Nearly every person's childhood leaves them with mixed memories. Even siblings raised together by the same parents can have wildly different views on how their shared childhood played out. For most of us, there are times when we think, "Hmm, Mom was right about that." Other times, we know for certain she was wrong. The same goes for Dad, of course, but we'll focus on Mom in this particular article. Read more →

Dear Carol: I’ve been reading a lot about when if/when it’s time to force a parent into some kind of care. Your position seems to be that it’s the older adult’s decision unless there is dementia present. I can see that at 70, but my mom is 90. She’s mentally sharp and still likes her home and her garden but she refuses much help except for hiring lawn care, snow removal, and grocery delivery. She gave up driving on her own but she is adamant about not wanting to move to assisted living. At what age do adult children finally say enough and use our Power of Attorney to force a move? BT Read more →

Rather than a drug or treatment, MEND is a protocol where patients made dramatic lifestyle changes. According to the ABC report, “They avoided simple carbs, gluten, and processed foods. They increased their fish intake, took yoga and meditated. They were instructed to take melatonin, get adequate sleep, incorporate vitamin B-12, vitamin D-3 and fish oil.” Read more →

People with mild dementia will decline more quickly into severe dementia if they also suffer from apathy, therefore engaging, stimulating activities are especially vital to this group. Read more →

It’s something many of us have done. Our parents are in their middle years and have come home from visiting someone in a nursing home. The hospital-like structure of the older nursing home was disturbing to them. While relating their experience to you they say that they’d hate to end up in a place like that. You jump in and say with feeling and genuine belief, "I’d never put you in a nursing home." Read more →

Increasingly, Alzheimer’s specialists and researchers stress the importance of early detection. In fact, most drugs now considered as possible methods for holding off Alzheimer’s symptoms seem to be dependent on starting the drug early – as much as a decade earlier than symptoms appear. The question that travels hand in hand with these studies is who should start these drugs if they do prove to be effective? It’s not prudent to simply give the drugs to the whole aging population. Read more →

By some measures, Alzheimer’s disease has become the most feared diagnosis one can hear ― even more so than cancer.... Read more →

...Think about it. Barring dementia – and as much as we hear about dementia, not everyone over 65 has become unable to make decisions – our elders should be able to exercise their rights as adults. Aging should increase dignity, not take it away. Maturing should earn us respect for what we’ve been through, not derision for being a bit weathered physically and somewhat different in how we may process information.  If you carefully read the first paragraph of this article you’ll see that much of what I describe sounds like raising children. Ouch! Read more →

I’m 78-years-old and I have lived with my son and his wife for two years. I’m feeling hemmed in and I think that they may feel the same way. They are kind, but my daughter-in-law seems stressed when we’re together too much even though in the past we have always gotten along well. The house doesn't allow much privacy which may be why we get on each other's nerves. I also miss being around people my own age. This arrangement seemed like a good idea, but I’m afraid we all think it’s a mistake. I’d gladly move to assisted living but I’ve been paying rent to the kids, which helps with their bills. For this reason, I’m reluctant to tell them that I’d like to move while we’re all still getting along rather than wait until our relationship turns so sour that it's impossible to fix. How do I approach them considering the financial arrangement? – TE Read more →

Middle-aged and worried about your memory slips? You probably don’t have dementia. The majority of the memory slips that concern this age group, and even those significantly older, are due to stress and other factors rather than impending dementia. However, researchers have now found that people who are suffering from memory loss but are unaware of their problem are most likely developing the disease. Read more →