Elder Care Cafe

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 can cure Alzheimer’s disease. However, researchers have found a number of medications that can help lessen the symptoms of confusion or memory loss, at least temporarily.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two types of medications. Cholinesterase inhibitor and Memantine can both be used to treat the cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer’s. [Read more →]

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 (FAD), and late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Early-onset Alzheimer’s appears in persons younger than age 65 and is a rare form of the disease (less the 5-10% of all Alzheimer’s patients) and usually occurs as the result of premature aging. [Read more →]

Years ago we envisioned our golden years to be full of relaxation and stress free living; at least most of us did. Who in the world would want financial woes, family problems, or emotional upheavals to plague them as they entered their senior years? Most seniors look forward to living a life that allows them independence, the ability to pay their bills on time, the joy of gardening or playing golf to their heart’s content. They want to play with their grandchildren in a park or meet up with their buddies for a coffee and conversation. Certainly that would be most people’s idea of the perfect life. [Read more →]

As we all know aging is a process that occurs over time. We are young, active, and enjoying life. Then one day the realization sets in that we are feeling and looking older; we either do not or cannot exercise or participate in sports the way we used to; and we are beginning to tire of all the activity around us preferring to stay home instead. On top of that, aches and pains and weariness are becoming a daily occurrence. In other words, we are getting older. [Read more →]

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 dementia, or if they are developing memory problems due to variety of other reasons such as an illness. [Read more →]

Healthy eating does not mean that you have to deprive yourself of your favorite foods. It is more about smart eating. It does not matter about what you eat. You need to be more focused on how you eat your foods. By choosing the foods carefully you can reduce the risk of different diseases. Healthy eating also improves your memory, stabilizes your mood and boosts your energy levels. Given below are some useful guidelines for a healthy diet. [Read more →]

Recently I noticed how thin my father’s skin has become. In fact, it is so thin that just touching it can cause it to tear apart. As careful as we are when we apply the lotion the doctor gave him, we still have a problems. That got me thinking about finding skin tips that tell us how we could protect him when he is outdoors this winter.  [Read more →]

In the last twenty years or so, a plethora of awareness ribbons have arrived on the scene.  Wearing a ribbon is a way for the public to show their support for a favorite cause. Over the years a variety of colors have made their way into the national and international fabric of life. [Read more →]

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that affects the lives of about 16 million people in the United States. Many of those afflicted with the disease are not aware that they have it. Further statistics are just as alarming – 2,200 new cases of diabetes are diagnosed every day and 780,00 new cases every year.  Diabetes affects every area of a person’s body including possible damage to their eyes, heart, feet, kidneys, nerves, and blood vessels. [Read more →]

This article covers a range of issues relating to the health and safety of seniors. Some of these factors are extremely basic but seldom considered whenever senior health is in the spotlight. While you have probably heard all of this before, we hope that by bringing these issues to the forefront once again we will be able to keep our aging seniors safe and healthy. [Read more →]

As most of us know, carrying around excess weight as we grow older has a negative impact on our health and the number of years we will likely live. Some people think that once we retire, that gives us a license to sit around and eat all day! That is not the case. In fact, it is all the more reason to eat and drink in moderation since activity levels are reduced as we age. [Read more →]

This week I received a timely email from David Adelman of Reel Tributes to let us know that his website is one of the sponsors of the Your Favorite Memory contest.  The Your Favorite Memory contest encourages people to share their stories about their loved one with Alzheimer’s or, if not to0 late, documenting the memories of patients who are struggling with the disease. [Read more →]

One thing about hanging out on social media sites is that you get to see all kinds of things, both good and bad. While I am a member of a number of such sites, Facebook is my favorite for a couple of reasons. First off, many family members and long time friends are on Facebook. We have had a blast keeping in touch with one another through sharing posts, private messages and chats, and photo’s. Secondly, in my opinion it is the easiest to navigate and keep track of others that we have connected with. [Read more →]

It’s that time of year again when we honor the efforts of those who are working hard to eradicate diabetes in America. Also called American Diabetes Month, there are a number of ways you can become involved. You can join the thousands of people who have taken action to stop a disease that strikes someone new every 17 seconds. Many people are working to stop this devastating disease by bringing it to the attention of people all across the nation.

One of the main concerns is that there is a growing number of children who are now being diagnosed with Type II diabetes due to their weight and lack of activity. Child diabetes is almost at epidemic proportions and there is a big push to make families aware of how their lifestyle is affecting their children. [Read more →]

Giving Thanks

In the old days when our whole family gathered around the dinner table every Thanksgiving, my mother created a feast that satisfied all of us. After she watched the Macy’s parade, Mom and my sister took care of the turkey and dressing, and the main side dishes while some of the rest of us brought our favorite dish or pie as well. Mine was always green bean casserole or 5-cup salad. Then, the women took care of the cleaning while the men (and me) gathered in front of the television for the Detroit Lions game.

Now that Mom is gone and the rest of us have pretty much scattered around the country, Thanksgiving is just not the same. There have been years when I was all alone and didn’t bother cooking a turkey. Now that I’m living with Dad, we quite often just get a nice size steak or pot roast and call it good. [Read more →]