Dear Friends,
August heat can take me outside of my comfort zone as quickly as a windy, 30-below-zero winter day. Yet the contrasts in our northern weather make living here interesting. Contrasts make people interesting, as well, which is one thing many of us value about our inter-generational gatherings. We see the contrast of the generations, though some interactions may not be completely comfortable.
My sons were lucky in that they grew up in the same community as their grandparents, so three generations were often together. I'm glad they have those early memories, because my dad's later failed brain surgery, which threw him into instant dementia, was confusing and discomforting for the kids. They at least had memories to hang on to.
The grandfather they connected with so strongly was changed literally in one day. Yes, their grandfather still knew them, but he was a different man. Yet Grandpa was Grandpa, and they tried their best, over the next decade, to do what they could for him. Life brings pain we can't fix. It brings changes that contrast and conflict with our feelings of comfort and security.
In our minds and hearts we often contrast the person who was once our strong parent or spouse with this person who now may not even recognize us. We struggle to understand the needs of this person we once knew so well.
Just as we adjust to life as seasons change, we adjust as people change. No, you won't always guess the right thing to do for your loved one. You will make mistakes. But you'll bend with the wind and do your best as you face each challenge.
Take care of yourselves during these often unruly times. You best is good enough.
Carol
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Hello!
Welcome to Minding Our Elders! Our hope is to break
the isolation that caregivers often feel. We'd also like to share information and ideas that will help and comfort you along your caregiving journey. Thanks for reading.
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Study reveals sundowning with Alzheimer's likely has a biological basis
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Sundowning is a syndrome in which elders-particularly those with Alzheimer's-tend to display high levels of activity, anxiety and agitation, sometimes accompanied by delirium, near the end of the day. Sundowning has confused, frustrated and even frightened caregivers over the years.
Working toward understanding sundowning
A new study conducted at Ohio State University could shed some light into the problems associated with sundowning. Says study co-author Randy Nelson, professor of neuroscience and psychology at Ohio State:
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How do we cope with the plea "I want to go home"?
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"I want to go home." Nearly any person caring for an elder with dementia has heard this heartbreaking plea, even if the elder is home. It's fairly well accepted by dementia experts that the "home" most elders want to return to is their childhood home, because in later stages of Alzheimer's that is where, in their minds, "home" is.
The same is true when you hear an aged woman with dementia calling over and over, "Mama! Mama!" This woman is a young child in her brain, and she's calling for her young mother. Not every aging person who enters a nursing home or assisted living has dementia. And not every case of dementia is the same.
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Diabetes education (DSMT) is a Medicare-paid benefit - don't miss out
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Diabetes is a sneaky disease, in that most of the time early symptoms go unnoticed. As with many diseases, prevention, when possible, is best. If we can't prevent a disease, then early detection and treatment may offset many of the ailments that could accumulate as an undetected disease progresses.
A family history of diabetes should raise an alert flag, but many people who get Type 2 diabetes don't have a family history of the disease. Age, weight, lack of exercise and other issues put us at risk. It seems our modern lifestyles are partly to blame. Take care of yourself by getting checked for diabetes when you have your yearly physical. Eye exams may help spot diabetes and other health conditions as well.
If you should show a positive test result, please listen to your doctor's advice, but also get education through the American Diabetes Association and, for those of you who are on Medicare or caring for someone who is, look to Medicare for more education.
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Study shows vitamin E could limit or prevent stroke damage
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As is the case with so many vitamins, minerals, and prescription drugs, vitamin E supplementation has gone through times where it's been heralded as a miracle later to be berated as a risk. A new study has once again brought vitamin E to the forefront as a possible preventative step for people at risk for strokes. These study authors put vitamin E right up there with the daily low-dose aspirin that many, if not most, doctors prescribe for middle aged men and post-menopausal women.
The Ohio State University study was led by Chandan Sen, professor and vice chair for research in Ohio State's Department of Surgery. An article on newswise.com states, "Sen and colleagues have spent the past 10 years documenting in cell cultures and rodents how this form of vitamin E (tocotrienol, also known as TCT, is a form of vitamin E less widely used than tocopherol) protects brain cells from dying after the insult of a stroke.
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Reduce stigma of dementia by sharing diagnosis
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The Alzheimer's Association is encouraging people to share their diagnosis with family members, friends and even the public. People diagnosed with dementia know their lives will change. Indeed, their lives have already changed, since symptoms are generally what send people to doctors for a diagnosis. However, many people fear, with some justification, that friends and even some family members will treat them differently after disclosing the diagnosis. They fear that people won't know what to say, or how to react. They fear they will be judged to be less than whole people.
It's normal to want to protect ourselves and our loved ones, and it takes time to adjust to a diagnosis like Alzheimer's disease. Yet, it's only through the courage of others who have gone public with their diagnosis that people will learn not only about the prevalence of the disease, but how to deal with Alzheimer's and help those who have AD.
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About Carol
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Caregiving expert Carol Bradley Bursack, Author,
speaker and columnist, presents a collection of
articles, stories, news and research for you to
browse. Please check the blog and Web site links for
more information and feel free to email Carol at
carol@mindingourelders.com to chat or ask
questions. Minding Our Elders is a registered
trademark.
If your group or organization would like to buy "Minding
Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories"
in bulk, please email carol@mindingourelders.com
for information. Bulk rates are available.
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