Reading, Engaging, and Communicating with an Alzheimer's Patient (Podcast))

By Bob DeMarco

Take the extra step. Walk the extra yard. Engage. Keep on living. Don’t be afraid to try things. Do things that you have always done together. Don’t let anyone discourage you or get in your way.


Make your own parade and have fun.

Click the button above to listen. If you don't see the podcast button go here. You are welcome to comment, share or embed this podcast.

If you would like to hear my Alzheimer's patient, Dotty, read and interact with me -- go here.

More About the Alzheimer's Reading Room

• Alzheimer's Caregivers Advice and Insight (20 articles)
• Test Your Memory for Alzheimer's (5 Best Self Assessment Tests)
• Alzheimer's Disease Statistics
• What is Alzheimer's?
• Alzheimer's and Driving
• Alzheimer's Caregiving Dealing with Behavior
• Dementia and the Eight Types of Dementia

Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. Bob has written more than 1,690 articles with more than 70,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Alzheimer's Dementia Statistics

Every 70 seconds someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease....

100 Million Adults Touched by Alzheimer's

More than half of Americans report that they have been touched by someone (living or deceased) who has Alzheimer's disease, and roughly a third of Americans are worried about getting Alzheimer's.

Go here to read more.

Sobering Statistics about Alzheimer's Disease

While many New Yorkers are commuting to and from work each day, another 154 persons are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.....

Go here to read more.
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Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures 2010

The 2010 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures provides a statistical resource for United States data related to Alzheimer’s disease.

Go here to read more.
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Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures 2010

• 5.3 million people have Alzheimer's disease. See Sobering Statistics about Alzheimer's Disease
• Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. See Dementia and the Eight Types of Dementia
• Alzheimer’s disease was the seventh-leading cause of death across all ages in the United States in 2006.
• Alzheimer's disease was the fifth-leading cause of death for those aged 65 and older.
• There are 10.9 million unpaid Alzheimer's caregivers in the United States.
• In 2009, Alzheimer's caregivers provided 12.5 billion hours of unpaid care, this healthcare service contribution to the country is worth almost $144 billion.
• Unpaid Alzheimer's caregivers are usually family members but also include friends and partners. See Are Alzheimer's Caregivers the Forgotten?
• More women than men have dementia.

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Sobering Statistics about Alzheimer's Wandering

How many people suffering from Alzheimer's go missing each day?

Go here to read more.

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.

Popular articles on the Alzheimer's Reading Room

• How do Alzheimer's Caregivers Think and Feel?
• Advice and Insight -- Alzheimer's Reading Room
• The Alzheimer's Hamster Within YOU
• Dealing with Difficult Behavior Caused by Dementia and Alzheimer's
• Communicating in Alzheimer's World
• Dr Oz Alzheimer's Memory Quiz (Test)
• Any Breakfast in This Joint?
• Does the Combination of Aricept and Namenda Help Slow the Rate of Decline in Alzheimer's Patients
• Alzheimer's World -- Two Circles Trying to Intersect
• Alzheimer's Disease -- The Front Row
• Is it Really Alzheimer's or Something Else?
• Alzheimer's Clock Draw Test -- Detect the Signs of Alzheimer's Early
• 60 Good Reasons to Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Inside Alzheimer's How to Hear and Honor Connections with a Person who has Dementia

This is Your Brain on Google

A brain study conducted by Dr. Gary Small, a UCLA expert on aging, found that people who search the Internet use more of their brain while engaging in Internet searching.

This suggests that just searching on the Internet may train the brain -- that it may keep it active and healthy," said Small, whose research appears in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

To continue reading go here.

By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room
Editor

Kindle 2: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation)

Popular Articles on the Alzheimer's Reading Room -- September (Top Landing Pages)

Test Your Memory (TYM) for Alzheimer's or Dementia in Five Minutes (#1 June, July, August, September)
A new cognitive test for detecting Alzheimer's disease is quicker and more accurate than many current tests, and could help diagnose early Alzheimer's, dementia, or mild cognitive impairment.
To continue reading go here.

Dementia and the Eight Types of Dementia
Dementia is a an illness that usually occurs slowly over time, and usually includes a progressive state of deterioration. The earliest signs of dementia are usually memory problems, confusion, and changes in the way a person behaves and communicates.
To continue reading go here.

Five Ways to Keep Alzheimer's Away
A recently released study showed that regular exercise is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of dementia and can help slow progression of Alzheimer's disease. Less well known is the fact that if you have a big belly in middle age the chances that you could suffer from dementia are tripled.
To continue reading go here.

The Combination of Aricept and Namenda Helps Slow the Rate of Decline in Alzheimer's Patients
"The results of this study should change the way we treat patients with Alzheimer's disease. Cholinesterase inhibitors are approved for use in mild to moderate dementia, while memantine has been approved for advanced dementia. But it looks like there is an advantage in prescribing both drugs as initial treatment."--John Growdon, MD
To continue reading go here.

A Simple Three Minute Test Can Detect the Earliest Stage of Alzheimer's Disease
The study shows that the combination of a very brief three-minute cognitive screening test, called the Mini-Cog (MC), with a Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) -- administered to a family member or friend -- could accurately identify individuals with MCI and undiagnosed dementia.
To continue reading go here.

