Minding Our Elders®

Reminiscing Powerful “Drug” for People with Dementia

I love stories. When I was a teenager, I’d encourage grandparents to relate stories of their young years struggling to survive on the wind-swept prairie. When I grew older, I was fascinated by the stories my parents and in-laws told of their early years of growing up during the Great Depression. Little did I know at the time that peoples’ stories would become the springboard for my life’s work. Now there is mounting evidence that encouraging our elders to reminisce about their past is therapeutic as well as enjoyable.

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Old Movies, Old Music: Bringing Back Memories Isn't Just About Nostalgia

When Caregivers Fear They Are Developing Dementia

If you find yourself exhibiting disturbing symptoms that you notice yourself, or friends and family gently bring up to you, don't immediately decide that you, too, have dementia. Other issues that can make you feel as though you are having dementia symptoms are medication reactions or interactions, infections and lack of sleep. But you should still see your doctor, and perhaps get a referral to a specialist who diagnoses dementia daily, since some of the symptoms are tricky.

Read more about caregivers who fear they may be developing dementa:

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Dementia and the Holidays: A Challenging Combination

Recently Widowed Mother Shows Signs of Dementia

New ways to slow Alzheimer’s progression?

There are, as yet, no medications that can prevent or cure Alzheimer’s disease. Some people do quite well with current drugs that may help slow cognitive decline, but others do not respond well, or they have negative side effects. However, there’s some good news. A recent article on Science Daily reports on a study that shows that mental and “spiritual” exercises can significantly slow cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease, without any negative side effects.

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Old movies, old music: bringing back memories isn’t just about nostalgia

Old movies via DVDs, as well as CDs of big band music or other favorites of our elders’ generation have long been used as a diversionary tactic. Now, Artists for Alzheimer’s (ARTZ) is spotlighting a new way that movies can be used to enhance the lives of people with Alzheimer’s disease. ARTZ is a nonprofit based in Woburn, Mass. that creates cultural opportunities for people with dementia and their caregivers.

Read more about old movies helping people with Alzheimer's remember:

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Pat Summitt’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis has people asking questions

It’s bound to happen. When any disease is discussed frequently in the news, people begin to look for signs of it in themselves and others. Alzheimer’s (AD) has been in news headlines nearly every week for months, since huge numbers of aging boomers are increasingly at risk. Alzheimer’s typically strikes individuals over the age of 65. However, Pat Summitt’s public announcement of her early onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis–at age 59–has not only left millions of fans stunned, it has younger people peering into their brains, anxious to learn if something sinister is happening to them as well.

Read more about early on-set Alzheimer's concerns:

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Art therapy: improv for Alzheimer’s

Imagine this: you have been diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer's disease. Your short-term memory is slipping away at an alarming rate. You still have a great deal to offer as a human being, but how do you express this?

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Do You Know a Family Caregiver You'd Like to Honor?

SEEKING NOMINATIONS—FAMILY CAREGIVER OF THE YEAR AWARD

One out of every four adult Americans is currently providing care for a parent or loved one—do you know a caregiver who deserves to be recognized?

FamilyCaregiverBlog.com is seeking community nominations for its annual “Family Caregiver of the Year” award program." In addition to dozens of local awards, nominees have the opportunity to win a $5,000 grand prize for the national award.

Nominations will be accepted through July 31 at www.familycaregiverblog.com. A panel including experts from AAPR, the Alzheimer’s Association, and CareScout/Genworth Financial and more, will judge submissions.

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Memory Fitness Book Combo Good Choice

Dear Readers: While studies differ on whether “brain games” will prevent dementia from developing, how can exercising your brain be a bad thing? I really don’t see a down side.
My view seems common, as computerized memory games have become a staple of many social sites aimed at the 50-and-over crowd. Games are rapidly multiplying, with boomers hungry to protect their aging brains and marketers eagerly following the money trail;

Read more about memory books on inforum.com:

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Brainpower Book Provides Workout Buddy To Get Mentally Fit

People often ask what they can do to preserve their brains. While no one can predict who will get Alzheimer's disease or another dementia, there are certain steps recommended by experts often enough to have some sticking power. We can't change our genetic background but we can change our diet. We can't change our couch potato past but we can start to exercise. We can't change how we've let our minds stagnate but we can start to exercise them now. A new book by Cynthia R. Green, Ph.D. and the editors of Prevention magazine is out to help us do just that. Dr. Green has served on the faculty of Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the Mount Sinai Health System since 1990.

