Posted on May 28th, 2008 by MrElderCare
David Solie hits the nail smack on the head again with his latest post appropriately titled “Second Thoughts”.
This time he’s commenting on the “new kind of work” we take on. Not the paper work chores and the job of cleaning out the house, but the psychological process of sorting out the experience of the death of mom or dad.
His second point - regrets - got me to thinking about my dad. Today on the way to the office, I started suffering from “anticipatory regrets” about the time I’m not spending with him and mom. His post helped me decide it’s time to start taking some of those actions I only think about but never get around to doing.
How about you? Any regrets you want to avoid? Better do it now why you have the chance.
Filed under: Elder Care, Caregiver Stress Management | No Comments »
Posted on May 26th, 2008 by MrElderCare
Celery, green pepper, and chamomile each contain a flavonoid called luteolin recently determined to be an anti-inflammatory chemical that could help treat brain
disorders like Alzheimer’s Disease.
While more research is required, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign reports it used luteolin to reduce brain inflammation (beta amyloids) in the brains of research mice.
So it can’t hurt to crunch down on celery sticks, strips of green bell peppers and enjoy a cup or three of chamomile tea every day.
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Posted on May 26th, 2008 by MrElderCare
Came across an article about the efficacy of medication delivered via nasal sprays in the British newspaper “The Indepedent”. While following my nose on the subject, I learned about other studies specifically relating insulin to Alzheimer’s Disease and the investigation of using nasal sprays as a delivery system.
Very promising stuff.
Check out these stories:
Filed under: Alzheimer's Disease | No Comments »
Posted on May 22nd, 2008 by MrElderCare
An electronic tracking device is helping save the lives of Alzheimer’s sufferers, the emotional strain of caregivers and the budgets of local sheriff’s departments.
Project LifeSaver, offered by Sheriff offices in numerous communities around the country, is a program that equips those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or other cognitive disorders with a mobile locator bracelets that allow them to be found in case they wander off.
Typically, people are found within minutes rather than days which brings great peace of mind to families. Not only is it a great emotional relief for worried families, it’s a huge money saver for local law enforcement.
Traditional searches without Project LifeSaver requires scores of people, tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars per search and could take days. This system costs a fraction of that, uses far fewer people and takes hours.
To find out if your community is enrolled in the program, contact your local Sheriff’s department or the folks at Project Lifesaver.
Filed under: Caregiver Stress Management, Alzheimer's Disease | No Comments »
Posted on May 17th, 2008 by MrElderCare
It’s no secret that caregivers have big hearts. It takes love and concern to accept the rigors that come with providing care to an aging parent.
But caregiving is a tough job. It can take a physical and emotional toll on the caregiver.
Yahoo Health offers these 7 tips to keep your heart healthy.
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Posted on May 16th, 2008 by MrElderCare
David Solie has another thought provoking post at Aging Parents Insight. This one is on the impact of a parent crossing over the 80 year old mark. It’s well worth reading.
Martin
Filed under: Elder Care, Family Conflict, Caregiver Stress Management | No Comments »
Posted on May 1st, 2008 by MrElderCare
This week’s “Ask Mr. Eldercare” talks
about how to use the latest advances in
caregiving technology to make your life
easier as a caregiver.
I’ll be talking about really cool items that
enable your mom or dad to “age in place”
safely with a lot less worry on your
part.
The show starts at 10 am central.
You can listen on your computer or on your
phone at 646-595-3880.
Hope you can join me!
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Posted on April 16th, 2008 by MrElderCare
My friend Roger Carr needs your help. It’s not for him, though. It’s for the millions of Americans suffering from the stabbing, life limiting pain of arthritis.
Imagine what your life would be like if every waking moment joint pain prevented you from doing such simple tasks as opening a jar of peanut butter, buttoning a blouse or bending over to put on shoes. Roger is married to a wonderful woman who suffers such pain every day.
He’s asked me to spread the word about his fund raising efforts to Stomp Out Arthritis. I’m happy to help him. Roger spends most of his spare time helping others. He’s the kind of guy you can get behind and feel good about it.
It’s a worthy cause. Won’t you join me?
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Posted on March 27th, 2008 by MrElderCare
If you’re not familiar with the wonderful value of Adult Day Services, the folks a Gilbert Guide have written a short article that explains it well. It’s short and too the point.
You may find adult day care is provides the level of care just right for your loved one. The price is fairly low (generally), the environments are safe and you get much needed relief time-wise and emotionally.
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Posted on March 14th, 2008 by MrElderCare
A collaborative multi-institutional research study has been able to accurately classify different types of dementia using PET scanners.
Until now, scientists have not been able to look deep within the brain to differentiate different types of dementia. The new research enabled scientists to develop standardized disease specific patterns from which they correctly classified dementia 94% of the time.
The study, reported in the March issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine, measured the the amount of sugar the brain uses to fuel its activities in different parts of the brain. The PET scan can pinpoint the areas of the brain where sugar (in the form of glucose) utilization was below normal.
The research focused on three types of dementia: Alzheimer’s disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Each disease affects a different area of the brain. Since the PET scan could identify the type of dementia based on where in the brain sugar utilization was diminished.
Researchers believe the ability ability to differentiated the usage of glucose may lead to an earlier and more accurate diagnoses of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) which would lead to better disease management.
Dementia can take several years to develop to it’s debilitating stage. The ability to accurately detect the type of dementia early will allow earlier more effective treatment and empower those with the disease to make important lifestyle decisions that would give them better control of their future.
Filed under: Technology, Alzheimer's Disease | No Comments »
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