Video: The Face of Alzheimer's Disease

I found this video to be an interesting look into the lives of individuals dealing with Alzheimer's in their family. Every situation has its unique characteristics and yet there is that common thread of the patient just not being themselves.

Worrying can make it so...

Have you had the feeling that you are not remembering things well anymore? I know I have.

And now there is a study showing that when we worry about aging and losing our memory, we actually do have memory problems.

AND those with more education showed the greatest effect on their performance on memory tests when they are worried. This is probably because those with more education place a higher value on their cognitive processes and therefore are more concerned and perform at a lower level. These were tasks in math and memorization.

For the testing, participants were told they were being tested to see how they did as compared to younger people. This created a psychological "threat" creating the worry state.

In a study at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, psychology professor Tom Hess and his team found that worrying about aging and memory loss can actually become a "self-fulfilling prophecy."

I know when I realized that Mom was having problems and was then diagnosed with Alzheimer's, I found myself not remembering things and overreacted to that, feeling as though I was right there on the path to AD myself. When there's Alzheimer's in the Family, it's really important to be aware of this possibility. With the awareness, it's easier to keep things in perspective as you support your parent in getting needed care.

Check out the article. Very interesting.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/DyeHard/Story?id=7453229&page=1

Grandchildren Are Also Part of the Process

Is Your Fitness Supporting You in the Marathon of Caregiving?

Having a parent with Alzheimer's, whether you are doing the care at your own home or visiting and supporting your parent at a facility, the "progression" of the disease can go on for many years. You need to have the physical stamina as well as emotional support to weather the storm of these many years of concern, grief, and even the guilt

... guilt of feeling you are not doing enough, guilt of not being able to do SOMETHING to take your parent out of this situation they would not want to be in, AND the supreme guilt of feeling it would be a blessing for your parent to die. Ouch! We can go back and forth with wanting them to be at peace and then feeling like a terrible child to want their parent dead.

Whew....I feel anxious even talking about that to you.

So, back to the exercise. What can you do to increase your stamina, stimulate your endorphins that contribute to a more positive emotional state, and alleviate your stress?

It depends on the amount of time and freedom you have to take time for physical movement. You can do various exercise routines in your own home. With the multitude of DVD's available for many types of exercise, you can work out when you have a small segment of time. And it's not so important to have a huge amount of time in the exercise mode. What the latest research is showing is that short bursts of strenuous exercise are the most effective way of increasing your cardiovascular system and controlling or releasing weight.

If your schedule allows it, I highly recommend participating in organized workout classes at a physical facility. This gives you some social connection as well as a very energizing environment.

I've made my fitness a high priority the last few years. I've always enjoyed working out, but have amped it up as the stress and grief have been with me since Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

When there's Alzheimer's in the family, there is a cloud hanging over with everyone wondering what will happen next. Will the patient know us the next time we visit? Can we plan a vacation or do we feel as though at any time, we'll need to be with our parent?

I've enjoyed Yoga and Platform Pilates, Exercise Ball classes, and weight machines and the elliptical previously at Bally's... I combined this with Curves for awhile to incorporate a quick, mindless workout that I could fit in easily.

At the beginning of the year, I decided to join 24 Hour Fitness. Had a great deal buying a 2 year membership through Costco. I just happened to see an ad in their online mail and jumped at the opportunity. After joining, I learned that they had a New Member Challenge and signed up for that and looked at how I could earn points. I say I'm not a competitive person, but it seems when there is a challenge I do get engaged!

I saw that if I did 100 workouts in the 6 months, I could earn 2 extra points. In calculating all the points possible, I could see that I could qualify for a BodyBugg, a product by Apex that 24 Hr Fitness offers for sale from $199 - $249 if I earned the total possible points of 24. The BodyBugg allows you to easily keep track of calories burned. You wear it on your arm while working out or all through the day.

AND, I checked my records yesterday and see that I worked out over 100 days in the last four and a half months! I enjoy a variety of workouts from cardio in the water, Yoga, Zumba (great vigorous dance class), Turbo KickBox, the elliptical machine, weight-training machines, and Salsa Dance classes. I also enjoy being outdoors, whether walking around my neighborhood lake or hiking our urban mountains here in Phoenix.

