Minding Our Elders®

Why Elders Don't Come Clean with the Doctor

...My mom was a supreme example. She fell in her apartment—often more than once a week. She had memory problems. She was taken advantage of by telemarketers. She had digestive issues. However, when I took her to her doctor, what I called her "hostess personality" took over. While she may have complained of pain in the car during our drive, the minute she had a chance to tell her doctor how terrible she felt she was perkiness personified.

Read more about why parents try to fool the doctor:

 

Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook

 

Related articles

Photo Albums and Memory Books Helpful When Visiting Elders

Different Dementia Types Can Co-Exist

Caring for Multiple Elders Especially Challenging

Many people are trying to care for two or more elders in varying locations, with each elder needing significant care. It's a situation that I know well. During my busiest eldercare years, I was the primary caregiver for five elders in three different living situations. I continually struggled to compassionately and efficiently divide my time in a way the best covered their needs.

Read more about caring for more than one elder:

Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook

 

Related articles

Elders Sleeping All Day: What's the Deal?

Minding Our Elders Together: Joining a Community of Caregivers

Bilingual people may be better protected against Alzheimer's

Keeping Up With Friendships Can Be Hard for Caregivers

Choosing a Care Facility? Listen To Your Gut

People often ask what to look for when choosing an assisted living facility or a nursing home for a loved one. There are grading sites such as the Medicare Nursing Home Guide, found on Medicare.gov, and I suggest you use them. However, there are many things that go into good care that can’t be measured on a chart. In order to see the heart of a facility, you need to spend some time there. Observe routines and pay attention to the atmosphere. What is your gut feeling about the place?

Read more about choosing a quality care facility:

Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook

Related articles

How Involved Should Family Be In Your Elder's Senior Living?

Husband Won't Accept Wife's Help Caring for His Mom

Choosing Senior Housing for Your Parent

Have you ever entered someone's home and felt good things about it even if it's cluttered or decorated in a way you find tacky? We find that a home can have an aura of happiness or lightness about it and we feel comfortable. Conversely, other homes feel as if the air is heavy and burdensome.

Read about how to go about choosing senior housing:

Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook

 

Related articles

How Involved Should Family Be In Your Elder's Senior Living?

I'm Suddenly a Caregiver: Where Do I Start?

Fighting Back: People with Alzheimer's and Their Caregivers Face a Battle

Acceptance of Change Important in Alzheimer's Caregiving

Lewy Body Dementia Often Confused With Alzheimer's

Torn Between Children and Eldercare

Dear Carol: My mother, who is in her early 70s, suffers from advanced multiple sclerosis. She lives with me, my husband of three years, and my step daughter. Mom’s mentally fine, but physically she needs a lot of care which includes lifting and continence issues. I’m 37 years old and would really like to have a baby. My husband would, too, but he is afraid that I can’t handle a pregnancy and second child as well as care for mom and our daughter. We need my income from my part-time job, so quitting that isn’t an option.

Read more about the struggle about caregiving:

 

Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook

 

Related articles

Minding Our Elders Together: Joining a Community of Caregivers

Husband Won't Accept Wife's Help Caring for His Mom

Loving and Understanding Our Imperfect Mothers

...We need to understand, love and forgive ourselves for our perceived imperfections as mothers. And yes, we need to try to understand, love and forgive our mothers for what may have been less than perfect mothering practices. Perfection is hard to define and resides in the eye of the beholder, so it's a subjective idea, anyway.

Read about understanding our imperfect mothers:

Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook

 

 

Related articles

Husband Won't Accept Wife's Help Caring for His Mom

Caregiver Worries She's Not Doing Enough

Minding Our Elders Together: Joining a Community of Caregivers

Green Tea, Grape Skin Extracts May Interrupt Alzheimer's Path

Green tea and red wine have both been shown in numerous studies to contain antioxidants thought to increase overall health and possibly prevent some diseases. Now, a recent study, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, has shown that purified extracts from green tea and red wine (specifically, the resveratrol in the red grape skins) have been shown in early animal studies to interrupt the pathway that may lead to Alzheimer’s disease.

Read more about how greet tea and grape skin extracts interrupt Alzheimer's disease progression:

Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook

Related articles

Compound from Grapes Could Fight Alzheimer's

Fighting Back: People with Alzheimer's and Their Caregivers Face a Battle

Green Tea Molecules Interfere With Formation of Plaques That May Cause Alzheimer's

Exercise May Help Slow Physical Decline in Alzheimer’s

Like it or not, exercise is good for us. Exercise helps to speed up our metabolism and strengthen our bones. Also, we’ve known for decades that exercise is good for the heart, and lately there have been many studies that have shown it’s good for the brain. So good, as a matter of fact, that now, according to a recent paper published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Researchers at Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan concluded exercise is something we can do right now to help prevent Alzheimer's disease.

