Last week I sent a brief email to the paper, telling them shamelessly how I am a top-ranked, syndicated, award-winning blogger about Alzheimer's and I'm having a huge tag sale this weekend and giving the money to charity. And they called me yesterday. Interviewed me today. I tried to come up with some thoughts to share; in no particular order, here they are:
There are no Alzheimer's suvivors. There are no hollywood-style moments of perfect clarity. From the moment of diagnosis--from before then, even--it's all downhill.
When I was a teenager, several people around me died of cancer--my gandpa's sister, my friend's dad, my grandpa--and I thought cancer was the worst thing ever. And if I thought about death, I wished with all my heart 'please don't let it be cancer.' Now I've seen Alzheimer's Disease and it's so much worst. There is no proper goodbye with AD. It's just a downward spiral, and every time you think it can't possibly get any worse, it does. Now I wish not to get Alzheimer's with a fevor unknown to my teenage self.
I'm sure there is a worse disease out there than AD. I don't want to know. Honestly. I don't even want to imagine it."Had a Dad" Alzheimer's Blog http://alzheimersdad.blogspot.com(c) Gevera Bert Piedmont })i({Thank you for visiting! read more..
Friday 25 May 2012
Alzheimer's Disease
Sunday 20 May 2012
Alzheimer
Title: Trial Set to See if Drug Can Prevent Alzheimer's
Category: Health News
Created: 5/15/2012 6:05:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 5/16/2012 12:00:00 AM read more..
Alzheimer
Dear Pdy, my mother told me to get out, and told...
The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one source of life news for the entire Alzheimer's community. Our goal is to Educate, sometimes Entertain, and Empower Alzheimers caregivers and their families worldwide. read more..
Using the Montessori Approach to Support the Elderly
In this illuminating workshop, learn how the...
The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one source of life news for the entire Alzheimer's community. Our goal is to Educate, sometimes Entertain, and Empower Alzheimers caregivers and their families worldwide. read more..
Alzheimer's Translation Services
Are you an Alzheimer’s translator? Do you have...
The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one source of life news for the entire Alzheimer's community. Our goal is to Educate, sometimes Entertain, and Empower Alzheimers caregivers and their families worldwide. read more..
Saturday 19 May 2012
Depression-Retirement
He helps out too much. Ann's dad had owned his own business and had employees. He was very successful. Ann's mom used to complain that after he retired, he wanted to run the house, but it didn't seem too serious. Then, when Ann's mom got sick, her dad's energy went into caregiving. He was a wonderful caregiver all the way through. read more..
Fruits And Vegetables-Weight Control-Healthy Habits-Mount Sinai-Prevention
There’s no prevention or cure for Alzheimer’s disease at this point. The best many experts can do is to suggest that people adopt healthy habits such as reducing stress, exercising, weight control and a good diet including plenty of fruits and vegetables. However, researchers are working hard to find an answer to the Alzheimer’s puzzle. read more..
“Remaining Thankful, Even in Sadness”
It is good to remember what we still have.By...
The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one source of life news for the entire Alzheimer's community. Our goal is to Educate, sometimes Entertain, and Empower Alzheimers caregivers and their families worldwide. read more..
Chicken Soup For The Soul-Family Caregivers
I just found out that one of my stories will be published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Family Caregivers: 101 Stories of Love, Sacrifice and Bonding, and I’m pretty excited about it! The book will be released in March and … Continue reading ? read more..
Tuesday 15 May 2012
Education Organization-Mediterranean Diet-Oldways-Blogger
By guest blogger Georgia Orcutt from Oldways, a nonprofit food and education organization whose mission is to guide people to good health through heritage. During May we are celebrating our... read more..
Adult Children
It's natural for adult children to love their parents and even want to care for them as they age. But, if your parents abused you when you were a child, how do you care for them without harming yourself by being subjected to ongoing criticism and abuse? read more..
Types Of Dementia-Imperfections-Human Side
Although Alzheimer’s disease is likely the most common and well-known dementia, the reality is that there are many other types of dementia. One lesser known but increasingly recognized dementia is frontotemporal. FTD generally presents itself as a baffling change in a loved one's personality. read more..
