Alzheimer's

Question: alzheimer's? Never underestimate the power of discussion. Together, we can have a strong voice, working to make a difference in the lives of affected by Alzheimer's and related disease. Do you know any forum for discuss? Please write whatever you know,with your email id. Raise your voice. Thank you

Answer: Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder named for German physician Alois Alzheimer, who first described it in 1906. Scientists have learned a great deal about Alzheimer’s disease in the century since Dr. Alzheimer first drew attention to it. Today we know that Alzheimer’s. Is the most common form of dementia, a general term for the loss of memory and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Vascular dementia, another common type of dementia, is caused by reduced blood flow to parts of the brain. In mixed dementia, Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia occur together. For more information about other causes of dementiaHas no current cure. But treatments for symptoms, combined with the right services and support, can make life better for the millions of Americans living with Alzheimer’s. We’ve learned most of what we know about Alzheimer’s in the last 15 years. There is an accelerating worldwide effort under way to find better ways to treat the disease, delay its onset, or prevent it from developing If you want to know and want to make discussion please visit following sites. hope you got. http://www.alz.org/ http://www.alz.org/icad/ www.alz.co.uk alzheimer.ca

Question: Alzheimer's? My mom had alzheimer's. We lost her last year. We don't know what specifically killed her. If there are any doctors on line or if this has happened to your family and know the answer, please help me out? Is there anything we could have done? I haven't been able to sleep much since she passed. I miss her so much it hurts! If I had answers, maybe my grief would ebb. a little.

Answer: I am not a doctor but my parents are so I will try to answer your question as well as I can. Alzheimer`s, contrary to what many people think does not affect only elder people but its signs and the illness is discovered at old age. As you probably know it is not a fast progressive illness but rather one that you don`t even notice because it affects an individual gradually at a very slow rate. In very simple term slowly the body shuts down. The cause of this illness as far as I know is yet to be determined but it causes the body to "degrade". The first signs are forgetfulness and at the end the body just shuts down. There is nothing you or anyone else for that matter could have done except try to make her as comfortable as possible. I am very sorry for your loss and I hope I`ve been of some help. If you need more information or would just like to talk please feel free to contact me.

Question: Alzheimer's? If a family member (Father/Mother) suffered from alzheimer's, what are the chances of their children being affected? Thank you.

Answer: Unfortunately, 15% of the victims of Alzheimer's disease have a family history of the disease, occasionally with a dominant pattern of interitance (in which children with one affected parent have a 50% chance of inheriting the disease). The cause of Alzheimer's disease is unknown but a number of theories have been proposed, ranging from the effects of chronic infection to toxic poisoning by a metal such as aluminum. There are some drugs, such as Aricept, that show promise in slowing the progression of the disease but there is no cure as of yet.

Question: How can doctors tell an Alzheimer's patient suffered a stroke, and estimate the time? A family member with Alzheimer's experienced increased muscle weakness over a few days, but rather sudden permanent inability to walk at all. Doctors said he had experienced a stroke 5 days before and also 5 or 6 yrs ago. I want to know how a CAT scan indicating a stroke in an Alzheimer's patient would differ from just plain Alzheimer's brain. Is it different densities or something? Also, how do they know how long ago the stroke was? The 5yr thing especially seems strange since he was still working then...

Answer: My father has Alzheimers and also suffered a few mild strokes. I will tell you what his doctor told us. They can tell when a person has a stoke because a stroke damages the brain tissue. The areas of the brain affected by the stroke will show up on their equipment differently than the rest of the brain. With my dad they showed up as brighter white spots with dark areas near them (thats the now dead part of the brain) Just like when you break a bone a stroke will leave scar tissue. (the damaged areas of the brain) The doctors can tell you basically when you broke a bone even if it happened as a child. Same thing with a stroke and the damage it caused. They can look at the tissues and see how much rewiring around the areas has happened, they know how fast the parts of the brain heal or rewire, so they can pinpoint when a stroke happened. The closer to the occurance time the better the "when it happened" diagnosis. Thats why the difference between 5 days and 5 or 6 years. People can have small strokes that effect them at the time, but they can recover from those. However those strokes should be seen as warning signs and be followed up by a doctors exam and monitoring.