Cross training is the very best way to develop fitness and a healthy Body Mass Index. I make a point of planning a variety of activities each week. One of the keys to staying on schedule is having all the proper clothes and equipment lined up. I use those canvas L.L.Bean bags to have everything ready to go for water work and yoga.

I can't tell you how much this physical exercise has supported me in staying Sane, Healthy, and as a result more Professional! I highly recommend your finding some way of moving your body on a regular basis. You'll survive the marathon of having Alzheimer's in the family and even thrive in the midst of a challenging situation.

Grey's Anatomy and Alzheimer's

I remember discovering Grey's Anatomy when Oprah had the cast on her show. She mentioned watching all the previous episodes via DVD. I decided I would do that also and watched my way through several seasons! I LOVE watching series via DVD rather than live TV with commercials. Going from episode to episode without interruption can build on the drama so much more effectively.

It was fascinating to see Meredith's mom, once an extremely talented physician, with the devastating effects of Alzheimer's. This brought so much attention to the disease and that it could affect younger people than we usually expect to have Alzheimer's.

More than 200,000 Americans are living with younger-onset Alzheimer's disease, meaning they have been diagnosed under the age of 65. Alzheimer's is not just a disease that affects "old people." Today, we have the ability to diagnose people in their 30s, 40s and 50s — giving them time to plan for the future and begin drug therapy. Learn how to recognize the signs of Alzheimer's disease.

In this instance, the fictional world of television has only emphasized what is fact: Alzheimer's is a public health threat that must be stopped.

http://www.alz.org/Meredith_and_Derek/

Exelon - the New Alzheimer's Drug

I've been hearing commercials for the Exelon patch on TV lately...

It's for mild to moderate Alzheimer's. My Mom's physician prescribed Aricept for Mom and that is a medication that has to be taken at very precise times.
With Mom's condition at that time, we couldn't trust that she would take any meds at a prescribed time. We employed one of the aides at the retirement community where she was living in an independent living garden home to come in at med times.

This seemed like a good solution for Mom to have the meds she needed to keep her symptoms from preventing her from living on her own.

However, Mom didn't like having someone ring her doorbell when she was sleeping...and she was sleeping more and more.

That was over three years ago...
Mom's behavior got more and more unlike her. Dishes piled up in the sink.
She wasn't going to the retirement community dining room for her nightly meals as she always had.

I took her shopping and bought some frozen dinners. I wondered why she hadn't been
eating those...only the pudding snacks and other snack foods. Mom also always loved making cappuccino from the dry mix.

I realized she had forgotten how to use the microwave oven that she had been using for many years.

I would go to visit her and find her sitting out on the little front porch in her nightgown. This is something she NEVER would have done previously.
She also wasn't taking showers... Mom ALWAYS showered and washed her hair daily before.

So we did have to move her into the care center where she could receive the care and protection she needed. This is something she had seen happen with her younger sister and Mom said never to let that happen to her. She didn't want to be sitting and sleeping and not knowing anyone or doing anything. When there is Alzheimer's in the family, it was difficult not to see herself heading on the same path.

So Mom is still in the Care Center. She moved in July 14, 2006. It's now April 25, 2009. I can't believe she has been there so long.

They placed Mom on hospice several months ago, mostly because her weight had dropped so much as a result of her Alzheimer's disease.

I'm curious how the Exelon medication would have worked.
Would she have been able to be on her own longer?

I am so grateful that there is a lot of research going on to uncover more of the mysteries of Alzheimer's. Mom spoke with pride when they built a research facility right there in Sun City, Arizona that would be researching Alzheimer's.

Mom had an amazing life. Dad died in April 1998. Mom was on her own for 8 years before needing to leave her home.

For many of those years I was very involved in getting her to doctor appointments and grocery and clothing shopping. When she was going through breast cancer, I was with her for the many appointments and surgery.

I feel as though I don't really DO all that much for her now as compared to then. Her care is done by the staff at Royal Oaks Life Care Center. I am her advocate for good care and medical decisions. I am her loving daughter who visits her and takes her for walks outside in the wheelchair.

