Having a Great Day with Alzheimer's

Have you ever wondered why people with Alzheimer’s or Dementia suddenly have a “good” day?

Why are they so bad one day and not so bad the next? The family may think- Mom is getting better, the Doctor must have diagnosed her wrong, her memory is fine today, she’s in a great mood!

The truth is that once the brain damage has occurred, it’s permanent. Our brains have about 100 billion neurons with branches that connect at more than 100 trillion points. These neurons help us to retrieve stored memories, and signal our thoughts and feelings. Alzheimer’s disease destroys these neurons.

So why do we experience “good” days and “bad” days? If you think of the neurons in the brain as a very complex road map of streets and intersections and suddenly a bridge is out, consider what your GPS does. It recalculates! Occasionally the brain will be able to reroute or recalculate and find an alternate route to retrieve that information. The brain is remarkable and will try to find a back door to get that information if possible. Some days it works, and some days it doesn’t. So when someone with Alzheimer’s or Dementia is having a great day, that’s just what it is.  A great day.

Reprinted with permission from Debra Kostiw.
Bringing useful news to educate our clients is one more way that Home Helpers has been making life easier for over a decade.  Call us today at 704-909-7958.  And as always, you can find us on our website,  Facebook and Google+!

10 New Facts About Alzheimer's

Research on Alzheimer’s progresses every year, and some of the statistics are staggering. The Alzheimer’s Association provides an annual report detailing costs and complications of the disease to patients, caregivers and the health care system.  We’ve pulled out 10 of the latest facts about Alzheimer’s disease..

1. Nearly half of adults aged 85 and over have Alzheimer’s disease.  According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s, an estimated one in eight people aged 65 and over (13%) suffer from Alzheimer’s, and .  It is the most common cause of dementia among older adults.
2. Out of approximately 5.4 million Americans with Alzheimer’s, more than half may not know they have it.
3. More women than men have Alzheimer’s disease.  The Alzheimer’s Association reports that nearly two-thirds of Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s are women. The primary reason for this statistic is that women generally live longer than men.
4. Early-onset Alzheimer’s can develop in people as young as age 30.  Though the cause still isn’t well understood, some of these cases have a genetic component.
5. In America, a new case of Alzheimer’s develops every 68 seconds; by 2050, the incidence will increase to every 33 seconds. The rate at which Alzheimer’s disease occurs is projected to double by the middle of the century because of the growing population over age 65.
6. Alzheimer’s is the 6th-leading cause of death in the U.S., and the 5th-leading cause of death in adults aged 65 and over.
7. Over 15 million Americans are unpaid caregivers for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia.  According to the Alzheimer’s Association, most (70%) of those caregivers are female family members.
8. Alzheimer’s caregivers have an increased likelihood of physical strain, mental and emotional stress, depression, financial problems, and familial/interpersonal issues.
This is largely due to the communications difficulty and personality changes that affects the sufferer. Therapeutic and social support are shown to reduce this risk.
9. In 2012, the average annual cost of health care and LTC services for someone with Alzheimer’s was $43,847.
10. An estimated 800,000 Americans with Alzheimer’s are living alone.  Many of those have no identified caregiver, a situation which puts them at greater risk of social isolation, poor self-care, falls and other medical emergencies, wandering, malnutrition and a range of other issues.

Bringing useful news to educate our clients is one more way that Home Helpers has been making life easier for over a decade.  Call us today at 704-909-7958.  And as always, you can find us on our website,  Facebook and Google+!

From Alzheimer’s Association, 2012 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures. Alzheimer’s and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. March 2012; 8:131–168.

When the Child Becomes the Parent

As we age, caregiving requirements can often result in an role reversal of the parent-child relationship – one where the child begins parenting the parent. One day we find ourselves caring for parents who are as dependent on us as we were on them during our childhood. This can be emotionally challenging for the elderly parent as well as the adult child.

For the senior parent, it’s common to have feelings of embarrassment, frustration and depression when they are forced to rely on a grown child for care. Loss of independence and sense of helplessness can lead to feelings of despair, and sometimes resentment.

Adult children may resent having to take on full time or part time caregiving.  There is no pay, but it’s as strenuous as any other job that you may undertake. Many grown children feel a sense of loss as they witness the deterioration of a once  vibrant parent that they previously depended on in their younger days. Because the relationship between you and your parent has changed, you may need to explore new ways of expressing love and receiving love that are appropriate to you both. The following are a few quick tips on helping to keep a loving relationship:

• Use of affirmative words.Say, “I love you” regularly, and share compliments with your loved one daily. Be careful not to overdo this, as it can be concieved as condescending if over applied.

• Physical touch.  If your parent is the touchy type, they will feel loved if you make it a habit to give hugs regularly.

• Gifts.  Gift giving shows the recipient that you care for them, and that you are willing to sacrifice in order to make them happy. Make sure not to miss a birthday, anniversary, or other important event as they could take this as a sign of being unloved.

• Quality time.  Everyone appreciates moments when they have your undivided attention, being together enjoying each others company without distractions. If this is important to your parent, set aside time each week to spend just with them, and don’t look at it as caregiving. Turn off your smart-phone, computer, TV, etc, and get together with your parent in a quiet room or over the dinner table for one-on-one time.

Bringing useful news to educate our clients is one more way that Home Helpers has been making life easier for over a decade.  Call us today at 704-909-7958.  And as always, you can find us on our website,  Facebook and Google+!