Read more about exercise and how it slows physical decline in Alzheimer's:

Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook

 

Related articles

Fighting Back: People with Alzheimer's and Their Caregivers Face a Battle

Infections May Speed the Progression of Alzheimer's Disease

Green Tea Molecules Interfere With Formation of Plaques That May Cause Alzheimer's

Compound from Grapes Could Fight Alzheimer's

Going Public with an Alzheimer's Diagnosis

Making Caregiving a Team Effort

...During my years of caregiving, one incident in particular made me realize that in order for caregivers to keep their sanity, they have to eliminate that "I" by building a support team. What happened that led to my epiphany?

Read about building a caregiving team to help everyone get by more easily:

Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook

Related articles

Eating Issues: How to Cope

Humor Provides Armor Against Caregivers' Deepest Sorrows

Not All Caregivers Care for "Loved One"

It's Spring: Time to Refresh Our Caregiving Routines

Family Caregivers Provide Nursing Services with Little Professional Support

What Makes You a Caregiver?

...Caregivers can get drawn into their own version of the "mommy wars" if they start to compare time spent in the presence of the care receiver to quality of care. We need to be careful to avoid nit picking and support each other as caregivers no matter what the differences in our situations may be.

Read about becoming a caregiver:

Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook

 

Related articles

Family Caregivers Provide Nursing Services with Little Professional Support

It's Spring: Time to Refresh Our Caregiving Routines

Not All Caregivers Care for "Loved One"

Where Is the Line Between Caregiver Stress and Burnout?

Minding Our Elders Together: Joining a Community of Caregivers

Infections May Speed the Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease

Last December, a team of scientists working collaboratively under the guidance of the University of Bonn and the University of Massachusetts discovered that there was an association between chronic inflammation and the death of brain nerve cells. This discovery led them to theorize that chronic inflammation could possibly lead to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. A different study now underway is focusing on a similar theory. The new study, initiated in January of this year, is led by Delphine Boche, Lecturer in Clinical Neurosciences at Southampton, England.

Read more about how infections speed progression of AD:

Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook

Related articles

Delaying Alzheimer's with Mental Enrichment

Fighting Back: People with Alzheimer's and Their Caregivers Face a Battle

More Evidence Shows Chronic Stress Increases Risk for Alzheimer's Disease

HRT May Prevent Accelerated Biological Aging for Alzheimer’s Gene Carriers

A little more than a decade ago, most physicians considered hormone replacement therapy an important part of treating postmenopausal women because of its ability to help control hot flashes, maintain bone health and lower the risk of colorectal cancer. Their enthusiasm for this treatment came to a halt in July of 2002, when the same physicians took their patients off HRT nearly across the board.  An article in the New York Times explains what happened.  “A rigorous study found that the [HRT] drugs, a combination of estrogen and progestin, caused small increases in breast cancer, heart attacks, strokes and blood clots.”

Read more about Hormone Replacement Therapy and Alzheimer's gene carriers:

Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook

 

Related articles

Cancer Drug May Help in Alzheimer's Fight

HRT May Prevent Accelerated Biological Aging for Alzheimer's Gene Carriers

Acceptance of Change Important in Alzheimer’s Caregiving

My dad went into surgery with a smile and hope. He came out with severe dementia. Something unexplainable at the time had happened and Dad became a statistic – one of those “poor outcomes” we hear about. My head knew this tragedy was permanent, but my heart wanted my “real” dad back. The kind, loving, intelligent man whose love for me was steadfast. I wanted him back. Unfortunately, my family and I had to learn to accept the fact that Dad would never be the same.

Read more about accepting change so we can help our loved ones:

Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook

 

Related articles

Emotionally Descriptive Words Lost to Those With Semantic Dementia

Elders Covering for Each Other Can Hide Dementia Symptoms

Acceptance of Change Important in Alzheimer's Caregiving

Cataract Surgery Improves Mood, Cognition in People with Dementia

Communicating With a Person Who Has Dementia Takes Skill, Heart

Communicating with someone who has dementia can be an ever-changing challenge. But some things never change. One of those constants is that caregivers and friends must fully understand and accept that the person with dementia is not a child any sense of the word. Dementia may have robbed our friends or loved ones of their ability to understand their own environment, follow a sequence of directions or even understand how to use the toilet. These issues do not in any way make these people less than adults and they should never be treated as such.

