Shameless commerce announcement!
If you are an e-book reader, July is the month to get a deal on my books. During the Smashword's July promotion, get a 26% discount on Dementia Diary (and all my books) by clicking on the following links:
Dementia Diary, A Caregivers Journal
Thirsty Planet (A green adventure novel)
Bard Memorial Hospital, Poems and vignettes
And don't forget, you can read free samples at these sites before you buy so you will know what you are buying.
Happy Summer Reading!
Bob
Monday, July 5, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Possible Advance in Alzheimer’s research
Here's a development that will be of interest to all my readers. On June 17, 2009, I wrote about the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation. This organization just announced a significant new advance in Alzheimer’s research. In 2008, researchers at the Fisher Center laboratory developed a technology by which they could determine the protein composition of each individual nerve cell type in the brain, called TRAP. They are now using this technology to analyze the differences in protein composition between those nerve cells which die in Alzheimer's disease (vulnerable nerve cells) and those nerve cells which do not die (resistant nerve cells). This knowledge will enable their scientists to take genes from vulnerable cells, inject these genes into resistant cells causing their death, and thereby prove that these genes cause cells to be vulnerable and die in Alzheimer's disease. They are preparing to search for inhibitors of the disease-causing genes that they are currently in the process of identifying. These inhibitors are expected to be highly effective in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. You can learn more about the Fisher Center and its Alzheimer's research at http://www.alzinfo.org/
Bob Tell
Author
Dementia Diary, A Caregiver's Journal
http://dementia-diary.com
Bob Tell
Author
Dementia Diary, A Caregiver's Journal
http://dementia-diary.com
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Encore: Signs of a Decline in Memory Function
Here's a helpful guide I posted in July, 2008 that is worth repeating:
It's not always easy to tell when a loved one is experiencing the onset of dementia. Here are some significant signs that are provided below as a courtesy from their author, Jean Bandos, MSN, RN, GCNS-BC Research Director at "My Health Care Manager," a national company that helps seniors and their families manage the complexities of older adult life.
*Forgetfulness - not just forgetting names or appointments, but frequently forgetting doctor’s appointments, important anniversaries, birthdays and other special dates that would have never been forgotten in the past.
*Forgetting to the point that it causes confusion and interruption with daily activities.
*Forgetting to turn off the stove – we have all left a burner on accidentally, but if this is a frequent event or if the older adult does not remember cooking at all, then it is no longer a “normal” part of aging.
*Everyone experiences difficulties finding the right words, especially in stressful situations. It’s a bigger issue when an older adult cannot remember simple words and substitutes his or her own words making it difficult to follow what they are saying.
*Misplacing items is common for everybody, but it becomes a “memory problem” if the keys are found in the freezer or the ice tray is in the dryer.
*Finances – there is a problem if a senior has always kept an accurate checkbook in the past and now it never balances.
*Impaired judgment, such as dressing appropriately. This does not mean the senior is mixing plaids and strips, or purples and reds, but is caught wearing a bathrobe to the shopping mall or putting on several shirts instead of one.
Author
Dementia Diary, A Caregiver's Journal
http://dementia-diary.com
It's not always easy to tell when a loved one is experiencing the onset of dementia. Here are some significant signs that are provided below as a courtesy from their author, Jean Bandos, MSN, RN, GCNS-BC Research Director at "My Health Care Manager," a national company that helps seniors and their families manage the complexities of older adult life.
*Forgetfulness - not just forgetting names or appointments, but frequently forgetting doctor’s appointments, important anniversaries, birthdays and other special dates that would have never been forgotten in the past.
*Forgetting to the point that it causes confusion and interruption with daily activities.
*Forgetting to turn off the stove – we have all left a burner on accidentally, but if this is a frequent event or if the older adult does not remember cooking at all, then it is no longer a “normal” part of aging.
*Everyone experiences difficulties finding the right words, especially in stressful situations. It’s a bigger issue when an older adult cannot remember simple words and substitutes his or her own words making it difficult to follow what they are saying.
*Misplacing items is common for everybody, but it becomes a “memory problem” if the keys are found in the freezer or the ice tray is in the dryer.
*Finances – there is a problem if a senior has always kept an accurate checkbook in the past and now it never balances.
*Impaired judgment, such as dressing appropriately. This does not mean the senior is mixing plaids and strips, or purples and reds, but is caught wearing a bathrobe to the shopping mall or putting on several shirts instead of one.
Author
Dementia Diary, A Caregiver's Journal
http://dementia-diary.com
Monday, March 15, 2010
Can Painting Help Dementia Sufferers?
