Tuesday, February 23, 2010

About Alzheimer's Reading Room

At the Alzheimer's Reading Room, we discuss solutions to common problems that Alzheimer's caregivers face each day. These include issues like: communication, wandering, incontinence, hygiene, eating disorders, and what to expect as the disease progresses. We provide specific insight, advice, and solutions based on real life experience.

By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room


I started the Alzheimer’s Reading Room to keep track of the thousands of articles and many books I was reading about Alzheimer's disease.

I soon realized that Alzheimer's caregivers are often thrust into their role with little or no experience, training, or education about Alzheimer's disease. As a result, they are often overwhelmed and suffer from feelings of helplessness. Forty percent of Alzheimer's caregivers suffer from depression.

Soon after I started the blog, I began to receive emails from Alzheimer's caregivers all over the world. First an email here and there, and now thousands of emails.

It finally occurred to me that I could help the ten million Alzheimer’s Caregivers worldwide by personalizing my own experience and sharing the information I was acquiring.

In other words, instead of throwing the vast amounts of information that is available about Alzheimer's on to the blog willy nilly -- to make the information useful so it could be used in the real world by caregivers.

Once I realized that most caregivers experiences the same problems, I was able to make the blog more useful to our audience.
At its core the Alzheimer's Reading Room is about advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease.

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As I gained experience in caring for my mother, I decided to start writing more about the success we were having in fighting Alzheimer’s disease. I learned that the more I let her do the more she could do. I learned that there were solutions to the problems that face Alzheimer's caregivers each day.

I did have one major advantage -- I am a full time Alzheimer's caregiver.

I found when I started to write about the "real world" experience of Alzheimer's on this blog, more people started to find me. Readers started to tell family, friends, support group members, and other interested parties about the Alzheimer's Reading Room.

The Alzheimer's Reading Room is growing fast. As it grows, so does the collective brain of the blog.

Our readers include some of the world's top scientists, clinicians, doctors, nurses,and professionals in the field. But mostly, the readers are caregivers searching for answers, insight and advice.

At the Alzheimer's Reading Room, we bring solutions to common problems that Alzheimer's caregivers face each day. These include issues like: communication, wandering, incontinence, hygiene, eating disorders, and what to expect in the days and years ahead. We try to suggest solutions to issues and problems.

We use real life examples to make the information meaningful.

We encourage every single reader to comment or to share their experiences with us. On this blog we learn from each other. We learn that we are not alone.

On this blog we try to bring hope and strength to the millions of families that live in the front row fighting Alzheimer's disease each day.

Facts

The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one blog on the Internet for current information, news, advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease.

The Alzheimer's Reading Room is ranked #5 in the Living/Health category of Technorati.

The Alzheimer's Reading Room contains more than 1,200 articles and 9,200 links on the Internet.

Articles from the Alzheimer's Reading Room have been syndicated on Reuters, Fox News, the Wall Street Journal, Time Warner, Chicago Sun Times, Houston Chronicle, Livestrong, Cox News, and Palm Beach Post (to name a few).

More than 327 news sites and blogs link to the Alzheimer's Reading Room.

The Alzheimer's Reading Room was started by Bob DeMarco.

After caring for his mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's, Bob realized there was a need for useful, high quality information that could be used by Alzheimer’s caregivers to care for their loved one.

The Alzheimer's Reading Room has more than 2,000 subscribers and is growing fast.

Go to the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Wall Streeter One Day: Alzheimers Caregiver the Next

Go here to learn more about Bob DeMarco.
Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. Bob has written more than 1,200 articles with more than 9,220 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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