Articles Index
Choosing an Alzheimer's Doctor
When it comes to Alzheimer's disease, seeing the right kind of professional is crucial to receiving the proper care and treatment. But who do you see? The medical field has split itself into so many specialties that finding the right professional can be a daunting task. Read on to determine what kind of expert will best meet your specific needs. Of course, always check to make sure professionals are licensed or certified to practice their specializations.
Is It Really Alzheimer's Disease?
If you think your loved one may have Alzheimer's, it's important to obtain an accurate diagnosis because the cause may be a reversible disorder. Learn about reversible medical conditions that can look like Alzheimer's, such as pseudodementia, thyroid problems, dehydration, malnutrition, infections, and medication problems.
What Causes Alzheimer's Disease?
While scientists are still trying to determine what causes Alzheimer's, they have pinpointed several factors that increase a person's risk for developing the disease. Understanding how plaques and tangles, age, family history, and lifestyle affect risk can empower people to accept the factors they cannot change and make adjustments in the areas over which they do have control.
Adult Day Care for People With Alzheimer's Disease
Adult day care provides benefits to both people with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers. How do you find adult day care centers and which one is best for your relative? Here are some tips for finding and choosing the right adult day care program for your loved one.
Managing Holiday Stress
Holidays can be stressful for anyone, but caregivers and individuals with Alzheimer's disease might experience added holiday stress due to changes in the care recipient's condition or lack of understanding among family members who only visit during the holidays. If holiday stress is sapping some joy out of the season, these tips can help.
The Late Stages of Alzheimer's Disease
The late stages of Alzheimer's are a time of slowing down compared to earlier stages, when behavioral symptoms are more prominent. Still, it's important to know about late-stage symptoms and how to provide optimal care in regard to nutrition, bowel and bladder issues, immobility, infections and illnesses, and pain and comfort. Learn about the late stages of Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's Symptoms
Although each person is different, most advance through a series of stages characterized by progressively more serious Alzheimer's symptoms. Seven stages of Alzheimer's symptoms developed by researchers and physicians describe how a person’s functioning changes over time, from a normally functioning adult to someone with severe, advanced Alzheimer’s disease.
Vascular Dementia
Vascular dementia is one of the second most common types of dementia, along with Lewy body dementia. Learn about the prevalence, causes, risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of vascular dementia.
Diabetes and Alzheimer's Disease
Diabetes, a disease in which the body fails to produce or properly use insulin, and Alzheimer's disease, a neurodegenerative disease of the brain, are two of our most complex and widespread health problems. Interestingly, research is showing how diabetes and Alzheimer's disease may be related.
Communication Basics for Alzheimer's Caregivers
Although we often take it for granted, communication is important to our relationships, goals, and self-worth. Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s disease creates barriers to communication that can strain our relationships with our loved ones. Learn how Alzheimer's affects your loved one's ability to communicate and how you can become a better listener and communicator.
Anticipatory Grief and Loss - A Normal Aspect of Caregiving During Alzheimer's
Many caregivers state that the hardest part of caregiving is not the practical side -- instead, it's the anticipatory grief and loss that they feel, even while their loved ones are still alive. Learn how to work through grief and loss while you care for someone with Alzheimer's.
The Truth Behind Senior Moments
If you've ever experienced senior moments – a nonmedical term for mental glitches – you're not alone. Over time, the brain often experiences some normal age-related memory loss, which can lead to a variety of senior moments. Learn what causes senior moments, how they differ from Alzheimer's disease and how to manage senior moments, so that they become only occasional annoyances.
Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease
Although there is no single test that can definitively diagnosis Alzheimer's disease, a qualified physician can diagnose Alzheimer's with over 90% accuracy. Learn what to expect during a diagnostic workup and what kinds of specialists may be involved in the process.
What is Alzheimer's Disease?
What's the difference between Alzheimer's disease and dementia? How common is Alzheimer's, and can other disorders mimic it? What symptoms indicate that a person might have Alzheimer's disease, and how is it diagnosed and treated? Learn the basics about Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's Care Tips for Providing Successful Meals
Because Alzheimer's affects the brain in multiple ways, a variety of eating problems can result, creating challenges for both you and the person you're providing with Alzheimer's care. The key to providing quality Alzheimer's care is to understand how Alzheimer's affects eating behaviors and to approach meals with patience, planning, and flexibility.
Why Caregivers Need Respite Care
The emotional and physical demands of caregiving make it hard to be a caregiver 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without any respite care. Without a temporary break from the demands of caregiving, you may be more susceptible to the effects of caregiver stress. Learn why you need respite care and where to find respite care for your loved one.
Alzheimer's Treatment
Although there is currently no way to cure Alzheimer's or stop its progression, researchers are making encouraging advances in Alzheimer's treatment. Learn about current Alzheimer's treatment, including medications and non-drug approaches to promote symptom management.
Working With Your Home Care Aide
Once you've chosen a home care aide, it's important to work with the aide to make sure that your loved one is receiving quality care. Here are some tips for building a good relationship with your home care aide.
Finding a Home Care Aide for Your Loved One
If you're caring for a relative with Alzheimer's, a home care aide can help your loved one while giving you a much needed break. If you're looking for a home care aide, you have several choices. Here are some tips for finding volunteer, private, and agency home care aides.
What is the Mini Mental State Exam?
The most common mental status exam used in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE), a research-based set of questions that provides a score about a person's general level of impairment. Learn what types of questions are included in the MMSE and how the MMSE is scored.
Choosing A Home Care Aide
Choosing a home care aide can be daunting because you want to be sure to choose the best care for your loved one. Luckily, some key questions and considerations can help you narrow your choices with confidence. Here are some tips for choosing a home care aide.
Diagnostic Criteria for Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease is difficult to diagnose, but the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition) outlines a detailed set of criteria that must be met in order to assign a diagnosis of Alzheimer's.
Lewy Body Dementia
Lewy body dementia is one of the second most common types of dementia, along with vascular dementia. Learn about the prevalence, causes, risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of Lewy body dementia.
Behavior Management
Alzheimer's disease can create challenging behaviors such as aggression, agitation, apathy, confusion, hallucinations, repetition, sundowning, suspicion, and wandering. Learn how to manage the challenging behaviors associated with Alzheimer's disease.