How to take care of an elderly person with dementia?

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A close friend's mum is in the early stages of dementia and they don't know how to care for her and handle her 'dark moments'. I really want to help them but need some advice too, so anyone who could help with information on care and maintenance of dementia or any tips on useful websites which could give more info....I'd really appreciate it.
I don't want to sound cold and heartless, but your friend's mum probably should be placed into a nursing home where they can watch after her 24/7. The downside is that nursing homes sometimes get a bad rap and maybe it is for good cause, maybe not. Just consider it and if it is decided that is the way to go, make sure you choose a home you trust. Do the research on them also.  (+ info)

How can someone who is 84 years old with dementia be allowed to drive?

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There is a man missing in my area who is 84 and has dementia. He was last seen driving home from Church. How can someone with dementia be allowed to drive??? Shouldn't his license have been revoked?? He could seriously hurt or kill himself or someone else.
Someone needs to contact the local DMV if they have concerns about an unfit driver and they can be tested to see if they need to have their license revoked.  (+ info)

How can i compose a research problem -dementia patients having UTI which causes behavioral changes?

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Is this a correct research problem? - Is there a relationship between UTI of elderly patients with dementia and their behavioral changes such as agitation?
Nice choice (you can thank me later!). That is correct, dementia is a chronic problem. The occurrence in further agitation (if there is agitation present in the first place) at the time of UTI would be the study. You will need a certain number of agitated and nonagitated patients diagnosed with dementia for the study to be appropriate.  (+ info)

What's the difference between dementia and Alzheimers?

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My great aunt was just diagnosed with dementia. I asked my mom what the difference was between dementia and Alzheimers since they seem to be the same thing to me. Does anyone have any info?
A little more info...she walked out of the house at 2am and was found by the cops, who then brought her to the hospital. They ran some tests on her and said it was dementia. Please say a prayer for her. I love her a lot.
Dementia is a loss of mental skills that affects your daily life. It can cause problems with your memory and how well you can think and plan. Usually dementia gets worse over time. How long this takes is different for each person. Some people stay the same for years. Others lose skills quickly. A variety of conditions can cause dementia, including injuries to the brain from tumors, head injury, or stroke; diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease; or long-term alcohol dependence. People (especially older adults) who are depressed may seem to have dementia when they do not (pseudodementia).



Alzheimer's disease is more severe than the mild memory loss that many people experience as they grow older. Alzheimer's disease also affects behavior, personality, the ability to think clearly, and the ability to carry out daily activities. Close family members usually notice symptoms first, although the person affected also may realize that something is wrong.  (+ info)

What is the average life span of someone with dementia?

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My mom is 53 and has dementia and my siblings and I need to know when we should start planning her funeral. We are all under 30yrs. old and don't even know where to start. She has no assets or life insurance, so we will have to pay for everything.
Talk to her doctor. From the very little that I know, Alzheimer's tends to be a few years once it's bad whereas dementia can be quite a while. Like I said, though, I'm not very knowledgeable and I suspect each case is different. Talk to her doc.  (+ info)

What are the first noticeable signs and symptoms of dementia?

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A 50 year old seems to be changing in subtle ways, like forgeting things one time and then remembering the information later. Also getting severe depression at times and lots of crying. Could this be early symptoms of dementia?
50 is pretty damn young to be experiencing dementia. Unless they have a brain tumor or something I kinda doubt thats what it is.  (+ info)

How long is a 47 year old expected to live after diagnosis of dementia?

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My mom was recently diagnosed with dementia. I remember a family friend saying her mother had dementia too. I dnt think her mom lived for at the most 5 years after that. Although her mother was elderly mine really isn't. It seems to be hitting my mom real hard and the worst part is that im only 13 about to be 14. :(
I'm sorry about your mom. There is really no way to tell how long she will live. It depends on the cause of the dementia, and how early or late it was diagnosed. Also, each person is different, so some people may live longer than others.  (+ info)

How do you deal with the frustration of dementia?

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My elderly mother and father live with me, my husband and our three teenage sons. My father has dementia. He is a difficult stage right now because he is lucid enough to be able to object to any kind of help we suggest to him. He was never a reasonable man so now when he is difficult as a result of the dementia it's really hard not to feel impatient with him. If he had always been an easy going person, then it would be easy to see the difference between the man and the illness, now it's just the same cantankerous person, only he doesn't remember anything past 5 minutes, is incontinent but in denial about it so he won't wear incontinence underwear, and gets really nasty with my mother over just about anything. She could have someone in the home to give them advice, but he won't accept that they need any. He refuses to have an operation on his prostate ( which is huge) and would help with the incontinence. I could go on.
Anyone with any tips to stay sane?
If you have not done it already, go to Amazon or some other book seller and order a copy of The 36 Hour Day. This is -the- manual and strategy book for people dealing with people afflicted with dementia. This is an essential tool for dealing with Alzheimer's or dementia of all types and stages. Have everyone in the family who is a caregiver read the book.

