Happy New Year to all caregivers

Are you a caregiver?

I would like to wish you the best for the year to come.

There have been a lot of advances in Alzheimer's and dementia treatment
I hope that will bring improvement to your loved one.

Just as you enjoyed Thanksgiving with your loved one, click here to read the beginning of these posts

Also read this article calling for all to honor caregivers

Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks and keep up the good work

For more dementia information, click here

For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here

Music Therapy & Memory Sharing

Activities Directors, other healthcare professionals and caregivers, this may be of interest to you
Dementia often robs spouses of quality time together but an innovative University of Queensland project hopes to find ways to reclaim it.

Dr Felicity Baker, from UQ's School of Music, has received a $70,000 UQ Foundation Research Excellence Award to investigate how music therapy might improve partner satisfaction by providing opportunities for the sharing of memories associated with certain songs.

The UQ Foundation Research Excellence Awards have been run for 10 years and are an initiative of UQ to recognise outstanding performance and leadership potential in early career researchers.

"One of the biggest problems of couples living together where one person has dementia is that there's a....read the whole article

Click here for more dementia ideas.

And for more Alzheimer's and dementia activity ideas, ckick here

New developments in memory support research

Citizen.com
By KATHERINE THORNDIKE, RN
Forestview Manor Assisted Living

There have been exciting developments in the scientific research to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.

At the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease held this year in Chicago, researchers from 60 countries shared groundbreaking information and resources on the cause, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's and related disorders.

New medications show a promise of halting or slowing the progression of dementia. It is hoped that the most encouraging of these medications, aptly called Rember, will be available in 2012.

It has been shown that people with better......read the whole article

For more dementia information, click here

For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here

Don't "Misunderestimate" People With Dementia

Caring.com
by Paula Spencer, Caring.com senior editor
One of the strange truisms about Alzheimer's and other dementias is that it tends to be easier to see what's not there rather than what is. After all, it's a disease of loss: memory loss, most noticeably, but also loss of the ability to reason, to drive, to recognize where you are, to manage finances, to go shopping without buying a tenth jar of unneeded mayonnaise.

Witnessing all this can lead family members and friends to underestimate the person with the disorder. I know I'm guilty of that. You see that they can't do this and they can't do that, and pretty soon you're neglecting to give them credit for much of anything. And while it's purely unintentional, it can be hurtful to both of you.

Caring.com Recommends a To-Do List What To Do When You First Learn a Loved One Has Alzheimer's
How to respond when a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer's: 16 practical steps for managing care, in both early and late stages of Alzheimer's........Read the whole post

More dementia information is available here

And for activities for those with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, click here

Caregivers get no holiday, though friends, family help

USA Today
By Mary Brophy Marcus, USA TODAY
Something about Carol Blackwell is reminiscent of the main character from this year's film Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. Not because she solves her and everyone else's relationship problems in 24 hours. But like Miss Guinevere Pettigrew, Carol focuses intently on the present and in subtle, loving ways makes everyone around her feel all right at the end of the day.
Carol's husband, Bob, 66, a retired CIA executive, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease two years ago. After the initial shock, Carol says, she had no other choice than to keep a firm grip on reality. That meant pursuing health solutions for Bob and keeping family happiness and security thriving.


IN DEPTH: Video, plus what you need to know about Alzheimer's
BETTER LIFE: No carbs, no memory?
BLACKWELL'S BLOG: Personal account of living with the early stages of Alzheimer's

That doesn't mean it always has been...read the whole article

For more dementia information, click here

For Alzheimer's disease and related dementia activities, click here

Caregiving May Lengthen Life

Washington Post
By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter

(HealthDay News) -- Much has been reported about the stress and burden of caregiving, but a new study suggests there may be a flip side to taking care of someone you love as they age -- a decreased risk of death.

