Memory Loss & Alzheimer’s Category

Memory loss screening and diagnosis by simple tests like the MMSE, MoCA, and SLUMS confirm a diagnosis of memory loss. Further investigation through neuropsychological testing, CT, MRI or PET scans, blood work to identify the APOE-4 gene, and reviewing medical history provides a more thorough d...

The healthcare industry is biased against care for older adults with dementia. For example, differing opinions exist about providing physical rehabilitation also called physical therapy for older adults with dementia recovering from hip fractures. Medications for dementia are discontinued by do...

Fifty percent of older adults have dementia and are undiagnosed. Doctors inexperienced with dementia hesitate to  diagnose dementia without self-reported concerns from older adult patients. Family members lack the skills to notice or report behaviors that are relate to dementia. How will ol...

“If only someone else could walk in my shoes and experience what it takes to care for a loved one with dementia. Sometimes I feel like I’m going crazy.”Trying to maintain a normal life is relative when one cares for a person with dementia. "Normal" in dementia may seem to others like livi...

Caregivers wonder about signs that indicate a loved one may have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or dementia. Is simple forgetfulness an indicator? Is the type of forgetfulness a factor? How complicated is memory loss to diagnose? How might I notice forgetfulness in a loved one? Isn’t becoming f...

 The relationship between alcohol and a diagnosis of dementia remains somewhat a conundrum. While research has been ongoing, there remains a gap in conclusive data reporting that long term excessive alcohol use alone results in dementia. Long term excessive alcohol use has been proven to resul...

 Parkinson’s disease is a health diagnosis within the family of dementias that also includes Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy Body dementia and fronto-temporal dementia. The main difference between Parkinson’s disease and the other dementias is that the disease presents first...

Fear of pursuing a diagnosis of memory loss is common. Avoiding discussions denies the opportunity to express concerns and desires and to plan for the future. ...

Pamela D. Wilson, CSA, MS, BS/BA, CG Many family members are unaware of the early signs of memory loss, cognitive impairment, dementia or Alzheimer's disease because.  They assume whatever they are seeing relative to memory loss is a normal process related to aging.  And physicians, in the...

 Are the benefits of microchip implants for Alzheimer's wanderers controversial? Microchip implants and GPS tracking devices are a solution for persons diagnosed with Alzheimer's who wander and become at physical risk of harm or death.A personal debate exists about safety versus personal priv...

Dementia and Delirium: Activities to Support Daily Abilities and Reduce the Likelihood of Requiring a Greater Level of Care DSD is a term describing delirium superimposed on dementia. This condition most commonly occurs when a person with dementia experiences a hospitalization or a signif...

 By Pamela D Wilson CSA, CG, MS, BS/BAResearch (Ellis 2005) exists regarding the benefits of using a class of drugs called cholinesterase inhibitors in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The American Geriatrics Society cautions use of these medications stating that periodic a...

Interview with Dr. Bryan Kolb, Principal Investigator Behavioral Neurosciences, University of Lethbridge, Canada (podcast 8:06 playing time) Click the Play button below to listen: ...

Caregivers prefer to avoid saying the words Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Professionals, recognizing fear, use terms like mild cognitive impairment or moderate cognitive impairment to dance around the reality of making a diagnosis. I take many of my clients to medical appointments. At a pa...

We love our cars. Some of us love the type of car we own and the way it looks; sporty, shiny or compact. For others it’s the way our cars make us feel when we’re driving; a convertible with the wind blowing through our hair. Others love the ability to jump in the car and go for a drive; the...