The Alzheimer's Hamster Within YOU

One of the most difficult tasks an Alzheimer's caregiver faces is the development of a new set of communications skills.

Sooner or later the caregiver needs to come to an understanding that the way they have communicated in the past, before Alzheimer's, won't work in a world filled with Alzheimer's disease.

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Alzheimers Caregivers are the Chosen

If you are the Chosen One you will be reborn, you will be reborn as an Alzheimer's caregiver. When the fog clears, you'll assume your new role. For most of us, this will be the greatest challenge of our lives. We rise to the occasion. How do you explain our ability to rise up, out, and above ourselves? There must be an explanation.

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What’s the Difference Between Alzheimer’s and Dementia?

Alzheimer's Reading Room 

In a nutshell, dementia is a symptom, and AD 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.....

Too often, patients and their family members are told by their doctors that the patient has been diagnosed with “a little bit of dementia.” They leave the doctor’s visit with a feeling of relief that at least they don’t have Alzheimer’s disease (AD). 

There is great confusion about the difference between “dementia” and “AD.” The confusion is felt on the part of patients, family members, the media, and even healthcare providers. This article provides information to reduce the confusion by defining and describing these two common and often poorly understood terms. 


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What’s the Difference Between Alzheimer’s and Dementia?

What is Dementia?

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.

Who gets Dementia?

Dementia occurs primarily in people who are over the age of 65, or in those with an injury or disease that affects brain function. While dementia is most commonly seen in the elderly, it is not a normal consequence of the aging 
process.

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About the Alzheimer's Reading Room

The goal of the Alzheimer's Reading Room is to Educate, sometimes Entertain, and Empower Alzheimer's caregivers, their families, and the entire Alzheimer's community.

At the Alzheimer's Reading Room, we offer "real life" solutions to problems that Alzheimer's caregivers face each day.

The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one source of life news for the entire Alzheimer's community. 

The site focuses on Alzheimer's disease and the art of Alzheimer's caregiving.

On the Alzheimer's Reading Room, we tackle real world problems and offer advice and solutions on issues like: repetitive questioning, challenging behavior, how tounderstand Alzheimer's disease, how to cope with the disease, and how tocommunicate effectively with a person living with dementia.


Read more about the Alzheimer's Reading Room here.

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.