When Memory Loss Leads to Sitting Around
By Monica Heltemes - April 08, 2013 09:25 AM
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“He doesn’t do the activities he used to do”
“He is bored”
“She follows me everywhere I go”
“He doesn’t want to leave home”
“She is always watching tv”
“She just wants to stay sitting in her favorite...
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Should My Loved One be Taking Alzheimer's Medicines?
By Carole Larkin - April 01, 2013 09:51 AM
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Over the years my clients have asked me, “Should my loved one be taking any of the Alzheimer’s medicines?” My answers have differed depending on how much I knew about the medicines, the relative costs...
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Recognizing Dementia When it Strikes!
By Carole Larkin - December 10, 2012 08:55 AM
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This past week a friend of my business partner called and asked for my help. She had been given my card two years ago. Her 80 year old mother Brenda (all names have been changed for privacy purposes) lives...
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Art Can Be The Best Pill
By Margery Pabst - October 08, 2012 11:04 AM
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A revolution is under way as both medical professionals and families explore broader initiatives for healing. Sometimes referred to as holistic healing, spiritual, social, and emotional dimensions of...
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Why Does Grandma Wander? - Understanding Coping Mechanisms of Seniors with Dementia
By Carole Larkin - June 11, 2012 07:58 AM
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I am now a CERTIFIED TRAINER of P.K. Beville’s thought changing, life changing Virtual Dementia Tour experience. P.K Beville is the Founder & CEO of Second Wind Dreams, a non-profit organization that...
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Making Your Parent's Move to a Care Community Guilt-Free
By Carole Larkin - April 23, 2012 10:35 AM
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It may be the hardest decision of all to hand over your loved one’s physical care to a “village” (an assisted living, memory care community or a nursing home). It is usually the last, last, last resort. ...
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Why is Mom's Dementia Worse in the Evenings?
By Shannon Martin - April 09, 2012 10:51 AM
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I recently did an informal survey to find out how many people were familiar with Sundowner’s Syndrome (or sundowning behavior) in dementia. The results were mixed…professionals who had worked in eldercare,...
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This is my first post
By John Andrews - March 20, 2012 12:21 AM
Bridge the Communication Gap with an Elder with Alzheimer's!
By Ann Catlin - February 06, 2012 08:54 AM
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I remember a woman I’ll call Grace whom I visited frequently in a skilled-care facility. She was a lovely 75-year-old woman, and her room was full of paintings she had created over the years as well as...
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Can Dementia-Caused Cognitive Damage be Reversed in Seniors?
By Carole Larkin - November 07, 2011 01:44 PM
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As you age, some degree of difficulty recalling memories is considered normal.
However, more pronounced memory loss could indicate a serious problem, such as dementia (which includes Alzheimer’s disease)....
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Hospice or Palliative Care? : Choosing a Care Plan for Seniors
By Chris Cooper - October 19, 2011 10:40 AM
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In the United States, hospice and palliative care represent two different aspects of care with a similar philosophy but different payment systems and location of services. Palliative care services are...
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Fall-Proofing Your Home to Help a Senior with Alzheimer's
By Dr. Rein Tideiksaar - October 03, 2011 12:15 PM
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People with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are at serious risk for falls—and injury. At least half of all falls occur at home. The best way to deal with any threats to safety in the home is through prevention.—checking...
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Don't Give In to Dementia Denial! - Tips for Caregivers
By Carole Larkin - September 27, 2011 10:52 AM
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You may be past denial -- Perhaps your sisters or brothers, mothers or fathers, cousins or friends (especially ones that don't often see your loved one with dementia) are in denial. People in denial about...
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Hospitalization Considerations for Seniors with Alzheimer's
By Shannon Martin - September 21, 2011 11:40 AM
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Having a loved one rushed to the emergency room or even go in to the hospital for an expected surgery is anxiety-producing any time, but it is made much worse if your loved one has dementia. As a dementia/Alzheimer’s...
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Caring for a Hospitalized Loved One with Dementia
By Carole Larkin - August 09, 2011 12:15 PM
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Not long ago I attended a wonderful lecture given by my friend Sydney Farrier, LCSW, ex of the Dallas chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, now of DFW Aging Solutions LLC (an educational firm). She was...
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Is Falling an Early Indication of Alzheimer's?
By Dr. Rein Tideiksaar - August 08, 2011 10:54 AM
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Alzheimer’s disease (AD) causes certain changes in the brain that affect memory and thinking. But as we learned from July’s blog (Alzheimer’s & Falling: What’s the Connection?), AD can also increase...
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Alzheimer's & Falling: What's the Connection?
By Dr. Rein Tideiksaar - July 13, 2011 02:03 PM
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Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a disease associated with a loss of memory and intellectual abilities. The risk of developing AD increases with advancing age and gradually gets worse over time. One of the...
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Do You Need a Generalist or a Specialist?: Geriatric Care Management
By Carole Larkin - June 15, 2011 02:29 PM
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There are two types of Geriatric Care Managers generalists and Care Managers with specialties. My specialty is dementia, so I am writing in regard to dementia. However, most generalists also follow the...
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Medications & Disorders that Increase the Risk of Falling
By Dr. Rein Tideiksaar - June 07, 2011 10:34 AM
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Falls in elders just don’t happen, but are due to certain health conditions and/or home hazards that increase the likelihood of falls. In previous blogs, I’ve addressed common fall risk factors and strategies...
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Don't Shut Down with Alzheimer's Patients!
