Dear Magic, I have read that early-onset dementia has become a lot more prevalent. I am concerned because I am 52 and very forgetful. I know there is no known way to prevent dementia from happening, if it’s going to happen. But what are some things I can do to keep my brain healthy for […]
How to Meaningfully Reconnect with Someone Who Has Dementia
Thirty years ago, Dr. Anne Basting, a gerontologist and a professor, had an experience that would change her life forever. Dr. Basting, who currently teaches theater at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, was researching aging and memory for her PhD, and she felt she genuinely connected with a room of seniors who suffered from dementia. At […]
Does a Loved One Have Undiagnosed Dementia?
For the past five years, Barry has been going for his regular yearly checkups at his primary care doctor’s office. Two years ago, he began complaining about memory lapses. He would forget names and sometimes faces, and he’d often forget things that happened that day, such as what he had for breakfast and even a […]
Medicare Care Planning Benefit for People with Alzheimer’s
Dear Magic, My mother, Ingrid, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. We know that there is no cure and that it only gets worse as time progresses. We’d like to plan in advance to make sure she gets the support services and medications she needs, and any non-medical treatments to improve her quality of life. We’d also […]
Loving Someone with Dementia
Q. Valentine’s Day has always been special for my husband, Charlie, and I. It’s our wedding anniversary and we used to go all out every year celebrating it. Charlie wasn’t much of a romantic until he met me. He’s learned over the years that I love chocolate, flowers, and sappy Hallmark cards. One year, on […]
Should a Loved One with a Dementia Diagnosis Have a Pet?
Dear Hayek, My grandmother Ruth has a small black mixed-breed pup named Angus. She is very fond of Angus and takes him everywhere. Ruth was diagnosed with dementia a couple of years ago. She still takes good care of Angus, but what happens when it becomes more severe and she forgets to walk him or […]
Can You Still Live Alone if You Have Early-Stage Alzheimer’s?
When Kimberly was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, she took it as a devastating blow. She experienced the gamut of emotions anyone would feel after such a shocking discovery about oneself, including shock, denial, and depression. It took Kimberly more than a year to accept what the doctor had said— that she does in fact […]
Breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s Research from the Past Year
Q. It seems like there’s a new Alzheimer’s “breakthrough” almost every day. My husband and I often follow the headlines and in our attempt to pull together the true, reputable research, we have seen everything from the relationship of drinking coffee to stave off Alzheimer’s to people in the Midwest and South being more susceptible […]
Current Tests for Alzheimer’s Disease
Dear Magic, After spending 30 minutes hunting for her car the other day in a parking lot and leaving the oven on in another instance, my mom thinks it’s time to ask her doctor for an Alzheimer’s test. I remember when my dad got tested a few years ago and he answered questions for his […]
Have a Parent with Dementia? Your Symptoms May Show Up 6 Years Earlier
Kelly’s mother (85) has had dementia for eight years and her grandmothers on both parent’s sides also had it. Naturally, Kelly is concerned for herself and her children, and the likelihood that they will develop the disease. She has read that family history is a factor, but not the only one. Kelly is proactive in […]
How Alzheimer’s is Different for Women and Men
Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s four years ago, 75-year-old Elaine still enjoys jigsaw puzzles, knitting, and dancing. She manages day-to-day life with the help of a GPS tracker – prompted after a trip on the wrong bus – and with reminder notes stuck around the house by her husband Fred, who is also in the beginning stages […]
The Risks of Dementia Denial
Pete’s father, Frank, has always been a positive, happy person. He lives for the moment, doesn’t take many things too seriously, and when it comes to something potentially stressful, he subscribes to the notion that “ignorance is bliss.” Everyone who knows Frank loves his positive attitude and his optimistic outlook on life. Sounds like a […]
Why Do People with Alzheimer’s Remember Old Memories While New Memories Fade?
Q. I recently went to visit my father, Paul, who has Alzheimer’s. I posted a picture of us on Facebook, which prompted several cousins who lived nearby who I rarely see to visit while I was there. His first cousin, Sophie, came to visit and talked about how she lived next door to my […]
Is DICE the Key to Managing Dementia Without Medication?
Karl Sieloff, 56, had been an engineer at General Motors for more than three decades. Each day he arrived at work on-time and always had a good attitude. He went home to his loving wife, Kate, and was proud of their son, Kurt, who became a neurologist at the University of Michigan’s Medical Center. That […]
$1,000,000 Reward for Anyone Who Finds the ‘Germ’ that Causes Alzheimer’s
Currently, more than 44 million people around the world are suffering from Alzheimer’s. Each day, 303 people die of the disease and each year, we lose 110,000 people to the progressive, neurological disease. Yet the cause is unknown, there is no cure, and there are no proven ways to prevent Alzheimer’s. Decades of research and […]
An Advance Directive Specifically for Dementia
Dear Angel, I recently read about Advance Directives that deal only with dementia. What is included in them and is it a good idea to create them in addition to other incapacity planning documents? Thanks! Dee Rectiffs — Dear Dee, An Advance Medical Directive is a legal document that outlines your specific wishes regarding medical […]
Can You Suppress the Onset of Dementia by Treating Apathy?
After many moves and achieving the rank of colonel in the Air Force, Ken had big plans for retirement. His already full bucket list was getting even longer, as he thought of new things he wanted to do with his wife. As an avid runner, Ken planned on training for his first half marathon, visiting […]
The Reality of a Vaccine to Protect Against Alzheimer’s
Margery recently went for a physical, and while she was there, she got vaccinated for pneumonia, shingles, and a tetanus shot. Similar to most people, she doesn’t like getting shots, but there is one she wouldn’t mind at all: a shot to protect her against Alzheimer’s! Margery lost her mother, her grandmother, and two aunts […]
Dolphins and Dementia — Beware of Contaminated Waters
Jeannie and I love aquariums, so we visit them often. Because we have a vacation home near Clearwater Beach, home to the world-famous Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA), the real-life home of Winter and Hope from the movies Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2, we visit CMA frequently. What makes CMA so special is that it […]
Being Shamed for Your Nursing Home Decision
This past weekend, Kathryn hosted a graduation party for her daughter and was excited to spend time with the family and friends that came to celebrate. For the past few years, she hadn’t had much time to visit with friends or family with all of the caregiving duties she had for her mother, who suffers […]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- …
- 11
- Next Page »