When Laurie Scherrer was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s and frontotemporal dementia, she was told several things by doctors, including advice that she should get her affairs in order. She writes about the eleven things she wished the doctors had said, including the idea that she could reduce confusion and agitation by observing triggers.
Category Archives: Alzheimer’s
Anosognosia – lack of awareness (not denial) of one’s own dementia
This short article from Next Avenue (nextavenue.org) is about anosognosia, or the lack of awareness of one’s own dementia. This is not denial but being unaware. “This lack of awareness can cause major stress and heartache for caregivers.”
Here’s a short excerpt:
Both of Kathy Kling’s parents, who are divorced, have Alzheimer’s. Kling recently talked with her mother, Karen Kelly, about her father’s disease. “Oh, I hope I never get it,” her mother replied. She was diagnosed six years ago.
The full article is here:
www.nextavenue.org/parent-doesnt-recognize-dementia/
When Your Parent Doesn’t Know He Has Dementia
It’s a common aspect of the disorder, but tough on caregivers
By Emily Gurnon, Health & Caregiving Editor
Next Avenue
March 28, 2018
Robin
“In Oregon, pushing to give patients with degenerative diseases the right to die”
Here’s an excerpt from yesterday’s article in The Washington Post about the efforts in the state of Oregon to allow patients with degenerative diseases the right to die:
“People with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, multiple sclerosis and a host of other degenerative diseases are generally excluded from the Oregon [medically assisted suicide] law. This is because some degenerative diseases aren’t fatal. People die with Parkinson’s, for example, not because of it. Other diseases, such as advanced Alzheimer’s, rob people of the cognition they need to legally request the suicide medications.”
Some in Oregon are considering changes to this law or a new law that would allow people who do not have dementia to say that they do not wish to be spoon-fed if they do develop dementia.
Here’s a link to the article:
“‘Therapeutic Lying’ and Other Ways To Handle Patients With Dementia”
A family in the local support group has been struggling with their loved one’s delusions. I suggested “white lies,” which made the family uncomfortable. I found this 2004 article from The Wall Street Journal (wsj.com) offering three approaches for families to communicate with family members with dementia — therapeutic lying, Aikido, and validation therapy. These approaches all “require the caregiver to give up trying to force the dementia patient to accept reality, and surrender instead to the fact that the patient is living in another mental and emotional world.”
Here’s a quick example of the three approaches. “For instance, if Mom insists that she and her long-dead friend Mavis are going out dancing, here are some possible responses:”
* Therapeutic lying: “Mavis won’t be here until later, Mom. Let’s go to the mall for a while and take a walk.”
* Aikido: “I can see you miss having outings with your friends. I share your frustration. The senior center is offering waltz lessons. Would you like to sign up?”
* Validation Therapy: “You wish you could go out dancing again. I remember how beautifully you used to dance. What was it like to go out dancing with your friends? Isn’t that how you met Dad?”
Here’s a link to the full article:
www.wsj.com/articles/SB1100126
WORK & FAMILY
‘Therapeutic Lying’ and Other Ways To Handle Patients With Dementia
By Sue Shellenbarger ([email protected]), Staff Reporter
The Wall Street Journal
Updated Nov. 11, 2004 12:01 a.m. ET
“Life Lessons From Dad” (Wall Street Journal)
This article is about a son and his wife caring for the son’s parents in the son’s home. The parents were in their 80s. The father had a diagnosis of dementia. The author says: “Caring for an ailing parent is a life-changing event. Beyond the sadness and suffering, the experience can teach caregiving children a lot about toughness, perseverance and especially love.”
On the Wall Street Journal website (online.wsj.com), there is a 4-minute video interview of the author. The video can be watched at no charge, after an advertisement.
Here’s a link to the full article about “life lessons from dad”: (the full article is viewable only if you make a payment to the WSJ)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/l
Life Lessons From Dad — Caring for an ailing parent is a life-changing event; beyond the sadness and suffering, the experience can teach us a lot about toughness, perseverance and, especially, love
By Dave Shiflett
28 June 2014
The Wall Street Journal
Robin