Dealing with Senior Hoarding from Comfort Keepers Elder Care in Troy, MO

Everyone these days seems aware of hoarding because of the recent TV series but it's a behavior that's been around for a long time. So how do you deal with it when your elderly parent suddenly starts saving everything? Read the following article for some information and tips.

How to Handle Hoarding

Pseudodementia in Seniors from Comfort Keepers Elderly Care in Troy, MO

Depression can sometimes mask itself as dementia, it's called pseudodementia and you can learn more about it at the following link.

Pseudodementia in Seniors

Take the Alzheimer's Quiz from Comfort Keepers in Troy, MO

See how you do on this test about Alzheimer's and Dementia



Alzheimer's & Dementia Quiz

Getting the Correct Diagnosis for Dementia from Comfort Keepers Senior Care in Troy, MO

Not all forgetfulness is Alzheimer's, the following article has some guidelines for getting the correct diagnosis:

How to Know If Your Aging Parent Has Alzheimer’s – A Short, Clear Overview

Mealtime Tips for Dementia Caregivers from Comfort Keepers Senior Care in Troy, MO

Mealtimes, when your loved one has dementia, can be challenging at best. Here are some tips that may help:

Mealtime Tips for Dementia Caregivers

Safety Tips for the Alzheimer's Caregivers from Comfort Keepers Senior Care in troy, MO

Heres a great video from ABC News on keeping your loved ones with Alzheimer's safe in the home.

5 Safety Tips for Alzheimer's Caregivers

Alzheimer's and Emotions from Comfort Keepers Senior Care in Troy, MO

As a caregiver I have seen many clients with dementia and alzheimer's whose emotional reactions to events just aren't what you would expect. They may seem depressed, withdrawn or just unaware of the event even if they rember what's going on. The following article explains more:

Emotions May Be Blunted in Alzheimer's Patients

Getting Into a Dementia Patient’s Head from Comfort Keepers Elder Care in Troy, MO

When I had my training as an Alzheimer's caregiver I was told that I would never win an argument with someone with dementia. If they don't remember something then it never happened, if they know they still live in the apartment they had before they bought the house in 1949 well, then they still live there. (This was what my mother-in-law thought although she knew my husband was her son and who I was she had no recolection of the house she had lived in for 50 years).

I was told that I had to live their reality as much as safety would allow and the following story from one caregiver illistrates this beautifully.

A Caregiver's Personal Story: Getting Into a Dementia Patient’s Head

Understand Alzheimer's Disease in 3 Minutes from Comfort Keepers Senior Care in Troy, MO

Interview with Alzheimer's Patient from Comfort Keepers Senior Care in Troy, MO

When a Dementia Patient Loses a Loved One from Comfort Keepers Elder Care in Troy, MO

Losing a loved one is always difficult but imagine what it would be like to feel all those feeling you felt when you first learned of the death over and over again. This is often what some one with dementia experiences because well meaning caregivers think they need to keep reminding them that their loved one has died. I just finished reading the following article on helping people with dementia deal with grief. It is well worth the time to read it.

Helping the Person with Dementia Grieve After the Death of a Loved One

Humor in Dementia from Comfort Keepers Senior Care in Troy, MO

Tips for the Alzheimer's Caregiver from Comfort Keepers Senior Care in Troy, MO

Here is a great article giving lots of good information to make the alzheimer's caregivers life more manageable:

Caring for a parent with Alzheimer's at home

Art & Alzheimer's from Comfort Keepers Elderly Care in Troy, MO

Could it be NPH? from Comfort Keepers Senior Care in Troy, MO

NPH or Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, is often diagnosed as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's Disease. Unlike these two diseases, however, NPH can be treated. To find out more read the following article.

If It's Not Alzheimer's Disease or Parkinson's Disease, It May Be NPH

Driving and Alzheimer's from Comfort Keepers Senior Care in Troy, MO

Many believe it is safe to allow someone with early Alzheimer's to continue driving. Unfortunately this isn't always the case. Alzheimer's is a very unpredictable disease and even though your elderly loved one may seem capable of driving to the corner grocery, there is no way of knowing when that may not be the case. According to a study published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, of 207 drivers with Alzheimer's who went missing while driving, 32 died and 35 were found injured. Please read the two following articles for more information.

Early Alzheimer's can erode driving skills

Driving With Early Alzheimer's May Be Ill-Advised

Art and Alzheimers from Comfort Keepers Senior Care in Troy, MO

Check-Ups and Dementia from Comfort Keepers Senior Care in Troy, MO

I have been to many eye and dental checkups with clients who have had Alzheimer's and dementia. Sometimes it went well, and sometimes it didn't. Sometimes the solution is fairly simple, I had one eye doctor use the children's charts and that seemed to work well. Sometimes the client became so frustrated and confused nothing could be done.

This article, Eye, Ear, Teeth Check-ups Are Difficult When Elders Have Dementia, talks about this problem further.

When Your Loved One Acts Inappropriately from Comfort Keepers Senior Care in Troy, MO

What do you do when your shy and usually reserved father or oh-so proper mother suddenly starts saying or doing things of a sexual nature? Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia can cause changes in the areas of the brain that handle impulse control and the social filters that keep most of us from acting out in this manner. So what can you do? The following article has some suggestions on how to handle this situation.

Alzheimer's Disease and Inappropriate Behavior

Alzheimer's Association Education Video from Comfort Keepers Senior Care in Troy, MO