By Michelle Seitzer - May 24, 2011 12:37 PM
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Alzheimer’s takes so much from its victims. It also exacts a hefty toll on those around them – family, friends, neighbors, colleagues – as they grieve the loss of the person they knew, fading right before...
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When Should Someone with Dementia Stop Driving?
By Carole Larkin - May 23, 2011 12:26 PM
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What specific driving abilities decline in older drivers, even ones without dementia?
Well for one, older drivers have declines in their physical ability, meaning that they have declines in their muscle...
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Tips To Prevent Wandering Out Of The House By Your Loved One
By Carole Larkin - April 20, 2011 02:49 PM
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Try these tips to prevent wandering out of the house by your loved one.
1. If there is a securely locked high fence around the whole perimeter of the property, let your loved one go outside, in good...
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Alzheimer's: Why Does Dad Follow Me Everywhere?
By Carole Larkin - March 21, 2011 11:14 AM
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Some people start exhibiting a behavior I call “shadowing” in the midstages of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Those who are able to walk or roll in their wheelchairs will literally follow their loved...
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Why Does Mom Repeat Herself? Memory Loss in Alzheimer's
By Carole Larkin - February 21, 2011 10:49 AM
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I learned a while back how the expression “first in, last out and last in, first out” describes how the loss of memory works in patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
The expression, First in,...
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Blessing in Disguise : How Senior Centers Can Help Caregivers & Seniors
By Rita Dichele - November 22, 2010 12:53 PM
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The senior center is a community program that is made available to individuals age 60 and older and those who are disabled. Typically, communities have a designated space to accommodate a senior center...
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Does Someone You Love Have Alzheimer’s?
By Jane Meier Hamilton, MSN, RN - October 24, 2010 03:06 PM
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I vividly remember beginning my journey through Alzheimer’s, at 5PM, April 10, 2001. Standing in a boisterous Manhattan hotel lobby, I hear via public phone the most personally devastating news of my...
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The Painful Reality of Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer's
By Maureen Hildebrand - October 12, 2010 01:27 PM
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"Who are you and what are you doing in my house? What did you do to my angel? Get out of here! Leave me alone!"
"Nana, it's me, Angel, your granddaughter."
"No you're not, she screamed! Where...
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You Look Like My Mother - But What Have You Done With Her? A Journey into Advanced Aging
By Maureen Hildebrand - July 02, 2010 12:09 PM
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If asked for the most universal issue I've encountered during my career as a Case Manager, I would have to say that it's the difficulty families have in accepting the physical and mental changes in their...
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FOR SENIORS AND CAREGIVERS: THE MYSTERY BEHIND SENIOR CENTERS
By Rita Dichele - February 24, 2010 10:30 AM
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Rita Dichele holds Masters’ degrees in Counseling and Healthcare Administration. Currently, she is an advanced doctoral learner at Capella University where she is writing her dissertation on successful...
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Cell Phone Use May Protect Seniors from Alzheimer’s Disease? Interesting New Research
By Dr. Kathy Johnson - February 15, 2010 01:37 PM
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Kathy N. Johnson, PhD, CMC is a Certified Care Manager and the Co-Founder of Home Care Assistance, Inc. She holds a Doctorate in Psychology from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Kathy is committed...
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Un-stuffing Freezers and Pantries
By Vickie Dellaquila - February 10, 2010 11:44 PM
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Vickie Dellaquila is a Certified Professional Organizer and owner of Organization Rules, Inc, located in Pittsburgh, PA. Her company provides senior downsizing, move management and residential organizing...
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Study Finds Working Caregivers Are More Likely to Have Health Issues
By John Mills - February 05, 2010 02:26 PM
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Being a caregiver is an incredibly stressful experience and a new study by the MetLife Mature Market Institute has some startling conclusions about its impact. The report examined employees serving as...
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Senior Care: A difficult job
By Dr. Kathy Johnson - February 01, 2010 04:17 PM
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A recent study conducted in the United States shows a majority of adults who care for their elderly parents or relatives. Individuals aged 48 onwards segregate their lives between working and care giving....
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Caregiver News Roundup Sunday January 17, 2010
By John Mills - January 17, 2010 03:13 PM
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Genetic Link Found for Parkinson’s Disease – A new study has found that a combination of genetic risks, dietary habits and other environment factors lead to the development of Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s...
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New GPS tracking device created for Alzheimers
By Dr. Kathy Johnson, PhD, CMC - December 07, 2009 10:53 PM
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Editor’s Note: eCare Diary is please to welcome Dr. Kathy Johnson, PhD, CMC as a new contributing blogger. She is a Certified Care Manager and the Co-Founder of Home Care Assistance, Inc. She holds...
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Today is World’s Alzheimer’s Day
By Susan Baida - September 21, 2009 02:07 PM
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Today has particularly significance for me because my grandfather has dementia. World’s Alzheimer’s Day was established 15 years ago by Alzheimer’s Disease International to raise awareness of dementia...
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Grandfather’s dementia at the center of family battle . . . My family story
By Susan Baida - September 19, 2009 03:23 PM
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I’ve been debating whether or not to write about my 90 year old grandfather. He has dementia and is at the center of some long and fierce family battles. The story is really about my family, how it was...
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Susie's Mom
By Susan Baida - October 03, 2008 09:07 PM
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Mom went for a mammogram on Thursday. The exam went very well. They didn't find anything thank goodness. The bump they saw 6 months ago turned out to be benign.
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