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.

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.