Caregiver Support Tip

The latest surprising facts about Alzheimer’s are changing the way scientists are thinking about what causes the disease.

Surprising facts about Alzheimer’s are surfacing nearly every day, it seems. Take, for instance, amyloid plaques: they’re at the heart of scientists’ hypotheses about what causes Alzheimer’s, and the focus of research is on removing them as an effective treatment option and hopefully, one day, a cure.

Yet a research study led by the University of Cincinnati and in cooperation with the Karolinska Institute in Sweden is turning this thinking upside down. Alberto Espay, the study’s senior author and professor of neurology at UC, shares, “It’s not the plaques that are causing impaired cognition. Amyloid plaques are a consequence, not a cause.”

If Not Amyloid Plaques, Then What?

Espay and the UC team believe the focus should instead shift to … Read More »

ry implementing a daily routine for seniors who are struggling with physical or cognitive functioning problems.

Life can be full of uncertainties. For seniors who are feeling less in control of particular areas of life, such as losing cognitive or physical functioning, concentrating on what can be controlled is empowering. An excellent way to help is by establishing a daily routine for seniors, personalized to a senior’s particular interests and needs.

Keep in mind that the older adult’s routine is certainly not meant to be a rigid regimen to be adhered to, but simply the basis for predictability and structure. With the older adult’s input and direction, settle on a preferred framework for every day. A sample daily routine may look like this:

Wake up at 7:30 a.m.
Handle personal hygiene needs and get dressed
Enjoy breakfast on the porch while … Read More »

We all need to understand how disrespectful talking to the elderly like babies is, and to avoid this common practice.

Watch what happens at the next family members get together when a new mother places her baby in someone’s arms. The person is likely to shift instantly into baby mode: a sing-song, high-pitched voice, exaggerated facial expressions, and overly-simplified speech. Of course, this is quite normal and actually beneficial to an infant’s growing brain. Sadly though, it is also quite common to hear people talking to the elderly like babies too. This can be so harmful to the elderly, that there’s a word to describe it: elderspeak.

A recent research study by Susan Kemper, a professor specializing in gerontology at the University of Kansas, matched senior listeners with younger speakers. Even with  the seniors’ instructions just to listen … Read More »

You may be afraid to talk with the doctor if you’re concerned it might be dementia, but these tips can help.

Distress. Embarrassment. Fear. If you’re concerned it might be dementia, the feelings surrounding a potential diagnosis can force you to keep your suspicions to yourself. An  AARP survey peeled away some of the layers of emotion to find the reason – namely, worry over losing independence and becoming a burden to others.

While there is some truth to these worries, there are also some misconceptions fueling them. As an example, roughly 1/2 of the participants, who were adults age 40 and over, believe they’re likely to get dementia as they grow older. The truth is that just over 10% of older adults over age 65 are identified as having Alzheimer’s disease.

Because of this, it’s critical for … Read More »

Learn the distinct dementia signs to watch for in Latinos.

A new study sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association is uncovering some striking results in how dementia may show differently in Hispanic people. While further research is necessary to fully understand whether these differences are the consequence of social/cultural nuances or the dementia itself, it is beneficial information for Latino families to learn the specific dementia signs to watch for in Latinos.

What Are the Unique Dementia Signs for Hispanic Seniors?

Daily Life Activities

One feature of this research was the dramatically faster decline in the capability to do everyday activities, including walking, getting dressed, and taking a shower, when compared with other ethnicities. Andrea Ochoa Lopez, the University of Houston doctoral student who performed the research, explained that the cultural dedication to caring for older relations can be … Read More »

Learn what not to say to aging parents regarding driving and giving up the car keys.

As our parents grow older, it’s not always easy to know what our role as adult children should be. We want what’s best for them, but if we’re not careful, we can overstep our boundaries and find ourselves trying to parent our parents. It’s important to choose our words carefully, and to take it a step further, to know what NOT to say to aging parents.

This is especially true when safety is a concern. There’s a fine line to walk between ensuring senior parents are safe, and promoting the independent lifestyle they need and deserve. After all, it wasn’t all that long ago when our parents were meeting not just all of their own needs, but ours as well. The transition … Read More »

Alzheimer’s is increasingly common in older adults, but not all Alzheimer’s diagnoses are the same!

For many years, experts have been examining the advancement of Alzheimer’s through one basic model. Yet not all Alzheimer’s diagnoses are the same, presenting with a variety of symptoms and progression rates.

Now, however, a large, new collaborative study between the US, Canada, Sweden, and Korea is revealing some fascinating information to help us more accurately understand and treat Alzheimer’s disease. Rather than one universal, dominant diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, researchers have discovered that there are four unique variants that occur in as many as 18 – 30% of cases. This change in thinking is helping researchers more fully comprehend the variations in the disease from one person to another.

The findings are also significant in that they are allowing specialists to begin to … Read More »

Learn about three post-pandemic health care appointments you may have been putting off, and why you should get them scheduled.

At the start of the pandemic, life as we knew it came to a screeching halt – including, in many cases, our health care needs. Dr. Ned Sharpless, director of the National Cancer Institute, shares, “There was a time, early in the pandemic, when we didn’t know much about this virus. So at that time, I think hospitals and clinics closing – that made sense.” But he goes on to explain that we know more now – and now is the time to get back on track with post-pandemic health care appointments and procedures.

We have evidence now that the health risks of avoiding exams and tests outweighs the risk of contracting COVID-19. Experts have outlined three key … Read More »

If you’re asking yourself, “What can I expect as dementia progresses?” we have the information you need.

One of the first questions in most people’s minds when a loved one is diagnosed with dementia is, “What can I expect as dementia progresses in the weeks, months, and years to come?” We understand that the hallmark of dementia is the increasing decline in cognitive abilities as well as the skills needed to manage daily life. However, each person progresses through these changes at a different pace. There are a variety of factors that will influence the rate of decline, such as:

Prescription drugs the individual is taking
Overall health and physical makeup
The circle of support in place
The individual’s general emotional wellbeing and resilience

There are also other determinants to take into account based on the specific type of dementia diagnosed. As … Read More »

Studies are showing an increase in senior falls from medications, making it imperative to know what to do to reduce fall risk.

We’ve known for a while that there are certain medications that raise the likelihood of falls for seniors. Twenty years ago, a little over half of seniors were impacted by that risk; yet today, that number has increased dramatically – to a staggering 94% of older adults who are now in danger of senior falls from medications. Additionally, deaths from such falls are happening at more than twice the earlier rate.

Researchers who observed this growing concern also discovered that between 1999 and 2017, senior prescriptions for medications that escalate fall risk were filled more than 7.8 billion times. This consists of a spike from 12 million antidepressants in 1999 to greater than 52 million in … Read More »