Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, a wonderful time to count God's blessings on your life. If my first husband had lived (died March 1973)we would be married 50 years. I am thankful for the 13 years we had and the two great kids we had that have produced seven grandchildren (plus my present husband's 4). In looking at years married, I just got an email from Bessie in California, married 74 years (yes, 74!) who had read my book and wanted to tell me how much she had learned from it. She has had to let others care for her 95 year old husband with dementia. She is 93 and was tiring.
She has a sense of humor throughout all these years and sent me the funniest Thanksgiving e-card with turkeys in various stages of trying to escape their fate.
People like Bessie are what makes me feel blessed doing this coaching business. So, if you are a caregiver give yourself applause as I do today. Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
E-newsletter from November tip for the month
You as a caregiver hear this over and over; "Take care of yourself or you cannot take good care of your familly member.' What does 'taking care of yourself' mean, anyway? Suggestions are made to eat right, get adequate sleep, do enjoyable things, meet with people who are not needing your care as well.
Often caregivers are reluctant to discuss with others their feelings about caregiving. It is a very personal and private journey, unlike that anyone else has traveled. To whom do you go? Discuss with people who have been caregivers and often their story comes out making you feel worse. Sometimes they remember their struggles and cannot hear yours. I suggested to a caregiver today to limit the conversation with those kinds of people to "My mom is doing fairly well now." to avoid the next person's story which is often not helpful. You simply need someone to listen, not give advice.
Find one or two people who really care about you, who will listen to you share the often embarrassing or seemingly shameful thoughts and feelings that come with caregiving.
Sometimes a support group lends to this kind of intimacy. Everyone at a support group is caregiving now. They are not looking back recalling the worst. They are all looking for answers to the now of caring. Look on the Alzheimer website for groups in your town at the time you need. Their's is www.alz.org/manh.
and don't forget the Help Line @ 800-272-3900. The Alzheimer's Association is there for you.
Often caregivers are reluctant to discuss with others their feelings about caregiving. It is a very personal and private journey, unlike that anyone else has traveled. To whom do you go? Discuss with people who have been caregivers and often their story comes out making you feel worse. Sometimes they remember their struggles and cannot hear yours. I suggested to a caregiver today to limit the conversation with those kinds of people to "My mom is doing fairly well now." to avoid the next person's story which is often not helpful. You simply need someone to listen, not give advice.
Find one or two people who really care about you, who will listen to you share the often embarrassing or seemingly shameful thoughts and feelings that come with caregiving.
Sometimes a support group lends to this kind of intimacy. Everyone at a support group is caregiving now. They are not looking back recalling the worst. They are all looking for answers to the now of caring. Look on the Alzheimer website for groups in your town at the time you need. Their's is www.alz.org/manh.
and don't forget the Help Line @ 800-272-3900. The Alzheimer's Association is there for you.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Oh My Omegas by Nancy Lombardo
Here is an update from Nancy Emerson Lombardo PHD from BU on Omega 3s. We met recently and she was so excited about new news about Omega 3s.
Oh, My...Omegas!
Omega-3 fatty acids make up a major part of brain and body cells but can only be ingested, not made by our bodies. Omega-3s are important for building brain cell membranes, dendrites and synapses. These healthy fats are also anti-inflammatory, and thus helpful for preventing or managing a variety of diseases. Choose fish (3 or more x a week!), seafood, fish oils, green leafy vegetables, walnuts, flax seeds, and purslane.
What are Omega-3's?
Omega-3 fatty acids are "essential fatty acids" -they are necessary for life but since the body cannot make them we must eat them as part of our diet. Omega-3's are a type of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). They are named for fact that the first double bond in their fatty acid chain is three carbons atoms away from the methyl end of the molecule. This location of the double bond causes the molecule to "bend" and in turn this shape assures flexibility of our cell membranes of which Omega-3's are a key component.
What are the Types of Omega-3's?
There are two major types of Omega-3 fatty acids:
alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is the plant form,
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which is the marine or "sea" form. EPA and DHA are found in fish, algae and all seafoods and in grass fed and free range animals and poultry.
It is the marine form, DHA and EPA, that make up much of our own brains and bodies' cell membranes and other components, not ALA, the plant form.
The ALA form of omega-3s are formed in the green leaves, specifically the chloroplasts, of plants; hence both grass and green leafy vegetables are excellent sources of ALA.
Some of the ALA from our diets can be converted to EPA and DHA in the body, but this process becomes drastically less efficient with aging. Most ALA in humans is "burned" as energy. Therefore, it is recommended that people aged 65 and older rely mainly on the marine sources of Omega-3's, but this is true for older and younger people alike. (see next month for food sources).
