"It's the 'most wonderful time of the year,' but that's not necessarily true for those dealing with Alzheimer's Disease and their caregivers."
Posts published in “Awareness”
"...But this day was different. It marked what would have been my beloved father’s 90th birthday. He’s been gone 10 years now, after a 13-year unwinnable battle with Alzheimer’s. They say time heals all wounds, but sometimes you wonder. It wasn’t supposed to end this way for Dad. He was an athletic, strapping, fit, bright and brilliant man who easily could still be with us. We had plans to experience the road together. There would be football weekends, basketball boondoggles and countless golf trips. Always golf."
"Whether you just started medications to manage Alzheimer's disease symptoms or you're caring for someone with the condition, understanding a bit more about Alzheimer's treatment makes it less mysterious and, ultimately, helps you feel a bit more in control."
"Ask anyone caring for a loved one with a serious illness what they do for self-care, and you’ll probably hear laughter in response. Self-care can be tough in the best of circumstances, but it’s especially difficult for people who spend the majority of their time caring for someone else. Alzheimer’s caregivers are no exception. Still, some people find a way. We spoke with several current and former Alzheimer’s caregivers about the seemingly small self-care moves they’ve found helpful."
The "he medical community has begun to explore the concept of 'gut integrity' — the idea of a connection, even a conversation, between the brain and the gut — new holistic insights into how lifestyle, including diet and mindfulness, may affect disease development, its management and prevention are coming to the fore."
VIDEO: "Maria Shriver takes on the deadly disease that has affected her family along with 5 million who are Americans suffering from it. Maria shares her fight against the illness and gives us her insight and tells us what she is doing as an advocate."
"Chalermpon Punnotok, chief executive officer of CT Robotics, presents Dinsow Mini 2, the companion for those with Alzheimer's that comes with artificial intelligence features. CT Robotics has launched its latest version of a Thai-made-and-designed robot, “Dinsow Mini 2”, which is embedded with artificial intelligence and is designed to be a companion for the elderly, especially those with Alzheimer’s."
"The gift of time is always perfect for someone with Alzheimer's disease or dementia. People going through this journey appreciate companionship and socialization because they feel isolated most of the time. Some examples of activities include taking them on a car ride, giving a soothing hand massage with scented lotions, involving them in holiday decorating and cooking or looking at photo albums together."
The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s grew by 8 percent in the past year, potentially because Alzheimer’s is affecting more families.
But elsewhere, the toll has been steep: The American Cancer Society became so reliant on charity walks such as Relay for Life that the organization has suffered severe revenue losses lately.
“Our declines were much more pronounced than some other organizations,” a spokesperson for the organization recently told The New York Times.
On the big day, everyone comes out to walk, run, bike, or get shaved en masse.
Are people doing something easy, or are they riding through Antarctica on broken glass in gorilla suits?” he says.
In the early stages of the disease, individuals might “fib” to cover up for memory loss; the individual is not intentionally being deceptive.
As your mother’s dementia progresses, she no longer has the cognitive abilities to intentionally be deceitful.
Dear Reader, We would be delighted to have you attend the Dec. 6 workshop, Sensory Stimulation and Activities for Those with Dementia.
We need to ensure that the person with dementia can feel successful and useful and not become frustrated.
A person with dementia may be able to play simple songs learned on the piano years ago.