Infections May Hasten Decline of Alzheimer’s

Colds and other infections may hasten the decline in memory and thinking skills in people with Alzheimer’s disease, British researchers report.  To view this article in its entirety, click here:   http://www.alzinfo.org/newsarticle/templates/newstemplate-diagnosis.asp?articleid=368&zoneid=5.

Cherish the Little Things

Last week I was told by my brother that he believed our mom was beginning to have difficulty processing conversation.  That observation rang true for me over the weekend when I called my mom, who resides in a nursing home in South Boston, Virginia.  When I tried to engage her in telling me about her day, I received no reply.  Maybe forming the words was a problem or maybe processing a thought was too much. 

However, when I told her that Jack sent her a hug, she brightened up and laughed!  She has always enjoyed a sort of comeraderie with Jack my husband.  As I was ending the call and telling her I loved her, she replied in her familiar loving way, ”I love you too, Sweetheart.”  Even at 62 and 67 my brother and I are our mom’s ‘Sweethearts’.

When our mother was healthy it was nothing for us to talk every day or every other day.  The phone made the miles seem less between Ohio and Virginia.  My mother used to also talk with her sister every morning, even though they lived no more than a fourth mile from each other.

I used to take her beautiful voice for granted.  Now, with dementia robbing us of these precious gifts I am going to appreciate every word I hear from my mom.

Attitude Means Everything

As I covered the miles last week between Ohio and Central Virginia to be with my mother I must admit to feeling a bit down, remembering her mobility limitations following a recent fall in her room and our probably not being able to enjoy our usual outings in the car.  

Upon my arrival that sunny morning I was totally amazed when my mom’s aide met me in the hall excited to tell me about her walking to the bathroom using her walker and no longer needing the portable commode.  

As this news was relayed to me I greeted my mom with a huge hug, happy for her to have regained some independence that I thought had been lost!  My mom’s aide commented that the real work went on during the time she had been off on vacation when our mom had been under the care of a substitute aide named Crystal. 

Crystal popped in later that morning to tell me how it went.  She told me the first day she came in to care for our mom the other aides indicated our mom could not manage the toilet in the bathroom and had been needing a ‘lift’ and a portable commode at her bedside.

Crystal said to herself, “We’ll see about that!  I’m going to encourage Mrs. Wagner to walk to the bathroom as she has done in weeks past when I’ve cared for her.”  

With gentleness, patience, and positive encouragement of ‘You can do it, Mrs. Wagner’, my mother sat up on the edge of her bed and with help swung her feet to the floor.  With the walker placed in front of her she was able to stand and walked the few steps to the bathroom.  Crystal told me how pleased our mom was to have this accomplishment.

That morning after hearing such good news I asked Mother to show me how she could walk a bit down the hall.  As we were preparing to head out the door with my pushing her rolling chair behind as a safety net, the main therapy assistant happened by and congratulated Mom, saying, “Mrs. Wagner, I am so happy to see you walking!  Would you walk a bit for me?”  And she did.

As lunchtime drew near my mother carefully brushed her hair and applied her face powder and lipstick.  We were going out!  

She was able to pivot from her wheelchair to the car seat slowly but successfully.  We enjoyed lunch at a nearby restaurant and then had our car ride into the country.

I learned from this experience more than ever how much a caregiver’s attitude matters for a loved one’s wellbeing.

Including Someone with Alzheimer’s in Thanksgiving Festivities

This article has a lot of good suggestions for easy ways to include your loved one with Alzheimer’s in the activities of Thanksgiving Day.  To read the full article go to http://www.examiner.com/x-28077-SF-Fiftysomething-Lifestyle-Examiner~y2009m11d10-Including-Someone-with-Alzheimers-in-Thanksgiving-Festivities.

Mom Loses Her Ability to Pivot

My last visit with my mother had to be scaled down considerably from previous times we have been together.  In the past we have gone on picnic outings to nearby state parks or shopping in town with a nice lunch.

When I arrived this time my mom was unable to maneuver turning.  This meant two things: one, I would be unable to help her into the car by myself; and, two, much more critical was inability to use the toilet in her bathroom. 

When I first arrived I had to witness a most uncomfortable situation unfold as my mother was placed in a mechanical lift to be placed in bed where she had to try to use a bedpan.  Having lost considerable weight, the lift put pressure on her shoulders, which was painful.  I felt so badly for her.

The next morning when her regular morning aide arrived, with the help of a physical therapist they devised a plan to help Mother be able to still use the toilet.  After assisting her to stand, they slid her portable commode into place beside her bed so that when she sat down, she was in place on the commode.  When she was ready, she was assisted again in standing up and her chair was rolled into place behind her for sitting. 

The wonderful aide who came up with the workable solution then left a detailed note for the aides on other shifts to be able to do the same for our mom. 

Our mother has gradually lost many physical abilities with the advancement of her dementia, but this time a way to compensate was achieved by a creative aide and therapist.

