Alzheimer's Care

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.... When I hear these words -- this is not the person I knew, I am greatly saddened. I hear these words on television, read them on the Internet, and in the newspaper. I hear these words in person. In most cases the person speaking these words is angry, in a constant state of angst, or confused. The look on their face tells the story. The tone of ... Read Full Story

Alzheimer's disease involves the gradual destruction of brain cells and this eventually results in sufferers losing their memory and thinking ability. Being a progressive disease, the patients will experience personality changes and will do less and less as it progresses. In the final stages of the disease, the victims are helpless, usually bedridden and cannot even feed or speak. As you can imagine, it is a challenge to take care of these patients especially for close family members. Though the victims do not experience any physical pain at the onset, the disease can cause a great deal of emotional pain to their loved ones ... Read Full Story

A team of scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have validated and standardized a test capable of confirming or ruling out Alzheimer's disease. This news is significant because it would allow for early detection of Alzheimer's and early treatment. There is an entire body of evidence that shows that early detection of Alzheimer's leads to better outcomes in fighting the disease. In addition, the test can also predicted whether a person’s mild cognitive impairment would convert to Alzheimer’s disease over time. The test was 87 percent accurate overall. This is remarkable news. This news is particularly important for baby boomers. Current studies indicate that ... Read Full Story

I'm not sure why, but in the Featured article section (on the right sidebar) Alzheimer's, Thyroid, and Hypothyroidism has become the most popular article on that list. In the book The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems the authors discuss in detail physical problems that can effect memory. As part of that discussion, they point out that hypothyroidism can present as Alzheimer's or dementia. While I don't want to hold out false hope, I often recommend to people I meet in person and on the Internet that they get the thryoid checked if they suspect, ... Read Full Story

I wish I could shout this from the mountain top: when Alzheimer's or dementia present, get the thyroid checked....... Bob DeMarco Alzheimer's Reading Room Editor Yesterday I was reminded of our good fortune after I read an article about hypothyroidism and Alzheimer's disease. What happened? During the television show Everybody Loves Raymond my mother started laughing. Later in the day it got even better. I had the World series on television and when they started singing the National Anthem-- my mother started singing along. Incredible. Why is this incredible? For over two years before we discovered that my mother was suffering from a sluggish ... Read Full Story