Why Are Omega-3's Essential?
DHA + EPA Omega 3's are essential for healthy functioning of BOTH brain and body, including our thinking, emotions, nerve function, vision, immune system, cardio-vascular system, hormones, joint health, and much, much more.
Omega 3's and Body Health:
A Harvard SPH website reports: "DHA and EPA Omega 3's are an integral part of cell membranes throughout the body and affect the function of the cell receptors in these membranes. DHA and EPA are the starting point for making hormones that regulate blood clotting, contraction and relaxation of artery walls, and inflammation. They also bind to receptors in cells that regulate genetic function. Research suggests Omega-3 fats help prevent heart disease and stroke; may help control some auto-immune diseases such as lupus, eczema, and rheumatoid arthritis, and may play protective roles in cancer and other conditions." Source: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/omega-3-fats/
Cardiovascular Health and Omega 3's
Medical research shows eating fish and fish oils and other Omega 3's reduce blood pressure, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease as well as the inflammations known to increase risk of heart attacks.
Eating omega-3 fatty acids in place of saturated fats can help decrease overall triglyceride levels.
Omega-3's help thin the blood and prevent blood platelets from clotting and sticking to artery walls, which in turn may help decrease the risk for blocked blood vessels and heart attacks.
Omega 3's help maintain the elasticity of artery walls, and thus prevent the arteries from hardening (atherosclerosis), and ameliorate or even reverse this condition.
All of these factors lead to reduced risk of heart disease.
For all these reasons, the American Heart Association recommends eating fatty fish at least twice a week.
The retina of the eye is almost pure DHA; thus vision also benefits from sufficient Omega 3's in the diet.
Other Chronic Diseases: Research shows that Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and throughout the brain and body may decrease the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and arthritis, and also help regulate blood sugar. Many physicians recommend consuming more Omega 3's (and fewer Omega 6's) for those who have, or wish to prevent, metabolic syndrome (Carpentier 2006).
Omega 3's and Brain Health:
Omega-3 fatty acids are important for normal brain functioning, growth, and development, not just as indirect effects from improved cardio-vascular and anti-inflammatory function, but also due to their key role in building brain cell membranes, dendrites and synapses. The myelin sheath for nerves is also largely comprised of DHA.Omega 3's appear to be particularly critical to cognitive brain functions such as memory, attention, and executive function as well overall behavioral functioning. Omega-3's (DHA) in fish or fish oil (Hashimoto 2002 2004) and in marine algae (Calon, Cole 2004) protect dramatically against cognitive decline and synaptic deterioration due to Alzheimer's pathology in AD transgenic mice DHA mediates A-beta production, degradation, tau phosphorylation, glucose uptake, and neurological signal transduction (Lane 2005). Modest DHA/EPA intake significantly slows cognitive decline in elderly men (van Gelder 2007).
DHA is found in reduced amounts in people with Alzheimer's disease. One study found that Omega-3 fish oil (2.8 g of BOTH DHA and EPA) alone can slow cognitive decline in persons with very early stage Alzheimer's disease (Freund-Levi + Cederholm, 2008). A larger NIH study released in November 2010 (J. Quinn in JAMA) using just DHA (derived from algae) did not slow cognitive decline in people with mild or moderate Alzheimer's disease. However the study may be flawed in that it did not include EPA Omega-3 along with the DHA. EPA may have an essential companion role related to cognitive function as yet to be elucidated; EPA is thought by other medical researchers and physicians to be essential for treatment of depression, anxiety and attention deficit disorder, in both children and adults. Thus marine Omega-3's are also recommended by the American Psychiatric Association for mood disorders (Freeman 2006). Check out Eric Reardon's Article on Omega 3's.
It is also possible that even more potent results for cognitive health will be found to depend on combining DHA with not only EPA, its companion marine Omega-3, but also other nutrients such as key anti-oxidants such as the 8-parts of vitamin E, vitamin D, all or most B vitamins, other phytonutrients and/or other constituents of brain neurons. Dr. Richard Wurtman of MIT believes it is the combination of DHA with choline and uridine that may be therapeutic and his patented product, combined with EPA and several vitamins is currently being tested as a medical food drink, in persons with AD in the US and Europe, by Nutricia, a subdivision of Danone (the yogurt) company of the Netherlands. And BUSM is currently in a Phase 1 trial (led by Sanford Auerbach MD) of another combination of nutrients that puts two plant/spice extract blends together with fish oil (both DHA and EPA) and vitamin D.
