Alzheimer's and Dementia

  • Alzheimer's and Dementia
    Alzheimer's and Dementia
    2074 member(s)

    Dementia is a broad term for a range of conditions that involve loss of mental ability causes problems with memory, language, behaviour and emotions. Around five percent of people over the age of 65 are affected to some extent. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer's, accounting for about two thirds of cases. This community address the challenges of managing this condition early on. There may be some overlap with the Caregiver community since some of our caregiver articles and stories also relate to caregivers of persons with dementia

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  • Alzheimer's Disease Treatment
    Treatment options Two types of drugs are currently used:  Cholinesterase inhibitors: Commonly prescribed cholinesterase inhibitors include Donepezil (Aricept), Galantamine (Razadyne) And Rivastigmine (Exelon). These drugs work by preventing the breakdown of the chemicals used for nerve cell communication in the brain and delay worsening of symptoms. The main side effects of these drugs include diarrhoea, nausea and sleep disturbances.  Memantine (Namenda): This drug works in another…
  • Alzheimer's Disease Symptoms and Signs
    What are the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease? The changes in behavior and understanding are different from those that normally happen as one ages. For instance, occasional lapses of memory occur in normal ageing, like sometimes forgetting where you left your things. It isn’t disabling. Whereas in Alzheimer’s, there is persistent disabling in intellectual abilities, like memory, language, judgment and abstract thinking. The patient may show some of the following symptoms: Memory changes and…
  • Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease and Tests
    How is Alzheimer’s disease diagnosed? There's no specific test today that confirms you have Alzheimer's disease. It is mainly based on the information that the patient or family member provides and results of various tests that can help clarify the diagnosis.  To help distinguish Alzheimer's disease from other causes of memory loss, the following types of tests can be helpful: Medical history Neurological exam – Reflexes, coordination, muscle tone and strength, eye movement, speech,…
  • Causes of Alzheimer’s Disease and Risk Factors
    What causes Alzheimer’s disease? Scientists believe that for most people, Alzheimer's disease results from a combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors that affect the brain over time.   Although the causes of Alzheimer's are not yet fully understood, its effect on the brain is clear. Alzheimer's disease damages and kills brain cells.   As more and more brain cells die, Alzheimer's leads to significant brain shrinkage.  What are the risk factors for…
  • Managing my mother: From frustration for all to peace in the house
    Mrs. Kalyani talks about her 85-year-old mother and what it took to keep everyone happy. My mother, Vijayalakshmi, is 85 years old and her behaviour can be like that of a young child. She has mobility problems. She needs to be monitored 24x7, mainly to protect her from falling and injuring herself. My mother needs to be taken to the bathroom every 1 ½ hours to 2 hours without fail. Otherwise she would wet the bed or go in the room. While eating she wants the TV on and she will be so engrossed…
  • What can you do to prevent dementia
    The longer we live, the more likely we are to develop dementia. And, it is the one that tends to terrify us most. Evidence suggests that changing your lifestyle can help to reduce your risk of dementia. What does the current evidence really tell us about prevention? 1. Watch your body mass index In general terms, it appears to be healthier to be neither underweight nor obese in middle age. 2. Take regular exercise The study found that regular exercise (30 minutes walking…
  • State-of-the-art dementia treatment facility is a 1950s era village - Hogewey
    Hogewey is an amazing "village" on the outskirts of Amsterdam. It's a step back into the 1950s boasting pretty, manicured streets, a grocery, cafe, coffee shop, restaurant and even a beauty salon and barber shop. There are 152 residents in Hogewey, and all have something in common—dementia. Hogewey is a treatment facility for dementia and Alzheimer's patients. It is set in the 1950s because the dementia patient's long term memory is preserved much more vividly than short…
  • I paint to my heart's content and refresh my mind to start each challenging day anew
    Mrs Gowri shares her experience as a caregiver of her mother with Dementia   I care for my mother, a soft natured but strong willed woman, who had worked for 35 years. Post retirement, a freak accident while gardening, which we now believe could have been caused by a mild stroke, reduced her mobility and slowly led to the degeneration of the brain cells. Normally very quiet and uncomplaining, she had begun to lose her alacrity. Without any of us being aware of the symptoms, like difficulty…
  • Still Alice: A Review from an Alzheimer’s CareGiver
    A review of "Still Alice" by Ekta Hattangady, from India who was 13 when her mother was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's at 43. Ekta became her Primary Caregiver at the age of 16. My final verdict would be…it’s a great movie. It’s not reality. Not every person with Alzheimer’s would be like this…some may be a lot worse…especially in the case of Early Onset Dementia.  Everything you saw in this movie, multiply it by 10,000 times and then you may be somewhere close to what it is like…
  • Common anticholinergic drugs like Benadryl, Nytol linked to increased dementia risk
    Nytol, Benadryl, Ditropan and Piriton among the medications identified by scientists as raising likelihood of dementia A report published online this week in JAMA Internal Medicine offers compelling evidence of a link between long-term use of anticholinergic medications like Benadryl and dementia. Anticholinergic drugs block the action of acetylcholine. This substance transmits messages in the nervous system. In the brain, acetylcholine is involved in learning and memory. In the…
Alzheimer's/Dementia
May I please Dr Sridhar Vaitheswaran's email id? Would like to consult with him.   Regards, Bilwa
Hearing loss and risk of dementia - Singapore study
A study by National University of Singapore and Ng Teng Fong General Hospital found that older Singaporeans who lose their hearing are 2.3 times more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Hearing loss affects more than 60 per cent…
memory loss lost control on urine stoolin
I have lost control on urine & stool also loss of memory
young onset dementia
know any good specialists in this area in Indiana or within reasonable distance of ft Wayne, in?
bad thinking on mind
in my mind alwats bad thinking comes to see foods, gods, etc. in my mind fear also comes. sleep is disturbe. dreams comes. i feel depression, anxity etc. hope less etc.
dementia
what are treatment of dementia for my mother aged 86.
scalp infections
itching
How to create a team to support you
Caregiver burnout is very common amongst caregivers of dementia and respite care options are limited. Caregivers are sometimes reluctant to ask for help. How can you create a team of family and friends to support you? What are the things you can ask…
Finding a caregiver for Alzheimer's patient in Ahmedabad
My name is Souvnik Roy. I am looking for a caregiver for my father in Ahmedabad. He is 64 years old and was diagonized of Alzheimer's in 2012. 
What is your biggest challenge?
Understanding persons with Alzheimer's or Dementia is a huge challenge and its draining looking after them. So if you have any questions, any comments we look forward to hearing from you. 

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