It seems too good to be true that something as simple as caffeine could improve Alzheimer’s disease, but that may be the case.
New study findings reveal that caffeine could be a viable treatment for established Alzheimer’s disease. According to University of South Florida researchers at the Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC), memory impairment was reversed when aged mice bred to develop Alzheimer’s disease were given the equivalent of five cups of coffee a day (500 mg caffeine).
Researchers hope to begin human trials to evaluate if people with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s disease may benefit from caffeine.
“These are …read more

I discovered that my grandchildren had no prejudice when it came to the elderly with Alzheimer’s.  They accepted my mother as she was. 
The fact that she might not know them seemed to have no bearing upon the youngsters, who began visiting her at the nursing home when they were 2- and 6-years old.  They were 8 and 12 when she passed away. 
To the younger child, Mother’s ramblings were a language he said only he understood.  “Grandma talk to me,” he said, when I wondered what she was saying. 
When asked why she visited a great grandmother who didn’t know her, my granddaughter once replied, …read more

One of my readers commented on my post, Parenting More Than Our Children, that few things prepare us for the role reversal of caring for our parents.  Often we’re caring for our own children, too.
I agree.  I wasn’t prepared, and it seems so strange at first. However, I learned to enjoy Mother and Auntie as they journeyed through their Alzheimer’s world. There were frustrations, disappointments, but rewards, too. My daughter and her children’s lives are richer, as well, by caring for these ladies. The memories are often bittersweet, but this was a stage in their lives that I hoped we made easier for …read more

Many times my mom sat by my bed when I didn’t feel well.  She took my temperature, put cool cloths on my forehead, read and sang to me.  When I was feeling better, but still too ill to attend school, I lay on the couch in our farmhouse kitchen while Mother worked, but was near.

Then our roles were reversed, and I cared for Mother as she developed Alzheimer’s.  I remember sitting beside her bed in the nursing home after she broke her hip.  Mother seemed to become very depressed at that time and was confused about many things . As I sat …read more

Years ago I read an article in my local newspaper, The West Australian, about a study done on nuns and the journals and/or diaries they kept, looking for clues to detect Alzheimer’s disease. I’ve been searching for any information about this study for a little while this afternoon. Well, I finally found this link, which makes interesting reading. Seems my memory isn’t so good, either. The study was on autobiographical samples the nuns wrote in their youth.
Still, I think the study, and others since, suggest keeping our brains excited by learning new things, writing letters, journal and blog entries …read more