research. Memory Walk is the…

  • Diet Reduces Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

    admin
    29 Sep 2009 | 9:04 pm
    Having my own family history of Alzheimer’s disease, I was particularly interested in some recent research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association(JAMA). Last month, JAMA reported findings from a compelling study describing a direct connection between diet and cognitive health. Researchers found that individuals who follow a “Mediterranean-type diet” have a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. In the study, individuals who adhered to a Mediterranean diet had a 32-40 percent decreased risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. In the same study,…

  • Senior Living Residences Receives Award

    Tadd Clelland
    19 Aug 2009 | 12:49 pm
    Senior Living Residences, www.seniorlivingresidences.com,  recently received a Recognition Award from  the Boston University School of Medicine’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center (BU ADC), www.bu.edu/alzresearch. The Award was presented to SLR for its contribution to Alzheimer’s disease research and community outreach, including the research and education initiatives of the  BU ADC. The BU ADC is one of the 31 National Institute on Aging funded Alzheimer’s Disease Centers nationwide. Dr. Robert Stern, Associate Professor of  Neurology and Co-Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease…

  • ICAD, Now an Annual Event

    Erin Whalen
    31 Jul 2009 | 5:56 pm
    Close to 3000 researchers and scientists convened in Vienna, Austria for the International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease (ICAD) this month. The meetings, workshops, and presentation highlighted the latest research results in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease and focused on new diagnostic tools, prevention methods and treatment options. Sponsored by National Alzheimer’s Association, the conference brings together the best and brightest in the field. For a full listing of news releases and research findings announced this year, go to www.alz.org/icad. Noting the expected increase…
 
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    Technorati Tag: Alzheimer's Disease

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    9 Nov 2009 | 6:18 am
    The feed you requested is currently unavailable. Technorati has retired all of the legacy feeds and is in the process of creating new ones based on our new infrastructure. The following new feeds are available now: Hottest Blogosphere Posts Latest Original Articles from Technorati The Technorati Blog
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    KnowItAlz.com Blog

  • Heeeere's Mommy

    17 Nov 2009 | 8:45 pm
    My Mom used to be Johnny Carson's secretary back in the early 1960s. When we cleaned out my Dad's condo when he moved in with me, I found a couple of big rolls of 1/2 video tape marked Joanie/Carson Show . My curiosity got the best of me and I took them to a video production company and had them converted into a DVD. There were two shows where Johnny mentioned my Mom by name on the air in 1962. When I showed it to Dad yesterday, he was so thrilled! He was smiling from ear to ear and laughing out loud. Now I have a new item to put in my Dad needs a good mood box. Whenever he is down or…

  • Leftovers

    13 Nov 2009 | 5:15 am
    I have had the flu for a few days and have been feeling just plain lousy. Luckily, on Monday I made a huge meatloaf with some meat that needed to be cooked. So each night I present Dad with a big slice of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and peas. He comments each night that he can't remember the last time he had such a wonderful meal. Thank goodness!

  • Puns about Buns

    9 Nov 2009 | 6:40 am
    Dad was talking with a classmate from High School today, and they were comparing illnesses. I heard Dad talking about his hemorrhoids and the problems he has been experiencing with diarrhea and constipation. I'll sure be glad when that is all behind me. He said. Hee Hee. I hate for him to be the butt of a joke!

  • Straight "A"s

    4 Nov 2009 | 11:21 pm
    I got my caregiver report card today. I know there is really no such thing, but when I received the results from my Dad's latest physical, I felt like I had made the Dean's list. Keep in mind, he is 81 years old, has Alzheimer's and takes 19 pills a day. Here is how the results read: Glucose - Normal Calcium - Normal Protein - Normal Sodium - Normal Potassium - Normal CO2 - Normal Chloride - Normal Liver Function - Normal Kidney Function - Normal I've never thought of Dad as normal, but the tests don't lie! Whoopee!

  • Sherwin Hatfield Williams

    4 Nov 2009 | 2:20 am
    Dad and I took a drive up to the mountains this past weekend to see the beautiful Autumn leaves. It is a long-standing tradition that Dad started when I was in the 5th Grade or so. It was always just the two of us, each Fall. We were taking a charming North Carolina back road, when we passed a beautiful horse farm with a mile-long white fence. It was like a scene from a Norman Rockwell picture. I commented to Dad, I sure am glad I don't have to paint that fence. Me too, but I wish I owned the paint store! He replied with a grin.
 