Question: How to deal with an Alzheimer's patient who is starting to hit their caretakers? My grandfather has had Alzheimer's for about 5-7 years now. He's a stage 4 - he does not recognize anyone, but he realizes the closeness to people. He cannot form clear sentences and is always trying to leave his house. He's recently started getting very angry and he sometimes hits my grandmother when he's angry. He takes a medication to calm him down, but it doesn't work anymore. She can't even get a nurse because they won't send nurses to patients who are abusive. What can we do??

Answer: I think he needs to be in a specialist nursing home...the staff will be used to people like him.

Question: Can a person with moderate to severe Alzheimer's Disease symptoms have a day where they are lucid than others? Hypothetically speaking, a person with Alzheimer's has been put into a nursing home. They are vistited by their spouse and at that point asks if they can go home now.

Answer: Yes. They have times when they are more aware than others. My step-mother, who has alzheimers, got mad at my Dad for something. He saw her in the bedroom, packing her suitcase. He said..."Where are you going Honey?". She said, "I'm going home." ...He said, "But honey, you ARE home." It was very sad. A devastating disease to the entire family. The person you describe may even have been referring to their CHILDhood home. You never know. So, sometimes even things that APPEAR sensical... aren't.

Question: Any ideas for keeping an Alzheimer's patient from taking their colostomy bag off? We have an Alzheimer's patient that keeps taking their colostomy bag off and putting it in their pocket. ANY ideas of how to prevent that would be appreciated! Thanks you!

Answer: Perhaps using an abdominal binder loosely fitted, with the velcro closure in the back.

Question: What is the effect of a surgery on an Alzheimer's patient? My grandpa has cataracts and needs surgery to remove them. However he also has Alzheimer's and I am worried about the effect anesthesia has with his disease.

Answer: The anesthesia shouldn't affect the Alzheimers itself. But anesthesia can cause short-term confusion, as can hospitalization. So that can make his Alzheimers seem worse. Plus, if his dementia is severe, he won't be able to participate in his own after-care, and may need to be watched closely or even restrained to keep him from damaging his eyes before they're healed.

Question: Alzheimer's : How to help someone to take the right numbers of pills at the right time? Hello, my grandmother has a form of Alzheimer's disease. My grandfather has been putting her pills in a weekly tray. Today she took three tray's worth: three days. She ended up in the hospital because she took too many pills. I'm wondering if even one bin would be would be too much to make sure she took the right meds. My grandfather has to work, finances are tight so they can't hire a nurse. Any ideas? Has anyone been through this before?

Answer: Amazon.com sells an electronic pill reminder made by Timex. It was like $10. It has helped my dad a lot. It can be programmed for up to 4 times a day, and has 4 boxes. You have to fill it daily though. But you could also just use it for the timer part, and still use the tray you have now or whatever.

Question: How can I tell if my grandmother has Alzheimer's disease? My grandmother is 94 years old and healthy, in general. Lately she has been having difficulty in reading the time. A few days ago she started seeing things that weren't there (she's had cataract and glaucoma for years), and she couldn't remember recent facts. I told her (in a nice way) that she should see a doctor, but she refused. Is it possible that she has Alzheimer's, and if she does how could I convince her to go to the doctor without insulting her?

Answer: well i'd say the forgetfulness is probably cuz she is 94 YEARS OLD! you didn't specify what she was seeing that wasn't there but it is very possible that she IS seeing something. she may be seeing floaters in her eyes. she could very possibly have a detached retina. here is a great link to learn about it: http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/tc/retinal-detachment-topic-overview if this is what you think it could be she needs go to see an eye dr asap cuz she can loose her sight every quickly.

Question: How can I cope with a parent with alzheimer's Disease? and Where can I find a upport group? Mymothjer has Alzheimer's, and she lives with me full time. She gets stuck in a loop.Asksthe same questions over and over. I could use a support group and family counciling.

Answer: Contact your local office of aging/senior services-they often offer caregiver support groups themselves and where they do not, they should be able to refer you. Dementia is one of the saddest as well as most frustrating illnesses ever and it completely changes the roles within a family and can be emotionally exhausting. The constant need to repeat yourself because of the absence of short-term memory can sorely try your patience and it helps to be sure to give yourself breaks as well and have opportunities to get away with your own family now and then. My Mother has dementia as well and my Dad is her caregiver. Senior services has been invaluable in hooking him up with a respite worker too so he can get some time away as he refuses to participate in support groups. Best of luck to you and your family!

