Search Results for: blog caring for the elderly memory loss

Making Time for the Elderly

While visiting a home for the elderly recently I noticed that many of them were staring out the window, lost in their own thoughts. I wondered what they were thinking. Were they thinking of what they were going to have to eat that evening at supper? Were they thinking of a happier time in their younger years? Perhaps they were trying to remember what a hug felt like or the touch of a baby’s skin. Many elderly people are lonely, as their loved ones have passed on and they are now all alone. They are the last survivors in their … Continue reading →

Caring for the Elderly: Advanced Memory Loss

Two years can seem like a very long time, or a very short time. I moved in with my grandmother in March 2004 and have since become one of her primary caretakers. Lately, my grandmother’s memory problems seem to have accelerated. Within the last few months, it seems, she’s gone from mostly capable to much closer to incapable. She’s forgotten where the silverware is (it’s been in the same drawer for as long as I can remember, which is close to thirty years). She’s forgotten where the dishes are kept. She brings the mail in, then turns around and checks … Continue reading →

Caring For the Elderly: Memory Loss

For those of you who don’t know, I live with my eighty year old grandmother and am one of her primary caretakers. Memory loss in the elderly is frustrating for everyone. The person who is starting to lose their memory (in this case, my grandmother) may go through a period of denial. They know that something isn’t right; they know they’re forgetting things or feel like they’re going crazy. My grandmother tries to cover for her forgetting in two ways: either she swears up and down that you never told her what you told her or she makes something up … Continue reading →

Hugo Elite Rolling Walker

As our parents age walking may become difficult for them. This occurs due to arthritis, unsteadiness, episodes of dizziness, generalized fatigue and weakness, as well as other health problems that are common among senior citizens. It is not at all uncommon for their gait to suffer as a result of this. These factors bring them the increased risks of falls possibly leading to fractures. Very often they will deny these observations that are seen by their families and friends. It may be difficult to convince them that a walker would be beneficial to them during these moments. The Hugo Elite … Continue reading →

Dementia and the Flu

Seems like an odd combination, no? Dementia and the flu. Researchers from the Tufts University School of Medicine found that there may indeed be a connection between dementia and the flu… and it’s not a good one. Seniors with dementia seem to be diagnosed with the flu less often. They have shorter hospital stays if they are diagnosed with the flu, and are more likely to die from the flu or complications of the flu than seniors without dementia. The research team looked at five years of data from the U.S. Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services. That data included … Continue reading →

GULP! I’m a Caregiver!

Last month I knew there were going to be big changes to my marriage when my mom’s illness forced me to fly home and we made the decision to move her back with me. But it’s only recently that it dawned on me: GULP! I’m a caregiver! Big Responsibility When I was in Denver and taking her to and from doctor’s appointments, I was helping her out. That’s how it seemed. I knew I was caring for her on some level, but it was different somehow. I guess because it felt more like I was doing a favor than being … Continue reading →

Alzheimer’s Disease: Pet Fixations

My grandmother has Alzheimer’s disease. The first signs of it appeared four or five years ago, while I was living in Vermont. When I moved back home, I moved in with my grandmother because she had space for me and my two dogs. As her mental function began to diminish, she started to get fixated on the dogs. They were her constant companions, and her constant worry. Had they been fed? Were they hungry? Did they need to go out? Did they need to come in? Where were they? Was it time for them to have a snack? (This is … Continue reading →

Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is divided into stages in order to help people understand how the disease might unfold in a loved one. However, not everyone experiences the same symptoms at the same rate! On average, a person with Alzheimer’s disease passes away within four to six years of diagnosis. Some people live on for as long as twenty more years after a diagnosis. In general, Alzheimer’s disease is divided into mild, moderate, and severe stages. Experts have developed a more detailed list, even including pre-Alzheimer’s mental states: Stage 1: No impairment. A person experiences no memory problems that are evident to … Continue reading →

Angry and Helpless as My Mom Loses It

As I wrote in a recent article, my mom is beginning to battle Old Timer’s (a.k.a. Dementia or Alzheimer’s) like her mother did, which makes me angry. But I’m not angry at the disease. I’m angry about a lot of other things. Angry at Losing Her Now As I commented on one of Aimee’s articles about this issue I had to stand by and lose my grandma to this disease before she actually passed. Now it’s happening with my mom. I’m angry about that. Angry at My Mom I’m angry at my mom because she refuses to take steps to … Continue reading →

Here We Go Again…Another Woman in My Family Battles Old-Timer’s

Aimee’s Watching a Loved One Lose Time article really struck a chord with me. In addition to leaving a comment on her article, I also PM’d her to tell her how much it hit home and why. She encouraged me to share my story here, so…I took her up on it. My Grandma My grandma started showing signs of Old Timer’s (a.k.a. Dementia or Alzheimer’s) in 1992. Unlike Aimee did with her grandma, I never lived with mine but I did help with her care as best as I could. You see, at that time I was still going to … Continue reading →