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    The Tangled Neuron

  • Another Video, Another Grim Portrayal

    riverwren
    4 Nov 2009 | 4:18 am
    Last month, a group of people with memory loss, their families and doctors successfully petitioned the French Alzheimer’s Association to drop plans to promote a video of people who appeared to have very advanced dementia in dire situations. This week,...

  • German Institute Cites Lack of Evidence for Alzheimer's Treatments

    riverwren
    29 Oct 2009 | 5:04 pm
    The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Healthcare has issued a new report on Alzheimer's treatments. Comissioned by the German government, the report concludes: there is not enough proof that memantine (sold as Namenda in the U.S.) is effective in...

  • Brain Fitness Trial Online

    riverwren
    27 Oct 2009 | 3:02 pm
    Brain fitness is a controversial topic. Can you really prevent or slow memory loss by "training your brain?" Do improved scores on brain fitness programs translate to improved functionality in everyday life? There's not enough evidence to answer these questions....

  • Richard Taylor's New DVD

    riverwren
    26 Oct 2009 | 8:52 am
    I just watched Richard Taylor’s new DVD “Be With Me Today.” The DVD is from his presentation to professionals at the Person-Centered Dementia Care Conference in Atlanta. In the 51 minute video, he talks about what caregivers (family and professional)...

  • Q & A with John Zeisel, Author of I'm Still Here

    riverwren
    7 Oct 2009 | 6:37 am
    Last spring, I read a book by John Zeisel, Ph.D. called I'm Still Here: A Breakthrough Approach to Understanding Someone Living with Alzheimer's . I liked how the book emphasized that some memories and abilities can remain intact in people...
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    Caregiving, Aging & Alzheimer's

  • Hard to Be Patient When You're Not At Your Best

    artbylt
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:21 am
    The first sign that I was in a crabby mood today came when Adrian walked into my studio and started to talk to me about the painting I was working on.  "Is this your most popular size painting?" he asked."Does it look like it?" I said.  "I paint square paintings.  This one is rectangular."It went downhill from there, and he finally asked, "Are you upset with me?""No, I'm upset with myself.  But I need to be alone."He left, and I felt bad that I'd acted so bitchy. Next, when I tried to make BLTs at lunch, we were out of…

  • Reading Pema Chodron: the Breathing Pause

    artbylt
    15 Nov 2009 | 1:14 pm
    This morning I went to meditation at the Foundation of Light, where we meditate, read, and talk about what we read.  I brought in a book by Pema Chodron, and we read about pausing before reacting:  just stopping and taking three breaths.  Aaah, like that.We were sitting outside in the sunlight, mesmerized by this bright warm day in Ithaca in the middle of November! Pausing before we self-destruct or react with irritation and anger--how I need to do this!  I notice that I am programmed to react to anything new negatively.  On a walk today with Adrian, he suggested a different way to…

  • Memory Tests for Alzheimer's Scare the Caregiver

    artbylt
    6 Nov 2009 | 9:13 am
    Today I took Adrian to see a new psychiatrist, and the doctor asked Adrian a few memory questions to check for Alzheimer's.  Whenever that happens, I always try to answer the questions silently, and get anxious when I have trouble.  I think, for example, that the one about drawing a clock showing the time of ten minutes to two is not that easy in these days of digital clocks and watches.  How often do we actually look at clocks to tell the time?  By the time my grand-kids take these tests, the clock question will be totally obsolete.When the doctor heard that Adrian watches tennis,…

  • Losing Touch: A Sign of Alzheimer's

    artbylt
    4 Nov 2009 | 10:16 am
    The other night I rented The Truman Show and watched it with Adrian.  About half-way through, we stopped for a break.  He said the movie frightened him. "I feel like I'm gradually losing touch with everything," he said.  The movie had a "happy" ending, when Truman left his make-believe world inside the studio for real life.  Unfortunately, the loss that Alzheimer's patients feel will not be restored.  The best that can happen is that good care and medication postpone the most devastating effects.  And at some point, when the disease has advanced far enough, the…

  • Two Brothers Visit: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

    artbylt
    30 Oct 2009 | 8:28 am
    I didn't have much time for Adrian recently, because two of my brothers were in town for 3 days.  Bob stayed with us, and Don and his partner stayed at my sister's house.  We all played games, took walks, and ate together for 2 1/2 days.  Games:  ping-pong, bridge, Oh Hell (card game), Shanghai Rummy (card game in which Don made up the rules as we played); chess (Bob and Adrian only).  The Good:  Adrian got along fabulously with Bob, which was great because they spent a lot of time together, and it would have been awful if they didn't get along, since Bob was staying at…
 