My Alzheimer Support Group

I am so very glad a friend introduced me to an Alzheimer caregiver support group almost two years ago.  Each of our weekly sessions is conducted by a neurologist who is the medical director of the in-patient Alzheimer care center where we meet.  His extensive experience treating various forms of dementia over the past 30-plus years is a real strength for those of us privileged to participate. 

Our usual plan each Wednesday of the month is to share with the group whatever we choose to share regarding our challenges over the past week as caregivers of our loved ones.  We share both laughs and the all pervasive sadness that goes with having to watch a loved one’s mental and physical abilities gradually fade. 

Some weeks I say very little, allowing more time for others who need support to be able to talk.  Other times I need to speak.  When I do, I know that no one will discredit or make light of what I’m saying, because they have been there in one way or another.    

Through the group sessions I have learned to let go of needing my mom to act the way she used to and letting things be as they are so long as she is safe.  I have received tips on how to divert her attention when she becomes upset or agitated. 

Our leader’s enduring compassion validates us as caregivers and our feelings of isolation and frustration at times as caregivers.

I would recommend to any Alzheimer caregiver contacting your local Alzheimer association to find a caregiver support group that meets in a convenient location to your area.   You will possibly not only gain insight into your own situation, but your experience may help others.

Link to free caregiver guide

The National Institutes of Health – National Institute on Aging and ADEAR (Alzheimer Disease Education and Referral Center) offer a free publication for Alzhemer Caregivers.  It is called Caring for a Person with Alzheimer’s Disease: Your Easy-to-Use Guide from the National Institute on Aging.

This guide includes tips in the following areas:

Tips for Caregivers
Dealing with the Diagnosis
Communication
Bathing
Dressing
Eating
Activities
Exercise
Incontinence
Sleep Problems
Hallucinations and Delusions
Wandering
Home Safety
Driving
Visiting the Doctor
Coping with Holidays
Visiting a Person with AD
Choosing a Nursing Home
More Information

By clicking on the green link above you can download a pdf version of the booklet or you can also order print copies from the page.

Please Take Me Home!

Mom has not been back to her house in rural Franklin County, Virginia,  since her hip fracture in April of 2008.  My brother and I would have loved it if she could have returned to the normal life she used to have there: cooking, gardening, and caring for her cherished home, but that time has long passed with the deepening of her Alzheimer-related dementia.

Recently, Mom asked us to take her home again.  Our concern about taking her to her home is that she would be unable to comprehend that she could not safely remain there by herself and that her financial resources will not permit hiring 24-hour round-the-clock care.  We decided it would be best not to take her home at all, even for a visit, so that she, and we, will not have to endure the trauma of her coming home and then needing to leave.

There are many situations in which we find we have to compromise between what we wish we could do for our mother and what is, in the long run, in her best interest.  Still, a trip home with Mom, to enjoy for a few minutes again the life we used to have together, tugs at our hearts.

Early Language Skills May Indicate Ability to Adapt to Alzheimer’s

SOURCE: Neurology, July 9, 2009.

This article begins:  “NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – People with more developed language skills as young adults may be better able to stay sharp well into old age, even if they develop Alzheimer’s-like abnormalities in their brains, new research in the journal Neurology shows.”

This is an interesting article that discusses a well-known study done with a community of nuns willing to donate their brains after death for Alzheimer’s research.  Three designations were given:  nuns who never had Alzheimer’s, those who had the disease fully, and those who, after death, were found to have Alzheimer’s but did not have major syptoms.  Each nun had written an essay on her life upon entering the convent and these were examined and rated for “idea density” a measure of language skills.  Those who showed more language skills at 20 were found to have more “adaptable brains,” able to find new ways to cope with Alzheimer’s Disease, later in life.

“Scientists have long wondered why some people with plaques and tangles in their brains characteristic of Alzheimer’s have intact mental faculties their whole lives. Troncoso and his team have dubbed this condition asymptomatic Alzheimer’s disease.

The researchers found that the women with asymptomatic Alzheimer’s did indeed have larger neurons, nuclei, and nucleoli than the women with mild cognitive impairment, while the cells in the brains of women with Alzheimer’s had shrunk compared to the cells in the control women’s brains.

The findings show that people’s brains can adapt and change — a phenomenon known as plasticity — well into an individual’s 80s and 90s.”

To read the full article, go to:  http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/Better+language+skills+keep+Alzheimer/1774782/story.html

Two Alzheimer’s Genes Found

SOURCE:  SCIENCE ALERT Australia and New Zealand
Tues. Sept 8, 2009: 

The Queensland Institute of Medical Research announced findings of a recent study.  This article begins:

“An international research team have found two new genes that increase the risk of late onset Alzheimer’s disease.

“By studying the genes of almost 14,000 participants, and comparing the DNA of Alzheimer patients and people without the disease, we have identified two new genes associated with   the disease. We believe they are involved in the formation of brain lesions in patients with Alzheimer’s,” said Dr Corinne Lendon from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR), and member of the international collaboration.

“This discovery has improved our understanding of the disease and in the long term may help us develop new diagnostics and ultimately treatments for this debilitating disease,” said Dr Lendon.”

The results will be published in Nature Genetics, September 2009.

To read the full article go to:  http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20090809-19706.html