Why are So Many Americans deficient in Omega 3's Today?
Food and animal scientists believe the major reason Americans are deficient in Omega 3's today is that our diets and food sources have drastically changed in the last 100-200 years. All our major sources of commercial foods - vegetables, meat, poultry and even fish - have fewer Omega 3's and more Omega 6's than humans consumed for millions of years. Omega 6's are another essential fatty acid, necessary for life, but which in excess promote inflammation and other problems.
For example, grass-fed beef used to be a source of Omega 3's (and vitamin E and several other phytonutrients). Today's grain fed beef no longer contain Omega 3's (nor much of the other vegetation derived nutrients) and instead add to the excess consumption of Omega 6's, especially the most damaging kinds for the brain (such as Arachidonic acid -see Sanchez - Mejia, 2008). The change is so dramatic that 100 years ago we would have called DHA and EPA the animal/marine form! To compound problems, Americans also eat fewer green leafy vegetables, fish and other high level sources of Omega 3's and more of foods rich in Omega 6's, such as corn and corn products (and animals fed mostly corn).
Our ancestors evolved on a diet with a ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 of about 1:1 or 4:1. But today Americans' diet contains a ratio of 20 to 30 to 1. This is a profound imbalance unprecedented in human history. Many scientists now believe this imbalance, which creates high level of inflammation throughout the body, together with many other detriments, is a major contribution to higher incidence of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, mood and brain disorders, and other health issues.
The goal of the Memory Preservation Nutrition® is to improve the ratio of Omega 3's to Omega 6's in the diet through multiple strategies including eating more foods rich in ALA, DHA and EPA, as well as fewer foods rich in Omega 6's.
Read next month's issue for "Oh, My Omega 3's" Part II - featuring FOOD SOURCES AND SUPPLEMENTS containing Omega 3's.
Go to www.healthcareinsights.net website for Omega 3 rich recipes and the references for this article
Read next month's issue for food sources and supplements containing Omega 3's. Go to our website for Omega 3 rich recipes and the references for this article.
Oh, My...Omegas!
Omega-3 fatty acids make up a major part of brain and body cells but can only be ingested, not made by our bodies. Omega-3s are important for building brain cell membranes, dendrites and synapses. These healthy fats are also anti-inflammatory, and thus helpful for preventing or managing a variety of diseases. Choose fish (3 or more x a week!), seafood, fish oils, green leafy vegetables, walnuts, flax seeds, and purslane.
What are Omega-3's?
Omega-3 fatty acids are "essential fatty acids" -they are necessary for life but since the body cannot make them we must eat them as part of our diet. Omega-3's are a type of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). They are named for fact that the first double bond in their fatty acid chain is three carbons atoms away from the methyl end of the molecule. This location of the double bond causes the molecule to "bend" and in turn this shape assures flexibility of our cell membranes of which Omega-3's are a key component.
What are the Types of Omega-3's?
There are two major types of Omega-3 fatty acids:
alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is the plant form,
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which is the marine or "sea" form. EPA and DHA are found in fish, algae and all seafoods and in grass fed and free range animals and poultry.
It is the marine form, DHA and EPA, that make up much of our own brains and bodies' cell membranes and other components, not ALA, the plant form.
The ALA form of omega-3s are formed in the green leaves, specifically the chloroplasts, of plants; hence both grass and green leafy vegetables are excellent sources of ALA.
Some of the ALA from our diets can be converted to EPA and DHA in the body, but this process becomes drastically less efficient with aging. Most ALA in humans is "burned" as energy. Therefore, it is recommended that people aged 65 and older rely mainly on the marine sources of Omega-3's, but this is true for older and younger people alike. (see next month for food sources).
Why Are Omega-3's Essential?
DHA + EPA Omega 3's are essential for healthy functioning of BOTH brain and body, including our thinking, emotions, nerve function, vision, immune system, cardio-vascular system, hormones, joint health, and much, much more.
Omega 3's and Body Health:
A Harvard SPH website reports: "DHA and EPA Omega 3's are an integral part of cell membranes throughout the body and affect the function of the cell receptors in these membranes. DHA and EPA are the starting point for making hormones that regulate blood clotting, contraction and relaxation of artery walls, and inflammation. They also bind to receptors in cells that regulate genetic function. Research suggests Omega-3 fats help prevent heart disease and stroke; may help control some auto-immune diseases such as lupus, eczema, and rheumatoid arthritis, and may play protective roles in cancer and other conditions." Source: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/omega-3-fats/
Cardiovascular Health and Omega 3's
Medical research shows eating fish and fish oils and other Omega 3's reduce blood pressure, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease as well as the inflammations known to increase risk of heart attacks.
