Alzheimer's and Dementia

  • Alzheimer's and Dementia
    Alzheimer's and Dementia
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    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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  • Dementia Symptoms and Signs
    The most common symptoms of Dementia are: • Memory loss, especially of more recent events  • Hallucinations and delusions • Confusion • Balance problems • Loss of bladder or bowel control • Sleep disturbances, including insomnia and acting out dreams — physically moving limbs, sleep talking, screaming, hitting or even getting up and engaging in daytime activities. • Difficulty finding their way around, especially in new or unfamiliar surroundings  • Problems finding the correct words…
  • Dementia Causes and Risk factors
    What causes Dementia The most common cause is Alzheimer's disease, which accounts for up to 60% of all cases. Alzheimer's disease is caused by the destruction of certain brain cells leading to the loss of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Vascular dementia, which occurs after a stroke, is the second most common dementia type. But there are many other conditions that can cause symptoms of dementia, such as thyroid problems and vitamin B complex deficiencies. Dementia can also be caused by…
  • 10 Tips on Communicating with a Patient with Dementia
    Ekta Hattangady became her mother’s primary caregiver when she was 13. Her mother had Early Onset Alzheimer’s at age 43. Hindsight is always 20-20. I was an Alzheimer’s caregiver between 18-15 years ago. The world was a different place then. The internet was not as big as it is today and nor was Alzheimer’s a household name. Not in India, anyway. As time has passed, my work with families and people with dementia has increased and my level of knowledge about the disease has grown…
  • Profile pic of Swapna and text understand how dementia is affecting your loved one
    Understand How Dementia Is Affecting Your Loved One
    Swapna Kishore was a caregiver for her mother for many years. She has created many online resources for dementia caregivers in India, including an English website, Dementia Care Notes and its Hindi version Dementia Hindi. Here, she answers some questions by PatientsEngage.  Please tell us about your mother's early dementia symptoms and how her condition progressed. My mother's early symptoms included mild disorientation, memory problems, and repeating herself…
  • Alzheimer’s – a most wretched disease
    Balbir Singh Rawat, now 87, looked after his wife who had Alzheimer’s Disease. He talks of the challenges, learnings and what we, as a society, need to do to tackle this scourge of the elderly. My wife’s troubles started sometime in 2005 when she was hardly 70 yrs old, the prime age of a grandma. The disease crept in so slowly that none noticed the subtle changes in her behaviour by way of reactions to external stimuli.  When we did notice, it was too late to avail of any chance of…
  • Alzheimer’s Disease
    What is Alzheimer's disease? Alzheimer's disease is a neurological disorder (disorder of the nervous system) in which the death of brain cells causes memory loss and cognitive decline. The disease starts mild and gets progressively worse. Mostly, it’s the neurons (nerve cells) that are destroyed in Alzheimer’s disease. Our thoughts and memories move through nerve cells as electrical charge. Alzheimer’s disease disrupts electrical charges within the cell and also the activity of…
  • Alzheimer's Stages and Complications
    What are the stages of Alzheimer’s disease? The disease progresses differently in different individuals, but the following offers a rough guide to the various stages: Stage 1 – Mild/Early (lasts 2-4 yrs)  This stage may be marked by frequent memory loss, particularly of recent conversations and events. The person may repeat the same questions and show some difficulty in understanding conversation. Mild coordination problems, like writing and using objects. Depression and apathy can occur,…
  • Management of Alzheimer’s Disease
    How can you keep the patient well: Creating a safe and supportive environment: You may need to modify the home depending on the needs of the patient. This may include locking doors (if the patient is prone to wandering), installing gates in front of stairs to prevent falls, removing rugs or other objects that one could trip over, use of bright lighting or labelling the kitchen or the bathroom to reduce confusion for the patient.  Regular exercise: This has known benefits for heart health…
  • Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention
    Can Alzheimer's be prevented? Currently there's no proven way to prevent Alzheimer's disease. Research into prevention strategies is ongoing. The strongest evidence so far suggests that you may be able to lower your risk of Alzheimer's disease by reducing your risk of heart disease. Many of the same factors that increase your risk of heart disease can also increase your risk of Alzheimer's disease. Important factors that may be involved include high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol,…
  • 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/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
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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
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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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