Alzheimer's Reading Room (In Case You Missed It Edition)

“You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.” --Aristotle.....

Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room
Editor



The Metamorphosis of This Alzheimer's Caregiver (Part One)
The more I learned the more I wanted to know. I learned a great deal about Alzheimer's disease--including the science. It helped me understand a very mystifying disease. It helped me to put a frame around something that is difficult if not impossible to describe.

The Metamorphosis of This Alzheimer's Caregiver (Part Two)
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 Metamorphosis of This Alzheimer's Caregiver -- I Wish
Once I entered Alzheimer's world I did learn something fascinating -- my mother is full of feelings and emotion. I learned that I could connect with her....

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Communication in Alzheimer's World
Let's face it, dealing with Alzheimer's is not easy. Understanding Alzheimer's disease is not easy. Some people can't do it...not ever...

Alzheimer's Caregiver Lament -- I can't take her out because she eats with her hands
The positive effects of socialization, initiative, and motivation on the part of Alzheimer's sufferers and their caregiver should not be overlooked. I believe these are as important as the medication......

How We Beat Alzheimer's Incontinence -- A Solution
We are on a three day roll. No pee pee. No pee pee pajamas. No pee pee underwear. No pee pee pants...

Alzheimer's Caregiver Lament -- This is Not the Person I Knew
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...

Which Drugs Increase the Risk of Falling for the Elderly
Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries for adults sixty-five and older...

I promised not to put my parents in a nursing home
The decision to keep a parent home or place them in a facility is never an easy choice, and is usually contemplated for a long time. The horror stories we’ve all heard about nursing homes can make anyone cringe.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Sometimes while looking at all those stars I begin to look at the space between the stars -- I call this the Blue Nowhere...When I look at the Blue Nowhere, I begin to imagine all the persons suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The Blue Nowhere is very vast.

Original content Bob DeMarco, Alzheimer's Reading Room

The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems

Worried About Alzheimer's? You Should Be

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.
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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 really need to start wondering to yourself -- is this the way to beat or delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease?
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Worried About Alzheimer's? The Holy Grail of Exercise
In graduate school I studied risky decision making and statistics. I can say with confidence, if you are not exercising you are making a risky decision, and you are increasing the odds that you might suffer from Alzheimer's, heart disease, or any number of diseases that are catastrophic in the long run.
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Worried about Alzheimer's? Five Ways to Protect Yourself
Protect yourself against Alzheimer's or roll the dice? Here are five good ways to protect your brain and put the odds in your favor.
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Worried About Alzheimer's? Using Google Search Promotes Memory and a Healthy Brain
A brain study conducted by Dr. Gary Small, a UCLA expert on aging, found that people who search the Internet using Google use more of their brain while engaging in this activity. This suggests searching on the Internet may train the brain -- that it may keep it active and healthy.
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Worried about Alzheimer's? If You are a Baby Boomer You Should Be
I'm standing outside FAO Schwarz on Fifth Avenue in New York City. In fifteen minutes I see about 100 people coming and going. I ask myself? Did I just see 8 people that are going to suffer from Alzheimer's during their lifetime?
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Worried About Alzheimer's? Yoga for Your Face
There are a long list of scientific articles that indicate exercise reduces the risk of Alzheimer's, dementia, heart disease, diabetes, and lowers LDL cholesterol. You might chuckle when you see the yoga exercises for you face. They work.
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Worried About Alzheimer's? Nintendo Wii Hula Hoop
You'll notice you don't actually need a hula hoop. You just mimic the movement. In the case of my mother, I would have her hold on to a high backed chair. The combination of the music and video turns this into a game -- and lots of fun.
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Kindle Amazon's Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation)

Original content Bob DeMarco, Alzheimer's Reading Room

Is it really Alzheimers or something else?