What is huge is that overshadowing feeling of concern and sadness for Mom and the kind of life she has now.

And guilt...is there something I should be doing for her?
Is there something I should have done differently?

There's anxiety before each visit, wondering if she'll speak at all that visit....whether she'll know who I am....

And sadness as I leave...
Will she know me next time?
Will this be the last time I see her alive?

Every good bye is straight from my heart.
I never know if it will be my last.

We Can Work It Out...the Beatles

As part of a series of messages given by Richard Maraj, our minister at Unity of Phoenix,"We Can Work It Out" was the topic on Sunday. I loved this study on an old favorite song... and it got me to thinking about the present, the past, and the future.


Yes, we CAN work it out, but it is not always in the way we would choose.
We can set our sights on what we want to avoid...and what we feel we much have..

When we have Alzheimer's in the family and see our parent slipping away from the person we knew them to be, it's hard to see the good in that. And I have to admit, it's been difficult for me. Alzheimer's support is important for anyone whose parent is diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

What I have experienced the last four years is a review of my life with my mom - the good, the bad, and the "ugly" as they say...

I've thought about things I wasn't all that happy about with our relationship and have been able to let them go... I see Mom now in a very different way...not in the mom role anymore....and it allows me to accept her as just a human being. All that I experienced with her was just my mom doing the best that she could with what she knew at the time and with her own life experiences.

And what I really love is the rich appreciation I'm feeling for all that has been amazing about my Mom. Remembering how she was so up on what was going on...
Seeing myself back at those great holiday celebrations that we always had...special birthday parties, festive Christmas and New Year's celebrations.

Mom always created wonderful food and a beautiful home....

It's given me a rich, positive position about my childhood.

Often we affirm the negative, project the worst, and narrow our focus to fear...
"If this doesn't happen...I'll never be happy again!"

We can not control what results may happen in our life.
Sometimes what comes about is better than we ever expected...
And sometimes we see things happening that seem so wrong and later turn out to have a very positive result.

What we do have the power to do is create our own inner environment.

Unlike indigenous plants that can thrive only in their native environment, we are instead endogenous...meaning that we grow from within and can thrive anywhere.
When we remember that, it's easier to move forward and see the positive around us.

As the Beatles sang it all so wisely:

Life is very short and there's no time for fussy and fighting....

Take time to be grateful...
Take time to receive...
Take time to love...

10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer's

10 Million...that's one out of eight boomers...will develop Alzheimer's.

This fact comes from the 2009 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures Report.

There are now 5.3 million Americans living with this debilitating disease.
When there is Alzheimer's in the family, there are both social and economic impacts for both the patients and their loved ones.

Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death in America. It even exceeds diabetes in the number of annual deaths.

And what is even more sobering is that younger-onset Alzheimer's, occurring in people as young as in their 30's, affects nearly 500,000 Americans!

These younger individuals are usually employed and may have children still living at home. This brings up even more serious consequences including financial crisis, receiving benefits, and helping their children cope with the disease. Alzheimer's support is critical for this transition time.

Our support of research and awareness of Alzheimer's and its effects on the family is critical for the well being of all of us.

If you'd like to check out the 2009 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures Report, you can access it here:

===>>> http://alz.org/national/documents/report_alzfactsfigures2009.pdf

How Do Alzheimer's and Dementia Progress Over Time?

There are seven distinct stages of Alzheimer's that are good to know so that you can be aware of problems developing with a loved one.

With early detection, there is an opportunity for medical treatment that can slow down the symptoms for the patient.

I came across a great article that describes these stages very clearly and succinctly. You might want to check it out here:
http://www.everydayhealth.com/alzheimers/alzheimers-progression.aspx

Taking Care of a Loved One with Alzheimer's Disease

With all the responsibility involved in taking caring of a loved one with Alzheimer's disease, it's hard to take time to tend to your own well-being.

What causes burnout when your parent has Alzheimer's?
There is a huge shift in roles between you and your parent....
It's difficult to give up on the idea that your parent could actually get better.
There is a tremendous loss of control...
And there can be unreasonable demands on you from your family and from
your parent with Alzheimer's.

