Q. My wife was diagnosed with early-onset dementia about two years ago. On most days, I understand and accept the diagnosis. Some days, however, I wonder if there’s been a mistake. Our world could seem normal in one instance, and then in the blink of an eye, she forgets all of the important things we […]
Do Marriage and Children Reduce Your Risk of Dementia?
Dear Raider, I heard somewhere that marriage and children can help lower your risk of dementia. I hope this is true. I’ve been married to my husband for 50 years this year, and we have children, grandchildren, and even a great-grandchild. I’m hoping to stay around for a long time and for my mind to […]
Does Smoking Increase the Risk of Dementia?
For a multitude of good reasons, smokers are always being encouraged to take the first steps to quit smoking. National No Smoking Day in the UK was recently celebrated on the second Wednesday of March. Every November in the US is Tobacco Cessation Month, and November 15 is the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout, […]
Staying Optimistic After an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
Greg O’Brien is an award-winning investigative reporter who’s written for many national and regional publications, including The Washington Post. He was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 59 after a traumatic brain injury. Unfortunately, O’Brien has had lots of experience with the disease. Both his late parents and other close family members […]
FDA Approves New Alzheimer’s Drug That Slows Progression of the Disease
On January 6, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved the new Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab, which has been shown in clinical trials to slow cognitive decline in patients with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s disease. The approval offers patients renewed hope after repeated failures to find effective treatments. The announcement came following a highly […]
How Caregiving Can Heal a Relationship
Lori Grinker, a photojournalist and professor at New York University’s Arthur L Carter Journalism Institute, was never close to her mother, Audrey. Their relationship had been strained when Lori’s parents got divorced and when her brother died from AIDS. It seemed like nothing would bring them together. That is, until Audrey was diagnosed with cancer […]
Can a Mortality Prediction Model Lead to Fewer Unnecessary Medical Interventions?
Imagine knowing how long a loved one with dementia is going to live. Would you want to know? What would you do with that information, and how can it be helpful? Predictions from a prognosis prediction model were followed by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) for over a decade and may help clinicians […]
What to Do When Your Loved One Becomes Violent Due to Dementia
When some think of dementia, they may think of it as a mental illness. Confusing the two occurs frequently as certain mental illnesses and dementia share many of the same symptoms, including difficulty concentrating, confusion, and personality and emotional changes. It’s important to note that while dementia does affect mental health, it is not a […]
Can a New Device Detect Alzheimer’s Years Before Symptoms Develop?
Many people don’t realize that Alzheimer’s actually begins 15-20 years before symptoms become evident, but this has been proven to be the case. Now, a research team has developed a device and strategy that may be able to detect Alzheimer’s disease in the blood up to 17 years before any outward symptoms start to show. […]
Introducing the Dementia Doula
If you’re familiar with the word “doula,” you probably think of it as referring to a person who provides guidance and support to a pregnant woman. From admission through delivery, a doula stays at her patient’s side providing comfort and support to the mother, her partner, and the newborn baby. But there are more doulas […]
Can Equine Therapy Improve Quality of Life in Individuals with Dementia?
At several therapeutic riding centers across the country, horses have been interacting with an unlikely group of visitors ̶ people with early stage dementia or mild cognitive impairment and their caregivers. Interacting with horses — called equine therapy, horse therapy, and sometimes hippotherapy (ancient Greeks wrote about the benefits of horse riding, calling this practice […]
Sensory Overload — How People with Dementia Are Impacted by Noise
At the age of 46, Kris Bakowski was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Kris has been blogging about her diagnosis since 2003 to advocate for awareness and help educate others living with the disease and their caregivers. In one of her blogs, Kris discusses the topic of sensory overload. Since her diagnosis, she has been […]
The Doorway Effect: Why Moving Can Be Especially Challenging for Those with Dementia
Note: This article is the third part of a three part series sharing the wisdom of Katya De Luisa, a dementia educator and author of “Journey through the Infinite Mind–the Science and Spirituality of Dementia.” Read part 1 and part 2 here. Q. The other day, I was watching TV when a commercial came on […]
The Alzheimer’s Mystery: Why Do Some People with “Alzheimer’s Brain” Never Show Symptoms?
It is a little known and greatly mysterious fact that many people whose brains show the classic neuropathological symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease — amyloid plaques and tau tangles — never develop dementia or show any outward signs of having the disease. These people live long and productive lives with no signs of memory loss or […]
Part 2: How to Respond When a Person with Dementia Asks if Someone Has Died
Note: This article is the second part of a three part series sharing the wisdom of Katya De Luisa, a dementia educator and author of “Journey through the Infinite Mind–the Science and Spirituality of Dementia.” Read part 1 and part 3 here. What should you do when your loved one with dementia believes someone who […]
What It’s Really Like to Have Dementia: Fully Experiencing the Symptoms for Five Minutes of Your Life
Anyone who cares for someone with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia knows that it can be a challenging experience. As the disease progresses, the symptoms can include aggression, wandering, and agitation. Changes in the personality of the person with the disease can be a major source of distress both to the person with the […]
Nearly 100,000 Dementia Cases Potentially Could Have Been Prevented with Better Eye Care
Q. A friend told me that vision loss is a risk factor for dementia, but that treating it can help lessen the risk. My mom never wears her glasses and may need cataract surgery but refuses to get her eyes checked. Her family has a high rate of dementia, and this is something that certainly […]
Overlooked Risk Factors of Dementia
Dear Angel, I often read about new risk factors for dementia. One of them I recently read about was lack of motivation. What are some of the other overlooked risk factors for dementia? Is there any new research on mitigating your risk? Thanks for your help! Riss K. Factors — Dear Riss, As you mentioned, […]
Can Digital Voice Assistants Help Detect Dementia?
Dear Hayek, Most people I know have some sort of digital voice assistant in their home, such as Amazon’s Alexa. I read somewhere that these speakers are helping to detect dementia. How does that work, and aren’t there privacy concerns? Thanks for your help! Dee Tectshun — Dear Dee, Research is revealing that in the […]
Cupcakes and Caregiving: A Successful Shark Tank Business Owner Balances Work Life with Caregiving
Tracey Noonan, CEO and co-founder of Wicked Good Cupcakes, started her business along with her daughter, Dani, in their Boston home kitchen. The company, which appeared on the TV show “Shark Tank” nine years ago, grew tremendously after an investment from Kevin O’Leary, one of the wealthy investors on “Shark Tank.” Following their successful “Shark […]
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