When my husband first received a tentative diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, I initially felt detached and numb. Could this really be happening to us? He’d been forgetting more than was average for someone in their early 70s, yet I felt mainly disbelief. In the months that followed, my family and I experienced a wide range of feelings: sadness, grief, anxiety, resentment,…
An Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis isn’t just devastating for the person with the condition. Many people will end up serving as caregivers for loved ones with Alzheimer’s, which can be incredibly distressing, isolating, and life-altering. We spoke with several Alzheimer’s caregivers for their best advice on how to look after someone with the disease—and how to care for yourself in the process, too.…
EDUCATION & RESEARCH A doctor shares critical pieces of information for the millions of caregivers in the United States working to support a loved one with the disease. There are over 16 million Alzheimer’s caregivers in the United States, providing over $18 billion dollars a year in unpaid assistance. Still, the burden is more than financial. Caregivers face emotional pain, loneliness and a…
ADVOCACY As part of #ShareTheOrange, actor Bryan Cranston speaks out about Alzheimer’s, the incurable disease which took his mother’s life 14 years ago. As part of an awareness campaign with Alzheimer’s Research U.K., “Breaking Bad” star Bryan Cranston sactor in an emotional video likening the effect of Alzheimer’s on the brain to an orange. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of…
ADVOCACY Receiving news that your loved one has dementia is difficult, but you are not alone. Use this guide to navigate through the challenges ahead of you. Successful caregiving for a loved one with Alzheimer’s requires tactful planning. AARP provides a variety of tips and tools to help. For even more tips, visit AARP.org/caregiving/care-guides 1. Confirm your loved one’s diagnosis Getting an…
Prevent Falls by Determining the Real Reason Why They Happen Determining the Root Cause of Falls When people with Alzheimer’s or another kind of dementia fall, it’s important that we spend time to determine the root cause for that fall. This process is called root cause analysis. Root cause analysis means to dig deep and attempt to determine the underlying cause of the fall. Once…
Here’s a Look At How Alzheimer’s Disease kills. How does Alzheimer’s disease lead to a person’s death? Alzheimer’s disease destroys nerve connections in the brain, making it progressively more difficult to do ordinary things like move around, swallow and feed yourself. While the disease devastates the brain, it does not kill you. Complications of the decline in brain function is what…
When people think of dementia, memory loss is often the first thing they associate with the condition. Some of dementia’s less obvious signs are just as common but may be mistakenly dismissed for “old age” or something else. However, the brain can be a tricky thing. The way mental changes manifest can differ from person to person, with behaviors that may not…
Scientists continue to unravel the complex brain changes involved in the onset and progression of Alzheimer disease. It seems likely that damage to the brain starts a decade or more before memory and other cognitive problems appear. During this preclinical stage of Alzheimer disease, people seem to be symptom-free, but toxic changes are taking place in the brain.Damage occurring in…
Habits for Caregivers to Break If your loved one has Alzheimer’s or another dementia, you know firsthand the blessings and challenges of being a caregiver. But to give the best care possible, sometimes it’s good to set aside time to stop and review what you should and shouldn’t be doing. Do you see yourself with any of these tendencies? If so, it’s time…