As the story of John O’Connor’s friendship with a lady in his nursing home (described as “romantic” attachment by some) evolves in the news, more information about this type of relationship between Alzheimer’s patients is being publicized.  Not that anyone has tried to hide it.  It’s just sometimes difficult for some family members, particularly the spouse, to realize the person with Alzheimer’s has forgotten them.
Sometimes the Alzheimer’s patient is living in a world previous to the time they met their spouse.  So that person they form an attachment for may remind them of an earlier girl or boy friend or someone they wish they’d dated.  It they …read more

Ruth, at Eating Fabulous, wrote an informative post concerning foods in our diet that might boost our brain health.  In Fish, Omega-3 Oils, Fruits & Veggies Lower Rish of Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia, she refers to recent research indicating that eating foods containing omega-3 oils, as well as fruits and vegetables, may help lower the risk of dementia and memory problems.
Also check out Ruth’s post for links to the research sources.

A very interesting article appears at The Tangled Neuron, Does Memory Loss Mean Loss of Self?.  Here we encounter the story of Don Moyer and his wife Jenny Knauss who dispute the fact that the Alzheimer’s patient loses the complete loss of self.  They go on to show that person has usefulness and value.  (Jenny has Alzheimer’s.)   Don and Jenny operate a social networking site, Alzheimer’s Spoken Here, for people with Alzheimer’s and related diseases and are writing a paper, with Renee Beard of the University of Illinois at Chicago, on this topic.
It also bears out what I discovered with Mother and Auntie…even though …read more

Studies Regarding Alzheimer’s and Education 
             According to recently released research findings, people with less education may be more likely to become afflicted than those with higher degrees of learning.   However, Alzheimer’s appears to accelerate in the  more educated people once they acquire the disease. 
“Higher levels of education delay the onset of dementia, but once it begins, the accelerated memory loss is more repid in people with more education,”  claimed study author, Charles B. Hall, with Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in Bronx, NY. 
Contradictory?
It’s sort of that catch 22…you’re jinxed if you do (have education) and jinxed if you don’t (have higher …read more

Liz and I have written posts concerning the role of religion, prayer or belief in God may play in bringing comfort to Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers. 
Recently I read a post, God’s Help Against Alzheimer’s?, on Med Journal Watch.  The writer speculates whether religious rituals and prayer help keep the brain active and memory better.  Or do people with a better memory have a better capacity to pray?
What do you think? Read the complete post and ponder it.
The author mentioned a Canadian study:  “People with Alzheimer’s disease who pray often will less suffer from memory decline than non-religious people.”

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set up a web site with resources for information about Alzheimer’s disease, memory loss, and mild cognitive impairment.
Some topics considered are:
*What causes memory loss?
*Resources for coping
*Alzheimer’s disease
*Mild cognitive impairment
*Other diseases that cause memory loss
*Can memory loss be prevented

“I was devastated when Mother no longer knew me,” a lady remarked during a sharing session, after I gave a talk about Alzheimer’s and caregiving at a church group.  “It was so terrible.”
It seemed very strange the first time Mother looked at me and thought I was someone else.  It wasn’t simply a mistake because of poor lighting or her waking from a sound sleep.  Mother thought I was a total stranger and this lasted most of the day, until I left her house on an errand.  When I returned, I was myself in her mind.
However, I had to accept that our …read more

“Think about your future.  Maintain your brain today” heads the section at the Alzheimer’s Association web site regarding brain health.  This topic has been featured on a number of national and science sites recently…essentially “use your brain or lose it.”
I wrote about this in a previous blog, “Continuing to Learn May Slow Down Alzheimer’s,” and found caregivers and those who want to ward off possibilities of developing this disease responded. 
At the Alzheimer’s Association’s page on maintaining brain health, you’ll find information about ways to remain physically, socially, and mentally active, as well as eating a healthy diet.  There are some factors we can’t …read more

Continuing to learn and keeping one’s brain active may tend to slow down Alzheimer’s, according to researchers.  Also, in nursing homes, they have the residents work on puzzles, play games, read magazines and newspapers as long as possible in hopes this will slow down their mental deterioration.
It’s not been absolutely proven.  However, since keeping the brain active may help slow down Alzheimer’s, why not be involved in activities and exercises that will keep you mentally alert?  Several books give you ideas about this for people who have developed dementia and those who simply want to be “on the safe side.”
 

A family member…mother, father, grandparent, spouse or sibling…becomes forgetful.  You think nothing about it at first.  Everyone has forgetful moments. 
However, you soon realize there is something different about these instances of memory loss.  These concern situations he/she should recall…a child’s marriage, a grandchild’s birth, a friend’s visit yesterday, lunch with a colleague a day or so ago, the color of their car in the driveway.
Eventually you mention it to the family member, who refuses to believe anything is wrong.  “Everyone forgets,” they say. 
When this persists and you suggest checking with the doctor, you receive a resounding, “NO!” from the forgetful person.  “There is …read more