"We found that caregivers who spent an average of 14 or more hours a week caregiving lived longer and reduced their risk of dying by about half," said study author Stephanie Brown, an assistant professor in internal medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She added that even after they controlled the data to account for things such as age or previous illness, "there was about a.....read the whole article

For mooe information about dementia, click here

For information about Alzheimer's and relateddementia activities, click here

Holiday tips to handle dementia

The Advocate
Every 71 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive, fatal brain disorder that causes serious memory problems as well as loss of other physical and mental abilities.

Thousands of people in the Baton Rouge area are affected by the disease, and more than 83,000 people in Louisiana will develop Alzheimer’s by 2010. Caregivers often care for their loved ones with Alzheimer’s for an average of eight to 20 years, during which personal demands increase and stress levels progressively rise. That’s why we are always on the move to find a cure and have developed an array of services and support systems to help caregivers and their families along their journey now, until we achieve our vision of a world without Alzheimer’s.

For most families, holidays are filled with opportunities for togetherness, sharing, laughter and memories. But holidays can also be filled with stress, disappointment and sadness. Here are some tips to help you and your family make the most of your time together:

Adjust expectations......read the whole letter

Click below for more good ementia tips
dementia today
Alzheimer's activities

Experimental Drug Could Help People with Alzheimer's Disease

voanews.com
Voice of America
By Deborah Block
Washington
17 December 2008
An experimental drug appears to be helping people who suffer from memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease. The drug is called Dimebon. Early trials in Europe and Russia show it improves people's memories. Now another study is taking place in the United States.

Alzheimer's is a progressive disorder that gradually causes a decline in memory and language skills, and eventually, the ability to care for oneself. The risk of developing the disease increases as people grow older.

In Wisconsin, the Dean Foundation is one of a dozen research groups working with Alzheimer's patients to see if the drug Dimebon has long term effects. Dr. Leslie Taylor heads the study.

"It won't be a cure, but hopefully it will....read the whole article

For more information about Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, click here

Click here for a great activities for dementia source

Dementia: mind games

The Independent

If physical exercise keeps the body young and healthy, does mental exercise do the same for the brain? Does a sudoku a day keep dementia away?
Dr Fred Kavalier answers your health question:

Physical exercise undoubtedly prolongs life and reduces the risk of many diseases, including heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis. There is even some evidence that regular physical exercise reduces the risk of developing dementia. But it is less clear that mental exercises will do the same for the brain. According to the Alzheimer's Society, certain activities are linked to a reduced risk of dementia. These include....read the whole article

Click here to see an award winning blog which has great activities that keep the mind of a dementia person, active.

Here is another great dementia activity blog

Making travel plans for those with dementia

Bancroft
With the holidays fast approaching, plans for traveling are also on many people’s minds. This can also be said of caregivers who may be thinking of traveling with a loved one who has Alzheimer’s disease. Although potentially stressful, a short vacation may be beneficial and needed. In order to try and reduce the stress of traveling and make the vacation a positive experience, a little pre-planning goes a long way. Traveling results in constant change that involves strange people, new sights and surroundings. If planning a trip, a caregiver should consider the following ideas to try and reduce the potential stress:

• As a caregiver, be prepared to do everything for two. This can be challenging so it is a good idea to rest before the trip.

• Notify the airline and airport in advance that you will be traveling with someone with Alzheimer’s disease. They can offer special assistance to ensure your time in the airport is as stress free as possible. You can also pick up an information card that can be used in public venues that informs individuals that you are traveling with someone who has Alzheimer’s disease.

• Wheels on luggage are a must.

• As a caregiver, you should be responsible for important possessions such as passports, identification, money or credit cards.

• If you travel with a group tour, the stress.....read the whol article

For more good holiday ideas for those with dementia, click here

Good information is also here

CSIRO scientists announce Alzheimer's disease breakthrough

EurekAlert
Rapid screening system may lead to prevention or delay of Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia
Astrid Engelen
The Netherlands – Australian scientists at CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), have developed a new system to screen for compounds that can inhibit one of the processes that takes place during the progression of Alzheimer's disease, the most common type of dementia. In a paper published in the November issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, folate is shown to be beneficial in the screening system.

