Archive for July, 2009

Locating Caregivers for Person’s with Alzheimer’s Disease

July 31st, 2009 Darlene

“Alzheimer’s disease” is one of the most dreaded words for the elderly. Even though cancer and heart disease are dreaded words too, Alzheimer’s is not considered fatal, as the former are. With proper care, a person with Alzheimer’s disease can live a long time. It certainly can be a challenge, though.

A person with Alzheimer’s disease needs to be taken care of all the time simply because the memory loss will often render the patient incapable of thinking and reasoning. The simplest of tasks, like brushing teeth and even using a spoon and fork are forgotten.

Alzheimer’s is a progressive and degenerative disease that affects the brain often leading to massive memory loss, not only in terms of one’s personal memories, but also one’s every day routines that are taken for granted. Patients will forget everything. Some people will also find it hard to learn new things and may even lose their language abilities. They will have difficulties in their speech and in their writing.

Because of this, caring for a patient with Alzheimer’s disease can be extremely challenging. It is actually like caring for a newborn baby, but while a baby will slowly learn to function independently, patients with Alzheimer’s will lose what they have learned and will slowly become more and more dependent on their caregivers. Thus, it is important, even vital, to find a caregiver that is both professionally-capable and caring as they will determine the progress that the patient will have as well as their over all condition and behavior.

Here are some tips in finding a good caregiver for an Alzheimer’s patient.

  • Choose a professional

It is good to look for a person that is already overly experienced in caring for people with Alzheimer’s. Not only will their experience come in handy when it comes to dealing with the patient’s medicines and medical routines, they will also be more patient because of prior knowledge.

Unfortunately, professionals tend to be pricey. Private nurses and caregivers are expensive enough as it is without adding the cost of a specialization. If you just cannot afford to hire someone with adequate experience, try one who has worked with the elderly and then help educate them about the basics of the disease.

  • Choose someone you know

There are many advantages to hiring someone you know, who you’ve seen working with patients in the past. Alzheimer’s patients will have a lot of quirks and odd behaviors that can be extremely irritating and difficult to deal with. Thus, it is important that you choose someone that you know will have a lot of patience and kindness.

If a member or members of the family can make the time to care for the patient, that is ideal. If not, you can ask for recommendations from people that you know. Chances are they know someone who can, and maybe has taken care of a patient with Alzheimer’s.

  • Choose someone strong

It is also important that you choose someone who can handle the often back breaking tasks that come with caring for an Alzheimer’s patient, although this shouldn’t be major issue. Remember that, because the patient is fully-dependent on the person, they will sometimes need to carry them or support them when walking.

I hope these few hints may help in your search for a kind, knowledable professional to assist you in caring for your loved one.

Darlene@learnaboutalzheimers.info

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Forms of Dementia

July 1st, 2009 Darlene

Although Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, there are other types of mentaly debilitating diseases that followunder the dementia heading. Here are just a few.

  • Vascular or multi-infarct dementia

This type of dementia is similar to Alzheimer’s disease and runs a close second in terms of how often it strikes when compared to Alzheimer’sdisease. Symptoms are the common loss of memory, difficulty following instructions, as well as confusion. Although it causes a steady decline in cognitive abilities, it usually occurs in “stages or steps” instead of the charactaristic routine of Alzheimer’s disease.This is caused in part by small strokes which block smaller arteries, too small to cause major symptoms, but their combined effect is noticeable over a period of time. Low blood flow to parts of the brain is the culprit in this case.

  • Mixed Dementia

Certain experts believe that the combination of vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is very common, and refer to it as mixed dementia.

  • Injury to the brain

Actual physical injury to the brain accounts for another form of dementia which includes symptoms such as memory loss and/or behavioral changes.

  • Frontotemporal dementia (Pick’s disease)

Although rare, when this type of dementia occurs, it is diffucult at times to tell the difference between it and Alzheimer’s. Symptoms start beforememory loss, such as disorientation and personality changes.

  • Parkinson’s disease

This debilitating disease starts by affecting muscle control, causing stiffness, impaired speech and tremors, with dementia occuring in later stages.

  • Dementia with Lewy bodies

This type of dementia is characterized by wide variations in alertness and attention, with victims experiencing muscle rigidity as well as tremors usually found in Parkinson’s disease sufferers.

  • Huntington’s disease

This type of dementia is inherited, causing progressive odd movements of the legs, facial muscles and arms. There is a marked change in thepersonality of the victim as well as the inability to think coherantly.

  • Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)

This type of dementia is very rare. It has been identified as the disorder believed to be the result of eating “mad cow disease” infected meat. It destroys coordination and memory, often rapidly. It also makes marked changes in the victims behavior.

  • Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH)

This type of dementia is caused by a buildup of fluid in the brain. Surgery is sometimes used to drain the fluid off the brain. NPH victims show signs of inability to control urine, difficulty walking, and memory loss. Doctors are unable to determine the cause of most cases.

One thing to consider when faced with the task of determining a loved ones cause of dementia is that doctors will label an individual as afflicted with MCI (mild cognitive impairment) if they are exhibiting signs of memory loss or loss of cognitive skills. MCI does not always lead toAlzheimer’s disease, but there is an increased occurence of this happening when diagnosed with MCI.

As you can see, there are many different variations of dementia, all destructive to the victim’s brain, but not all are cases of Alzheimer’s disease.

The best defense is knowledge and a great medical team.

Darlene

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