dementia

JacquelineMarcell

Q&A From Our Experts

Today's Expert: JacquelineMarcell
Q:

My parents have dementia and need my help with some basic things. I’m struggling with the new responsibilities and didn’t expect it to happen so soon. Your articles on ThirdAge are so helpful, but I feel like I need a caregiving course. Can you recommend some resources to help me feel less alone and to help me give my parents the best care?

A:
Hi, so sorry to hear you are struggling with your new role as a caregiver to your folks, but congratulations for reaching out for help! Even though ... Read More...

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Alzheimer's

Studies Link Lead and Brain Aging

By Peter J. Whitehouse, MD, PhD
Posted September 2, 2008 9:48 PM

The notion that dementia must be understood from a lifespan perspective rather than as an end-of-life condition is beginning to gain traction. There is mounting evidence that lead exposure in childhood, and even before birth, may have developmental programming effects that contribute to increased risk for brain aging later in life. A 2005 study led by Riyaz Basha and colleagues demonstrated an Read more...

See also: causes, dementia, early childhood, lead, lead poisoning, research, study

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July 30

Top Ten Dementia Eldercare Recommendations

by Jacqueline Marcell @ 5:30 pm. Filed under alzheimers, caregivers, dementia, long-term care insurance
WELCOME BACK ALL MY CAREGIVERS! When people hear about what I went through during the year of caring for my elderly parents, they often ask what I would do differently if I had to relive the experience with the knowledge I have now. I sigh and say, “Ohhh, if only I could! I’d know exactly what to do to help my parents much sooner and I would be able to save so much time, money, and a fortune in Kleenex!” If you are heading into the eldercare years, please learn from my mistakes and don’t reinvent the wheel. Here are my top ten recommendations: 1. Consider buying Long-Term Care Insurance while everyone is healthy. More…
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JacquelineMarcell

Q&A From Our Experts

Today's Expert: JacquelineMarcell
Q:

I recently visited my elderly parents and found their medications mixed together in pill containers. How can I prevent this from happening again?

A:
I had to deal with a similar situation with my own parents, and you're right to be concerned. Elderly people -- with or without dementia -- won't ... Read More...

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PeterWhitehouseMD

Q&A From Our Experts

Today's Expert: PeterWhitehouseMD
Q:

Can pets get dementia? My dog is getting on in years, and he is acting strange.

A:
As animals grow older, their brains undergo the normal structural and functional changes that accompany age -- all of which can alter memory and ... Read More...

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JacquelineMarcell

Q&A From Our Experts

Today's Expert: JacquelineMarcell
Q:

I have grown more forgetful over the past few months. I'm worried to death that this might be early signs of Alzheimer's. My friends say it's just normal aging. What do you think?

A:
Senior moments are most often benign symptoms of a busy aging brain, but unfortunately they may also be a sign of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), a ... Read More...

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JacquelineMarcell

Q&A From Our Experts

Today's Expert: JacquelineMarcell
Q:

Ever since I took over caring for my aging parents, I have been feeling depressed. Is this normal? Is there anything I can do?

A:
Researchers have found that a person who cares for someone with dementia is twice as likely to suffer from depression than someone providing care for ... Read More...

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Alzheimer's

Debunking the Myth of Aluminum and Alzheimer's

By Peter J. Whitehouse, MD, PhD
Posted June 18, 2008 4:57 PM

For decades, aluminum has made headlines as a possible cause of dementia. Studies dating back to the mid-20th century have shown that feeding rats large amounts of aluminum can lead to a type of neurofibrillary tangle. These reports have received generous coverage in the press and given rise to concern about the safety of the metal, which is, of course, present in our kitchens, not to mention in Read more...

See also: age-related declines, aluminum cookware, brain, dementia, pans, pots

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Alzheimer's

The First Alzheimer's Patient

By Peter J. Whitehouse, MD, PhD
Posted June 18, 2008 4:51 PM

In November 1901, German psychiatist Alois Alzheimer encountered a woman named Auguste Deter (Auguste D, as she came to be known) who had been brought to Alzheimer's Frankfurt clinic by her husband. According to the husband, the couple had been harmoniously married since 1873, but he had recently noticed a gradual decline in his wife that went beyond short- and long-term memory loss.  At the Read more...

See also: Auguste, dementia, Dr. Alzheimer, history, patient

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