alzheimers news-maximize time and health

ALZHEIMERS NEWS-MAXIMIZE TIME AND HEALTH

that is my advice to the person whose relative developed
memory issues
she contacted me for some advice of what to do
after the evaluation the final diagnosis
that dreaded a word
alzheimers disease

maximize time and health of your loved one
would be my advice

over the last 5 years ive been contacted a lot
about folks family members who have memory issues
some i know them
some i dont know

here is my advice to this person ill call she
and for the care of her loved one i call he

now that the diagnosis is made
first there is no treatment or cure for this disease
he will not get better
he will have a slow decline which can speed up later
he like me will probably miss the true benefits of the
treatment and cure that is in the works
but
at least it will be there for his kids and his grandkids
just like it will be for mine


he will be offered meds
there will be side effects
work through them since if he is on aricept(donepezil) they get better
over time
some folks have side effects to namenda (memantine) like my older brother
did that only got worse
when that happens it has to be stopped
dont let the doctor put him on the $200+ a month namenda xr
when the $15 a month generic namenda given twice a day
works just as well

remember these do not treat or cure alzheimers
they only slow down the symptoms

there are no other supplements or medications that will make
him better
remember if i have alzheimers im real early in the process
thats why i got better
im under no illusions that its gone and that it wont get worse
for the time being im enjoying the lull before the storm

thats what you have to do with him
enjoy the moment with him

now having undergone the overwhelming sense of doom you
get with this diagnosis with myself and my mother and brothers
i understand how you must feel

maximize his health
make sure a b12 level and a vitamin d3 level was drawn on him
if the levels are abnormal he needs to take supplements
you can get them otc
dont do this though without getting levels done first

make sure his health issues like blood pressure and cholesterol
are perfectly under control

watch for symptoms of depression which are quite common
with alzheimers
dont be afraid to have him treated if he does get depressed

make sure he is getting adequate sleep
remember sleep becomes an issue with alzheimers patients as they
progress
i am already experiencing this problem

make sure he exercises every day
no not a gym
have him go for a walk hike ride a bike
make sure he gets up and moves every day

make sure he does those things he enjoys doing

make sure he stays socially active
if he goes to church have him go as long as he can
if he has other activities he likes have him continue to do it
as long as they are safe to do

one thing my sisterinlaw did with my younger brother was he did
what they did church social gatherings eat out at restaurants vacations
hunting camp no he stopped hunting but the social part he took part in
i admire her a lot for this it takes a lot of courage and love to do this

make sure he stays mentally active
if he likes to read make sure he has access to what he likes to read
as long as possible

he is lucky that he is exposed to your energetic family
the youth exposure really is helpful in folks as the disease progresses

my mother use to light up when kids came around to interact with her

remember this affects kids a lot
dont be afraid to talk with them about his condition

be ready to deal with driving if he is doing so
there are places that will do a driving evaluation to tell if he should
stop driving
but when the time comes have him stop for his safety and for others

people with alzheimers can function in many situations for a long
time
let him do things as long as he can

make sure all the legal papers are done
now
this is a mistake a lot of people make
once the courts get involved if you dont it becomes a mess
will power of attorney power of attorney for health care living will
some do a no cpr form now so when things are worse it can be used

then
there are memories still there
short term memories are gone first
but
long term memories are still intact
this will be your last chance to pull out those memories of his
childhood and family and what he thinks of things
once its gone its gone
deep regrets on my part that i didnt do this with my affected family

then
become quite familiar with this website
www.alz.org
its the website of the alzheimers association
a lot of caregiver information is there
you and your family will need it
there is a local chapter in most states
in this area
its the capital of texas branch
www.alz.org/texascapital/
these folks are there to help you in this time of need
use them

then
here is a link to a blog that i follow
this person took care of his mom through her bout with alzheimers
its one of the most read blogs on alzheimers
it has a lot of caregiving information
www.alzheimersreadingroom.com

also if its happening in alzheimers research it shows up there also

then
every friday
i write on alzheimers disease in this blog
if it happens in alzheimers disease i know about it also
i hear from a lot of people across the us about their situations
of course i write about myself some when it has to do with
my diagnosis

also
help us find a cure

i am sorry this has happened to your loved one
this awful disease
you have some time left
it varies from case to case
make the best of it
extract all you can from the next few months and years

fell free to contact me if there are questions

the organicgreen doctor