Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Dementia

Alzheimer’s disease has been in the news a lot these days.   Recently there has been an increase in the number of commercials advertising medications that can help with the disease process.  Even HBO had some success with its documentary, the “Alzheimer’s Project”.  We’ve seen an increase in people inquiring about the symptoms of the disease process.

“When do I become concerned if I am forgetting things?

“How do I know if I have Alzheimer’s?”

Here are a few symptoms to look for:

• Loss of procedural memory.  Forgetting how to do routine tasks that have been second nature .

• Misplacing items:  Not recalling where you placed an item or finding it in a very strange place.  For example, putting your keys in the freezer.

• Difficulty finding words:  Having trouble finding the right words or understanding common words that you once understood.

• Difficulty with judgment or drawing conclusions.

• Changes in personality:  You begin to experience mood changes or loss of initiative.

If you believe you are experiencing memory impairment, it is time to see a doctor.  People over the age of 65 should consider annual memory exams, especially if there is a family history of Alzheimer’s or other related dementias.  In some cases, dementia can be reversed. 

For more information, please contact us at 317-218-5111 or www.behomelivelife.com

Socialization Important to Memory

This article discusses recent findings regarding socialization and it’s affects on Alzheimer’s and other related dementias.  Interestingly, more and more research is proving socialization is vital to conserving cognitive function as we age.  It is a reminder in the value of staying connected with others.

Study links seniors’ loneliness to higher risk of dementia

By Kathleen Fackelmann, USA TODAY

Loneliness may put people at risk of an Alzheimer’s-like dementia, a study reported Monday.

“People who described themselves as lonely were twice as likely to develop dementia,” says researcher Robert Wilson of the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Other studies have found that people who are unmarried and socially isolated are at higher risk for dementia, including Alzheimer’s. But this study is one of the first to show a link between loneliness — or the feelings of disconnection from other people — and a higher risk of developing dementia late in life, says Laurel Coleman, a spokeswoman for the Alzheimer’s Association and a geriatrician in Portland, Maine.

Wilson and his colleagues studied 823 people who were about 80 years old and had no sign of dementia at the start of the study. The team gave the recruits a loneliness quiz and tested them annually for signs of memory loss and confusion, two key signs of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

During the four-year study, 76 people developed an Alzheimer’s-like dementia, Wilson says. The risk of developing dementia increased about 51% for each one-point increase on the loneliness scale. People with the highest scores had 2.1 times the risk of developing dementia, a group of conditions that destroy brain cells and lead to mental confusion. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia.

Autopsies were performed on 90 people who died during the study. The researchers found no link between loneliness and the development of the abnormal brain deposits that are the hallmark of Alzheimer’s.

That finding suggests loneliness might be triggering dementia through a novel mechanism — one that doesn’t lead to a brain riddled with deposits, Wilson says.

One theory is that people who are lonely over long periods of time might have higher levels of damaging stress hormones. The elevated stress hormones might lead to an accelerated aging of the brain — and perhaps to dementia, Wilson says.

Other research suggests lonely people are at risk of other health problems such as cancer and high blood pressure, says John Cacioppo of the University of Chicago. Still, he says, the new finding, which appears in February’s Archives of General Psychiatry, must be verified by additional research.

The findings didn’t change much when the team factored in markers of social isolation, such as infrequent participation in social events. That means that people who have a small number of good friends might be better off than those with a busy social schedule but chronic feelings of loneliness, Wilson says.

But lonely people often benefit from signing up for a new class or activity, Coleman says. Research shows that such activities might protect aging brain cells. And seniors who are out and about are more likely to make new friends, which might lessen feelings of loneliness, she says.

For more information contact 317-218-5111   or www.behomelivelife.com.

Father’s Day

Many people become discouraged when it’s time to celebrate a holiday with a family member who has dementia.  Rather than become discouraged, use the following tips to make this Father’s Day a great day to remember.

• Remember that your Dad may become overwhelmed in large crowds and loud noises.  It may be best to have a cookout at home, rather than go to a crowded restaurant.
• Give Dad the opportunity to be successful.  Have him “give advice” on how to flip the hamburgers on the grill.  Perhaps he used to enjoy fishing, plan a small fishing trip at a local stream or pull out the tackle box and “plan the next fishing trip.”
• Give Dad gifts that will remind him of his past.  A scrapbook with pictures of his adventures, family, friends, and work might be the perfect tool to help him start reminiscing and have a conversation.
• During the family get together, be sure that Dad has an opportunity to rest.  If he becomes overwhelmed during the day, encourage him to take a break guide him to a quiet part of the house.
• Make sure everyone understands ahead of time if possible that, if Dad is repeating the same phrases or questions, this is part of the dementia process.  Answer the questions each time as though it is the first time you have responded to Dad.
• Enjoy your DAD!  Remember, if the family is upbeat and enjoying their time together, then your dad will too.

