Why Won't Family Help, and Why Do They Criticize Us?
The worst part of being a caregiver for a person living with dementia is that you seldom get much real help from family.By Donna StClairAlzheimer's Reading RoomTime and again I have heard the same refrain:the worst part of being a caregiver is that you seldom get much real help from family and close friends who should be able to pony up and provide just a smidgen of assistance.I ’ve got something worse than worst.Instead of help and assistance, I get criticism.Learn More -Dementia care why won't family helpSubscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading - This is a Free Service - Join NowHave you ever heard these words?Why aren ’...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - May 18, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's caregiver alzheimer's caregiver support Alzheimer's Dementia alzheimer's new s care of dementia patients dementia care dementia care why won't family help dementia family Source Type: blogs
Dementia Care, Do You Need to Change?
I thought I had changed. But, it wasn't until I had my great epiphany, of sorts, that I found a way to cope and communicate effectively with a person living with dementia.By now many of you have heard me say:By Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomIt took me 18 months of trying to figure out how I could best deal with my mother before I came to the conclusion that I had to change. It finally happened at 1 AM on May 7, 2005.Prior to my revelation and new inspiration I was already convinced that I had changed.Finding Alzheimer's WorldThe issue. If I had (in fact) changed and accepted Alzheimer's, why was it that I was"bent out...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - May 17, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's care Alzheimers Dementia care of dementia patients caregivers and dementia dementia care elder care memory care memory care facility senior care Source Type: blogs
Connecting with a Person Living with Dementia
Do you ever feel disconnected or detached from a person living with Alzheimer's and dementia? What do we do in order to understand, cope, and communicate with a person living with Alzheimer's or a related dementia?By Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomIt is very easyto feel disconnected from a person living with dementia.Let's face it, the person living with dementia changes while we remain the same.Our tendencies is to continue communicating with them inthe same way we always have. This usually worked well in the past.Now, all of a sudden it is not working.Topic -How to Convince an Alzheimer's Patient They Need Help?For e...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - May 17, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's awareness Alzheimer's Communication Alzheimer's Dementia alzheimers care dementia care dementia help for caregivers help alzheimer's help with dementia memory care senior care Source Type: blogs
Communicating in Alzheimer's World
In order to begin the process of dealing with communication in a world filled with Alzheimer's you first need to make a simple important decision-- you want to decrease both your stress as caregiver, and the stress of the person living with Alzheimer's disease.By Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomYou want to reduce stress. You want to change the dynamic.You want to change for the better --you want and need to change the way things are.What ’s the Difference Between Alzheimer’s and DementiaAfter repeatedly correcting my mother, telling her she just ate, and watching her get frustrated or angry, I finally realized somet...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - May 15, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: Alzheimer's Communication alzheimers care alzheimers world help alzheimer's help with dementia care how to communicate with dementia patients memory care facility nursing home quote quotes Source Type: blogs
Alzheimer's and The Invisible Siblings
Many of us who are the One have experienced intense disappointment, hurt, and anger when we feel like we've been abandoned by those with an equal stake in our loved one ’ s care.By Pamela R. KelleyAlzheimer's Reading RoomBuried in the comments to Bob ’ s article,In the Bunkhouse, Random Thoughts Edition, and in reference to the growing number of Alzheimer's caregivers (almost 15 million), I noticed this exchange:Carole: "What I'd really like stats on, are those who have a close relative with Alzheimer's ... and they refuse to help. I want a stat on the deadbeats so they can see themselves officially identified. Right n...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - May 14, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: abandoned Alzheimers Dementia Alzheimers Disease alzheimers information alzheimers siblings caregivers family dementia care health life news Source Type: blogs
Alzheimer's Tries to Kill Everyone It Touches
Alzheimer's disease tries to kills everyone it comes in contact with.By Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomIf allowed to do so Alzheimer's will try tokill everyone it comes in touch with.A person living with Alzheimer's dies from complication from Alzheimer's disease.Death by Complications from Alzheimer's, What does this mean?But Alzheimer's doesn't stop there. It tries to kill the brain of the Alzheimer's caregiver. Nearly40 percent of AD caregivers end up living with depression for a time. How to Adapt the Caregiver Brain to Alzheimer's and DementiaAlzheimer's destroys family relationships. Alzheimer's causes famil...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - May 7, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's kills . Alzheimer's Communication alzheimers care alzheimers world dementia care help alzheimer's help with dementia care how alzheimer's kills Source Type: blogs
Alzheimer's Tries to Kill Everyone It Touches
Alzheimer's disease tries to kills everyone it comes in contact with.By Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomIf allowed to do so Alzheimer's will try tokill everyone it comes in touch with.A person living with Alzheimer's dies from complication from Alzheimer's disease.Death by Complications from Alzheimer's, What does this mean?But Alzheimer's doesn't stop there. It tries to kill the brain of the Alzheimer's caregiver. Nearly40 percent of AD caregivers end up living with depression for a time. How to Adapt the Caregiver Brain to Alzheimer's and DementiaAlzheimer's destroys family relationships. Alzheimer's causes famil...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - May 7, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's kills . Alzheimer's Communication alzheimers care alzheimers world dementia care help alzheimer's help with dementia care how alzheimer's kills Source Type: blogs