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    950 Miles Away

  • Mourning

    31 Oct 2009 | 5:30 pm
    I had heard that this time would come, but as we often do when faced with the painful and unpleasant, I never really believed it would happen. The mother I knew is gone. The woman who was intelligent, quick witted, and open minded is no more.She has been replaced by a woman who says bigoted outrageous things, gets angry if she's contradicted, and often acts like a spoiled child.My visit did not go well.I was not prepared for the changes that have occurred in my mom since I last visited in December. I was impatient and angry with her. I could not label it "the illness" when she behaved badly…

  • Another Year Gone, Part 2

    25 Jun 2009 | 2:47 pm
    Fortunately after about two weeks she relented and asked Diane to go to her home. However, she insisted that she didn't need her more than two days a week. When I would remind her that she had agreed in the doctor's office to have Diane every day and every evening during the week, she would become very angry. Here's how it normally goes: Me: Mom, when we went to see the doctor he was very concerned about your being all alone in your house. He wanted you to have Diane in during the day and the evening.Mom: He can't tell me what to do. I'm independent. I've been independent all of my life. I'll…

  • Another Year Gone

    21 Jun 2009 | 6:00 am
    It's been a year since I last posted. In that time I resolved to have my mother go into the nursing home and then changed my mind. And changed it again. And again. So many times I went back and forth on the issue and never felt completely good about either decision. I haven't been to see her since December. That was the deadline I had set for her to make a decision either to move to my town or go into the nursing home. I was pretty sure she wouldn't move to my town, so I had talked to her doctor about how we could get her into the nursing home. The plan was to take her in to see him, and he…

  • New World

    15 Jun 2008 | 1:00 pm
    So, one day you wake up and find it's a whole new world. After the worst visit ever in December, I had one of the best visits ever in May. The visit in December was unmitigated hell. Mom treated me with contempt and hostility. She seemed to be trying to hurt my feelings intentionally, if that is even possible in one with dementia. Everything came back to the money. In addition to the usual accusations, she added a new one: I had spent all her money. Every day I was there, sometimes several times a day, I had to answer these charges.Then something happened. In February she said that I had…

  • By the time you figure it out, it's too late

    30 Jan 2008 | 2:52 pm
    Dealing with someone with dementia is like raising a child. By the time you get it somewhat figured out, it's too late. With children, they're grown; with the demented they're gone.
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    Minding Our Elders (R)

  • Two Parents with Dementia: How Do We Cope?

    Carol Bradley Bursack
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pm
    My mom and dad both have dementia. I am all alone taking care of them since my sister passed away...

  • Help Yourself Avoid Holiday Depression By Allowing Guilt Free Imperfection

    Carol Bradley Bursack
    16 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pm
    During that time, my father-in-law died. Each Christmas, I drove from home to home through a small web of streets, decorating each apartment plus the nursing home rooms of my dad and my uncle. Oh yeah, I had my house and kids to make nice, as well.

  • How Do People Pay for In-home Care?

    Carol Bradley Bursack
    15 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am
    Dear Carol: My mom needs more help than I can provide. I’d like to get someone to go into her home for a few hours a day, but I don’t know how to pay for this. Linda Dear Linda: In-home care agencies are a good way to find flexible care for people like your mom

  • Senior Housing: The Emotional Side of Moving Your Elderly Parent

    Carol Bradley Bursack
    11 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pm
    For most of us, the feeling is less about how large or how fancy a home is than about it being a place where we belong. Many of us, after getting out of the house we were so anxious to leave as young adults, still find ourselves lovingly attached to the humble dwelling of our childhood. Now, place yourself in the shoes

  • “I Still Do” Offers Powerful Insight Into Alzheimer’s Through Art

    Carol Bradley Bursack
    9 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pm
    During the last few years there has been an explosion of books on Alzheimer's disease. Some are "how-to" books with specific advice on coping with the many difficulties of the disease. Many are medical in nature and some are personal stories. Most are emotionally touching in that this disease is a family disease that changes the lives of each person interacting
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    Caring for Hawaii's Elders