Lead author, CSIRO's Dr Ian Macreadie says folate is already well known to have a protective effect against Alzheimer's disease, which is believed to be caused by the loss of neurons in the brain due to a process whereby toxic multimers of a small protein called Aβ are formed.

"However, a team of scientists working within CSIRO's Preventative Health Flagship has discovered a......read the whole story

For information on dementia, click here

For ideas on dementia activities, click here

How to Find the Best, Most Trustworthy Caregivers

This would apply to loved ones with dementia
Aging Parents Authority
Blog article: How to Find the Best, Most Trustworthy Caregivers
By admin

You’re worried sick because you can’t find a good caregiver for your aging parent.

You want to keep your parent home and out of a nursing home as long as possible but your parent needs 24 hour care and you’ve got a job and a family. To make matters worse, you live out of state.

You’ve searched and searched for good caregivers but you’ve only interviewed people that you don’t really trust and you wouldn’t leave with your helpless parent.

What can you do?.......Read the whole article

For more ideas for your loved one with dementia, click here

For dementia activity ideas, click here

Alzheimer's, related dementias, and the holidays

About Dementia
Holidays: Just the facts
For most families, holidays are filled with opportunities for togetherness, sharing laughter and memories. But holidays can also be filled with stress, disappointment and sadness.

Because of the changes he or she has experienced, the person with Alzheimer's or a related dementia, may feel a special sense of loss and time passing during holiday season. At the same time, caregivers may feel overwhelmed in their effort to maintain holiday traditions on top of caring for the person with this disease. In addition, caregivers may feel hesitant to invite other family and friends over to share the holiday, for fear they will react negatively to the changed behavior of the family member.

If you are feeling guilty, angry, frustrated, or trapped before, during or after holiday celebrations, it may help to know that these feelings.....read the whole article

For more helpful information- go here

You can see other holiday ideas here

Cholinesterase inhibitors reduce aggression, wandering and paranoia in Alzheimer's disease

EurekAlert
INDIANAPOLIS — Cholinesterase inhibitors, used to treat cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, are also a safe and effective alternative therapy for the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, according to a study that appears in the December 2008 edition of Clinical Interventions in Aging.

Investigators from the Indiana University School of Medicine, the Regenstrief Institute and Wishard Health Services reviewed nine randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials evaluating the effectiveness of three popular cholinesterase inhibitors in managing behavioral and psychological symptoms displayed by patients with Alzheimer's disease.

The researchers report that the trial results indicate.....read the whole article

click here for more useful information about Alzheimer's disease and other dementias

Slow Alzheimer's and other dementias with exercise

Stop Aging Now
By Maggie Spilner
Fitness, Walking and Yoga Expert
If you know someone who feels helpless about having early Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, here’s something they can do to ward off anxiety and slow the progress of their disease—exercise! New research shows the important relationship between exercise and Alzheimer’s.

A recent study found that people with early Alzheimer's disease who were less physically fit had four times more brain shrinkage than those who were more physically fit. (Burns, J. Neurology, July 15, 2008; vol. 71: pp 210-216.) Researchers think that exercise has a....read the whole article

Ror more information on how to slow Alzheimer's and related dementias, click here

Man, 91, charged with strangling wife with Alzheimer's disease

Do not let this happen in your family.Get the sopport you need when it comes to dealing with someone who has Alzheimer's disease or another dementia
Freep.com
BY TAMMY STABLES BATTAGLIA • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Benno Zoch, who was undergoing a psychiatric evaluation in Ann Arbor today, has no recollection of the Thanksgiving Day death of his wife, Taimi Zoch, 87, his court-appointed lawyer said.