clipped from www.alzheimersreadingroom.com Many people assume that if an older person becomes forgetful and can no longer deal with some of the basic activities of daily living, he or she must have Alzheimer’s disease. This is not always the case. I cannot tell you how many times I have recommended to someone to go beyond their personal physician and get a neurological consult. They rarely follow through which never stops amazing me. Dementia (Alzheimer's disease) like symptoms can be caused by numerous factors. The following can present as a false positive for Alzheimer's. They can only be ruled out by appropriate testing. These include: Original content Bob DeMarco, Alzheimer's Reading Room

The Metamorphosis of This Alzheimer's Caregiver (Part One)

clipped from www.alzheimersreadingroom.com My name is Bob DeMarco, I am an Alzheimer's caregiver. My mother Dorothy, now 93 years old, suffers from Alzheimer's disease. We live our lives one day at a time. I'm fortunate in two ways. I picked great parents, and God and my parents blessed me with an ability to read fast, and absorb information. My brain is wired to view everything as a system. This allows me to see all the parts when I encounter something new, or when I am trying to figure things out. When I first learned my mother was suffering from dementia, I quickly learned you could put everything I knew about dementia and Alzheimer's in a thimble. So, I started reading. The more I learned the more I wanted to know. I learned a great deal about Alzheimer's disease--including the science. It helped me understand a very mystifying disease. It helped me to put a frame around something that is difficult if not impossible to describe. Original content Bob DeMarco, Alzheimer's Reading Room

(R)evolution in Alzheimer's Related Caregiving

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clipped from www.alzheimersreadingroom.com One of my greatest fears is the day I might have to place my mother in an Alzheimer's care facility. I say might because I pray that I'll never have to do it. I receive emails all the time from people that experience the guilt, angst, and remorse of having place their loved one in a Alzheimer's care facility that provides little care, and is a horrid environment for their loved one. It doesn't have to be that way........... Perhaps what’s going on here is actually miraculous: nearly every one of them has been liberated from the nightmare of antipsychotic drugs. And virtually all of them will never be readmitted to a hospital behavior unit, a nursing home--or shackled to a restraint and left alone to die.--Laurence Harmon, et al

National Alliance for Caregiving and MetLife Foundation Honor Innovators Making a Difference in the Lives of Caregivers

This year's award winners are:

• Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) of New York, NY for the SAGE Caregiver Program, the only program in the country specifically designed to meet the complete care and support needs of LGBT caregivers, who are often marginalized from mainstream service and support.
• The Pro Bono Counseling Project of Baltimore, MD for its Caring for Caregivers program, which links low-income, uninsured caregivers with licensed mental health professionals, who donate their time and skills to families of persons with cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and multiple sclerosis, among others.

• James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA for its Caregivers Community Network, which recruits and trains community volunteers and students to provide respite and companion care services to families caring for frail or disabled older adults in rural VA.
• The Copper Ridge Institute in Sykesville, MD for its Dementia Skills Training for the Home Caregiver, an innovative educational program available in English or Spanish, designed to be sensitive to the dignity and quality of life necessary for both patient and caregiver. This program was also honored with an Alzheimer's Recognition Award.
• DARTS in Minneapolis, MN for its Workplace Eldercare Seminars, which support caregivers in the workplace with education and resources bringing confidence to the caregiver, payback to the employer, and a needed spotlight on aging and caregiving.
• The Community Action Program East Central Oregon in Pendleton, OR for Native Caring, a Native American Caregiver training conference that provides workshops and activities integrally tied to the spiritual, physical, mental and social -- all key elements of the Native American value system of care. This conference was also honored with a Cultural Diversity Recognition Award.
• Lifespan, Al Sigl Center, and The Arc of Monroe County, all based in Rochester, NY, collaborated to create Future Care Planning Services, which provides comprehensive life care planning services to assure peace of mind and a legacy of love for caregivers while providing autonomy for people with disabilities. The program also received an Award for Older Caregivers Caring for Adult Children with Disabilities.

Read the Press Release for more information.

