Understanding Dementia

Mrs Gowri shares her experience as a caregiver of her mother with Dementia   I care for my mother, a soft natured but strong willed woman, who had worked for 35 years. Post retirement, a freak accident while gardening, which we now believe could have been caused by a mild stroke, reduced her mobility and slowly led to the degeneration of the brain cells. Normally very quiet and uncomplaining, she had begun to lose her alacrity. Without any of us being aware of the symptoms, like difficulty…

A review of "Still Alice" by Ekta Hattangady, from India who was 13 when her mother was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's at 43. Ekta became her Primary Caregiver at the age of 16. My final verdict would be…it’s a great movie. It’s not reality. Not every person with Alzheimer’s would be like this…some may be a lot worse…especially in the case of Early Onset Dementia.  Everything you saw in this movie, multiply it by 10,000 times and then you may be somewhere close to what it is like…

Nytol, Benadryl, Ditropan and Piriton among the medications identified by scientists as raising likelihood of dementia A report published online this week in JAMA Internal Medicine offers compelling evidence of a link between long-term use of anticholinergic medications like Benadryl and dementia. Anticholinergic drugs block the action of acetylcholine. This substance transmits messages in the nervous system. In the brain, acetylcholine is involved in learning and memory. In the…

Remember that you don't have to do any of this alone. - Kuntal Joisher Recently, it came to light that a significant underlying factor to Williams' decision to end his lifemay have been the fact that Williams was believed to have been suffering from Lewy Body Dementia. This recent discovery has put the spotlight firmly on Lewy Body Dementia or LBD, a disease that often goes undiagnosed in those afflicted with the condition. Lewy Body Dementia is the most misdiagnosed form of dementia. LBD…

She reduced her mother's medications to a minimum. Side effects may have also played a role in Asayo’s agitation and violence, said Steve Iliffe, professor of Primary Care for Old People at University College London. She let her mother walk.. “Walking is therapeutic and helps reduce disturbed behavior and sleep,” he said. “Letting her wander saved us and made us happy,” Akiko said. “It was unbelievably disturbing and stressful to keep my mom in the house.” Wandering alone, though,…

This touching and poignant documentary – “Portraits of Care” –  looks at the lives of four amazing Caregivers and gives a rare glimpse into the realities of long-term care in India. A husband as caregiver, a wife as caregiver, daughters as caregivers Issues with home care agencies, dealing with absent and interfering relatives, caregiver stress and the financial challenges How to take time out for yourself, how to deal with your anger and frustration Celebrate the little…

Pictures taken by a little-known photographer between the 1930s and 1960s have found a new use helping to trigger memories and reminiscences among people with dementia. "In the dementia care world reminiscence is up there as one of the leading groups of therapeutic approaches," explains Prof Bob Woods, an expert in the clinical psychology of older people at Bangor University. "Essentially it's a good way of facilitating communication, and so it helps people to feel more socially integrated and…

York University researchers say a simple test that combines thinking and movement can help to detect heightened risk for developing Alzheimer's disease in a person, even before there are any telltale behavioural signs of dementia. "We included a task which involved moving a computer mouse in the opposite direction of a visual target on the screen, requiring the person's brain to think before and during their hand movements," says Sergio in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science. "This…

 "The experience of caring for someone with Alzheimer's can be incredibly isolating, at a time when you need support the most. We are grateful that this process has helped us come together as a family and as a community to celebrate that most precious gift of all : our memories"   http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/26/opinion/a-marriage-to-remember.html?emc=edit_th_20140826&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=53809129&_r=0    

Taking the drugs known as benzodiazepines, which include diazepam and lorazepam, for three months or more was linked with a greater chance of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease five years later. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/11083674/Sleeping-pills-ta… For our community's tips on sleeping please check out http://www.patientsengage.com/?q=discussions/are-you-sleeping-well-what-works-you