Dementia

What is Dementia or Alzheimer's

Significant memory problems as well as other cognitive and behavioral issues. 

 

Types of Dementia

Alzheimer's

Vascular Dementia

Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB)

Parkinson's

Frontotemporal Dementia

Huntington's Disease

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome

 

Sundowners

For many people who suffer from Alzheimer's,  Parkinson's or other forms of Dementia, it can be a time of increased memory loss, confusion, agitation and even anger.  Most likely occurring early evening for several hours.

 

Helpful websites:

https://bit.ly/39cT2D5

 

https://bit.ly/ecl_re

 

bit.ly/CAN_ref

 

 

 

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative brain disorder that progresses slowly inmost people. Most people's symptoms take years to develop, and they live for years with the disease.

 

A person's brain slowly stops producing a neurotransmitter called dopamine. With less and less dopamine a person has less ability to regulate their movements, body and emotions.

 

Parkinson's disease itself is not fatal. However, complications from the disease are series.

There is currently no cure for Parkinson's, but working with a doctor can help treat your symptoms to keep your quality of life as high as possible.

 

10 early signs you might have Parkinson's

 

Tremor or shaking- have you noticed a slight shaking or tremor in your finger, thumb, hand, chin or lip? Twitching or shaking of limbs is a common early sign of the disease.

 

Small hand writing- has your hand writing suddenly gotten much smaller than it was in the past? You may notice the way you write words have changed, such as letters are smaller and words crowded together.

 

Loss of smell- have you noticed you no longer smell certain foods very well? If you seem to have trouble smelling foods like popcorn, pickles, sauerkraut, you should ask your doctor about Parkinson's.

 

Trouble sleeping- Do you thrash around in bed or kick and punch while you are deeply asleep? You might notice you started falling out of bed while asleep. Have your spouse  Keep an eye on sudden movements while sleeping.

 

Trouble moving or walking- Do you feel stiff in your body, arms or legs? Sometimes stiffness goes away as you move. If it does not, it could be a sign of Parkinson's. An early sign might be stiffness or pain in shoulders or hips. People often say their feet seem stuck to the floor.

 

Constipation- Do you have trouble moving your bowels without straining every day? Straining could be an early sign of the disease.

 

A soft or low voice- People may have told you your voice is soft or low when you speak in a normal tone or that you may sound hoarse.

 

Masked Face- Have you been told you have a serious, depressed or mad look on your face more often even if your not in a bad mood? This serious looking face is called masking and could be a sign of Parkinson's.

 

Dizziness or fainting- Do you notice you feel dizzy lately when standing up out of a chair? Feeling dizzy or fainting can be signs of low blood sugar which could be linked to Parkinson's.

 

Stooping or hunching over- Are you not standing up as straight as you used to? Have family of friends noticed you seem to be stooping, leaning, or slouching when you stand?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alzheimer's is a type of Dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily living.

 

Alzheimer's is not a normal part of aging, although the greatest risk factor is increasing age and the majority of people with the disease are 65 and older.

 

Alzheimer's is a progressive disease and worsens over time, where Dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a period of years.

 

 

 

Gets confused or lost while driving in familiar areas

 

Repeats themselves often

 

Forgets how to operate television, microwave

 

Gets confused with daily tasks such as paying bills or paying more than once

 

Not sure of the day, date, year

 

Misplacing things

 

Changes in mood or personality

 

Poor judgement and decision making

 

May forget what they are saying mid sentence

 

Withdrawal from work or social activities

 

 

 

Caregiving for a loved one that has a form of Dementia can be a very difficult job. Remember to always take care of yourself and give yourself some time to regroup.

 

Music, it has a very calming effect. Find music from your loved ones younger days. Elvis, Frank Sinatra, worship music

 

Coloring books, mazes, word searches, dot to dots. Keep them simple toddler age books. My mom loves highlights ages 2-5

 

Simple games like connect four, checkers, basic cards like go fish

 

Gardening and picking a bouquet of flowers

 

Exercise, walking, dancing