Treatment and Support for Families Affected by Alzheimer's and other Memory Disorders

March-April 2015

Vol 6, Issue 2

Caregiver

Network

News

A newsletter for

caregivers of loved ones

with memory loss

Happy Birthday to

BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY!

My wife has what the doctor calls "mild dementia." I know she has trouble with her memory, but her forgetfulness seems to be selective. For instance, I'll tell her that our daughter's coming to visit, and she won't remember any of the details other than she's coming. So then she starts asking me over and over, "When is Janice coming?" and "How long will she be here?" and "Is she coming by herself?" and I tell her the answers over and over. It's driving me crazy! If she can remember some things, why not others?

Maybe it would help you t

o know how memories are stored in the brain. The process isn't as simple as placing them in a box on a shelf. Memories are broken down into a million fragments and stored in a million different places in the brain: colors here, faces there, smells somewhere else, feelings associated with the event, visual details - all the myriad of things that make up the whole memory. Then later, when that memory is summoned, the brain has to retrieve all those fragments and put them together into the whole picture.

It's sort of like in Star Trek: Scotty beams aboard a million different fragments, which all come together to form Captain Kirk. But imagine what would happen if Scotty's transporter beam was on the fritz - he'd beam aboard only a part of Captain Kirk. That's what's happening in your wife's brain: her memory storage system is being attacked by dementia, so like Scotty's transporter beam, it's on the fritz. A lot of what you've told her, that information that's broken down into fragments, either doesn't get put in storage, or the disease has blown up the roads leading to it. So when she goes back later to retrieve it, she can't get to all of it. Some of it may still be lodged somewhere in her brain, but the dementia is preventing her from accessing it. Her transporter beam is on the fritz.

This is as difficult for her as it is for you. How bewildering must it be to remember just enough of something to make you realize you've forgotten the rest? Perhaps in the future, you might try keeping the details of Janice's visit to yourself until just a few days before she's coming. This way, your wife isn't burdened by trying to hold onto details that elude her. Many caregivers have experienced exactly what you describe, and they've learned that it's kinder to their confused loved one (as well as easier on themselves) to withhold details of upcoming events - somebody's birthday, or a doctor's appointment, or a pending visit - until just before it happens.

It's difficult to think you can't share information with her like you used to, but adjusting your way of thinking to accommodate her changing limitations is an act of love and compassion. It comes with the job of caregiver.

The ABCs of DEMENTIA

Part 6

U is for UTI

Urinary tract infections, caused by bacteria that make their way into the bladder, occur more often in people who are incontinent - and since incontinence is common with dementia, UTIs are fairly common too. In people with dementia, UTIs can cause sudden changes in behavior. These can develop in as little as one to two days, and can range from increased agitation, restlessness, and confusion to hallucinations or delusions. The key here is 'sudden' - caregivers who have experienced an almost overnight change in their loved one's symptoms learn quickly to recognize what may be warning signs of an infection. Antibiotics can usually fix the problem without requiring hospitalization, but if left untreated, a UTI can spread and become more serious.

V is for
Vascular Dementia

Vascular dementia, the result of the brain not getting enough oxygen, ties for second place with Lewy Body Disease as the most common cause of dementia after Alzheimer's. The usual culprits - smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, or strokes/TIAs - increase the risk of developing Vascular Dementia, although these factors are not present in all cases. Vascular Dementia differs from Alzheimer's in its onset (it is likely to come on more suddenly), as well as its progression (a start-and-stop pattern of noticeable decline followed by plateaus). Both conditions can coexist, often resulting in a diagnosis of "mixed dementia." Unlike Alzheimer's, Vascular Dementia can sometimes be slowed down or possibly even prevented by following a heart-healthy lifestyle to control blood pressure and cholesterol. In other words, what's good for the heart is also good for the brain.

W is for Wandering

The term "wander" means "to walk in an aimless way," but that definition isn't applicable to a person with dementia. A common symptom of moderate-stage dementia, wandering usually occurs not because the person merely wants to go for a walk, but because he is confused or disoriented about something. In nearly every case, the person is looking for something or someone, is trying to escape a stressful or upsetting situation, is reliving a past job or role, or is trying to get someplace he thinks he should be. There is always a reason, and it doesn't matter whether it is real or imagined - to a person with dementia, it is real to him. Families are usually surprised the first time their loved one wanders off in a public place, or walks out the door at home, but trying to understand what the person was thinking and what may have triggered him to leave is the best way to keep it from happening again.

(The ABCs of Dementia will continue in the next issue)

Johnny Morris

is hiking the Appalachian Trail for MemoryCare!

A Hike For A Cause

Johnny Morris, son of MemoryCare's founder Dr. Margaret Noel, left on March 2 to hike the 2,180 mile Appalachian Trail to raise both awareness about dementia and funds for MemoryCare. Click Here to read the Asheville Citizen article.

On March 22, Johnny said: "I reached Hot Springs, NC (mile marker 273.9 from Springer Mtn. in GA) on Saturday afternoon and am "taking a zero" [a no-miles day] in an attempt to rest my aching knees and feet for a day or two. This is the initial "warm-up" phase I have allotted myself to help prevent serious injuries that are infamous among long distance hikers. I've seen some beautiful vistas passing through Georgia and The Great Smoky National Park. It has given me quite a bit of confidence as I continue on and hopefully increase the average daily miles.