New Research on Treating Alzheimer's and dementia
A research study by scientists in Australia and the US provides an explanation for why clinical trials of drugs reducing proteins in the brain that were thought to cause dementia and Alzheimer ’s have failed.ByAlzheimer's Reading RoomThe study has opened the way for potential new treatments with existing drugs.What is the Difference Between Alzheimer ’s and DementiaSubscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading - This is a Free Service - Join NowThe researchers assembled evidence from a wide range of human studies and animal models ofdementia-related diseases to show that inflammation is a major cause of dementia, not just a con...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - May 7, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: Alzheimers Dementia alzheimers information alzheimers podcasts alzheimers research new research Source Type: blogs
Research Shows Music Activates Brain in Alzheimer ’s Patients
This study set out to examine amechanism that activates the attentional network in the salience region of the brain.The results offer a new way to approach anxiety, depression and agitation in patients with dementia.Learn More -Alzheimer's Care Anger, Frustration, and AgitationActivation of neighboring regions of the brain may also offer opportunities to delay the continued decline caused by the disease.The StudyFor three weeks, the researchers helped participants select meaningful songs and trained the patient and caregiver on how to use a portable media player loaded with the self-selected collection of music.“When you...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - May 2, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's Patients brain health memory music research science Source Type: blogs
Research Shows Music Activates Brain in Alzheimer ’s Patients
This study set out to examine amechanism that activates the attentional network in the salience region of the brain.The results offer a new way to approach anxiety, depression and agitation in patients with dementia.Learn More -Alzheimer's Care Anger, Frustration, and AgitationActivation of neighboring regions of the brain may also offer opportunities to delay the continued decline caused by the disease.The StudyFor three weeks, the researchers helped participants select meaningful songs and trained the patient and caregiver on how to use a portable media player loaded with the self-selected collection of music.“When you...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - May 2, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's Patients brain health memory music research science Source Type: blogs
Toy Parrot Improves Mood and Behavior in Alzheimer's Patient
This article is about Alzheimer's disease,Pete the Repeat Parrot, and my mother Dotty who lived with Alzheimer's disease.He might not look like much in the image (see image at the bottom of this article); but he is powerful and will provide you with hours of stress free respite. Most caregivers assume this parrot won't work for them. In almost every case, over 900 caregivers, it worked. You might pay about $20 for one hour of respite care. You can buy this parrot for around $20. By my own estimate this parrot provided me with about 3,000 hours of respite care at a cost of less thanone cent (.006) per hour.By...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - May 1, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's patient Alzheimer's Reading Room alzheimer's toy best talking parrot harvey health memory loss Source Type: blogs
Toy Parrot Improves Mood and Behavior in Alzheimer's Patient
This article is about Alzheimer's disease,Pete the Repeat Parrot, and my mother Dotty who lived with Alzheimer's disease.He might not look like much in the image (see image at the bottom of this article); but he is powerful and will provide you with hours of stress free respite. Most caregivers assume this parrot won't work for them. In almost every case, over 900 caregivers, it worked. You might pay about $20 for one hour of respite care. You can buy this parrot for around $20. By my own estimate this parrot provided me with about 3,000 hours of respite care at a cost of less thanone cent (.006) per hour.By...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - May 1, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's patient Alzheimer's Reading Room alzheimer's toy best talking parrot harvey health memory loss Source Type: blogs
Alzheimer's Care Be a Guide
The effort to explain to, or convince, a person who is living with dementia is often met with frustration on the part of the Alzheimer's caregiver; and, refusal on the part of the person living with dementia to cooperate.Long winded explanations or trying to convince with lots of words does not work with persons living with dementia.They usually end up refusing to cooperate, or just say "no".In order to care effectively it is often necessary tochange communication tactics. In other words, adjust to the present and the way things are now.Be a Guide.How the Smile is the Most Powerful Communication of Them All in Dementia Car...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - May 1, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: Alzheimer's Communication Alzheimer's Dementia alzheimers care dementia care dementia help for caregivers family caregiving help alzheimer's help with dementia help with dementia care Source Type: blogs
Music Brings Alzheimer's Patients Out of the Box
When Dotty started singing I realized that the Alzheimer's box is bigger then I ever thought or imagined.By Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomWhile Dotty and I were watching -- TREME on HBO (the show is set in post Katrina New Orleans), One of the main characters Antoine (Wendell Pierce) was walking down Bourbon street when he came up on characters Sonny (keyboard) and Annie (violin).They were playing a song that I had never heard. Amazingly, my mom started singing along with him.How to talk and communicate with dementia patients effectivelyAntoine starts singing the song. As he does this on TV, Dotty starts singing along...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - May 1, 2018 Category: Neurology Tags: alive inside alzheimer's alzheimer's care dementia care health life news music music for alzheimers patients singing Source Type: blogs