For more information about these dangers and more about the disease, you need to check out this great article put together by the HealthTalk Staff and was medically reviewed by Ed Zimney, MD.


http://www.everydayhealth.com/alzheimers/alzheimers-caregiver-burnout.aspx?xid=nl_EverydayHealthHealthyAging_20090411

I never could have imagined my Mom being at a loss for words...

Mom was always quite the talker...a thousand questions about anything I would bring up with her...

Times have changed...two years ago my siblings and I made the decision along with Mom's physician that she would need to give up her independent living.

Mom is 93 and she is in the Alzheimers section of her life care facility where she and my dad moved into a beautiful garden home in 1990. Dad died of cancer in 1998.

I visited her today and it was one of my most teary eyed times with her. Her words are formed with more and more difficulty.

I tried calling my sister in Ohio so that she and mom could have a little conversation.....didn't happen this time....Mom barely made a tiny sound during the course of the conversation.

She still knows me, thankfully, and most everything else seems to be very foggy for her. She prefers to be lying down most of the time.

My tears dripped down on her as I was looking down on her at close range so she could see my eyes. She has extreme macular degeneration and sees very little now.

Before I left, Mom did give me several I loves you and expression appreciation for my coming to see her.

What I've had to come to terms with in these two years is that life has its seasons and even though it seems very sad for Mom to have Alzheimer's, it means that she was healthy enough to live a long life into her 90's, a decade where Alzheimer's and dementia are way too common.

Mom's life was a full one...I'd have to say she has definitely led a Million Dollar Life! Lots of travel from an early age when travel wasn't nearly as common as it is today, wonderful family, an amazing husband, lots of interests, a love of learning.

Avoid Alzheimer's With Abundant Exercise

It takes more than crossword puzzles to keep a healthy brain!

COMBINE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL EXERCISE
We've all heard that mental exercises exercising memory and problem solving can help to keep our brains healthy and vibrant.

What researchers have found out is that physical exercise not only is good for the heart and general circulation, but also contributes significantly to keeping the brain young.

As professional service providers dealing with challenges involving people as well as data, we need that brain power to perform our work effectively.

HUMAN STUDIES CAME AFTER STUDIES WITH RODENTS
After earlier studies on rodents showing that those animals that spent a lot of time running in exercise wheels had better brains than the sedentary rodents, studies were begun on humans.

LESS BRAIN-TISSUE SHRINKAGE
Scientist measured maximal oxygen uptake (a gauge of aerobic fitness) in 55 subjects during walking and treadmill tests. They used subjects with fitness levels from sedentary to those in peak-performance fitness. The physically fit subjects had less age-related brain-tissue shrinkage than the inactive subjects.

MRI AIDS IN RESEARCH
With the help of MRI's (magnetic resonance imaging), the researchers saw that the tissues affected in the brain that are crucial to memory, learning, and carrying out ideas in the mind were very different in the various subjects. (frontal, temporal, and parietal regions)

DECLINE CAN START IN MIDDLE AGE
These abilities are the ones that start to decline as early as middle age, particularly in new situations. Studies have shown that increased physical activity in middle age can help to prevent or delay the onset of diseases like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of senile dementia, in which there is a marked decline in brain function and memory.

Researchers found that combining strength training with aerobic exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes had the greatest impact on cognitive function. (University of Illinois)

SCHOOL CHILDREN NOT GETTING ENOUGH EXERCISE
What concerns me is how the brains of the computer and video game generation will be affected by the lack of physical exercise. It is estimated that nearly half of young people ages 12 to 21 are not doing vigorous physical activity regularly. Less than one fourth of children are getting at least half an hour of any type of daily physical activity in school. School children spend an average of 4.8 hours per day on the computer, watching TV, or playing video games.

INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY
Increasing exercise for all ages would be a great benefit for all of us. Healthy brains increase productivity and full engagement in whatever we are doing. Combining physical activity with memory exercises gives the best results for a healthy brain.

NEXT STEPS
What are you doing now to improve the blood flow and oxygen delivery to your brain?

Deciding on what type of exercise you would enjoy and DOING it on a regular basis will determine your short and long term thinking skills.