Posts Tagged With ‘ dementia ’

Agatha, 60, had married a man 25 years her senior. He had one son who lived outside the US and was not close to his father. Agatha and her husband had a lot of good times until he began to show signs of dementia. Before long, Agatha was a full-time caregiver. She lost her husband within two years of the emergence of his symptoms. Now, Agatha finds herself in charge of everything her husband had handled before: investing, management of retirement funds, household repairs, maintenance, and decisions she had never made in her life. She was not financially literate when she got married and she feels... Continue Reading

Hearing, memory, and mobility all going at once: the aging triple whammy. We see it with Walter, 91, a very accomplished CEO in his day. He has always been a take-charge guy. But now, he has a severe hearing loss which limits his life considerably. He hates hearing aids and won’t wear them. He rejects using a cell phone because of it, and he can barely hear on a regular landline phone. His memory is going, and fast. He does not like to admit this. He never wanted help. Accepting that he forgets a lot means that he would actually have to ask for help. Further, he is now having trouble walking.... Continue Reading

When an aging parent is diagnosed with dementia of any kind, it can be devastating and confusing to the family. For some, there is denial: ”It’s not that bad, I don’t see anything wrong with her, and let’s just let things stay the same for now.” For others, there is overreacting and trying to push the aging parent into a care facility before that may be needed, just because of assumptions about dementia. Family fights over these things, such as we address at AgingParents.com, are not unusual. As the disease affects each person in an individual way, it is impossible to generalize much... Continue Reading

The best reason to set up a power of attorney for yourself or an elderly family member is to avoid a far more contentious and expensive alternative later: guardianship. Jonathan Williams A power of attorney becomes urgent if an elderly family member is showing early signs of dementia. “You want to run, not walk, to get that done because capacity tends not to get better,” said Jonathan Williams, an attorney with the Clarity Legal Group in the Raleigh-Durham, N.C., area. “Having good legal documents in place, if the person has the ability to execute them, can be helpful later on,” he said.... Continue Reading

People used to fear a diagnosis of cancer above all. That has been replaced by fear of a diagnosis of dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. Most people know someone who has it or did in the past. There is good reason to be afraid. It’s a difficult, expensive and sometimes very long journey with this disease. Furthermore, it can create a hellish existence for those taking care of their demented loved ones. Their behavior can be difficult, unpredictable and extremely unmanageable for some. Researchers all over the world study every aspect of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias.... Continue Reading

Imagine that you were scrolling through a social media site and someone you worked with or one of your family members posted an image or video of you that was less than flattering. Everyone not only saw it but started commenting on it and sharing it. How would this make you feel? The post People with dementia deserve respect on social media appeared first on McKnights Home Care.  Continue Reading

When an aging parent is diagnosed with dementia of any kind, it can be devastating and confusing to the family. For some, there is denial: “It’s not that bad, I don’t see anything wrong with her, and let’s just let things stay the same for now.” For others, there is overreacting and trying to push the aging parent into a care facility before that may be needed, just because of assumptions about dementia. Family fights over these things, such as we address at AgingParents.com, are not unusual. As the disease affects each person in an individual way, it is impossible to generalize much... Continue Reading

The concepts of cannabis use in our society are still confusing, as Federal law conflicts with state laws. The majority of states have legalized the use of cannabis for medical use. In recent elections, more are steadily legalizing it for recreational use as well. Federal law still classifies cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug, the same as heroin. States allow its medical use for a variety of conditions that might otherwise be treated with opioids and other drugs. But the legalization of cannabis does not answer the question of how it could help aging adults with dementia-related agitated behaviors. Some... Continue Reading

Factors to consider Assisted living homes continue to spring up, with owners hoping to attract the highest paying residents to the nicest facilities. After all, Medicare does not cover assisted living and residents must pay out of pocket. If you are considering this for an aging parent, cost is a primary factor in the decision. The price of such a home varies widely from state to state depending on the cost of real estate in any location. The better amenities in an assisted living home also cost more. Before a family chooses a place based on costs of care, explore all options in the area. Notice... Continue Reading

This is a nationwide effort to raise awareness that falls ARE preventable. These national trip and fall statistics are startling.  And what is even more jarring is that most of these are preventable!  There are many ways of reducing the risk of trips and falls in a home and using the Silver Spaces Home Safety Assessment is one of them. Why the Silver Spaces Home Safety Assessment is such a valuable tool! The major goal of the Silver Spaces home safety assessment is to identify and mitigate trip and fall risks around a home.  This unique inspection provides a 360-degree evaluation of the interior... Continue Reading