Elder Care Cafe

As most of us who are over sixty have already figured out, as we age our body and our mind seem to slow down with often disturbing results. As much as we try, we cannot perform as we once did, either physically or mentally. It is frustrating for those of us who lived an active [...]

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Carol Bradley Bursack has written one of the most eye-opening articles I’ve read in a long time. The title is Who Is Worse Off: People with Alzheimer’s or Their Caregivers? There is a link to the article below. I just wanted to make people aware of the article in case they didn’t see it and [...]

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In recent years researchers studying all things concerning Alzheimer’s and dementia have seen a connection between lack of sleep and the disease. The question they are most concerned about now is whether the lack of sleep is due to Alzheimer’s or is it the other way around – is the disease causing sleep deprivation? A study funded [...]

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Although we knew Dad was having problems with his memory, some of us actually thought he was experiencing a series of mini strokes much as my mother had prior to her death. She was diagnosed with TIA dementia, and Dad’s symptoms somewhat mirrored hers. However, yesterday we got the dreaded news that rather rocked our world. Those [...]

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Alzheimer’s disease occurs when the brain cells of a person begin to die causing connections among cells to get lost. This disconnect causes cognitive symptoms to worsen. Cognitive involves conscious intellectual activity such as thinking, reasoning, and remembering according to Webster’s Dictionary. The sad news is that there is no drug on the market that [...]

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Any discussion of the warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease must include a caveat. Many misconceptions or simply fears of Alzheimer’s and lists of so-called early symptoms result in the danger of overreaction by individuals evaluating themselves, their partner’s, relatives, or others. Three types of Alzheimer’s disease are defined medically as early on-set Alzheimer’s, Familial Alzheimer’s [...]

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A working definition of dementia is that it is a medical condition in which the brain loses its ability to function. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and the terms are often used interchangeably. It is often difficult to tell whether someone has Alzheimer’s or any of the other many forms of [...]

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Every once in a while a book comes across my virtual desk that just rocks my emotional world. As a long time caregiver for my elderly father, I know the stress and strain on our daily lives that care giving can exact. When I started reading this book, I knew the author was on my [...]

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As many of us seniors know, there are many health problems associated with growing older. Because of such issues as our balance or heart, and increasing problems with our hearing and sight, we can all relate to the changes taking place in our body. However, there is one problem that usually attacks people over the [...]

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Recently someone sent me an email asking if I would link to their site. When someone asks me that I always check out the site to see if it is something I would want to promote. In this case, she was honest about the fact that it was a website directed specifically to seniors who [...]

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As we found out with my mother, driving safety issues is one of the most sensitive topics among seniors, especially when the aging process interferes with the person’s ability to drive safely.  Mom did all the driving because of Dad’s poor eyesight and as she started losing ground due to dementia, the rest of us [...]

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Many of us are concerned about losing our memories as we age, and rightly so.  We notice that we don’t remember details as much as we used to or we begin to forget names of people we’ve known for a long time. Although there are a number of products available, for some of us the [...]

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Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are a great tragedy in many families. It is devastating to see a loved one robbed of their memories and to watch them fade away mentally and physically over a number of years. Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s not only destroys brain cells causing irreversible memory loss, but it is ultimately [...]

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Whether a person is living alone or with a spouse or adult child, early symptoms of Alzheimer’s or dementia are not always recognized. Often it takes even longer before family members decide they need to seek outside help. Had my sister not already been staying with our parents in the early stages of my mother’s [...]

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One of the biggest challenges for caregivers of someone who has Alzheimer’s is managing their behavior. At times your loved one may become angry, belligerent, or exhibit aggressive behavior. There are a number of ways to handle the situation, and you will need to learn which way works best in your situation. As their disease [...]

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