Crankiness and Irritability in Persons with Dementia
There is a very good reason why people with dementia may seem more irritable or cranky: “laid off” workers!
Should I Educate My Wife About Her Alzheimer’s?
“My wife is in stage 4 Alzheimer’s. She is in denial about her Alzheimer’s. Should I remind her that she has Alzheimer’s and educate her about the disease?”
What is the Difference Between a Nursing Home and an Assisted Living Facility?
How is a nursing home different from an assisted living? What in the world is “Memory Care Facility”? How can I figure out which is best for my loved one? How are they different?
What to Do When People with Dementia Cannot Eat
“I’m so distraught over my father. He has a Peg tube in, and hasn’t had any solid food for over 2 months.” So what does one doe when people with dementia cannot eat? Our reader Denise wrote: “I’m so distraught over my father. Has a Peg tube and hasn’t had any […]
Frontotemporal Dementia Caregiving Costs More than AD Caregiving
The combined indirect and direct care costs associated with FTD averaged $120K annually, compared to the average annual indirect and direct care costs of caregiving for AD, $64K. Flexible work schedules and pre-tax health savings accounts for caregiving expenses are two ideas that would make life better for family caregivers.
The 3 Questions Every Dementia Caregiver Should Ask Clinicians: Starting the Palliative Care Conversation
We described palliative care as “aggressive symptom management for maximum quality of life at the present time.” The goal is to treat and remove, or reduce, symptoms that are bothering the person who is deeply forgetful. Symptoms such as pain, or problems like urinary tract infections, are handled in ways that make sense to the person living in Dementia Land.
Flowers and Salmon Patties: How To Slow Down Loss of Function in Persons with Dementia
Well-meaning family and formal caregivers sometimes start to “overdo” for persons with dementia. “I don’t want her to get hurt” or “I don’t want him to feel embarrassed” or “It is just so much easier if I do (fill in the blank).” What people do not realize is that once a person with dementia forgets how to do an activity or task, he or she is rarely able to relearn it. There just aren’t enough nerve cells to knit together a new memory.
Meet the Dementias: Alzheimer’s Disease
All cases of Alzheimer’s Disease are dementia, but not all dementia are Alzheimer’s Disease.