Eating omega-3 fatty acids in place of saturated fats can help decrease overall triglyceride levels.
Omega-3's help thin the blood and prevent blood platelets from clotting and sticking to artery walls, which in turn may help decrease the risk for blocked blood vessels and heart attacks.
Omega 3's help maintain the elasticity of artery walls, and thus prevent the arteries from hardening (atherosclerosis), and ameliorate or even reverse this condition.
All of these factors lead to reduced risk of heart disease.
For all these reasons, the American Heart Association recommends eating fatty fish at least twice a week.
The retina of the eye is almost pure DHA; thus vision also benefits from sufficient Omega 3's in the diet.
Other Chronic Diseases: Research shows that Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and throughout the brain and body may decrease the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and arthritis, and also help regulate blood sugar. Many physicians recommend consuming more Omega 3's (and fewer Omega 6's) for those who have, or wish to prevent, metabolic syndrome (Carpentier 2006).
Omega 3's and Brain Health:
Omega-3 fatty acids are important for normal brain functioning, growth, and development, not just as indirect effects from improved cardio-vascular and anti-inflammatory function, but also due to their key role in building brain cell membranes, dendrites and synapses. The myelin sheath for nerves is also largely comprised of DHA.Omega 3's appear to be particularly critical to cognitive brain functions such as memory, attention, and executive function as well overall behavioral functioning. Omega-3's (DHA) in fish or fish oil (Hashimoto 2002 2004) and in marine algae (Calon, Cole 2004) protect dramatically against cognitive decline and synaptic deterioration due to Alzheimer's pathology in AD transgenic mice DHA mediates A-beta production, degradation, tau phosphorylation, glucose uptake, and neurological signal transduction (Lane 2005). Modest DHA/EPA intake significantly slows cognitive decline in elderly men (van Gelder 2007).
DHA is found in reduced amounts in people with Alzheimer's disease. One study found that Omega-3 fish oil (2.8 g of BOTH DHA and EPA) alone can slow cognitive decline in persons with very early stage Alzheimer's disease (Freund-Levi + Cederholm, 2008). A larger NIH study released in November 2010 (J. Quinn in JAMA) using just DHA (derived from algae) did not slow cognitive decline in people with mild or moderate Alzheimer's disease. However the study may be flawed in that it did not include EPA Omega-3 along with the DHA. EPA may have an essential companion role related to cognitive function as yet to be elucidated; EPA is thought by other medical researchers and physicians to be essential for treatment of depression, anxiety and attention deficit disorder, in both children and adults. Thus marine Omega-3's are also recommended by the American Psychiatric Association for mood disorders (Freeman 2006). Check out Eric Reardon's Article on Omega 3's.
It is also possible that even more potent results for cognitive health will be found to depend on combining DHA with not only EPA, its companion marine Omega-3, but also other nutrients such as key anti-oxidants such as the 8-parts of vitamin E, vitamin D, all or most B vitamins, other phytonutrients and/or other constituents of brain neurons. Dr. Richard Wurtman of MIT believes it is the combination of DHA with choline and uridine that may be therapeutic and his patented product, combined with EPA and several vitamins is currently being tested as a medical food drink, in persons with AD in the US and Europe, by Nutricia, a subdivision of Danone (the yogurt) company of the Netherlands. And BUSM is currently in a Phase 1 trial (led by Sanford Auerbach MD) of another combination of nutrients that puts two plant/spice extract blends together with fish oil (both DHA and EPA) and vitamin D.
Why are So Many Americans deficient in Omega 3's Today?
Food and animal scientists believe the major reason Americans are deficient in Omega 3's today is that our diets and food sources have drastically changed in the last 100-200 years. All our major sources of commercial foods - vegetables, meat, poultry and even fish - have fewer Omega 3's and more Omega 6's than humans consumed for millions of years. Omega 6's are another essential fatty acid, necessary for life, but which in excess promote inflammation and other problems.
For example, grass-fed beef used to be a source of Omega 3's (and vitamin E and several other phytonutrients). Today's grain fed beef no longer contain Omega 3's (nor much of the other vegetation derived nutrients) and instead add to the excess consumption of Omega 6's, especially the most damaging kinds for the brain (such as Arachidonic acid -see Sanchez - Mejia, 2008). The change is so dramatic that 100 years ago we would have called DHA and EPA the animal/marine form! To compound problems, Americans also eat fewer green leafy vegetables, fish and other high level sources of Omega 3's and more of foods rich in Omega 6's, such as corn and corn products (and animals fed mostly corn).