The Human Side of Motherhood: accept and celebrate it
We need to understand, love and forgive ourselves for our perceived imperfections as mothers. And yes, we need to try to understand, love and forgive our mothers for what may have been less than perfect mothering practices. Perfection is hard to define and resides in the eye of the beholder, so it's a subjective idea, anyway. read more..
Senior Living-Popular Vote-Facebook-Google
Another award! Please vote so I can be a finalist! Simple like the page below (the link) on Facebook or +1 on google.
Congratulations from SeniorHomes.com!
Alzheimer's Dad has been nominated to the SeniorHomes.com Best of the Web 2012 in the Best Senior Living Blogs by Individuals category. The Best of the Web 2012 contest highlights the best senior living and caregiving websites, blogs, and resources on the web for consumers and senior living professionals.Your nominee page has been published at http://www.seniorhomes.com/d/alzheimers-dad.
The top nominee sites by popular vote will proceed to the round of finalists and will be rated by our panel of expert judges. Final rankings will be decided by the expert panel ratings.In order to become a finalist, we encourage you to promote your website and get the vote out. Spread the word about your nomination by sharing your nominee page with your clients, customers, friends, and fans and asking for their votes. Finalists are determined by popular vote (total Facebook likes and Google +1s), so each person can vote for you twice! Voting ends on March 2, 2012. "Had a Dad" Alzheimer's Blog http://alzheimersdad.blogspot.com(c) Gevera Bert Piedmont })i({Thank you for visiting! read more..
Friday 11 May 2012
Alzheimer's Disease-Banyan Trees
You and I travel to the beat of a different drum Oh can't you tell by the way I run Every time you make eyes at me Wo-oh
You cry and moan and say it will work out But honey child I've got my doubts You can't see the forest for the trees
By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room
Banyan TreeEvery time we drive through Sherwood Forrest Dotty marvels at the size and shape of the Banyan trees. The Banyan trees are about 60 feet tall. Maybe taller.
I would estimate that Dotty has seen the same exact trees over 7,000 times. But now, each time its for the first time.
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Five years ago it would be unsettling to me when Dotty would start talking about those trees. She would marvel, look at those trees. Look how big they are. I can't believe it. I have never seen so many trees.
What did I do? I would remind Dotty that she had seen those trees thousands of times. It was somehow important for me to remind her. Of course, this would sometimes cause Dotty to become confused. It might even cause her to tell me that I was full of poop. Her words were not kind.
Eventually, I made my way into Alzheimer's World. After I made it into the World I started looking at things from Dotty's point of view. Why should I be upset if she asked me what day it was ten times? If she needed to know what day it was, she needed to know. After all, don't we all need to know what day it is? How would you know where to be, or where to go, or what to do if you never knew what day it was?
Once I made it to Alzheimer's World, I started to look at the world from Dotty's point of view. I tried to think and feel like she was thinking and feeling. I often asked myself, why? Why is she acting this way? Why is she feeling this way? I also stopped making it all about me. Instead, I made it about Dotty, and about us. I stopped complaining and saying, can you believe she does this, and she does that. I replaced words like she, me, and you, with words like we and us.
Once into Alzheimer's World, I started listening to Dotty. The sound of her voice. What was I hearing? Confusion? Anger? Happiness? Joy? I listened.
Today when Dotty starts marveling at the size or the number of trees, I'll be listening to her voice. I'll hear how amazed she is. How happy she sounds. I'll listen to her words. I'll feel happy. I'll also notice that those banyan trees are big and beautiful. Amazing looking in fact. Each and every time if you pay attention.
Way back when, when Dotty would act like she never saw those trees before in her life I would get sad. I would need to remind her she had seen them thousands of times. I was burdened.
Now, I listen to Dotty's sweet voice. Hear how really amazed she is feeling. It makes me feel happy. We get along better these days.
I finally learned to look at the trees.
