Memory Loss & Alzheimer’s
The effects of memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease diagnoses are indescribable and life-altering. Over 50% of older adults have dementia (the broader term for Alzheimer’s)—but are not diagnosed. Does caregiving for a loved one with dementia result in feelings of overwhelm, anxiety, frustration, or depression? Are you embarrassed to admit anger? Is it time to take away the car keys? Is it time for assisted living or memory care? You don’t have to make these heart-wrenching decisions alone. Find answers and solutions here.
Articles In the Caregiver Library
Check out articles by Pamela written especially for family caregivers.
The Pitfalls and Dangers of Moderate Cognitive Impairment
Is moderate cognitive impairment or MCI serious? Does it progress to dementia or Alzheimer's disease? Learn the pitfalls of moderate cognitive impairment and the potential dangers of ignoring this condition. Caregivers prefer to avoid saying the words Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Pro...
Memory Loss Screening and Diagnosis
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...
Healthcare Bias Against Care for Older Adults with Dementia
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...
Dementia: 50% of Older Adults Not Diagnosed by Physicians
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...
Impact of Dementia on the Caregiver: The 3 “R’s” of Support (Family)
“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...
Memory Loss: My Parent is Forgetful – Is it Serious?
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...
Controversial Diagnosis: Alcohol Related Dementia
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 & Related Dementias: The Lost Skills of Communication & Swallowing
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...
Alzheimer’s Medications: Benefits Versus Risks
The search for Alzheimer's medications and a cure is ongoing. How do families decide about the pros and cons of medications for memory loss? Research (Ellis 2005) exists regarding the benefits of using a class of drugs called cholinesterase inhibitors in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease a...
Brain Health
Interview with Dr. Bryan Kolb, Principal Investigator Behavioral Neurosciences, University of Lethbridge, Canada (podcast 8:06 playing time) Learn about brain health in this interview with Dr. Bryan Kolb and Pamela D Wilson on The Caring Generation. Click the Play button below to listen: ...
Signs of Memory Loss and the Value of Diagnosis
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. ...
Missing the Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease
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...
Controversial Benefits of Microchip Implants for Alzheimer’s Wanderers
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 ...
Driving and Dementia: Is it Time to Give Up the Car Keys?
Driving and dementia can be a dangerous combination. How does one know when it's time to give up the car keys? 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 co...
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