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Is It Alzheimer's or Something Else?

Dear Carol: My dad is getting forgetful. He’s intelligent and has always prized his memory. I’ve heard medication can slow dementia, so I’d like him to be evaluated, but he doesn’t think he has a problem. What do I do? – Guy
Dear Guy: First of all, make sure this memory issue that worries you isn’t just “retrieval time.” People’s ability to access stored memory tends to slow down with age, partially because the brain is so saturated with the information gathered over the years that sifting and retrieving information takes longer. This isn’t the same as dementia-related memory loss.
However, if your dad is having true memory problems, say he forgets what he just said to someone a hour before or can’t remember something about the grandchildren that was always tops in his brain, then there’s something to be concerned about.

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Video Games for Dementia?

My cohort on OurAlzheimer's, Leah, has vascular dementia. I like to let Leah take over this spot every now and then, as she has some wonderful insights from the inside of dementia. Below is Leah's post, "Take Over the World."

"Everyday is a struggle to keep my short term memory as keen as possible.  Vascular dementia has tried to defeat me, but I am fighting back.  Recently I “discovered” the website of the American Geriatrics Society.  Perhaps some of what I learned will be of help to you.

The journal Psychology and Aging reports the findings of a study using the “Rise of Nations” video game.  Though the study is small (20 participants played the game, 20 did not), the results were quite remarkable.  The participants who played the game received rewards during their play time for successfully managing, building, and expanding empires.  ALL twenty game players showed improvement in working memory (short term memory), visual memory (memory of things seen such as lists), and other thinking abilities.  I have not seen the “Rise of Nations” video game, but I have put it on my “to do” list."

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Silverplanet Refreshing in Its Approach to Aging

  The photo on your left is Silver Planet Founder Florence Klein (center) meeting with featured author Ellie Greenberg (left) and Silver Star Marion Downs (right). Marion will soon be celebrating her 95th year.

Silver Planet, at www.silverplanet.com, is a site I've lately become aware of. It's not a caregiver's site, but a boomer's site. However, there are caregiver and senior tips that will be of interest of those of us with aging parents, and many of us are aging ourselves, as we may notice by a quick look in the mirror. 

The site is so visually exciting and positive, that when I checked it out, I immediately signed up. I see many benefits for several generations on this site which, by its very name, acknowledges the aging of our population, but without negativity and without trying to cop an attitude of being the new "My Space" of the older generation. I feel respect for readers vibrating from the pages. If you are interested, give www.silverplanet.com a look to see if it suits your needs, and/or those of your parents.

Wii Game System and Dementia

My colleague at ouralzheimers.com wrote a wonderful tribute to games (see my game post from Monday). Leah is an expert - she already has vascular dementia, and is a terrific resource and educator in making the best of the situation. Below is Leah's testament to the game system Wii.

Wii...What a Success!

"I knew I needed to get more exercise, but I got a real wake up call when my Wii Fitnesscalled me 'Unbalanced' and a 'Couch Potato' over and over again…  Whoa…I don’t need an electronic game to call me names—or do I?  Is this the psychological impetus behind the success of this game?  Competition either against one’s self or other opponents?  I suppose that works for the competitive types, which I am one.  As far as Wii Sports and Wii Fitness are concerned, the Nintendo company has a big success!"

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Use It or Lose It: Games Help Keep the Brain Healthy

If I were only a game player, I'd probably be the smartest one around. As a writer on subjects such as aging and Alzheimer's disease, my name comes up in searches and I get offers to try out any number of games, each of which claims to be the best at keeping one's brain in peak operating condition, or even improving brain function. I'm not saying I couldn't use the brain work. I'm just put together to prefer a good book to a game, so I haven't taken many of them up on the offers.  According to these new brain game developers, that attitude could come back to bite me. So, I decided to give some attention to two such games, though a quick Web search will bring up many other choices.

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Tips To Help Your Elders Get Ready for Digital TV Switch

This isn't just about elders, of course. However, it's more likely that older people are still using an antenna for their TV reception, than younger people into dish and cable. I'm writing this to give readers information, but I'm most concerned about elders getting scammed. Older people are still more vulnerable to giving out private information over the phone or even in a store, thinking that this nice young woman who is asking must need it in order to help them.

Read more about elders and digital TV switch: