Information and opinions on health from Joseph at HealthCentral.com. 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/profiles/c/254281/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/254281/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/254281/index http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/126818/hospice Fri, 17 Dec 2010 03:44:10 -0500 Joseph On August 31, 2010, my mother passed away on what was an otherwise unremarkable afternoon.  Hospice had accurately predicted her last day of life and my family was there with her, as I held her hand during her last few breaths.  It was a day of mixed feelings, some grief and some relief.  The sadness of mom's passing was tempered by the knowledge that she wasn't suffering from delusions and a loss of reality anymore.  In an... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/126818/hospice http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/118958/dementia Wed, 01 Sep 2010 03:20:52 -0400 Joseph This day has been coming for a long time.  The closer it got, the less aware that mom seemed about it's arrival.  Mom has suffered with vascular dementia for about two years.  This type of dementia has it's challenges, but appears to be less damaging than Alzheimer's.  There are no "good dementias", but clearly some types are more difficult to live with than others.  I'm grateful that mom's dementia was manageable, for... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/118958/dementia http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/117303/life-nears Thu, 05 Aug 2010 06:23:35 -0400 Joseph My mother has had the symptoms of dementia for two years.  In the beginning, it was mild and manageable.  The dementia occurred in the aftermath of a stroke that might have gone unnoticed, except for the slight sag in the corner of her mouth.  Other symptoms developed as time passed and mom grew tired sooner in the afternoon.  She started going to bed earlier as a result and that created time distortion confusion.  She... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/117303/life-nears http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/110552/diagnosis Fri, 30 Apr 2010 02:33:47 -0400 Joseph Sadly, everyone has to face an end of life scenario at some point(s) in time.  It may be a parent, a sibling, a friend, a spouse, or it may be your own life that needs to be prepared for an exit strategy.  My mother has developed a gradual trend of weight loss for each month of this year.  Her eating difficulties, primarily swallowing food or medicine, is probably to blame.  Mom's doctor is contacting... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/110552/diagnosis http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/108510/caregivers Tue, 06 Apr 2010 03:13:16 -0400 Joseph This is my 20th and possibly final SharePost.  There apparently isn't much of a male presence here that can benefit from my experience.  I had hoped that there might be others to share with, who like myself, were seeking the male perspective on dealing with the illness of dementia in a loved one.  Men apparently internalize these issues and work them out in their own silent ways.   I have enjoyed my regular... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/108510/caregivers http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/106813/dementia Sun, 21 Mar 2010 04:13:10 -0400 Joseph Dementia gradually changes the mental state of the afflicted person over time.  In the early stages of the illness very little seems wrong, perhaps just the suggestion of some memory difficulties.  As months pass there may be very little if any noticeable changes.  Then one day, something new develops that wasn't previously observed.  Maybe the memory problems have worsened or some new issue has developed.  Whatever it... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/106813/dementia http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/105622/springtime Sat, 06 Mar 2010 02:49:35 -0500 Joseph As I write this, winter is in its final two weeks and springtime is already showing early signs of arrival in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.  We have had the good fortune of having a very mild winter, unlike a lot of the rest of the country.  Each season offers new challenges and new opportunities.  The warmer weather increases the opportunities for outdoor activities with seniors.  With the threat of slippery ice and snow... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/105622/springtime http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/104612/giving-cats Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:30:45 -0500 Joseph A recent Reader's Digest article reminded me about how elders respond to animals visiting or living in commercial care centers.  Although the RD article was about a very caring cat that could apparently sense when someone was about to die in a nursing home, I wanted to approach this topic in a much different direction.  I wanted to point out some other benefits to be considered about pets and elders.   At my mother's assisted... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/104612/giving-cats http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/103267/confabulation Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:21:39 -0500 Joseph In the later stages of dementia, a person gets details mixed up and sometimes fabricates things from fragmented memories.  In the field of Psychiatry there is a name for this mental process called "confabulation", which is defined as: Filling in memory gaps with a falsification that a person believes to be true.  The dementia afflicted person absolutely believes without question, that this memory is complete and intact. ... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/103267/confabulation http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/102839/courageous Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:34:33 -0500 Joseph This story is true (save for a few minor detail embellishments) and states perfectly the case for caregivers taking care of themselves.  Although the care provided was for a different health condition than Alzheimer's, the lesson applies in all situations where home caregivers are involved.   This is the story of a man named Roy who had worked in a civil service job for many years and retired about a decade ago.  His wife was... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/254281/102839/courageous