WHERE'S JOHNNY NOW?

Click Here to follow him in more detail on MemoryCare's Facebook page!

When you make a donation to support Johnny's hike for MemoryCare, every dollar donated goes directly to the care and support of families facing the challenge of Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive disorders.

To donate online, please click here

For more information, please contact Chad Conaty, Director of Development and Outreach, at conaty@memorycare.org

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

UPCOMING

EVENTS

The Heartbreak of Alzheimers....

the Power of Art...

and the Meaning of Family.

"This is a beautiful tribute to a wife and mother, and proof, if we needed it,

that Alzheimer's never completely wins."

We hope you'll be able to join us!

Tickets are available through the Asheville Community Theatre .

Click here to purchase online or by phone call 828-254-1320.

Save The Date for a Caregiver Workshop in Burnsville!

Thursday Afternoon, August 20

'Building a Bridge Over Troubled Waters - How to Connect

with a Memory-Impaired Person'

presented by

Mary Donnelly

MemoryCaregivers Network Coordinator

Burnsville Town Center

Burnsville, NC

sponsored by

For more information, contact Chad Conaty, Director of Development & Outreach, at 828.771.2219

or email conaty@memorycare.org

ONGOING

PROGRAMS

Open to the Public

MEMORYCAREGIVERS NETWORK

SUPPORT & EDUCATION GROUPS

FLETCHER GROUP

First Tuesdays, 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Fletcher 7th Day Adventist Church

Howard Gap Road and Naples Road, Fletcher, N.C.

(just past Park Ridge Hospital)

NEW HOPE GROUP

Third Tuesdays, 1:00-3:00 p.m.

New Hope Presbyterian Church

3070 Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville, N.C. 28803

(across from Givens Estates)

WEAVERVILLE GROUP

Fourth Tuesdays, 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Weaverville First Baptist Church

63 N. Main, Weaverville, NC 28787

(North Buncombe County)

There is no charge to attend any of the Network groups,

but donations are needed to keep this program going.

Contact Chad Conaty, Director of Development and Outreach, at conaty@memorycare.org,

For more information about the MemoryCaregivers Network, contact:

Mary Donnelly

828.230.4143

network@memorycare.org

Pat Hilgendorf

828.645.9189

patricia.hilgendorf@gmail.com

"CAREGIVER COLLEGE"

MemoryCare's ongoing educational series for caregivers

A series of 6 two-hour lectures will be provided for caregivers of persons with memory disorders. Sessions are designed to improve caregiver understanding of different aspects of dementia care. Related presentation materials will be provided.

Space is limited so please sign up via our office in advance.

There is no fee for caregivers enrolled in MemoryCare.

For all others, there is an $85.00 attendance fee for the course.

To register, call 828.771.2219.

Course Content:

What Is Dementia?

Transitioning from Independence to Interdependence

Functional and Behavioral Changes of Dementia

Dementia Treatment Options & Risk Reduction

Maintaining Your Own Health

Dementia and Legal Planning Issues

The next series will begin Spring 2015 as follows:

Waynesville Class

Every Tuesday, beginning May 26th through June 30

3:30 to 6pm

Haywood County Senior Resource Center
Led by Lisa Verges, MD.

SCROLL DOWN

for MORE COMMUNITY EVENTS!

Caregiver Network News is made possible by the charitable support of donors.

It is an auxiliary program of

Our Mission is three-fold:

To provide specialized medical care to older adults with cognitive impairment;

to support caregivers with education, counseling,and improved access to services; and to provide community education.

MemoryCare relies on charitable donations for operations.

Please consider MemoryCare in your estate planning.

To make a donation, CLICK HERE.

Click this link to visit our website:

www.MemoryCare.org

Do you need a program for a group event?

Public education is not only a part of the President's National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease, it's a part of MemoryCare's mission statement.

The MemoryCaregivers Network staff can provide speakers on a variety of subjects, including Recognizing Early Warning Signs of Memory Loss, Facts and Fiction about Dementia, Better Communication Techniques, and more.

Contact Mary Donnelly at network@memorycare.org,

or Chad Conaty, Director of Development & Outreach, at conaty@memorycare.org

OTHER COMMUNITY PROGRAMS & EVENTS

(The following programs are not part of MemoryCare but help our community by serving those impacted by memory impairment. All are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted)

SIDE BY SIDE SINGING -Come Sing with Us!

We are pleased to announce that Side By Side Singing will be hosted by

Calvary Episcopal Church in Fletcher,

beginning on Friday, April 10, at 2:00pm,

and running for six consecutive Fridays through May 16.

Sessions are open to anyone open to experiencing the health benefits and FUN of singing in a group! You need not be an experienced singer or be able to read music to participate. The group welcomes those with memory loss and their caregivers. Singing lasts for one hour, and is followed by light refreshments.

All sessions are free.

For more information, email Ruthie Rosauer at ruthiesong@gmail.com,

or visit www.sidebysidesinging.wordpress.com.

Calling All Gentlemen Caregivers...

...to the Men's Lunch Bunch

All men are welcome to join us for food, support, and laughter!

No advance reservations needed, just show up.

2nd Tuesdays, 11:30 am

Place: J&S Cafeteria (across from Asheville airport)

For more information, contact Woodie Dyches at 828.712.9726

or woodrow344@gmail.com

Memory Loss Caregivers of East Buncombe

An education & support group for caregivers