Read more about communicating with people with dementia:

Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook

Related articles

Cataract Surgery Improves Mood, Cognition in People with Dementia

Individual Attention May Be Important Benefit of Alzheimer's Eating Study

Loneliness May Increase Dementia Risk, Heart Attacks and Stroke

Different Dementia Types Can Co-Exist

Lewy Body Dementia Often Confused With Alzheimer’s

When most people think of dementia they probably think of Alzheimer’s disease. Since Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, and one of the biggest risk factors for developing AD is age, new developments to combat the disease are often in the news.

There are, however, other types of dementia that are just as devastating as Alzheimer’s disease and they are not necessarily rare. The dementia we’ll focus on in this article is Lewy body dementia. I frequently hear from spouses or adult children of people who have developed LBD. It saddens me that there’s little news to relate to them about research to combat the disease.

Read more about Lewy body dementia:

 

 

Related articles

Alzheimer's Disease Doesn't Just Affect the Aged

Cataract Surgery Improves Mood, Cognition in People with Dementia

Different Dementia Types Can Co-Exist

BRAIN Initiative Embraces More Than Alzheimer's Disease

Photo Albums and Memory Books Helpful When Visiting Elders

Loneliness May Increase Dementia Risk, Heart Attacks and Stroke

A recent study published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry has found that people who feel lonely are significantly more at risk for developing dementia. The study, headed by Tjalling Jan Holwerda of the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, found that participants who reported feeling lonely, no matter how many friends and family surrounded them, were more likely to experience dementia than those who didn’t feel lonely. The team focused on approximately 2,200 older adults living in Amsterdam, ages 65 to 86. None of the participants exhibited signs of dementia and none of them lived in facilities such as nursing homes.

Read more about loneliness and dementia:

Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook

Related articles

Cataract Surgery Improves Mood, Cognition in People with Dementia

Chronic Pain Management in People With Dementia Complicated

Know Your Hospitalization Codes or Risk Medicare Denial

Your mom has fallen in her home and you’re now sitting with her in the hospital. Nothing is broken, they said, but she suffered a back injury they want to monitor. They’d like to keep her in the hospital for observation. You say sure, why not? She stays several days and then is released to a rehab facility for follow-up care.  Medicare pays for the first 20 days a patient is in a rehab facility only if the patient is admitted and remains in the hospital for three days prior to treatment. But, according to AAPR, hospitals are increasingly leaving Medicare hospital patients “under observation” without officially admitting them.

Read more about hospitalization codes and Medicare coverage:

Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook

 

Related articles

HRT May Prevent Accelerated Biological Aging for Alzheimer's Gene Carriers

Elders Covering for Each Other Can Hide Dementia Symptoms

Different Dementia Types Can Co-Exist

Dear Carol: I’m confused about my husband’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. He was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease three years ago, but now we are told he is showing Parkinson’s symptoms. The doctor talks to all of us like we should know everything about dementia and Parkinson’s, and our questions just seem to annoy him. The more I read about the different types of dementia the more confused I get. This new information about Parkinson’s disease has just made it worse. Are there different types of Alzheimer’s? – Lila

Read more about confusing Alzheimer's diagnoses:

Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook

Related articles

Alzheimer's Disease Doesn't Just Affect the Aged

Cataract Surgery Improves Mood, Cognition in People with Dementia

Has Dementia Turned Your Parent or Spouse Into a Stranger?

Existing Psoriasis Drug May Treat Alzheimer’s

Researchers working in Switzerland and Germany have found evidence strengthening the concept that the immune system plays a role in the development of Alzheimer's disease. The study was done on mice using the drug ustekinumab, which is a biologic drug already approved by the Food & Drug Administration for the treatment of plaque psoriasis, an auto-immune disease.

Read more about psoriasis a drug that may treat Alzheimer's:

Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook

Related articles

Fighting Back: People with Alzheimer's and Their Caregivers Face a Battle

Alzheimer's Disease Doesn't Just Affect the Aged

Existing Psoriasis Drug May Treat Alzheimer's

Cancer Drug May Help in Alzheimer's Fight

More Evidence Shows Chronic Stress Increases Risk for Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Can Dramatically Alter Financial Future

Researchers Isolate Olive Oil Component That Protects Against Alzheimer’s

The Mediterranean diet is widely recommended by health professionals as a way to promote heart health as well as for possible Alzheimer’s protection. For most people, the fish, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and olive oil-based salad dressings that make up the bulk of a Mediterranean diet are excellent foods for general health. However, the liberal use of extra virgin olive oil used for cooking and as flavoring for bread and salads may be the real key to why the Mediterranean diet is considered protective against Alzheimer’s.

Read more about the isolated component of olive oil that may prevent Alzheimer's:

Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories – paperback or ebook

 

Related articles

Vitamin D, Mediterranean Diet Help Lower Risk of Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's Can Dramatically Alter Financial Future