Elder Care Cafe

Sundown syndrome is not new, and in fact caregivers to the elderly have been aware of this phenomenon for years. Around sundown, family members and second shift care givers to the elderly noticed an increase in memory loss, confusion, and agitation in those they were caring for. Their loved ones worsened condition often confused family [...]

[Read more →]

Recently my eighty-seven-year-old father has shown increasing signs of dementia. Yesterday he had his quarterly visit to his primary care physician. Several of us in the family noticed Dad’s growing confusion, so I took the opportunity to see if we should ask for a referral to a local geriatric center for testing.

[Read more →]

Dementia patients often suffer unnecessary medical interventions because health care workers and family members do not realize they are close to the end of their life. What most people do not understand is that dementia is fatal.

[Read more →]

Recently, an article regarding how to understand the symptoms of dementia led me to think about my mother and all she went through as she gradually lost her memory. As difficult as that loss was, there was also the difficulty of watching someone we loved change before our eyes.

[Read more →]

The bad news for obese seniors continues to roll in with the announcement that they face an increased risk of Alzheimer’s due to loss of brain tissue. A recent study found senior citizens age 70 and over who were obese had less brain tissue than normal weight seniors, thereby placing them at a greater risk [...]

[Read more →]

For a number of years research has shown a variety of forms of mental and physical stimulation reduce the risk of developing dementia. Research findings published in 2003 that dancing is among the best forms of movement to give the brain a workout, as well as the body.

[Read more →]

Earlier this month, a study reported to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reveals “testing of older Americans with memory problems, who participated in a home-based physical activity program, shows they experienced modest improvement in cognitive function.”

[Read more →]

On June 13, the fourth anniversary of our mother’s death, my sister and I were talking about how we missed her now more than ever. We realized what we missed most was the ability to touch her, to see her in person, and to give her a hug. Although she had lost the capacity to [...]

[Read more →]