I Forgot My Mother Has Alzheimer's

In Alzheimer's World, Dotty is the person I always knew. Sure, her brain is sick. But, once I started treating Dotty like the person I always knew, she rewarded me by becoming kinder, gentler, and more cooperative.

By Bob DeMarco 
Alzheimer's Reading Room 

Learning How to Communicate
with Someone Suffering From Dementia

If you want to get some good insight into how I rewired my brain and became a more effective Alzheimer's caregiver I suggest you take the time to read these two article:Alzheimer's and the Wiring of My Brain, and Rewiring My Brain and Stepping into Alzheimer's World. 

I'm not sure when I actually started to forget that Dotty lives with Alzheimer's. 

Read the entire story here.

How Memory Is Affected in Alzheimer's

This interesting Health Alert from John Hopkins discusses the different memory systems -- episodic, semantic, procedural, and working -- of the brain and how they are affected by Alzheimer's disease...

Alzheimer's Reading Room

The human brain contains an estimated 100 billion nerve cells (neurons). Chemical and electrical activity allows these neurons to perform their tasks and to communicate with one another.

This elaborate communication system controls vital body functions and enables us to think, see, move, talk, remember, and experience emotions.

Alzheimer's Revelation, Live Your Life

I decided that Dotty and I would start doing the things that we enjoyed doing together.

By Bob DeMarco If you don't see the podcast go here.

Alzheimer's Patient and Parrot Sing and Discuss Breakfast

Dotty is 95 years old and suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Harvey is a repeat parrot and right now is Dotty's best friend. Harvey is also one of the 15 million Alzheimer's caregivers. Dotty spends about two hours a day with Harvey. Harvey is very good at getting information out of Dotty. For example, she might tell him she has a "splitting headache". Most Alzheimer's patients are not very good at communicating this kind of information. Enjoy the short video. Your comments and observations are always welcome here.

Dotty Dream and Harvey the Parrot Live

As soon as she saw me, she proceeded to tell me about this dream she had. She was telling me she was all over Florida, walking and walking, and couldn't get home.

By Bob DeMarco

Yesterday I wrote -- Dotty Says, Bobby Bobby Lets Get the Hell Out of Here -- I want to clear up what I said.

First, when Dotty woke up and was saying, Bobby, Bobby, Lets get the hell out of here. She was not "yelling". She was actually saying those words in a clear strong voice.

Dotty was not really anxious. She just wanted to go. She was "more there", not "less there".

Alzheimer's, Dementia, Types of Dementia, The Difference Between Alzheimer's and Dementia

Dementia is a symptom, and Alzheimer's disease is the cause of the symptom.

Alzheimer's Reading Room

What is Dementia?

Dementia is the gradual deterioration of mental functioning, such as concentration, memory, and judgment, which affects a person’s ability to perform normal daily activities. Go here to read more about Dementia.

What is the Difference Between Alzheimer’s and Dementia?

In a nutshell, dementia is a symptom, and Alzheimer's disease is the cause of the symptom. When someone is told they have dementia, it means that they have significant memory problems as well as other cognitive difficulties, and that these problems are severe enough to get in the way of daily living. Go here to read more about the Difference between Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Alzheimer's Articles (July)

Last 25 Articles

Alzheimer's and Music

What is it about music that makes it so apparently resilient to the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease?...

Learning How to Communicate with Someone Suffering From Alzheimer's Disease

As I thought about this I came to a simple conclusion. Instead of trying to change Alzheimer's World, instead of trying to fight Alzheimer's World, not only would I accept Alzheimer's World as a reality, I would go into Alzheimer's World and learn how to communicate effectively...

By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room

Earlier today, Carole Larkin published an interesting article -- How the Loss of Memory Works in Alzheimer’s Disease, and How Understanding This Could Help You.

How Memory Loss Works with Alzheimer’s Disease, and How Understanding This Could Help You

“First in, last out ... Last in, first out”

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.

By Carole B. Larkin

The expression, First in, last out ... Last in, first out, is a short way of explaining that the things we learned long ago, like in childhood or when we were young adults, stay in Alzheimer’s patients’ memories longer than things they learned or experienced recently.

I never knew how this occurred, just that it did occur with persons suffering from Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

Recently, I went to a lecture given by one of Dallas’ most knowledgeable geriatric psychiatrists and I finally found out -- How and Why.

Alzheimer's Disease -- Advice and Insight

Alzheimer's Disease -- Advice and Insight

• What’s the Difference Between Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia?
• 60 Good Reasons to Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading Room
• About the Alzheimer's Reading Room
• Alzheimer's Disease and the Five Stages of Grief
• What is Alzheimer's? What are the Eight Types of Dementia?
• Alzheimer's Disease CareGiving -- Insight and Advice (20 articles)
• Test Your Memory for Alzheimer's Disease (5 Best Self Assessment Tests)
• Communicating in Alzheimer's World
• Worried About Alzheimer's Disease -- You Should Be
• Does the Combination of Aricept and Namenda Help Slow the Rate of Decline in Alzheimer's Disease Patients
• Alzheimer's Disease Statistics
• Is it Really Alzheimer's Disease or Something Else?
• Ten Symptoms of Early Stage Alzheimer's Disease
• Ten Tips for Communicating with an Alzheimer’s Disease Patients

Confessions of an Alzheimer's Caregiver

True confession from an Alzheimer's activist, wife, caregiver....

To be a caregiver isn’t an easy task. I am sure anyone reading this forum knows that by now. However, the issues aren’t just the actual ‘taking care.’ In addition to the difficulties of care giving, I think many of us struggle with the emotional issues of guilt and frustration, and, quite truthfully, never really knowing if we are doing the right thing...

To read the original content go here

Confessions of an Alzheimer's Caregiver

Generic Aricept (Donepezil) Clarification

It is clear that people are looking for clear, concise information on Generic Aricept. We had more than 10,000 visitors coming in from search engines like Google looking for information in the last thirty days.

See these updates:

Generic Aricept (Donepezil) Clarification

Branded Generic Aricept Price Drops 36 Percent