  • Caregiving with a Side Order of Tantrum

    Caring for Hawaii's Elders
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:36 am
    I kind of lost my blogging muse for a bit, but it came back today as I was trying to do my mom's morning routine before leaving the house and was doing my usual banging around in the kitchen getting her breakfast ready.  I started to put the plastic compartmentalized box of medications on the shelf when it dropped to the floor, popped open and pills went flying everywhere.  That was it, like the great non-exemplary Christian that I am, I started screaming and cussing, opened up all the bottles to put new pills in the case, screamed and cussed some more, banged the damn thing on the…

  • Say What Matters

    Caring for Hawaii's Elders
    19 Nov 2009 | 2:29 am
    From Kevin: I found these simple yet profound words of wisdom on the Hospice Hawaii Web site. They were attributed to Dr. Ira Byock, the director of palliative medicine at Dartmouth Medical School. Say what matters... "I forgive you." "Please forgive me." "I love you." "Thank You." "Goodbye." Dr. Byock is the author of "The Four Things That Matter Most." He was on an NPR program called, "Making Plans for the Last Chapter of Life" along with another expert (Dr. Sherwin Nuland) on end-of-life issues. The program is a spirited discussion about dying well. Dr. Byock says in the program that…

  • Three Events Coming Up

    Caring for Hawaii's Elders
    15 Nov 2009 | 2:28 am
    Two events are coming up, which you can read about below. To summarize: The Alzheimer's Foundation of America will hold its Memory Screening Day on Nov. 17. Elderlaw and Caregiving Public Information Session, Nov. 17. AARP Hawaii is sponsoring long-term care information sessions on several islands. Here's the press release from the Alzheimer's Foundation of America: Alzheimer’s Foundation of America to Hold National Memory Screening Day During National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month Actor Hector Elizondo Urges Americans to Get Screened NEW YORK, NY—As research continues to mount…

  • All in a Delirious Day's Work

    Caring for Hawaii's Elders
    11 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    My mother speaks with directness and so convincingly that I want to believe her.  The other day she asked for us to turn the light on because we had to get on a plane.  When I bring her breakfast to her, she dives right into the papaya and asks me, "Are these from our tree?"   I try to explain to her that we don't have a papaya tree.  This morning when I went into the kitchen, my brother had kleenex in his ears.   I think her delusional statements are getting to him.  My mother looked at me and said very matter-of-factly, "There were some people following the children.  I tried to…

  • ADRC Hawaii -- Part 1

    Caring for Hawaii's Elders
    8 Nov 2009 | 12:09 pm
    From Kevin: "What's ADRC Hawaii?" you might have asked when you saw the headline for this blog entry. The letters stand for Aging & Disability Resource Center, and it's the "new and improved" Web site for the Elderly Affairs Division of the City and County of Honolulu. You can access this Web site by going to the following address: http://www.elderlyaffairs.com This is the Web site that a lot of people who work with older adults and caregivers have been waiting for. It serves as a clearinghouse of information so that you don't have to go searching for programs and services by locating…
 
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    The Tangled Neuron

  • Another Video, Another Grim Portrayal

    riverwren
    4 Nov 2009 | 4:18 am
    Last month, a group of people with memory loss, their families and doctors successfully petitioned the French Alzheimer’s Association to drop plans to promote a video of people who appeared to have very advanced dementia in dire situations. This week,...

  • German Institute Cites Lack of Evidence for Alzheimer's Treatments

    riverwren
    29 Oct 2009 | 5:04 pm
    The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Healthcare has issued a new report on Alzheimer's treatments. Comissioned by the German government, the report concludes: there is not enough proof that memantine (sold as Namenda in the U.S.) is effective in...

  • Brain Fitness Trial Online

    riverwren
    27 Oct 2009 | 3:02 pm
    Brain fitness is a controversial topic. Can you really prevent or slow memory loss by "training your brain?" Do improved scores on brain fitness programs translate to improved functionality in everyday life? There's not enough evidence to answer these questions....

  • Richard Taylor's New DVD

    riverwren
    26 Oct 2009 | 8:52 am
    I just watched Richard Taylor’s new DVD “Be With Me Today.” The DVD is from his presentation to professionals at the Person-Centered Dementia Care Conference in Atlanta. In the 51 minute video, he talks about what caregivers (family and professional)...

  • Q & A with John Zeisel, Author of I'm Still Here

    riverwren
    7 Oct 2009 | 6:37 am
    Last spring, I read a book by John Zeisel, Ph.D. called I'm Still Here: A Breakthrough Approach to Understanding Someone Living with Alzheimer's . I liked how the book emphasized that some memories and abilities can remain intact in people...
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