Category Archives: Human interest

What If It’s Alzheimer’s?

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More than five million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease. It takes an average of 30 months from the time family members notice the first symptoms of dementia until the person is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. There are several reasons for this, but one of the principal ones is that family members hesitate to take their loved one to a doctor, fearing that the diagnosis will in fact turn out to be Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s is, above all, an insidious illness. It begins with very mild symptoms — things we all do from time to time, such as forgetting to turn off the stove, temporarily forgetting an acquaintance’s name, or misplacing the car keys. But for the person with dementia, these events will become more frequent, and with time more serious symptoms will appear.

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visit us at AlzheimerHeadlines.com

Alzheimer’s Association volunteer encourages others to get involved

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Tom Paul has never had to personally deal with Alzheimer’s although he has certainly felt the pain it brings.

A relative by marriage who had been caring for his wife with Alzheimer’s could not accept the fact he would have to put her in a nursing home. So he shot her and turned the gun on himself, taking his own life as well.

That was a wake-up call for Paul, who realized Alzheimer’s patients are not the only ones who suffer — their relatives, friends and especially caregivers — do as well.

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visit us at AlzheimerHeadlines.com

Alzheimer’s disease eats away at enjoyment of food

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Imagine sitting down to breakfast and realizing your wife has no idea how to butter her toast. Or that your husband can’t identify that favorite pot roast dinner you’ve served.

When a loved one with Alzheimer’s begins to lose mealtime skills, it can be heartbreaking for family members. As the disease progresses, the sense of taste and smell is diminished and appetite decreases. It soon becomes difficult to recognize food items and to use utensils.

“People may not realize that for someone with Alzheimer’s it’s not what is seen, but what is not understood,” says Sarah Spaulding, spokeswoman for the Colorado chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association in Denver. “Someone may see food on the plate, but have no idea what to do with it.”

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visit us at AlzheimerHeadlines.com

Alzheimer’s Disease: A Story About Caregivers

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For people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, the disease is a difficult whirlwind of emotions. The mental strain on their loved ones around them, however, is especially daunting as well.

Every day, the number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s increases. In West Virginia, over 44,000 people have been diagnosed with the disease.

But this is not about the numbers, or the symptoms. It’s about the impact on not only those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, but also their loved ones, who often take on the role as their caregiver.

“My mom is usually very happy, and cheerful, and up, and has a lot of good memories, and I usually just try to focus on the good things,” said Marti Shamberger, whose mother suffers from dementia.

Shamberger has a full time job, a family with two kids, and a seat on Morgantown City Council. She never thought she’d be watching her mother suffer from dementia, with Shamberger and her father both taking on dual roles as caregiver. “You know, sometimes I feel pretty overwhelmed,” Shamberger said. “But I’ve learned when people say ‘What can I do to help you?’ to take them up on it.”

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visit us at AlzheimerHeadlines.com

Facebook app lets you experience Alzheimer’s

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Alzheimer’s is quite the scary disease. You start losing your memory but you aren’t aware that you are. The toll it takes on your family members can be quite draining as they watch you suffer. If you’ve watched Rise of the Planet of the Apes, you’ll probably understand the disease thanks to the excellent performance by John Lithgow.

Thanks to a new app called Sort Me Out from digital agency Grey Singapore that’s developed in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Disease Association (ADA) Singapore, you can now experience what it feels like to have Alzheimer’s.

Read all about it HERE

visit us at AlzheimerHeadlines.com

GPS shoes help Alzheimer’s patients, caretakers

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It’s very common for people who have dementia to wander off on their own.

When that happens, frantic family members have to search for them, and call the police if they can’t find them.

But there’s now another option.

Technology — in the form of shoes that have GPS tracking — is beginning to revolutionize how caretakers keep tabs on their loved ones who sometimes wander.

Joann Johnston, whose husband, Bill Johnston, has Alzheimer’s disease, said the shoes give her peace of mind. “When I lost him, you, you kind of panic,” she said.

“I had been leaving him and going to the bank and say, ‘OK, go in, drink your tea and wait for me, and I will come back.’ And he would do that,” Joann Johnston explained. “(But one time) I spent a little longer in the grocery store and got back maybe 45 minutes later, and I looked in McDonald’s and he wasn’t there. I opened the bathroom door and hollered ‘Bill.’ No answer.”

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