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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 advice and 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 700 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems

The Alzheimer's Action Plan

“Most of us will either get Alzheimer’s or care for a loved one who has"

The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems

"This book is the most comprehensive and up-to-date guide for the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease. Whether you are a health care professional or have Alzheimer's in your family or are simply interested to living to an old age, this book is a must read."
--Deepak Chopra, M.D., New York Times bestselling author of Perfect Health: The Complete Mind/Body Guide

Insight and Advice about Alzheimer's Disease
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"Memory does matter. Adults across the life cycle are asking questions, many questions! The authors answer these questions for the educated public, family members who encounter memory loss in a loved one, and even adults who believe they are experiencing early memory loss. The answers are comprehensive and understandable, no small accomplishment given the plethora of new information available—information that at times is not only confusing but also conflicting."
--Dan G. Blazer, M.D., Ph.D., former Dean of Medical Education, Duke University School of Medicine; past President of the American Geriatrics Society

"Dr. Doraiswamy has done a masterful job of communicating what the layman should know on the treatment, the care giving and, most important, the prevention of Alzheimer's. It was gratifying to learn about the mountain of evidence that what is good for your heart is also good for your brain."
--Arthur Agatston, M.D., cardiologist and #1 New York Times bestselling author of The South Beach Diet

"I love this book! A powerful and vital resource for people who need it the most. Dr. Doraiswamy is that unique blend of medical expertise mixed in with warmth and compassion topped off with humility that makes him rare and wonderful."
--Leeza Gibbons, Emmy award-winning TV host and founder of Leeza's Place and the Memory Foundation

"Lisa Gwyther is a national treasure. She has been a pioneer in providing innovative care and education for Alzheimer’s patients and their families for many years. Lisa’s long experience helping families cope with the challenges of memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease makes her uniquely qualified to co-author this book. Families experiencing the new world of memory loss and Alzheimer’s couldn’t ask for a better companion for the journey. Her warmth, compassion, and wisdom shine through, and will help light the way."
--Pat Lynch, Director of Communications, Alzheimer’s Center Program, National Institute on Aging

"Most of us will either get Alzheimer's or care for a loved one who has. This action plan can empower you to make a difference."
--Mehmet C. Oz, M.D., co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, You: The Owner’s Manual

"Five million Americans have Alzheimer disease, and an even larger number with mild to moderate memory loss are at high risk of developing this illness. Murali Doraiswamy, a leading clinical researcher in Alzheimer disease, and Lisa Gwyther, a founder of the Alzheimer Association, have co-authored this timely, state-of-the-art book directed at patients with Alzheimer disease, their informants, and their primary care physicians....I fully predict that this exceptionally well-written, reader-friendly book will become the standard resource for patients with Alzheimer disease and their loved ones. Its up-to-date information, patient-centered approach, and focus on prevention and treatment directed at patients with incipient Alzheimer disease distinguish it from The 36 Hour Day by Nancy Mace and Peter Rabins, which is directed at caregivers of patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer disease."
--JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association)

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 advice and 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 700 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

More from the Alzheimer's Reading Room

• Test Your Memory (TYM) for Alzheimer's or Dementia in Five Minutes
• The Thyroid and Alzheimer's
• Are Alzheimer's Caregivers the Forgotten?
• Flavanol-rich Cocoa Consumption Improves Blood Flow to the Brain
  
• A Simple Three Minute Test Can Detect the Earliest Stage of Alzheimer's Disease
• Eli Lilly Launches Two Late Stage Clinical Trials for Alzheimer's (LY2062430)
• Dimebon Clinical Trial?
• Wii a Useful Tool for Alzheimer's Caregivers
• Five Ways to Keep Alzheimer's Away
• 2009 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures
• The Mini-Cog Test for Alzheimer's and Dementia
• What is Dementia?
• A Real Solution to the Health Care Crisis
• 80 Percent of Medical Bills Contain Errors -- Fighting Mistakes

The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems

Original content the Alzheimer's Reading Room

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