Subscribe to The Alzheimer's Reading Room--via Email

Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for news, advice, and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob has written more than 800 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

Popular articles on the Alzheimer's Reading Room

• The Metamorphosis of This Alzheimer's Caregiver (Part One)
• Test Your Memory (TYM) for Alzheimer's or Dementia in Five Minutes
• Does the Combination of Aricept and Namenda Help Slow the Rate of Decline in Alzheimer's Patients
• Five Ways to Keep Alzheimer's Away
• Is it Really Alzheimer's or Something Else?
• Alzheimer's Wandering Why it Happens and What to Do
• 10 Good Reasons to Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading Room Now
• World Health Care Spending and Performance Ranking by Country (Table)
• What is Dementia?
• Dementia and the Eight Types of Dementia
• Walmart and this Alzheimer's Caregiver
• Dimebon Connection Study
• Are Alzheimer's Caregivers the Forgotten?
• A Simple Three Minute Test Can Detect the Earliest Stage of Alzheimer's Disease
• Wii a Useful Tool for Alzheimer's Caregivers
• 2009 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures
• The Mini-Cog Test for Alzheimer's and Dementia

The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer Disease, Dementia, and Memory Loss

Original content Bob DeMarco, Alzheimer's Reading Room

Obama Calls Out the Troops -- via Email

President Obama is calling out his army--13 million strong.

Is this a smart political move?

Only time will tell. It will be interesting to observe.

Here is the email I received from President Obama.

There are those who profit from the status quo, or see this debate as a political game, and they will stop at nothing to block reform. They are filling the airwaves and the internet with outrageous falsehoods to scare people into opposing change. And some people, not surprisingly, are getting pretty nervous. So we've got to get out there, fight lies with truth, and set the record straight.

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This is the moment our movement was built for.

For one month, the fight for health insurance reform leaves the backrooms of Washington, D.C., and returns to communities across America. Throughout August, members of Congress are back home, where the hands they shake and the voices they hear will not belong to lobbyists, but to people like you.

Home is where we're strongest. We didn't win last year's election together at a committee hearing in D.C. We won it on the doorsteps and the phone lines, at the softball games and the town meetings, and in every part of this great country where people gather to talk about what matters most. And if you're willing to step up once again, that's exactly where we're going to win this historic campaign for the guaranteed, affordable health insurance that every American deserves.

There are those who profit from the status quo, or see this debate as a political game, and they will stop at nothing to block reform. They are filling the airwaves and the internet with outrageous falsehoods to scare people into opposing change. And some people, not surprisingly, are getting pretty nervous. So we've got to get out there, fight lies with truth, and set the record straight.

That's why Organizing for America is putting together thousands of events this month where you can reach out to neighbors, show your support, and make certain your members of Congress know that you're counting on them to act.

But these canvasses, town halls, and gatherings only make a difference if you turn up to knock on doors, share your views, and show your support. So here's what I need from you:

Can you sign up to attend an event near you?

In politics, there's a rule that says when you ask people to get involved, always tell them it'll be easy. Well, let's be honest here: Passing comprehensive health insurance reform will not be easy. Every President since Harry Truman has talked about it, and the most powerful and experienced lobbyists in Washington stand in the way.

But every day we don't act, Americans watch their premiums rise three times faster than wages, small businesses and families are pushed towards bankruptcy, and 14,000 people lose their coverage entirely. The cost of inaction is simply too much for the people of this nation to bear.

So yes, fixing this crisis will not be easy. Our opponents will attack us every day for daring to try. It will require time, and hard work, and there will be days when we don't know if we have anything more to give. But there comes a moment when we all have to choose between doing what's easy, and doing what's right.

This is one of those times. And moments like this are what this movement was built for. So, are you ready?

Please RSVP for an event in your community to build support for health insurance reform:

http://my.barackobama.com/AugustAttend

Let's seize this moment and win this historic victory for our economy, our health and our families.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

Swearing can make you feel better, lessen pain

Cut your finger? Hurt your leg? Start swearing. It might lessen the pain.

Researchers from the school of psychology at Britain's Keele University have found swearing can make you feel better as it can have a "pain-lessening effect," according to a study published in the journal NeuroReport.

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Swearing can make you feel better, lessen pain

Colleagues Richard Stephens, John Atkins and Andrew Kingston, set out to establish if there was any link between swearing and physical pain.

"Swearing has been around for centuries and is an almost universal human linguistic phenomenon," says Stephens.

"It taps into emotional brain centers and appears to arise in the right brain, whereas most language production occurs in the left cerebral hemisphere of the brain. Our research shows one potential reason why swearing developed and why it persists."

Their study involved 64 volunteers who were each asked to put their hand in a tub of ice water for as long as possible while repeating a swear word of their choice.

They then repeated the experiment using a more commonplace word that they would use to describe a table.

The researchers found the volunteers were able to keep their hands in the ice water for a longer when swearing, establishing a link between swearing and an increase in pain tolerance.

Stephens said it was not clear how or why this link existed but it could be because swearing may increase aggression.

"What is clear is that swearing triggers not only an emotional response, but a physical one too, which may explain why the centuries-old practice of cursing developed and still persists today," he said.

(Writing by Belinda Goldsmith, Editing by Miral Fahmy)