Information and opinions on Alzheimer's from Joseph at OurAlzheimers.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281 http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281 http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/95739/caregiver Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:34:17 -0500 Joseph Performing the tasks of a caregiver is hard work.  You have to prepare meals, manage medications, and perform a lot of varied cleaning tasks.  It's hard to find some time for yourself.  As days become weeks and weeks become months, fatigue from the routine can affect one's mood.  The desire to do a good job and remain cheerful, occasionally gives way to some shows of frustration.  It's inevitable, particularly if... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/95739/caregiver http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/95613/thoughts-care Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:59:01 -0500 Joseph When it becomes obvious that an elderly parent can no longer live alone, a bit of panic sets in.  Some choices have to be made and they may conflict with the desires of the parent.  Nobody wants to give up their independence.  In the case of dementia, a person living alone begins to make mistakes that can have deadly consequences.  The stove, the iron, or the space heater may be left on, resulting in a fire, possibly. ... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/95613/thoughts-care http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/95323/questions Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:25:45 -0500 Joseph My mother had lived alone for ten years after the death of my father in 1999.  She moved from the family home into a condominium and gradually socialized, making 4 or 5 new neighbor friends.  She would visit with them and chat on the telephone to pass the time.  Between them and her brother and sister, she was well socialized and generally happy with her life.  Toward the end of the decade, things were... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/95323/questions http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/94993/age-regression Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:23:37 -0500 Joseph I've written on the topic of delusions a lot lately. My 88 year old mother continues to struggle with delusional thinking. To me, it seems like my mother is having bad dreams that somehow morph into part of her reality. As a child, she was severely disciplined by a strict Irish father who enjoyed his whiskey, a bit too much. When his children had troubles, such as bed wetting, he considered it the product of laziness and knocked his children... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/94993/age-regression http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/93851/streetcar-ride Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:11:42 -0500 Joseph In the ten months that I have closely observed my 88 year old mother's mental health decline with "Unspecified Dementia", few things are more heartbreaking than seeing her live with increasing episodes of delusion.  The delusions can range from harmless goofy little things to very frightful, terrifying experiences.  These episodes can carry over from one day to another and that can be serious if the delusion is a particularly... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/93851/streetcar-ride http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/93587/communication Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:34:54 -0500 Joseph My 88 year old mother has "unspecified" dementia.  She presents all of the classic Alzheimer's disease dementia characteristics.  Since January 2009, she has slipped quickly from someone who was having occasional memory problems, but could carry on a relevant conversation, to someone who now speaks about her delusions as though they are genuine, meaningful events.  She becomes fixated on certain delusions and they become... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/93587/communication