Monthly Archives: January 2017

“Importance of Comprehensive Care and Support” in LBD, webinar on 2/15/17

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“Importance of Comprehensive Care and Support” in LBD, webinar on 2/15/17

The American Society on Aging (asaging.org) is putting on a webinar on February 15th about LBD. The topic is “the importance of comprehensive care and support.” Given the funder, the US Administration for Community Living (part of the Dept. of Health and Human Services), I believe the webinar is targeted to those who work in the field of aging and caregiving. This webinar may be too basic for those within Brain Support Network but there’s only one way to know for sure! We’ll try to attend the webinar and post some notes about a week after.

I’ve copied details below. If you register for the webinar, you will receive reminders and also a link to the slides (before the webinar) and a link to the recording (about a week later).

Robin

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asaging.org/web-seminars/lewy-body-dementia-importance-comprehensive-care-and-support

Lewy Body Dementia: The Importance of Comprehensive Care and Support
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
11:00am to Noon, Pacific time
No charge

Part of the National Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center (NADRC) webinar series funded by the Administration for Community Living (ACL)

Includes complimentary CEUs

This webinar provides an overview of Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) and how it differs from Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s. Attendees will learn the symptoms of and treatments for LBD and how the disease affects caregivers. A person living with LBD will share first-hand experiences and compensatory strategies.

Participants in this web seminar will be able to:
• List three symptoms of LBD;
• Identify two ways LBD differs from Alzheimer’s; and,
• Identify one class of drugs to be avoided in LBD.

Presenters:

* Robert Bowles is a retired pharmacist who was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia in June 2012. Now focused on dementia education and advocacy, Bowles’ mission is to teach others that there is life beyond diagnosis.

* Angela Taylor is director of Programs for the Lewy Body Dementia Association, and serves on the Advisory Council for Alzheimer’s Research, Care and Services that oversees the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease. Taylor was also a caregiver for her father, who had LBD.

“The Common Dementia Condition You’ve Probably Never Heard Of”

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“The Common Dementia Condition You’ve Probably Never Heard Of”

This article in a recent blog post on Huffington Post gives a good overview of Lewy Body Dementia, described as the third most common dementia.

My friend Dr. Alex Pantelyat from Johns Hopkins is quoted as follows about the disorder:

“It affects your core, it affects who you are as a person. In the case of DLB and some of these other related disorders it tends to a great extent [to] affect the frontal lobe, which is really what makes us human. It’s really unbelievably devastating.”

Here’s a link to the blog post:

www.huffingtonpost.com/martha-ts-laham-/lewy-body-dementia_b_13580606.html

THE BLOG
The Common Dementia Condition You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
Huffington Post
by Martha T.S. Laham
12/20/2016 07:50 am ET

Robin

“The Year of Conquering Negative Thinking”

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“The Year of Conquering Negative Thinking”

Of course we caregivers tend to worry about all the bad things that “might” happen.  Perhaps those with a neurological diagnosis do this too.

This recent New York Times article offers a challenge to us all:  “Make this the year that you quiet all those negative thoughts swirling around your brain.”

This approach is suggested:

* “The first step to stopping negative thoughts is a surprising one. Don’t try to stop them. … Instead, notice that you are in a negative cycle and own it.”

* “After you’ve accepted a negative thought, force yourself to challenge it. … If you’re having trouble challenging your negative thoughts, try this approach. Imagine that your friend is the one who received the bad news. What advice would you give him or her? Now think of how that advice might apply to you.”

* “Now move from a place of inaction to action to counteract the negative thought. … [It]may be helpful to ask yourself if you are accomplishing anything by dwelling on your negative thoughts.”

* “When your negative thoughts are making you feel agitated and overwhelmed, take a deep breath, and then another.”

* “Finally, if your thoughts are making you feel seriously distressed and interfering with your ability to work and relax, consider seeing a mental health professional.”

Here’s a link to the full article:

www.nytimes.com/2017/01/03/well/mind/the-year-of-conquering-negative-thinking.html

Well | Mind
The Year of Conquering Negative Thinking
New York Times
By Lesley Alderman
Jan. 3, 2017

Happy reading,
Robin

“Eight Rules To Become A Smarter Patient”

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“Eight Rules To Become A Smarter Patient”

The Wall Street Journal columnist Laura Landro has covered health care and its changes in a column called “The Informed Patient” over the last ten years.  In what is described as her final column, Ms. Landro shares eight rules on how to become a “smarter patient.”

These eight rules include:

* Do your homework
* Question your diagnosis
* Disclose everything
* Get recommended treatments
* No news isn’t always good news
* Don’t be afraid to speak up.  Use your assertive skills.
* Follow your regimen
* Keep your medical records

Here’s a link to the full article:

www.wsj.com/articles/lessons-from-the-informed-patient-1481563548

The Informed Patient: Eight Rules To Become A Smarter Patient
Wall Street Journal
by Laura Landro
13 December 2016

I was able to access the article at no charge by going first to “The Informed Patient” column page.  In general, this article is behind the WSJ paid firewall.

Robin

 

 

“When Bathroom Runs Rule the Day (and Night)”

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“When Bathroom Runs Rule the Day (and Night)”

This recent article from the New York Times addresses urinary incontinence in men and women.

As the article states (and as we’ve heard many times from urologists and neurologists), behavioral remedies are recommended.  These include:

* strengthening pelvic floor muscles through Kegel exercises.  It may take two months for these to be effective.

* avoid bladder irritants such as caffeine, alcohol and artificial sweeteners

* consume most fluids earlier in the day

* practice bladder voiding on a schedule rather than wait for an irrepressible urge

Here’s a link to the article:

www.nytimes.com/2016/12/12/well/live/when-bathroom-runs-rule-the-day-and-night.html

When Bathroom Runs Rule the Day (and Night)
Personal Health
New York Times
By Jane E. Brody
Dec. 12, 2016

Robin