For more information, please contact 317-218-5111 or www.behomelivelife.com

“While I’m visiting my dad, I really struggle to hold a conversation with him. Do you have any advice?”

“While I’m visiting my dad, I really struggle to hold a conversation with him.  Do you have any advice?”

As Alzheimer’s progresses conversations can become more difficult.  As a person with Alzheimer’s begins to notice gaps in his memory, or has trouble understanding questions, he will withdraw from social situations that may become uncomfortable.   As the disease progresses, care givers must learn to rely on non-verbal body language in order to anticipate the needs and wants of their loved ones with dementia.

Try these tips to encourage conversations:

• Pick a topic of interest that you know your dad enjoyed during his 20’s-50’s – for example, fishing.

• Choose materials such as old photos of fish, free fishing guides available at most bait shops and a tackle box. These items can be used for cueing.

• Talk about the items:
  • “Dad, look at this picture of you and me at Pike Lake.  Do you remember what kind of fish you caught that day?” 
  • If your dad isn’t able to recall the answer right away, try saying:  “It looks like a Northern Pike to me.  It has sharp teeth, and I remember how it took both of us to pull the fish up to shore.”
  • Ask:  “What fish was the most fun to catch?  Did you like Largemouth Bass or Bluegill for eating?  What is the best bait to use to catch Catfish?”

• If answering questions is difficult when you first begin the conversation, try going through all of the photos and narrating what happened in each one.

• Once you’ve gone through the photos, try asking the questions again.  If you know the answers to the questions, use a picture to cue your dad to the correct answer.  For example:  “Dad which fish do you think has the best flavor?” (Show a picture of a Bluegill or which ever fish you know he prefers.)

• You may use the tool box in an additional way to guide the conversation.  By touching each of the items in the box, your dad will be using his sense of smell, touch, and vision to cue his memory. 

Remember, the key to unlocking conversation is using tools to cue his memory.  The more you remember about your dad and his past roles and hobbies, the more cueing you can offer him.

Veterans’ Benefits

Veterans Administration CAREGIVING BENEFITS

What are Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits?

• Aid and Attendance (A&A) is a benefit paid in addition to monthly pension.   This benefit may not be paid without eligibility to pension.   A veteran may be eligible for A&A when:

1.      The veteran requires the aid of another person in order to perform personal functions required in everyday living, such as bathing, feeding, dressing, attending to the wants of nature, adjusting prosthetic devices, or protecting himself/herself from the hazards of his/her daily environment, OR,

2.      The veteran is bedridden, in that his/her disability or disabilities requires that he/she remain in bed apart from any prescribed course of convalescence or treatment, OR,

3.      The veteran is a patient in a nursing home due to mental or physical incapacity, OR,

4.      The veteran is blind, or so nearly blind as to have corrected visual acuity of 5/200 or less in both eyes or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less.

• Housebound is paid in addition to monthly pension.    Like A&A, Housebound benefits may not be paid without eligibility to pension.   A veteran may be eligible for Housebound benefits when:

1.      The veteran has a single permanent disability evaluated as 100-percent disabling AND, due to such disability, he/she is permanently and substantially confined to his/her immediate premises, OR,

2.      The veteran has a single permanent disability evaluated as 100-percent disabling AND, another disability, or disabilities, evaluated as 60 percent or more disabling.

A veteran cannot receive both Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits at the same time.

How to Apply for Aid and Attendance and Housebound:

• You may apply for Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits by writing to the VA regional office having jurisdiction of the claim.   That would be the office where you filed a claim for pension benefits.  If the regional office of jurisdiction is not known, you may file the request with any VA regional office.
• You should include copies of any evidence, preferably a report from an attending physician validating the need for Aid and Attendance or Housebound type care.
• The report should be in sufficient detail to determine whether there is disease or injury producing physical or mental impairment, loss of coordination, or conditions affecting the ability to dress and undress, to feed oneself, to attend to sanitary needs, and to keep oneself ordinarily clean and presentable.
• In addition, it is necessary to determine whether the claimant is confined to the home or immediate premises.
• Whether the claim is for Aid and Attendance or Housebound, the report should indicate how well the individual gets around, where the individual goes, and what he or she is able to do during a typical day.