“He’s upset with the loss,” Michael West said. He interviewed Zoch at Port Huron Hospital before Zoch's bedside arraignment Tuesday afternoon. “He knows that she’s dead because people have told him she’s dead. But he doesn’t know how she died.


“On the surface, he’s a very pleasant 91-year-old man,” West added. “(He says) that he loved her — and that....read the whole story

For information about dementia click here

How Caregivers Can Stay Positive During the Holidays

In keeping with the Christmas and other holiday theme. caregivers with loved ones who have dementia can benefit from this article
Agingcare.com
Drop the Fantasy, Lose the Guilt
By Carol Bradley Bursack
There's an image of holiday perfection that our culture encourages. Starting with Thanksgiving, we are inundated with fantasy images of perfect families happily enjoying each other's company during a holiday meal. Most of us have memories from our childhood that feed this drive toward the Norman Rockwell nostalgia of holidays past. If we lived it, we want to duplicate it. If we didn't, we want to create it.

Few of us can measure up to....read the whole article

click here for realistic ways to enjoy the holidays with someone who has dementia

click here for more Alzheimer's activities and some advice

Holiday chaos can bring confusion

Decorations, crowds may spur some seniors with dementia to roam
By CINDY GEORGE
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Warm thoughts of her hometown a week before Thanksgiving prompted Estelle Williams to walk away from her Houston apartment into the chilly night wearing a T-shirt, shorts and slippers.

The 80-year-old Alzheimer's patient got the notion to leave while longing for her childhood home of Livingston, relatives said. Her husband, an elderly man who uses a walker, wasn't fast enough to stop her.

Williams caught rides on city buses, relatives said, and surfaced three days later at a homeless shelter. Employees at the Star of Hope recognized her as the missing elderly woman whose photo had been flashed on the news and called authorities.

For those with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, holiday frenzy and changes in routine can prove disruptive.

According to the Chicago-based Alzheimer's Association, the weeks around Thanksgiving and Christmas bring a 10 percent.....read the whole article

click here for more info on dementia

Caregiver Tips For Getting Through the Day

Ezine
By Rebecca Sharp Colmer

The duties of the caregiver usually change and increase over a period of time. One of the most difficult aspects of the caregiver role is that the job continues seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

One way to help caregivers get through the day is to set up a care plan and develop a routine.

The caregiver's care plan is very similar to the nurse's plan of care and the hospice plan of care. It is a daily record of the care and treatment of the care-receiver.

It provides a record of events that assist everyone on the care team. It also allows another caregiver to take your place fairly easily. With a written plan you don't have to rely on your memory.

A daily record will help both the caregiver and the care-receiver, and everyone on the care team. For any care plan to work, the care-receiver should be included in every possible aspect of the planning process. This may be difficultif the are receiver has Alzheimer's diseasor another dementia.

Then observation and a loosely stuctured routine might work best

To get started the family must determine who is going to be the primary caregiver. This person will have the main responsibility for the actual care.

Establishing a well-thought out care plan will help relieve stress for everyone involved. Many decisions will have to be made.

An evaluation of needs and activities can be done to assess and determine a baseline which will help determine the caregiver's duties.

These may include....read the whole article

click here for more ideas about activities

Maintaining the brain's wiring in aging and disease

EurskAlert
Contact: Dr. Claire Cockcroft
Researchers at the Babraham Institute near Cambridge, supported by the Alzheimer's Research Trust and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), have discovered that the brain's circuitry survives longer than previously thought in diseases of ageing such as Alzheimer's disease. The findings were published today in the journal Brain.

Alzheimer's disease and other dementias cause nerve cells in the brain to die, resulting in problems with memory, speech and understanding. Little is known about how the nerve cells die, but this new research has revealed how they first lose the ability to communicate with each other, before deteriorating further.