In a comment on my last blog, Dan said the following:
"I didn't know much about dementia till reading an article on the HuffPost the other day which talked about how creative arts are helping people with diseases like Alzheimer's. So now I am reading a bit more which is how stumbled upon your blog. May they find a cure and treatment soon. oh, here is the link to other article I read:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rosalia-gitau/art-therapy-for-alzheimer_b_495914.html"
Well, I read this article too. It's by Rosalia Gitau, entitled: Art Therapy for Alzheimer's: "I Remember Better When I Paint." Posted March 11th in the Huffington Post, I recommend it as important reading to one and all. Again, there are no panaceas or miracle cures, but every new piece of information helps. Here's an idea that promises to enhance the quality of life for dementia sufferers (and their caregivers).
"I Remember Better When I Paint" is a brief but powerful documentary by Eric Ellena and Berna Huebner, that can be viewed on Gitau's post. The film demonstrates that practicing the creative arts can be an effective technique for cognitive improvement among dementia sufferers.
It's certainly worth further exploration.
Bob Tell
Author
Dementia Diary, A Caregiver's Journal
http://dementia-diary.com
"I didn't know much about dementia till reading an article on the HuffPost the other day which talked about how creative arts are helping people with diseases like Alzheimer's. So now I am reading a bit more which is how stumbled upon your blog. May they find a cure and treatment soon. oh, here is the link to other article I read:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rosalia-gitau/art-therapy-for-alzheimer_b_495914.html"
Well, I read this article too. It's by Rosalia Gitau, entitled: Art Therapy for Alzheimer's: "I Remember Better When I Paint." Posted March 11th in the Huffington Post, I recommend it as important reading to one and all. Again, there are no panaceas or miracle cures, but every new piece of information helps. Here's an idea that promises to enhance the quality of life for dementia sufferers (and their caregivers).
"I Remember Better When I Paint" is a brief but powerful documentary by Eric Ellena and Berna Huebner, that can be viewed on Gitau's post. The film demonstrates that practicing the creative arts can be an effective technique for cognitive improvement among dementia sufferers.
It's certainly worth further exploration.
Bob Tell
Author
Dementia Diary, A Caregiver's Journal
http://dementia-diary.com
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Encore: How does Alzheimer's Compare to Other Dementias?
Here’s a popular article I wrote that is appearing on eldercare blogs, zines and sites throughout the web. It first appeared on my former website on September 17, 2006 and on this blog in June, 2008. I hope you agree that it is as relevant today as it was then. Feel free to continue a conversation on this theme, caregiver burnout, caregiver support, or on any other related topic:
In 1906, Dr. Alois Alzheimer presented a key paper to the meeting of the South West German Society of Alienists. In it he described the disease syndrome that now bears his name. Today, Alzheimer’s Disease has become the common term most people use whenever they talk about any kind of dementia. In fact, the very term “Alzheimer’s” has become a catchall for any syndrome in which progressive cognitive dysfunction is the major manifestation.
However, there are dozens of other dementias including, to name just a few: Multi-Infarct Dementia, Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), Pick's Disease, Progressive Aphasia, Corticobasal Degeneration, Lewy Body Dementia, Senile Dementia, Binswanger’s Disease, Vascular Dementia, Parkinsonian, etc.
From a caregiver’s point of view, it almost doesn’t matter which dementia is at hand. The perpetual grief and mourning felt by the caregiver will be the same regardless of the specific process affecting his or her loved one.
My special interest is in Multi-Infarct Dementia because that is the one that affected my mother and the one I write about in: “DEMENTIA DIARY: A Care Giver’s Journal.” (Another name for this syndrome is Vascular Dementia.)
I should say that I am not a physician or a professional expert in this disease. I am, by profession, a hospital administrator, so I do feel equipped to at least understand the language of the clinicians. What I know comes from 16 years of watching my mother sink into her opaque world, plus 16 years of discussions with physicians providing her medical care.
Here is the way one physician described Multi-Infarct Dementia to me. It is caused by multiple strokes, some call them mini-strokes. The “victim” of this condition may not be, indeed usually is not, aware that anything out of the ordinary has occurred. Neither are his or her significant others.
Perhaps there is momentary weakness, headache, or dizziness, but nothing major. Over time, however, enough damage is done to the brain that symptoms begin to appear such as: confusion, impaired judgment, aphasia, irritability, depression, mood swings, inertia, significant memory loss, and a host of possible others.
Not all symptoms are experienced by every sufferer, but sooner or later most of them may appear. And the symptoms of Multi-Infarct Dementia are not really all that different from Alzheimer’s or other dementias. I’ve been given to understand that these differences are subtle, hard to tell apart for a layman.
Health care professionals have explained that if one were to line up sufferers of each of the various dementias next to one another you could probably differentiate them—but that’s what it would take.
