Clipmarks | BobbyDelray's 'dementia' clips

Worried About Alzheimer's? The Holy Grail of Exercise

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:15:15 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: www.alzheimersreadingroom.com

Last week I wrote -- Worried About Alzheimer's? Tip #1 Exercise.

I mentioned that more than 100 million American's are touched by Alzheimer's, and more than 33 million are worried about Alzheimer's.

There are at least 18 research studies showing that exercise can improve memory in people suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

High cholesterol in your 40s increases the odds of contracting Alzheimer's--by 50 percent.

High blood pressure (hypertension) causes build-up of beta-amyloid in the brain. Beta-amyloid is a central component of the senile plaque in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, and its toxicity against brain cells is believed to be a prime cause of Alzheimer's.

This fact is not well known but if you have a big belly in middle age the chances that you could suffer from dementia are tripled.

To caregivers, I am convinced that exercise will lower the odds that you might suffer from Alzheimer's

Original content Bob DeMarco, Alzheimer's Reading Room

Tags: alzheimers, exercise, five, factor, fitness

Is it really Alzheimer's or something else?

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:14:16 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: 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

Tags: alzhimers, dementia, memory, loss, causes

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

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:01:52 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: 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

Tags: alzheimer's, dementia, caregiving, reading, advice

(R)evolution in Alzheimer's Related Caregiving

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:26:50 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: 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

Tags: alzheimer's, dementia, care, facility

Statins do not protect against dementia

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:00:56 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: www.alzheimersreadingroom.com

Bernadette McGuinness and her colleagues analyzed the findings of two large clinical trials probing the health effects of statins: one study investigated the effects over five years of simvastatin (Zocor) in 20,536 patients; a second study followed 5,804 patients taking pravastatin (Pravachol) for an average of 3.2 years. Participants in these trials ranged in age from 40 to 82. In both studies, the odds of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia were about the same among patients taking statins and not taking statins.

Doctors not Good at Detecting Alzheimer's and Dementia

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:29:21 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: www.alzheimersreadingroom.com

Diagnosing mild-to-moderate dementia cases can be difficult. Indeed, more than half of such cases are not recognized by physicians, according to a recent review of the literature at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

Women collect dolls to benefit Alzheimer's patients

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:55:02 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: Awesome if you ask me.

Clip Source: www.alzheimersreadingroom.com

Wonderful people.

...the daughter felt sad and "shook up" when leaving St. Elizabeth's after a visit. "After we gave her the baby doll, I never felt sad again when I left," she said. "So it was very liberating for me."

Two Catonsville mothers, Wendy Geist and Amy Nelson, have initiated a volunteer project of collecting used dolls to ease the suffering and bring joy to seniors experiencing Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. The women say, " beneficial effects can be amazing."

Tags: alzheimer's, dolls

Terry pratchett recieves Knighthood

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:46:29 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: First, congratulations Terry Pratchett. Mr. Pratchett has done much to spread the word about Alzheimer's disease. He should also be congratulated for these good works.

Terry is a good example that Alzheimer's disease knows no boundaries. It can strike anyone at anytime.

Terry is to be admired. He decided to fight and to me this is a good thing. Terry is a good role model to all of us. His wonderful attitude is uplifting to millions of families that know and understand the devastation called Alzheimer's disease.

Clip Source: www.express.co.uk

BRITISH author Sir Terry Pratchett was today knighted for his services to literature.

The 60-year-old, who has sold more than 60 million books worldwide, received the honour from the Queen at Buckingham Palace this morning.

The writer is best known for the phenomenal success of his prolific Discworld series, which started in 1983 with The Colour of Magic and now stretches to 36 novels.

In December 2007 Sir Terry announced he was suffering from early-onset dementia and has since been campaigning for research funding to help sufferers - even making a £500,000 donation to the Alzheimer's Research Trust.

HONOUR: The Queen knights Sir Terry

Combining Alzheimer's drugs helps slow rate of decline in Alzheimer's Patients

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:26:13 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: These findings should bring hope to those suffering from early stage Alzheimer's and dementia.

Please forward this information to appropriate parties. Feel free to blog the the article.

Clip Source: alzheimersreadingroom.blogspot.com

My mother is currently moving into the medium stage of Alzheimer's so for us this is exciting news. I intend to send this information to our personal care physician and discuss it with him immediately.

"Finding something that could actually modify the course of the disease is the Holy Grail of Alzheimer's treatment, but we really don't know if that is happening or what the mechanism behind these effects might be," Alireza Atri explains. "What we can say now is that providers should help patients understand that the benefits of these drugs are long term and may not be apparent in the first months of treatment. Even if a patient's symptoms get worse, that doesn't mean the drug isn't working, since the decline probably would have been much greater without therapy."

The results raise the intriguing possibility that the drugs may be protecting the patients' brains from further deterioration, the authors said.

Tags: alzheimers. alzheimer's

Who should MDs let die in a pandemic? Report offers answers

Mon, 05 May 2008 16:02:38 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: Tip, don't get old or sick.

They include the very elderly, seriously hurt trauma victims, severely burned patients and those with severe dementia.

Clip Source: hosted.ap.org

Doctors know some patients needing lifesaving care won't get it in a flu pandemic or other disaster. The gut-wrenching dilemma will be deciding who to let die.

