Caring for aging loved ones can be exhausting, time consuming, frustrating and draining. Regardless of whether your loved one is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, dementia, pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, or congestive heart failure (CHF) to name only a few, the toll it takes on the caregiver is exponential. "Avoiding Caregiver Burnout" in the New York Times gives us a look at the struggles that millions of aging adult children [...]
There is a new light into dementia. We already know that music helps soothe those suffering from dementia by helping them reconnect with the person they used to be by triggering memory. This video from a New Zealand rest home shows how light therapy can make a difference as well - both for those suffering from dementia and their loved ones who witness the results - the presence of their remembered loved one for [...]
This beautiful story is about an accomplished pianist diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. As a young man, Lucien Leinfelder had studied music at Julliard and played professionally with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. At 82, Lucien Leinfelder was suffering from a severe case of Parkinson's disease. Fortunately, he loses his symptoms of Parkinson's Disease while playing the piano. Here is the link to his story and video. We have learned through the Music and [...]
Forbes magazine calls Alzheimer's the most costly disease in medical history. Due to the length of time people live with the illness and need care, it’s the most expensive medical condition in the U.S. and perhaps the most costly disease in medical history. Future costs for Alzheimer’s threaten to bankrupt Medicare, Medicaid and the life savings of millions of Americans. My grandmother had Alzheimer's disease as did her twin sister. [...]
I have been reading about seniors who have been successful in keeping their minds sharp. The triad of frequent intellectual activity, physical activity and healthy eating promotes brain health and super aging. Since our lifespans are longer, I think we can all agree that it would be much preferable to be able to enjoy the extra time with both a healthy brain and a healthy body. So I was surprised to learn that [...]
Lately there have been creative and thoughtful ideas about humane senior living memory care options beyond the traditional assisted living model. Unfortunately they aren't happening locally in Northern Arizona but they are inspiring nonetheless! This is a story about college students residing with seniors in an assisted living. PBS reports that similar inter-generational programs exist in France, Spain and Ohio. In Holland, there is a village where everyone has dementia [...]
A new app is in development to help those who suffer from Alzheimer's or dementia. It was developed by 12 year old Emma Yang who wanted to help her grandmother. It incorporates facial recognition and reminders for the person suffering from Alzheimer's or dementia. One of the examples used, which I thought was ingenious, was to ask "Are you sure you want to make this call?" after the patient has [...]
This is a lovely story of two thoughtful daughters who wanted wedding photographs with their dad, who was suffering from Alzheimer's. Although neither have a wedding scheduled in the near future, they wanted to have the photos done now as they understood that their father may not be able to participate at their future wedding. Link to full story
The average age for Alzheimer’s is 80 years; early onset only accounts for about 10 percent of people with Alzheimer’s in the US.
From ALZ.ORG: New criteria and guidelines for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease have been published -- for the first time in 27 years -- by three expert workgroups spearheaded by the Alzheimer's Association and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The workgroups published four articles including ready-to-use clinical diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's. A [...]