If you are dealing with a dementia in a loved one, good luck and best wishes in your search for help and understanding.
Bob Tell
Author
Dementia Diary, A Caregiver's Journal
http://dementia-diary.com
In 1906, Dr. Alois Alzheimer presented a key paper to the meeting of the South West German Society of Alienists. In it he described the disease syndrome that now bears his name. Today, Alzheimer’s Disease has become the common term most people use whenever they talk about any kind of dementia. In fact, the very term “Alzheimer’s” has become a catchall for any syndrome in which progressive cognitive dysfunction is the major manifestation.
However, there are dozens of other dementias including, to name just a few: Multi-Infarct Dementia, Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), Pick's Disease, Progressive Aphasia, Corticobasal Degeneration, Lewy Body Dementia, Senile Dementia, Binswanger’s Disease, Vascular Dementia, Parkinsonian, etc.
From a caregiver’s point of view, it almost doesn’t matter which dementia is at hand. The perpetual grief and mourning felt by the caregiver will be the same regardless of the specific process affecting his or her loved one.
My special interest is in Multi-Infarct Dementia because that is the one that affected my mother and the one I write about in: “DEMENTIA DIARY: A Care Giver’s Journal.” (Another name for this syndrome is Vascular Dementia.)
I should say that I am not a physician or a professional expert in this disease. I am, by profession, a hospital administrator, so I do feel equipped to at least understand the language of the clinicians. What I know comes from 16 years of watching my mother sink into her opaque world, plus 16 years of discussions with physicians providing her medical care.
Here is the way one physician described Multi-Infarct Dementia to me. It is caused by multiple strokes, some call them mini-strokes. The “victim” of this condition may not be, indeed usually is not, aware that anything out of the ordinary has occurred. Neither are his or her significant others.
Perhaps there is momentary weakness, headache, or dizziness, but nothing major. Over time, however, enough damage is done to the brain that symptoms begin to appear such as: confusion, impaired judgment, aphasia, irritability, depression, mood swings, inertia, significant memory loss, and a host of possible others.
Not all symptoms are experienced by every sufferer, but sooner or later most of them may appear. And the symptoms of Multi-Infarct Dementia are not really all that different from Alzheimer’s or other dementias. I’ve been given to understand that these differences are subtle, hard to tell apart for a layman.
Health care professionals have explained that if one were to line up sufferers of each of the various dementias next to one another you could probably differentiate them—but that’s what it would take.
If you are dealing with a dementia in a loved one, good luck and best wishes in your search for help and understanding.
Bob Tell
Author
Dementia Diary, A Caregiver's Journal
http://dementia-diary.com
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Read An E-Book Week March 7-13 2010
Why am I promoting Read An E-Book Week on a blog devoted to caregiving? Read an E-Book Week educates and informs the public about the pleasures and advantages of reading electronically. I've been receiving a lot of questions from my readers lately about how the trend toward ebook publishing is affecting my own published work. I thought you might be interested in my take on this trend.
Like most of us, I love the feel and smell of printed books. Until recently, I thought ebooks would never be able to replace the real thing. But a revolution is taking place in the book publishing industry. Bookstore sales are plummeting and ebook sales are surging. Many new and improved devices are entering the market to enable ebook reading, such as: Amazon Kindle; Apple iPad, iPhone & iPod Touch; Sony Reader; Palm; and H-P Slate, to name just a few.
As an author, I've been trying to understand why this is happening now. Whatever the reasons, one thing is clear. I need to be part of this revolution. My two books, "Thirsty Planet" and "Dementia Diary," were just published as ebooks by Smashwords, one of the top ebook publishers for work by independent authors.
If, like me, you're curious about all the ebook hoopla, I invite you to check out the Smashwords site. Many ebooks, including mine, can be sampled there for free in multiple ebook formats, readable on virtually any ebook reading device.
Here's the link to my Smashwords author profile:
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/bobtell
Here's the link to my book page, where Thirsty Planet can be sampled or purchased: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/9509
Here's the link to my book page, where Dementia Diary can be sampled or purchased: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/9565
AND I'M OFFERING A 50% DISCOUNT ON SMASHWORDS PURCHASES MADE DURING "READ AN E-BOOK WEEK." Details on my Smashwords sites during that week.
I would also like to recommend some of the other excellent authors featured at http://www.smashwords.com/—feel free to check them out and to tell other book lovers about Smashwords.
If you've already read my books in the print editions, let me again say thank you. I really appreciate your support and your wonderful comments about my work. The print editions of my books will, of course, continue to be available at my personal website for those who prefer that format.