More Insight and Advice from the Alzheimer's Reading Room
- How Alzheimer's Spreads Throughout the Brain
- Test Your Memory for Alzheimer's (5 Best Self Assessment Tests)
- What is Alzheimer's Disease?
- What is Dementia?
- What’s the Difference Between Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
- Communicating in Alzheimer's World
- How the Loss of Memory Works in Alzheimer’s Disease, and How Understanding This Could Help You
- Learning How to Communicate with Someone Suffering From Alzheimer's Disease
- Alzheimer's World -- Trying to Reconnect with Someone Suffering from Alzheimer's Disease
- Does the Combination of Aricept and Namenda Help Slow the Rate of Decline in Alzheimer's Patients
- Driving with Alzheimer's Can Mean Death
- About the Alzheimer's Reading Room
Monday 7 May 2012
Traumatic Brain Injury-Epidemiology
Over the last decade, scientists have realized that brain injury can precipitate similar pathologies to those found in people with neurodegenerative conditions... read more..
Negative Thoughts-Constant Care
Elders in need of constant care feel their own pain. They generally feel a lack of control over their lives, as bit by bit their abilities slip away. This can make some of them disagreeable and bossy. Generally, the answer to this is to learn to detach with love. read more..
Alzheimer
By Carol Blackwell Alzheimer's Reading...
The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one source of life news for the entire Alzheimer's community. Our goal is to Educate, sometimes Entertain, and Empower Alzheimers caregivers and their families worldwide. read more..
Translating in Alzheimer's World
“What’s she doing?” “What did she say?” “What...
The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one source of life news for the entire Alzheimer's community. Our goal is to Educate, sometimes Entertain, and Empower Alzheimers caregivers and their families worldwide. read more..
Symptoms Of Dementia-Alzheimer's Research-Alzheimer's Disease-Experience
If you've been following Alzheimer's research, you may have heard about the use of coconut oil in treating Alzheimer's disease. A physician in Florida has written about her experience with using coconut oil to treat her husband's symptoms of dementia, noting that he showed significant improvement after she added it to his diet....Read Full Post read more..
Long-term care ombudsman can help with transitions
Dear Carol: My mother has been in assisted living for several years. Now, her health is deteriorating and her assets have dwindled to almost nothing. I’m afraid moving her to a nursing home is the only choice. I’m not sure how to go about the change, or when to do this. The financial aspects worry me. Where do I start? Michael read more..
Flaxseed-Fish
Title: Fish, Flaxseed May Lower Alzheimer's Risk
Category: Health News
Created: 5/3/2012 11:01:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/3/2012 12:00:00 AM read more..
Immediate Family
When you are taking care of a parent with Alzheimer's, you are trying to cope with your own grief over their illnesses, help them with their feelings of loss, keep them safe, make your immediate family reasonably content and work at your job. You are wearing out, but caregiver guilt won't let you say – enough! read more..
Sunday 6 May 2012
Family Strife-Siblings-Errands
Caregiving can grow from just running a few errands for the elder into a full-time job. Many people have quit paying jobs, or not accepted a promotion, in order to be available to care for an aging parent. From the outside, it looks as though this person has the time. In most cases, the person has made the time, often at great sacrifice. read more..
The Latest Headlines-Physical Activity-Alzheimer
Every week we scour the news for the latest headlines in Alzheimer’s care, treatment and prevention. Here are some big stories for the week of April 23rd 2012: Daily Activity... read more..
Travis Stork-Exercise-Obesity
I'll tell you up front that I'm not good with hair. For the most part, I'm a minimalist. Alice had perms, but her hair still needed washing and a daily curling to arrange it nicely. Over time, and with lots of humor thrown in, I did learn a few things. read more..
Interview with Dr. Travis Stork: reduce obesity for overall health
Reducing obesity with a healthy diet and sensible exercise is the goal. During a recent interview with Dr. Stork, I asked him how we can encourage our aging loved ones to exercise and eat right to lose weight and stay healthy, especially when we hear the excuse "why bother now?" read more..