Question: How can one tell the difference between the early stages of Alzheimer's and simple forgetfulness? My mother is almost 50 years old, and it seems like she's been forgetting things a lot lately. Every now and then she'll forget someones name, or won't remember where she put something, or ask me the same question more than once. I understand that no one is perfect and that anyone could forget things as simple as what I mentioned above. But where does the line between the possibility of her having Alzheimer's or simply becoming more forgetful due to age cross? Should I be concerned?

Answer: Anyone can forget things but its different because Alzheimer's destroys brain cells, causing memory loss and problems with thinking and behavior severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life. has she seen the doctor? this can be serious because when my grandma didn't go to the doctor and forgetting every ones names she had brain cancer. so i recommend for her to see the doctor

Question: How do I get involved with helping to find a cure for Alzheimer's? I want to volunteer some time to help with Alzheimer's. I don't mind working with actual patients, but ideally I would like my efforts to be closer related to the root, where the time I spend is productively helping to find a cure. Anyone have any ideas? Anyone work with Alzheimer's patients and/or the disease?

Answer: depends on if you want to do basic science research or clinical research I work in an Alzheimer's clinic and do clinical research (I work with patients, not with chemicals). I have a bachelor's degree in psychology and got a job working here doing memory testing with the patients. Many of my co-workers also have master's degrees, nursing degrees, Ph.D's or M.D.'s. I'm guessing you might probably at least have to get a 4-year (bachelor's degree) to get your foot in the door, but I could be wrong. I would apply to places that conduct research - there are private doctors and research facilities and also university & hospital settings that conduct clinical research in Alzheimer's disease. check out the Alzheimer's Association website and/or clinicaltrials.gov to find out the sites in your area that are conducting Alzheimer's research and seek them out.

Question: Is Alzheimer's disease the proof that most people live in false hope? The degredation of the mind due to Alzheimer's disease proves that the mind and, resultantly, the human consciousness are both transient things. Does this prove that most preconceived notions of an afterlife are fundamentally flawed? Most people believe that we will be able to perceive, evaluate and understand any kind of afterlife that may exist. But clearly, as Alzheimers proves, the mind cannot possibly survive without a functioning human body. It is a possibility that a kind of eternal soul lives on, but, surely, if the consciousness dies then the thing that makes you an individual, self-aware human will cease also. Opinions?

Answer: Alzheimer's is a physical manifestation of a deteriorating physical 'thing' and has nothing to do with philosophy as I see it . Losing ones self awareness in my opinion dose not cancel ones soul. Alzheimer's destroys the brain -the body cannot exist with out at least a partially functioning brain. My mother died of the effects of Alzheimer's and would react to discomfort until the end but did not seem to be aware of self or even of light and dark. Perhaps her soul---her self died long before her body died.

Question: What is a good song for a video to be shown at an Alzheimer's benefit? My friend lost her mother two years ago from Alzheimer's disease. Since then she has organized a foundation to bring about awareness and raise funds for the Alzheimer's Association. The foundation is hosting an event in September and I would like to produce a video with pictures of my friends mother, honoring her. What would be a good soundtrack to use for this montage?

Answer: Maybe Please Remember Me by Tim McGraw or I Will Remember You by Sarah McLachlan

Question: How do you care for someone with Alzheimer's without being too intrusive? I just got a job working part-time taking care of an elderly gentleman with Alzheimer's. His wife says that the main thing she wants me there for is to prevent him from falling and wondering outside of the home. So, I basically followed him around the house, but I could tell he was really uncomfortable with that, and I was too. If anyone has any experience or suggestions of how to handle this, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

Answer: # Share laughter as much as possible. Although a person with Alzheimer's Disease may not be able to say who you are, or recognize even the closest relatives or friends, often their feelings can be expressed through interactions geared towards their current capabilities. Almost everyone is capable of receiving love and kindness. # Maintain yourself. Try to maintain a sense of compassion, humor, and a willingness to learn new strategies to assist the person with AD, as well as yourself. The person with Alzheimer's Disease (and you, as their caregiver) will experience many changes over the course of time. This can be frightening and requires flexibility. You are both experiencing unknown territories. Be kind to the person with AD and yourself.