"We've all experienced how useless a computer is without broadband. The same is true for a nerve cell (neuron) in the brain whose wiring (axons and dendrites) has been lost or damaged," explained Dr Michael Coleman the project's lead researcher. "Once the routes of communication are permanently down, the neuron will never again contribute to learning and memory, because these 'wires' do not re-grow in the human brain."

But axons and dendrites are much....read the whole article

click here for more information on dementia

Treating sleep apnea in Alzheimer's patients helps cognition

Bio-Medicine
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment seems to improve cognitive functioning in patients with Alzheimer's disease who also suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, according to the results of a randomized clinical trial conducted at the University of California, San Diego. The study led by Sonia Ancoli-Israel, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at the UC San Diego School of Medicine and one of the nation's preeminent experts in the field of sleep disorders and sleep research in aging populations was published in the November issue of the Journal of the American Geriatric Society.

"Although it is unlikely that OSA causes dementia, the lowered...read the whole story

click here for other valuable information

Mix Of Taiji, Cognitive Therapy And Support Groups Benefits Those With Dementia

ScienceDaily (Dec. 4, 2008) — Those diagnosed with early stage dementia can slow their physical, mental and psychological decline by taking part in therapeutic programs that combine counseling, support groups, Taiji and qigong, researchers report. Some of the benefits of this approach are comparable to those achieved with anti-dementia medications.

"Most of the research on dementia and most of the dollars up until this point have gone into pharmacological interventions," said Sandy Burgener, a professor of nursing at the University of Illinois and lead author on the study. "But we have evidence now from studies like mine that show that other approaches can make a difference in the way people live and can possibly also impact their cognitive function."

In the study, 24 people with early stage dementia participated in an intensive 40-week program. The intervention included biweekly sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy and support groups, along with...read the whole article

Have you ever said this?“I Love My Mother, But I Don’t Like Her”

Aging Care
by Jacqueline Marcell
Recently a caregiver named Karen told me she felt obligated to care for her cranky elderly mother (whom she loved but never really liked), because she suspected mild dementia and worried about leaving her alone. I told her how important it is to have her mother evaluated by a dementia specialist immediately because with early diagnosis and treatment the dementia can be masked/slowed down in most people.

By keeping her mom in the early and more cognitively aware stage longer, Karen’s caregiving journey will be much less stressful than if she waits and the dementia and behaviors get worse. And since many people with dementia are greatly helped with an anti-depressant, and bad moods are often smoothed out....read the whole story

Top ways to enjoy the holiday season with those who have dementia

Caregivers:
Learn what activities and gifts will make those with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia smile this holiday season. These activities and gifts ensure you and your loved one or client a delightful Christmas, this year

PRLog (Press Release) – Dec 02, 2008 – Over 5.2 million people in the US now have Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. We all benefit from sharing Christmas with someone we care about. The smells, the sounds, and the sights bring back happy memories. People with dementia should have this opportunity too. Following these tips will ensure you and your loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia a pleasurable holiday season. Use these tips to help you choose a gift they will enjoy now and in days and months to come.
The gift of yourself is one of the best gifts you can give so do things together.
t
One thing you can do .....read the whole article

Diagnosis and treatment of severe Alzheimer's disease and dementia

CMAJ
Review
Many patients with severe Alzheimer disease require fulltime
institutional care.14–16 Discussing the advantages and disadvantages
of institutional care with caregivers is often challenging.
Considering the patient’s previously expressed.......read the whole review

Elderly Care - How to Recognize a Good Carer

Ezine
By Simona Rusnakova

Smiling? Helpful? Good looking? Nice and tidy? So what should a good carer be like?

Normally you get to meet them just once before you say: "Yes, we want to go ahead with this company, we would like this carer to look after our parents."

Then what is the best methodology to assess care givers so that you really get the best person who will look after your loved ones really well? How to spot whether there's that nice match of personalities between the two, which makes sure that they will understand each other?

Generally, there are three main criteria:

1. Passion & Love

Does the carer have the passion for his work? Will they be able to .......read the whole article