Now, an influential group of physicians has drafted a grimly specific list of recommendations for which patients wouldn't be treated. They include the very elderly, seriously hurt trauma victims, severely burned patients and those with severe dementia

The proposed guidelines are designed to be a blueprint for hospitals "so that everybody will be thinking in the same way" when pandemic flu or another widespread health care disaster hits, said Dr. Asha Devereaux. She is a critical care specialist in San Diego and lead writer of the task force report.

But the recommendations get much more specific, and include

Those with severe mental impairment, which could include advanced Alzheimer's disease.

People older than 85

CHEST: http://www.chestjournal.org

U.S. Govt.: http://www.pandemicflu.gov

PET scan can aid dementia diagnosis

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 04:22:44 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: www.hometownannapolis.com

DEAR MARY: At one of your seminars you mentioned a test for Alzheimer's disease that can be done when all other tests have been exhausted. I am in need of that information for my mother. She lives in Charles County and is being released from a nursing and rehabilitation facility very soon. It is obvious she has dementia and I need to know how to have her evaluated. What tests should I request for her?

DEAR READER: The test I mentioned was the PET scan. It is the most precise diagnostic tool available, but still not 100 percent accurate.

Your mother should be evaluated by a neurologist skilled in diagnosing dementia

She needs a thorough neurological work-up that includes personal and family history, cognitive testing, a CAT scan of the brain and blood work to rule out any medical cause of her symptoms.

Big belly in middle age triples risk of dementia

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 04:28:50 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: iamanalzheimerscaregiver.blogspot.com

My mother has visceral fat. At her age it could be life threatening. There is no doubt this is a contributing factor to her Alzheimer's

Having a large belly in middle age nearly triples the risk of developing dementia

Researchers measured the abdominal fat of 6,583 people age 40 to 45 in northern California and some 36 years later 16 percent had developed dementia

Those who were overweight or obese but did not have a pot belly had an 80 percent increase in the risk of dementia compared to people with a normal body weight and abdominal fat level

The risk increase jumped to 230 percent among overweight people with a large belly and 360 percent among the obese with large abdomens.

"Where one carries the weight -- especially in midlife -- appears to be an important predictor for dementia risk," Whitmer said.

"These findings imply that the dangerous effects of abdominal obesity on the brain may start long before the signs of dementia appear."

Tags: belly, fat, alzheimer's

The Validation Breakthrough: Simple Techniques for Communicating with People with Alzheimer's Type D

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 01:12:25 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: Here ya go Sahara.

Thank you for your very nice comments.

Clip Source: alzheimersreadingroom.blogspot.com

You might get the impression from the title that this book is only for professionals; this is not the case. The validation theory works and it is simple to apply. The case studies are invaluable and provide you with specific situations that you are sure to encounter. I am convinced everyone involved with elderly parents suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's will benefit greatly from this book.

If you live with or care for someone with Alzheimer's or other age related dementia, you must read this book ! What an eye-opener! For the first time I finally understood why Alzheimer's patient say what they say and do what they do.

Gives practical ideas and techniques for helping people with dementia deal with issues from paranoia and blaming to sadness and helplessness.

"It works," she told me. "Validation Breakthrough" shows a new way of relating to people with dementia of Alzheimer's type.

I give The Validation Breakthrough five stars

You will certainly reduce stress by learning these technique

Tags: alzheimer's, dementia, frustration, communication

I missed the early signs of Dementia (Alzheimer's) in my mother, will You?

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:19:14 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: iamanalzheimerscaregiver.blogspot.com

Looking back, there is little doubt in my mind I should have realized my mother was suffering from dementia sooner. Sadly, I didn't have the proper education, information, or frame of reference.

Most people tend to ignore the early symptoms of the disease believing they are simply signs of "old age"

Anyone who ends up in my shoes knows and understands that a person in the early stages of Alzheimer’s can function normally

even drive a car

Behavior changes slowly in the elderly

as they begin to suffer cognitive impairment these changes are hard to detect

If my mother had been enrolled in any of the studies listed below, I feel certain she would have been diagnosed sooner. This would have allowed me to get her in an exercise program, get her proper nutrition, and insured that she was taking her medication as prescribed

I learned in the last four years how important these factors are in the quality of her life

The woman in the picture is my 91 year old mother

She suffers from Alzheimer’s disease

Tags: alzheimer's, dementia, early signs

Reversing Symptoms of Alzheimer's?

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:06:48 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: Might be a breakthrough. We can only hope.

Clip Source: www.foxnews.com

A patient with Alzheimer's disease had their condition improve hugely just minutes after receiving a special injection of a prescription drug approved to treat psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions, according to a new study.

The drug, co-marketed in the U.S. by Amgen and Wyeth under the name Enbrel, dramatically reversed symptoms of an Alzheimer’s disease sufferer minutes after it was injected into the patient's spine, researchers in the U.S. discovered. The drug, sold in Australia as Etanercept, has also been used off-label for treating Alzheimer's.

an “exciting” breakthrough, which provided a greater understanding of the disease. “It is unprecedented that we can see cognitive and behavioral improvement in a patient with established dementia within minutes of therapeutic intervention,” Griffin said.

this report details rapid cognitive improvement, beginning within minutes, using this same… treatment modality, in a patient with late-onset Alzheimer's disease.”

Tags: alzheimer's. treatment, enbrel, cognitive improvement