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 They may seem depressed, withdrawn or just unaware of the event even if they rember what's going on.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

Searching for the Wandering from Comfort Keepers Elder Care in Troy, MO

I hadn't even made it to my clients door to check on him when there was a knock on the door. There was a policeman at the door and he had my client, a small 85 year old man in PJs and slippers, with him.

"He couldn't remember where he lived.." the policeman started with.

He had only been a block away and was found before he was even missed but wandering can be a big problem with people with Alzheimer's and dementia. It became such a problem in Virginia that the police are now taking classes on how to find these wanderers. To learn more about it read the following article:

More With Dementia Wander From Home

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

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

Sundowner's Syndrome and Alzheimer's from Comfort Keepers Elderly Care in Troy, MO

Over the years many of the clients with Alzheimer's I have cared for have experienced Sundowner's Syndrome. They can become very agitated and fearful at dusk and into the night. One lady would start thinking the people in the TV were real about that time even when the TV had been on all day without incident. Many who experience it will get up repeatedly during the night. No one is really sure what causes it. If you want to read more about it, please read the following article.

Sadness, Agitation, Fear: Could This Be Sundowner's Syndrome?

Reporting Elderly Financial Abuse in Troy, MO from Comfort Keepers Senior Care

Very often, the person who is taking financial advantage of your elderly loved one is another family member. This can make the descission to report it more difficult. But it needs to be reported, your loved one needs to be protected. The following article explains more about the process and what you need to tell the authorities.

Preventing financial abuse and exploitation of elderly parents

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

Communicating When Your Loved One Can't Speak from Comfort Keepers Elder care in Troy, MO

When stroke, Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia rob our parents or other loved ones of the ability to speak, communication can become difficult. The following article has some great tips on how to deal with it.

How to Communicate When Your Elderly Parent Can No Longer Speak

Caring for Your Elderly Parents Finances in Troy, MO

Credit card debt among seniors is up 26 percent according to some studies. Problems with finances can arise even if your parents have always been responsible with their spending and budgets. Dementia, depression and other factors can affect their ability to make sound decisions. How can you tell if your parents are having financial troubles and what can you do about it if you suspect they are? Read the following article from MSNBC for some tips:

Helping aging parents dig out of debt

Tips for Communication with a Loved One with Alzheimer's from Comfort Keepers Elder Care in Troy, MO

Often, because of the changes brought about by Alzheimer's and dementia there can be quite a bit of difficulty understanding what your loved one wants and also making yourself understood by them. I just ran across this article giving some excellent tips to make communication much easier.

COMMUNICATING WITH THE PERSON WITH DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER'S