Our ancestors evolved on a diet with a ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 of about 1:1 or 4:1. But today Americans' diet contains a ratio of 20 to 30 to 1. This is a profound imbalance unprecedented in human history. Many scientists now believe this imbalance, which creates high level of inflammation throughout the body, together with many other detriments, is a major contribution to higher incidence of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, mood and brain disorders, and other health issues.
The goal of the Memory Preservation Nutrition® is to improve the ratio of Omega 3's to Omega 6's in the diet through multiple strategies including eating more foods rich in ALA, DHA and EPA, as well as fewer foods rich in Omega 6's.
Read next month's issue for "Oh, My Omega 3's" Part II - featuring FOOD SOURCES AND SUPPLEMENTS containing Omega 3's.
Go to www.healthcareinsights.net website for Omega 3 rich recipes and the references for this article
Read next month's issue for food sources and supplements containing Omega 3's. Go to our website for Omega 3 rich recipes and the references for this article.
The Circle of Caregiving
Tonight (Tuesday November 16) I begin a 3 part series on caregiving. The talks are called Roles of Control Revisited (Take Charge), Letting go (Let go of taking charge), and The Good Visit (Reconnecting with your care recipient and the new caregivers). That is the complete circle; as a caregiver for someone with dementia, you must be willing to take charge. You notice I didn't say take control; that would be coercive. You must learn how to empower that person to care partner with you. This is done by learning what he can do with your help and what you need to take over.
Then there comes the time when home is no longer enough and you must have the courage to let go of complete charge of that person you care for. Giving over the 24/7 care to others is no easy transition. You must choose carefully and then trust they will care well for your family member.
The Good Visit is about joining with the new caregivers in a team effort to deliver the best care, and how to reconnect in a new role with the person you are visiting. I wrote The Good Visit when I experienced not visiting well with my own mother, who did not have dementia but transient delirium from illness. One day she turned to me and said, "Why don't you go now, you are no earthly good to me today. You're somewhere else, not really with me." Wow! I was shocked. She had noticed my presence bodily and absence emotionally. When the person needs the visit structured by you, the visitor, it is important to be present wholly.
If you want a copy of The Good Visit, write me at Stilmee@comcast.net and I'll send you a copy. Others have found it very helpful to having a good visit. If you have my book it is in the Cheat Sheets at the back of the book.
Then there comes the time when home is no longer enough and you must have the courage to let go of complete charge of that person you care for. Giving over the 24/7 care to others is no easy transition. You must choose carefully and then trust they will care well for your family member.
The Good Visit is about joining with the new caregivers in a team effort to deliver the best care, and how to reconnect in a new role with the person you are visiting. I wrote The Good Visit when I experienced not visiting well with my own mother, who did not have dementia but transient delirium from illness. One day she turned to me and said, "Why don't you go now, you are no earthly good to me today. You're somewhere else, not really with me." Wow! I was shocked. She had noticed my presence bodily and absence emotionally. When the person needs the visit structured by you, the visitor, it is important to be present wholly.
If you want a copy of The Good Visit, write me at Stilmee@comcast.net and I'll send you a copy. Others have found it very helpful to having a good visit. If you have my book it is in the Cheat Sheets at the back of the book.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
I'm not myself when you're away
Says Kathy Mattea: "The song is a true story about Jon's grandparents. They had both gotten very sick and were in the same hospital, but didn't know it. His grandmother had been slowly losing it, and she didn't recognize anybody. She was in unfamiliar surroundings, so she finally quit talking altogether. Jon was there visiting, and he was up seeing his grandfather; he said to the nurse, 'Has anybody brought him down to see her?' She said, 'no,' and he asked if he could do that. They said yes, so he wheeled his grandfather into his grandmother's room. His grandfather kept stroking her hair, saying, 'Look at her hair, nobody has hair like grandma,' and she looked at him and said, 'Where have you been?' It was the first thing she had said in weeks.
"When Jon told me the story for the first time, it was before we had even gotten engaged, and he just cried and cried. When he played the song for me and the first chorus came around, I knew where he was going with the lyric, and I just couldn't believe he could be that vulnerable as a writer, to put that moment in a song."
The song was Matteas biggest hit, winning her a Grammy. It also won Song of the Year at the Grammys, CMAs and ACMs. While Mattea had wondered to herself, "Do people want to hear this on the way to work?," the song struck a deep chord, and it was the first time Alzheimer's had been captured in a mainstream hit song.
