Reading Rewards
Whether it’s books, magazines, or correspondence — studies show that reading offers protections against dementia as people age Learning to read is a revelatory experience for children. They discover that when certain letters of the alphabet go together, those letters become words that form sentences, revealing infinite possibilities. That initial thrill of reading can last […]
Wandering & Dementia
Tips to prevent a loved one from leaving home and losing their way Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease means always being vigilant. About 60% of people with the disease will wander at least once during their diagnosis, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Wandering is dangerous for people with Alzheimer’s disease because they may leave […]
Spousal Strain
Seek support when caring for a partner with dementia In the basement of Frank Pagura’s Elk Grove Village home is a woodshop, a respite from his role as full-time caregiver to his wife Rosemary, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease about five years ago. While Frank, 80, gets lost in the art of woodturning, Rosemary, 81, […]
Create a Memory Box for Loved Ones with Dementia
We’ve all felt the tug of something tangible snapping us back to moments in our past, such as the whiff of our grandmother’s perfume on a stranger, which reminds us of her warm embrace, or the notes of a favorite song that instantly transport us to our teen years. For the more than 6 million […]
Alzheimer’s Toll Increases
Nationally, more than 6 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease. As that number increases, so, too, does the number of people caring for them. A recent Alzheimer’s Association report paints a sobering picture of the disease’s toll A section of the report looked at race, ethnicity, and Alzheimer’s in America and found 36% of Black Americans, […]
Power of Touch: Massage Helps People with Dementia
When people think about dementia, they typically think of memory loss. Yet, people with dementia may also experience a decline in all senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. And despite a loss of touch, specific massage techniques can reach people with dementia in the most touching of ways. The decline in the sense of […]
Exposure to Light Promotes Sleep for People with Alzheimer’s
For many people, sleep is a given — until it’s not. An uninterrupted night of sound sleep often eludes people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The resulting sleep disruptions can have a detrimental effect on their mood and behavior. That’s because sleep is so essential to our well-being that we literally cannot survive without […]
9 Tips When Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s
When a loved one receives a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, family caregivers may feel at a loss, but there are concrete steps they can take to ease this phase of life. The statistics about Alzheimer’s disease can be staggering. More than 5 million Americans are currently living with the disease according to the Alzheimer’s Association. […]
Many with Lewy Body Dementia Also Have Alzheimer’s disease
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: What’s the difference between Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer’s? How is Lewy body dementia diagnosed? ANSWER: Doctors diagnose Lewy body dementia based on the range of symptoms a person shows. Generally, the diagnosis requires an ongoing decline in thinking skills, along with two of the following: visual hallucinations, Parkinsonism or fluctuating alertness. […]
Build an action plan for Alzheimer’s
People who are newly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease typically experience a tsunami of emotions: disbelief, fear, anger, depression, sense of loss. But after the initial shock, a person can assert some control over the future by creating an action blueprint that will guide the patient and caregivers as the disease progresses. “When someone is still […]