12 things no one tells you about Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s
Caregivers, experts give advice on Alzheimer's care
Caregivers, experts give advice on Alzheimer's care
Ask anyone what worries them most about getting older and more than a few people will say is high up on their list. After a lifetime of making memories and , the idea that a disease like could swoop in and steal it all away is, frankly, pretty frightening.
But what exactly does an Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s diagnosis mean, anyway? And what is life like with the condition? Truthfully, it's tough to be fully prepared until you're actually living it, either yourself or because you're a caregiver or family member of someone with Alzheimer's.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Newly diagnosed adults and their family members are deeply concerned about how to navigate this uncertain future,바카라 게임 웹사이트 says Laura Rice-Oeschger, LMSW, who runs a caregiver wellness program for the University of Michigan바카라 게임 웹사이트s Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s Disease Center.
바카라 게임 웹사이트They바카라 게임 웹사이트re overwhelmed with ideas and fears, which often stem from a previous personal experience with Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s or what they learn from the media.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Given that June is , there바카라 게임 웹사이트s no better time to introduce some real talk about what the disease means (and doesn바카라 게임 웹사이트t mean) for someone newly diagnosed. If you바카라 게임 웹사이트re dealing with a diagnosis or preparing to care for a loved one who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's, these 12 facts 바카라 게임 웹사이트 straight from Alzheimer's health care providers and caregivers 바카라 게임 웹사이트 will help paint a more accurate reality of navigating life with the condition.
1. You can still have meaningful relationships despite having Alzheimer's.
A lot of the fear surrounding an Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s diagnosis comes from worrying about how the disease will affect your relationships with family and friends. They will inevitably change but your connection to your loved ones doesn바카라 게임 웹사이트t have to disappear.
Bobbie, an Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s caregiver in Rice-Oeschger바카라 게임 웹사이트s wellness program, says she has learned that the spirit of her husband is still there despite their changed relationship: 바카라 게임 웹사이트[Even when] I바카라 게임 웹사이트m mystified by what he says and does, he is trying to communicate something that is important to him. If I am present to him, completely and with kindness, our ability to communicate and learn from each other ... is greatly enhanced.바카라 게임 웹사이트
2. Brain degeneration happens very gradually.
With Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s, symptoms of the disease do not appear overnight, and they also don't go from mild to horrible in the blink of an eye. While it's a degenerative disease, meaning it continues to develop and worsen gradually, you do have some control over the speed at which it carries on.
Brain degeneration happens over the course of 15 to 20 years, according to David A. Merrill, M.D., Ph.D., neurologist and geriatric psychiatrist at Providence Saint John바카라 게임 웹사이트s Health Center in Santa Monica 바카라 게임 웹사이트 which means decades can pass from the time it begins until the brain is no longer functioning.
바카라 게임 웹사이트There is no reason to be hopeless about an Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s diagnosis,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Merrill asserts. 바카라 게임 웹사이트It바카라 게임 웹사이트s never too late to start changing your lifestyle to slow down the progress of the disease.바카라 게임 웹사이트
3. Diet, exercise and sleep matter more than you think.
Speaking of lifestyle changes, they can help you slow or even stave off the brain degeneration associated with Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s. Aerobic exercise, sufficient sleep and a healthy diet are all integral to both brain and body health, says Henry Paulson, M.D., Ph.D., neurologist and director of the University of Michigan바카라 게임 웹사이트s Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s Disease Center.
Why? Regular cardio activity boosts the parts of the brain involved with memory and cognition, reports; and some research suggests eating a may slow the brain degeneration linked to Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s, according to the .
As for sleep? 바카라 게임 웹사이트If you don바카라 게임 웹사이트t get enough good sleep, your brain can바카라 게임 웹사이트t clear the abnormal proteins that accumulate,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Paulson explains. He's referring to beta-amyloid, which is a brain compound of Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s.
