You altogether forgot about the physician's appointment scheduled for last Thursday, misplaced your reading glasses for the umpteenth time, and can’t remember the name of your new neighbor for the life of you. Are senior forgetfulness and problems with memory normal? Or could it be the beginning of Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia? […]
With many aging parents taking multiple prescriptions, and with physicians adding and changing medications and dosages to discover ideal solutions, it is crucial to know how to properly dispose of medication safely once it is expired or no longer needed. There are several medication disposal options: Check labels. The medication's label or informational literature might […]
Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia requires empathy, creativity, and patience, being able to step away from your own reasoning and logic and understand why a certain behavior is happening, and then to understand exactly how to successfully manage it. Refusal to change clothes and dementia can sometimes go hand […]
Looking back at the past several months, family caregivers have had to face seemingly insurmountable challenges connected with the care of the senior family members they love. With COVID-19’s specific dangers to the elderly and those diagnosed with underlying health conditions, such as COPD, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and others which can be common in the […]
Disbelief. Shame. Awkwardness. Discomfort. Each one of these feelings can cycle through a family caregiver’s mind when a senior with dementia showcases disinhibited behaviors, such as: Rude or tactless comments Inappropriate sexual remarks or advances Removal of clothes at improper times Other socially unacceptable actions The complicated changes that occur to the brain in Alzheimer's disease […]
While circus clowns and comedians may stir audiences to laughter over such stunts as slipping on a banana peel, there is nothing funny about falling when it comes to the elderly, who are at an elevated risk for serious injuries which could bring about a lengthy rehabilitation process. Not only that, but there’s a lesser […]
The COVID-19 pandemic put our world on pause, including, among a great number of other activities, medical appointments and procedures. In fact, approximately one-half of all adults either canceled or put off routine medical care and elective procedures since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, leading physicians to grow concerned about the effects. While we […]
Researchers at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, who believed they were examining connective tissue cell protein, got quite a surprise when they instead stumbled upon a therapy to eradicate the outward symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in mice. Not only that, but the therapy may be beneficial in various conditions that call for the […]
It can come seemingly out of thin air: you place your loved one’s favorite tuna sandwich in front of her – light on the mayo, no onions – something which usually brings her enjoyment. But this time, she shoves the plate away and does not want to take a bite, insisting that you’ve poisoned the […]
After months of isolating, quarantining, and distancing from friends and family, stay-at-home orders have been relaxed this summer. However, for older adults in particular, is it safe to head out? Unfortunately, there’s no cut-and-dry answer, and a number of criteria need to be taken into account to arrive at the best decision for each individual. For […]
