"The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest." -- Thomas Moore.....
By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room
The more I learned the more I wanted to know. I learned a great deal about Alzheimer's disease and dementia--including the science. It helped me understand a very mystifying disease. It helped me to put a frame around something that is difficult if not impossible to describe.
Let's face it, dealing with dementia is not easy. Understanding Alzheimer's disease is not easy...
When Alzheimer's strikes communication and behavior change abruptly -- overnight. It is up to the caregiver to adjust since the person suffering from dementia is incapable of the adjustment. Understanding this need is the first big step.
The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one source of information for the entire Alzheimer's community. The blog focuses on those suffering from Alzheimer's disease, Alzheimer's caregivers, and the art of Alzheimer's caregiving. 100 Million people have been touched by Alzheimer's disease, and 35 million are worried about Alzheimer's. Each day, 1,232 people are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
Many Alzheimer's caregivers are forgotten by family and friends. This is a sad truth that is rarely discussed....
Knowing that the day is coming when your loved one -- won't know you-- is the most horrific feeling of them all for an Alzheimer's caregiver......
It is difficult to describe the range of emotions a caregiver might feel or experience in a single day. Imagine being happy and then sad, caring then angry, focused then frustrated -- an almost endless stream of feelings and emotions that conflict.....
Once I entered Alzheimer's world I did learn something fascinating -- my mother is full of feelings and emotion. I learned that I could connect with her....
I believe changing behavior, understanding what is happening, and a willingness to change the communication dynamic are the first steps to Alzheimer's caregiver happiness.
We are on a three day roll. No pee pee. No pee pee pajamas. No pee pee underwear. No pee pee pants...
Which of he following apply to you as an Alzheimer's caregiver? Which of these constantly bother you?.....
I often get asked question about how I deal with my mother when she evidences erratic behavior.
I knew the solution to the dreaded bowel movement problem for years. I couldn't get my mother to cooperate. When she wouldn't cooperate, I would give up. At least three or four times over a two year period. I was finally able to implement my solution for one simple reason -- I was learning new and better techniques as an Alzheimer's caregiver over time.
In order to communicate effectively with a person suffering from Alzheimer's disease you need to come to an understanding that they are now living in a new world -- I often refer to this as Alzheimer's world...
The positive effects of socialization, initiative, and motivation on the part of Alzheimer's sufferers and their caregiver should not be overlooked. I believe these are as important as the medication......
The decision to keep a parent home or place them in a facility is never an easy choice, and is usually contemplated for a long time. The horror stories we’ve all heard about nursing homes can make anyone cringe.
Sometimes while looking at all those stars I begin to look at the space between the stars -- I call this the Blue Nowhere...When I look at the Blue Nowhere, I begin to imagine all the persons suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The Blue Nowhere is very vast.
"The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest." -- Thomas Moore.....
Alzheimer's will try to rob the Alzheimer's caregiver of their spirit. It will try and send them into the black hole of depression. Every day Alzheimer's whispers in the ear of the caregiver -- give up.
People who are hypothyroid feel as though they have mild Alzheimer's and depression all mixed into one bad day. Get your thyroid tested. Nearly one in five people over the age of sixty has some degree of hypothyroidism, meaning a sluggish thyroid. The sympotms include forgetfulness, weight gain, depression, dry skin, intolerance to cold, muscle aches, and fatigue.
With Alzheimer's disease it is all about establishing patterns of behavior. Whether it is the pee pee war, poop war, or sleeping you have to get into a pattern. You have to establish a pattern of behavior that is conducive to accomplishing a mission....
Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries for adults sixty-five and older...
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Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room