http://www.amazon.com/36-Hour-Day-Alzheimer-Dementing-Illnesses/dp/0446610410

Also consider joining an online support group. One that I find helpful is alt.support.alzheimers which is available on any newsreader like Outlook Express or via Google Groups. There are numerous very smart people there who can answer your questions and give you practical support for dealing with AD & dementia. If he incontinent he needs to wear adult pants - get the slip on kind and insist he wear them. It may take some time to get used to them but it sure beats cleaning up after him 24/7.

Make sure you have a full power of attorney and medical power of attorney. This is extremely important - critical. Tell him you need these papers filled out so he can continue to live with you. After reading the book make sure you learn the art of fibbing with a purpose. You can not reason with a demented person because their brain is broken and unable to reason. You have to make all the decisions then tell the afflicted person whatever needs to be said to accomplish your goals. Do not discuss serious issues and do not argue with him since neither does any good. Work with his Dr to get the surgery scheduled and just have him sedated if necessary. Yes all this is easier said than done. Fortunately my demented relative is a tiny woman who is usually cooperative rather than a man. Men with dementia often cause many more problems than women.

good luck - been there & doing that  (+ info)

Would dementia drugs be helpful/safe in healthy people who wanted a to boost memory?

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I was wondering whether drugs such as galantamine (Reminyl) are safe in healthy patients who are not suffering from dementia, and whether they can be of benefit as a nootropic.
No... and you should never take drugs that are not prescribed for you.  (+ info)

What is a biological mechanism for dementia?

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I'm doing a research paper on dementia and I have no idea what a biological mechanism is. Could someone please explain?
Honestly, that's not an easy question to answer in a sentence or two.  Basically, a biological mechanism is a system by which a living organism modifies, changes, etc. itself and its environment.  I think it's easier to grasp the concept by example.  There are "mechanisms" other than biological.  An abiotic system is free of biological organisms and abiotic transformations are accomplished, naturally, through non-biologic mechanisms.  For example, the modification of water from a liquid to a gasseous state by the application of heat is a result of an abiotic mechanism.  Another good example involves oil spill clean-ups.  There are a variety of methods used to clean oil from the water and shoreline.  One way is through the use of solvents and detergents. I'm familiar with one particular product that is a solution of diluted acids, water and sodium silicate that chemically reacts with hydrocarbon molecules and binds them into a solid silica matrix.  That would be an example of clean-up through the use of a chemical mechanism.  However, oil can also be removed by boremediation.  Boremediation is the use of certain bacteria (some laboratory-created) and fungi that sustain themselves on hydrocarbon.  When introduced, these living organisms "eat" the oil, producing modification/change of their environment.  That is an example of a biological mechanism.  So, essentially, you wil be focusing on the biological causes of dementia, whether the cause is viral, bacterial or prion-based.  I can think of a few.....symptoms of dementia can be seen in certain conditions caused by viruses.  Examples would be HIV-induced dementia, viral meningitis, viral encephalitis and PML, or progressive multi-focal leukoencephalopathy.  Both viral meningitis and encephaltitis can be caused by several types of viruses, while PML is caused by polyomavirus.  The HIV virus is able to pentrate the blood/brain barrier and infect the tissue directly.  Bacterial causes of dementia include Lyme disease (spriochete Borrelia burgdorferi), neurosyphilis (3rd stage of disease - caused by bacterium treponema pallidum).  Some persons would argue that dementia induced by prions should be classified as a biological mechanism.  Prions, or proteinaceous infectious particles are protein inside the body that becomes infectious.  The prion enters brain cell and converts the normal protein within that cell to a prion.  Prions are exactly the same as normal proteins, except that they do not fold normally - the helical structure of the amino acids, which is normally thighly wound, loosens up.  The priors completely clog the infected brain cell and it dies, releasing all the prions, which subsequently attack adjacent cells.    Eventually, the destruction of all of the brain cells creates holes in the brain tissue.  The problem with prions is that, like viruses, they are not similar to other living organisms and some believe that prions in fact, are not "alive" (many also argue that viruses are not "alive" by the usual definition of the word, as they have no basic metabolic activity and are incapable of procreation, eating and excreting).  However, I noticed that the EPA, after debate and scientific study, declared prions to be a "pest" under the current law, with "pest" defined as a form of animal life injurious to health.  So, it can be argued a biological mechanism for dementia are the actions of viruses and prions. 
I hope that helped a little :-)  (+ info)

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