Where've You Been?
Claire had all but given up
when she and Edwin fell in love.
She touched his face and shook her head.
In disbelief, she sighed and said,
"In many dreams I've held you near.
Now at last you're really here!"
"Where have you been?
I've looked for you forever and a day.
Where have you been?
I'm just not myself when you're away."
He asked her for her hand for life,
and she became a salesman's wife.
He was home each night by eight,
but one stormy evening he was late.
Her frightened tears fell to the floor,
until his key turned in the door...
"Where have you been?
I've looked for you forever and a day.
Where have you been?
I'm just not myself when you're away."
They never spent a night apart.
For sixty years she heard him snore.
Now they're in a hospital,
in separate beds on different floors.
Claire soon lost her memory,
forgot the names of family.
She never spoke a word again.
Then one day they wheeled him in.
He held her hand and stroked her head,
and in a fragile voice she said...
"Where have you been?
I've looked for you forever and a day.
Where have you been?
I'm just not myself when you're away...
No, I'm just not myself when you're away."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"When Jon told me the story for the first time, it was before we had even gotten engaged, and he just cried and cried. When he played the song for me and the first chorus came around, I knew where he was going with the lyric, and I just couldn't believe he could be that vulnerable as a writer, to put that moment in a song."
The song was Matteas biggest hit, winning her a Grammy. It also won Song of the Year at the Grammys, CMAs and ACMs. While Mattea had wondered to herself, "Do people want to hear this on the way to work?," the song struck a deep chord, and it was the first time Alzheimer's had been captured in a mainstream hit song.
Where've You Been?
Claire had all but given up
when she and Edwin fell in love.
She touched his face and shook her head.
In disbelief, she sighed and said,
"In many dreams I've held you near.
Now at last you're really here!"
"Where have you been?
I've looked for you forever and a day.
Where have you been?
I'm just not myself when you're away."
He asked her for her hand for life,
and she became a salesman's wife.
He was home each night by eight,
but one stormy evening he was late.
Her frightened tears fell to the floor,
until his key turned in the door...
"Where have you been?
I've looked for you forever and a day.
Where have you been?
I'm just not myself when you're away."
They never spent a night apart.
For sixty years she heard him snore.
Now they're in a hospital,
in separate beds on different floors.
Claire soon lost her memory,
forgot the names of family.
She never spoke a word again.
Then one day they wheeled him in.
He held her hand and stroked her head,
and in a fragile voice she said...
"Where have you been?
I've looked for you forever and a day.
Where have you been?
I'm just not myself when you're away...
No, I'm just not myself when you're away."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alzheimer's what it is, what it isn't and...
On Friday StilMee will present a 1 1/2 hour workshop at The Hopkinton Senior Center sponsored by Senior Living Residences. The subject is Alzheimer's; what it is, what it isn't, and what to do about it. It takes place from 10-11:30 a.m. Many vendors from the area will be available as resources, including StilMee, the leader in Alzheimer coaching.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Haldol's value
Although I've had misgivings about the giving of Haldol to persons with dementia, in some cases of dementia it may have real benefits. The following is an article from the Dementia Weekly.
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Researchers say commonly used psychiatric drugs such as haloperidol (Haldol) could be effective in slowing the progression of certain types of dementia.
Dr. John Kwok and colleagues from Neuroscience Research Australia have discovered a mutant gene that causes abnormal proteins to build up in the brains of people with frontotemporal dementia, a disease that affects people in their 50s and 60s.
Common psychiatric drugs, such as haloperidol, used to treat schizophrenia, are known to act on this gene.
“Our hope is that these drugs will slow the progression of the disease,” says Dr. Kwok.
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a type of dementia that affects personality, behavior and language.
There is currently no treatment to slow or stop this disease.
Like in Alzheimer’s disease, people with FTD develop unusual deposits of protein in their brains.
This protein ‘clumps’ are linked to disease symptoms and brain cell death. Until now, we have not understood how these clumps developed.
By scanning DNA samples from a large Australian family with hereditary FTD, Dr. Kwok identified the gene (called SIGMAR1) responsible for the formation of these clumps. A further 26 families in Australia and 158 families in Europe were also screened.
“Identifying this gene gives us greater insight into how brain degeneration occurs in dementia,” says Dr. Kwok.
Haloperidol is already known to act on the SIGMAR1 gene. Dr. Kwok is currently conducting tests in mice to see if this and other drugs can stop the abnormal build up of protein in the brain and prevent the death of brain cells in dementia.