4. It's not always helpful to focus on the genetic component.
If your mother and grandmother both had Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s, does that mean you definitely will, too? While there is a that increases the hereditary likelihood, Merrill says it바카라 게임 웹사이트s better to focus on the areas of your life that you have control over instead of the ones you don바카라 게임 웹사이트t.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Genetic risk factor is less important than the sum of all the modifiable risk factors,바카라 게임 웹사이트 he says. 바카라 게임 웹사이트Changing our behaviors and lifestyle can actually counteract any genetic risk factor we have.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Merrill suggests paying attention to subtle age-related changes as they happen, whether you바카라 게임 웹사이트re at an elevated risk of developing Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s or not. Addressing your diet and exercise routine or prioritizing brain-stimulating activities 바카라 게임 웹사이트 like puzzles, computer games and book clubs 바카라 게임 웹사이트 can ward off some of the normal (and not-so-normal) cognitive effects that occur during the aging process.
5. Planning for the future is critical after a diagnosis.
바카라 게임 웹사이트There are so many difficult and excruciating decisions families must make when caring for a family member with a dementia disease,바카라 게임 웹사이트 says Rice-Oeschger. Depending on your situation, this might mean:
- Establishing power of attorney for legal and health decisions.
- Speaking with a financial adviser.
- Discussing end-of-life options.
- Making long-term residential plans, like arranging in-home care or finding an assisted living facility.
Glen, another caregiver in the University of Michigan바카라 게임 웹사이트s wellness program, recommends considering the logistics of how your life will change together as a couple or as a family while you still can, as opposed to waiting or delaying these conversations.
6. Socialization is a regularly prescribed 바카라 게임 웹사이트treatment바카라 게임 웹사이트 method.
There바카라 게임 웹사이트s no actual cure for Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s. But don바카라 게임 웹사이트t overlook the power of regular social interaction in preserving cognition. And this is extremely important before and after a diagnosis.
바카라 게임 웹사이트When it comes to the brain, I tell patients to 바카라 게임 웹사이트use it or lose it,바카라 게임 웹사이트바카라 게임 웹사이트 says Paulson. 바카라 게임 웹사이트People are social animals and socialization drives us. Do a lot of whatever mentally stimulates you.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Maybe that means weekly lunches with friends, FaceTime sessions with long-distance relatives, volunteering for a cause or joining local clubs, groups and committees. Whatever keeps you connected, fill up your calendar the best you can with that. Letting your inner social butterfly loose can give your brain function a serious boost.
7. Support programs can help preserve the mental well-being of both patients and caregivers.
If you바카라 게임 웹사이트re an Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s patient, finding a local support group can help you navigate the challenges of life with a dementia disease. You can find one .
If you바카라 게임 웹사이트re a caregiver, Rice-Oeschger recommends seeking out a wellness program to combat the often-isolating nature of caregiving and forge invaluable relationships with people who know exactly what you바카라 게임 웹사이트re experiencing.
바카라 게임 웹사이트You will benefit from continuous, enjoyable, thought-provoking, and profound connections with other caregivers,바카라 게임 웹사이트 she says. 바카라 게임 웹사이트Find and commit to a counselor or enriching wellness program [that reminds] you to how to take care of yourself over the long haul.바카라 게임 웹사이트
8. Caregiving is a lot to handle emotionally. But it's also incredibly rewarding.
On the topic of caregiver needs, Rice-Oeschger says daily caregiving is stressful enough to impact a person바카라 게임 웹사이트s health and well-being (which can, in turn, directly affect your loved one바카라 게임 웹사이트s health and well-being). In a 2017 released by the University of Michigan, 78% of caregivers surveyed said their efforts are stressful.
But it바카라 게임 웹사이트s not all gloom: In that same poll, 85% of caregivers reported that caregiving is a rewarding experience and 63% called it both stressful and rewarding.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Most people do not understand how stress and positive [emotions], even joy, can be experienced alongside one another,바카라 게임 웹사이트 explains Rice-Oeschger.