Preliminary work with haloperidol suggests that a dose 10-100 times less than that used for treating psychosis may be effective, reducing the risk of side effects.
“The exciting part about our findings is that an effective treatment for this form of dementia might be almost within our grasp,” says Dr. Kwok.
“Because these drugs are already approved for use in humans, we could be looking at a treatment for frontotemporal dementia becoming available in just a few short years.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Researchers say commonly used psychiatric drugs such as haloperidol (Haldol) could be effective in slowing the progression of certain types of dementia.
Dr. John Kwok and colleagues from Neuroscience Research Australia have discovered a mutant gene that causes abnormal proteins to build up in the brains of people with frontotemporal dementia, a disease that affects people in their 50s and 60s.
Common psychiatric drugs, such as haloperidol, used to treat schizophrenia, are known to act on this gene.
“Our hope is that these drugs will slow the progression of the disease,” says Dr. Kwok.
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a type of dementia that affects personality, behavior and language.
There is currently no treatment to slow or stop this disease.
Like in Alzheimer’s disease, people with FTD develop unusual deposits of protein in their brains.
This protein ‘clumps’ are linked to disease symptoms and brain cell death. Until now, we have not understood how these clumps developed.
By scanning DNA samples from a large Australian family with hereditary FTD, Dr. Kwok identified the gene (called SIGMAR1) responsible for the formation of these clumps. A further 26 families in Australia and 158 families in Europe were also screened.
“Identifying this gene gives us greater insight into how brain degeneration occurs in dementia,” says Dr. Kwok.
Haloperidol is already known to act on the SIGMAR1 gene. Dr. Kwok is currently conducting tests in mice to see if this and other drugs can stop the abnormal build up of protein in the brain and prevent the death of brain cells in dementia.
Preliminary work with haloperidol suggests that a dose 10-100 times less than that used for treating psychosis may be effective, reducing the risk of side effects.
“The exciting part about our findings is that an effective treatment for this form of dementia might be almost within our grasp,” says Dr. Kwok.
“Because these drugs are already approved for use in humans, we could be looking at a treatment for frontotemporal dementia becoming available in just a few short years.”
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Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Tips for the Holidays from Alzheimer's Association
Ready for the holidays?
Holidays are times for getting together, sharing laughter and making memories, but the juggling act to keep the traditions can be stressful. Care giving is a daily challenge--add holiday expectations and even the most competent care partners feel overwhelmed. Consider these holiday strategies, and involve all family members including the person with Alzheimer's disease. Remember, too, that you can always call our 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900 if you need answers.
· Give yourself permission to simplify.Turn off the "we've always done that" button.
· Divide tasks and share responsibilities.
· Include the person with Alzheimer's in safe, manageable activities.
· Be flexible. Schedule activities to accommodate the person with dementia.
· Prepare for a post-holiday letdown. Do something that brings you peace and enjoyment.
· Be kind to yourself.
Letting someone know that she or he is loved, safe and valued is the greatest gift of all.
Holidays are times for getting together, sharing laughter and making memories, but the juggling act to keep the traditions can be stressful. Care giving is a daily challenge--add holiday expectations and even the most competent care partners feel overwhelmed. Consider these holiday strategies, and involve all family members including the person with Alzheimer's disease. Remember, too, that you can always call our 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900 if you need answers.
· Give yourself permission to simplify.Turn off the "we've always done that" button.
· Divide tasks and share responsibilities.
· Include the person with Alzheimer's in safe, manageable activities.
· Be flexible. Schedule activities to accommodate the person with dementia.
· Prepare for a post-holiday letdown. Do something that brings you peace and enjoyment.
· Be kind to yourself.
Letting someone know that she or he is loved, safe and valued is the greatest gift of all.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Disability
I've been recovering from left shoulder surgery which has hampered my ability to type, sign my name, and create new talks to give to educate Alzheimer caregivers. It has been painful in two ways; physically I hurt, but more so my emotional self. To not write is like not having nourishment. I think; I write about it. I want to make a meal but my pain delays my beginning. And watching someone else do it is at times agonizing. I watched my husband make us a meal. He is great at building gorgeous homes but making a meal is not his forte. I had to leave the room and let him do it his way so I wouldn't seem ungrateful for his offering.