The point? There will be happy days and sad days, easy days, and tough days for both the patient and the person helping to take care of them 바카라 게임 웹사이트 and it바카라 게임 웹사이트s all normal.
9. Education is important, but it바카라 게임 웹사이트s only one piece of the puzzle.
Before you spend every waking hour researching the ins and outs of the disease, know that education has a time and place in your new role as patient or caregiver.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Go to every workshop, conference, support group and education event you can, but also know these will only take you so far,바카라 게임 웹사이트 says Rice-Oeschger.
Debra, an Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s caregiver from Michigan, echoes these thoughts based on her experience caring for her husband: 바카라 게임 웹사이트Gather facts and information and read about the disease, but understand that each individual with the diagnosis is unique. What you know about your loved one is as important, or I would argue more important, than any fact about the disease that you will ever read.바카라 게임 웹사이트
10. You will have difficult interactions.
Most caregivers find themselves unprepared for the changes in personality and memory recall they observe in their loved ones.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Your sweet, innocent [mother] who does not swear will curse like a sailor and call you names,바카라 게임 웹사이트 says Kelly, who lives in Cypress, Texas, and cares for her mother with mid- to late-stage Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s. 바카라 게임 웹사이트Try to remember it is not her doing these things ... it바카라 게임 웹사이트s this disease.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Kelly also reveals she turned into a good 바카라 게임 웹사이트white liar바카라 게임 웹사이트 when it became too traumatizing to remind her mother over and over of her own mother바카라 게임 웹사이트s passing more than 20 years earlier and advises against arguing with a person with Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s.
바카라 게임 웹사이트If your loved one says something more than once, just pretend like it was the first time you heard it,바카라 게임 웹사이트 she suggests. 바카라 게임 웹사이트바카라 게임 웹사이트Do not say, 바카라 게임 웹사이트Mom, you just said that.바카라 게임 웹사이트 That will only cause an argument.바카라 게임 웹사이트
11. People with Alzheimer's don't lose all independence.
Whether you바카라 게임 웹사이트re in the patient or caregiver role, you might be stressing over just how much personal freedom will be taken away as a result of Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s. But patients can still do things for themselves 바카라 게임 웹사이트 it바카라 게임 웹사이트s just a matter of finding the right balance.
바카라 게임 웹사이트My mom has always been very independent, so it is hard to watch her slowly lose the ability to do things she was once able to do easily, like remembering computer passwords and keeping appointments,바카라 게임 웹사이트 says Shon, a contributor to the Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s Association바카라 게임 웹사이트s , from Chicago. 바카라 게임 웹사이트So we focus on my mom바카라 게임 웹사이트s strengths right now, and how we can help her enjoy life with as much dignity as possible.바카라 게임 웹사이트
12. You shouldn't let the anxiety surrounding a possible diagnosis deter you from getting your brain health checked.
It바카라 게임 웹사이트s important to see a doctor if you바카라 게임 웹사이트re noticing memory loss that바카라 게임 웹사이트s impacting your life, even if you바카라 게임 웹사이트re worried about what he or she might tell you. Doctors can look for reversible, treatable causes first, like or nutritional deficiencies, Paulson says. And if it does turn out to be Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s after other possible causes get ruled out, it바카라 게임 웹사이트s valuable to have that knowledge sooner rather than later, too.
For Veronica, who frequently speaks about her experience caring for her husband, Mario, and is also part of , she wishes her family pursued the diagnosis sooner. 바카라 게임 웹사이트I wish we would바카라 게임 웹사이트ve talked sooner about the changes we both noticed in Mario바카라 게임 웹사이트s behavior because it would바카라 게임 웹사이트ve helped ease a lot of stress and pressure on him,바카라 게임 웹사이트 she explains. 바카라 게임 웹사이트Although it wasn바카라 게임 웹사이트t easy to hear, receiving his diagnosis was sort of a relief because we finally had answers to what was going on.바카라 게임 웹사이트
For more information on being diagnosed or caring for someone with Alzheimer바카라 게임 웹사이트s disease, visit the or the .