I'm wondering how often people with the disability of dementia feel starved for things they love doing. Being able to make your wishes known, asking a question, doing a task which was once easy are all things we take for granted until we can't do them. When I ask people with dementia what helps, they tell me that people who give them time to express themselves, people who ask simple questions instead of complex questions, people who help set up a task so that the visual cues prompt easier completion of that task and a sense of accomplishment. I hope during this time of temporary disabiity I've learned a bit more how to help others who are disabled cognitively.
I'm wondering how often people with the disability of dementia feel starved for things they love doing. Being able to make your wishes known, asking a question, doing a task which was once easy are all things we take for granted until we can't do them. When I ask people with dementia what helps, they tell me that people who give them time to express themselves, people who ask simple questions instead of complex questions, people who help set up a task so that the visual cues prompt easier completion of that task and a sense of accomplishment. I hope during this time of temporary disabiity I've learned a bit more how to help others who are disabled cognitively.
Smoking and Alzheimer Risk..The Dementia Weekly
PREVENTION VIDEO & ARTICLE
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Heavy smoking in midlife is associated with a 157 percent increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and a 172 percent increased risk of developing vascular dementia, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Electronic health records were used to study 21,000 men and women for 20 years, making this a remarkably compelling piece of research.
This is the first study to look at the long-term consequences of heavy smoking on dementia.
Researchers followed an ethnically diverse population of 21,123 men and women from midlife onward for an average of 23 years. Compared with non-smokers, those who had smoked more than two packs of cigarettes a day had more than a 157 percent increased in risk of Alzheimer's disease and 172 percent increased risk of vascular dementia during the mean follow-up period of 23 years. Vascular dementia, the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease, is a group of dementia syndromes caused by conditions affecting the blood supply to the brain.
"This study shows that the brain is not immune to the long-term consequences of heavy smoking," said the study's principal investigator, Rachel A. Whitmer, Ph.D., a research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif."We know smoking compromises the vascular system by affecting blood pressure and elevates blood clotting factors, and we know vascular health plays a role in risk of Alzheimer's disease."
Researchers analyzed prospective data from of 21,123 Kaiser Permanente Northern California members who participated in a survey between 1978 and 1985. Diagnoses of dementia, Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia made in internal medicine, neurology, and neuropsychology were collected from 1994 to 2008. The researchers adjusted for age, sex, education, race, marital status, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, body mass index, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and alcohol use.
"While we don't know for sure, we think the mechanisms between smoking and Alzheimer's and vascular dementia are complex, including possible deleterious effects to brain blood vessels as well as brain cells," said study co-author Minna Rusanen, MD, of the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital in Finland.
This study is the latest in a series of published Kaiser Permanente research to better understand the modifiable risk factors for dementia. This ongoing body of research adds to evidence base that what is good for the heart is good for the brain, and that midlife is not too soon to begin preventing dementia with good health.
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OAKLAND, Calif. -- Heavy smoking in midlife is associated with a 157 percent increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and a 172 percent increased risk of developing vascular dementia, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Electronic health records were used to study 21,000 men and women for 20 years, making this a remarkably compelling piece of research.
This is the first study to look at the long-term consequences of heavy smoking on dementia.
Researchers followed an ethnically diverse population of 21,123 men and women from midlife onward for an average of 23 years. Compared with non-smokers, those who had smoked more than two packs of cigarettes a day had more than a 157 percent increased in risk of Alzheimer's disease and 172 percent increased risk of vascular dementia during the mean follow-up period of 23 years. Vascular dementia, the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease, is a group of dementia syndromes caused by conditions affecting the blood supply to the brain.
"This study shows that the brain is not immune to the long-term consequences of heavy smoking," said the study's principal investigator, Rachel A. Whitmer, Ph.D., a research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif."We know smoking compromises the vascular system by affecting blood pressure and elevates blood clotting factors, and we know vascular health plays a role in risk of Alzheimer's disease."
Researchers analyzed prospective data from of 21,123 Kaiser Permanente Northern California members who participated in a survey between 1978 and 1985. Diagnoses of dementia, Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia made in internal medicine, neurology, and neuropsychology were collected from 1994 to 2008. The researchers adjusted for age, sex, education, race, marital status, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, body mass index, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and alcohol use.
"While we don't know for sure, we think the mechanisms between smoking and Alzheimer's and vascular dementia are complex, including possible deleterious effects to brain blood vessels as well as brain cells," said study co-author Minna Rusanen, MD, of the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital in Finland.
This study is the latest in a series of published Kaiser Permanente research to better understand the modifiable risk factors for dementia. This ongoing body of research adds to evidence base that what is good for the heart is good for the brain, and that midlife is not too soon to begin preventing dementia with good health.
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