Bob Tell
Like most of us, I love the feel and smell of printed books. Until recently, I thought ebooks would never be able to replace the real thing. But a revolution is taking place in the book publishing industry. Bookstore sales are plummeting and ebook sales are surging. Many new and improved devices are entering the market to enable ebook reading, such as: Amazon Kindle; Apple iPad, iPhone & iPod Touch; Sony Reader; Palm; and H-P Slate, to name just a few.
As an author, I've been trying to understand why this is happening now. Whatever the reasons, one thing is clear. I need to be part of this revolution. My two books, "Thirsty Planet" and "Dementia Diary," were just published as ebooks by Smashwords, one of the top ebook publishers for work by independent authors.
If, like me, you're curious about all the ebook hoopla, I invite you to check out the Smashwords site. Many ebooks, including mine, can be sampled there for free in multiple ebook formats, readable on virtually any ebook reading device.
Here's the link to my Smashwords author profile:
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/bobtell
Here's the link to my book page, where Thirsty Planet can be sampled or purchased: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/9509
Here's the link to my book page, where Dementia Diary can be sampled or purchased: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/9565
AND I'M OFFERING A 50% DISCOUNT ON SMASHWORDS PURCHASES MADE DURING "READ AN E-BOOK WEEK." Details on my Smashwords sites during that week.
I would also like to recommend some of the other excellent authors featured at http://www.smashwords.com/—feel free to check them out and to tell other book lovers about Smashwords.
If you've already read my books in the print editions, let me again say thank you. I really appreciate your support and your wonderful comments about my work. The print editions of my books will, of course, continue to be available at my personal website for those who prefer that format.
Bob Tell
Friday, February 12, 2010
ENCORE: WHY IS MOM DOING THIS TO ME?
Have you ever asked yourself this question when your loved one with dementia is being obnoxious? I did. Frequently. Then, of course, I felt guilty for having this reaction. Here’s what the social workers told me:
"First of all, it’s a normal question about normal behavior for someone with cognitive decline. Many dementia sufferers have difficult behavior patterns, including such things as overeating without remembering they just ate, asking the same questions repeatedly, physically aggressive actions, removal of clothing in public, loudly insulting people in public places, and... (you can fill in the blanks I am sure with many other behaviors.)
Second of all, it’s not “about me.” It’s about her...or him...or them. It’s a disease process—an illness. Your loved one cannot control the symptoms of this sickness any more than if it were pneumonia, or heart disease, or cancer, or any other dread condition. Things are happening in his or her brain that affect behavior."
Chances are your loved ones would have been embarrassed to death if their earlier, healthy, selves could see them now. It’s up to us as caregivers to recognize that they are not “doing it to us,” and to forgive them—daily if necessary. They just can’t help themselves.
I know it’s hard to do this when Mom tells you your brother (or sister) is more caring, more solicitous, more anything than you when you know that the sibling in question has run the other way as fast as his (her) legs can move (without ever looking back). She doesn’t mean it! And don’t blame your sibling for running. You would too if you could, wouldn’t you? (Not really, but you do think about it, don’t you?)
So recognize the wisdom of the “social worker” advice I’m passing along. If you can get yourself to ignore the behaviors as symptoms of disease and not take them personally (even when they seem to be personal), you’ll be a much happier person and a better caregiver for your loved one with dementia.
(This is an encore article originally published June 2008)
Bob Tell
Author
Dementia Diary, A Caregiver's Journal
http://dementia-diary.com
"First of all, it’s a normal question about normal behavior for someone with cognitive decline. Many dementia sufferers have difficult behavior patterns, including such things as overeating without remembering they just ate, asking the same questions repeatedly, physically aggressive actions, removal of clothing in public, loudly insulting people in public places, and... (you can fill in the blanks I am sure with many other behaviors.)
Second of all, it’s not “about me.” It’s about her...or him...or them. It’s a disease process—an illness. Your loved one cannot control the symptoms of this sickness any more than if it were pneumonia, or heart disease, or cancer, or any other dread condition. Things are happening in his or her brain that affect behavior."
Chances are your loved ones would have been embarrassed to death if their earlier, healthy, selves could see them now. It’s up to us as caregivers to recognize that they are not “doing it to us,” and to forgive them—daily if necessary. They just can’t help themselves.
I know it’s hard to do this when Mom tells you your brother (or sister) is more caring, more solicitous, more anything than you when you know that the sibling in question has run the other way as fast as his (her) legs can move (without ever looking back). She doesn’t mean it! And don’t blame your sibling for running. You would too if you could, wouldn’t you? (Not really, but you do think about it, don’t you?)
So recognize the wisdom of the “social worker” advice I’m passing along. If you can get yourself to ignore the behaviors as symptoms of disease and not take them personally (even when they seem to be personal), you’ll be a much happier person and a better caregiver for your loved one with dementia.
(This is an encore article originally published June 2008)
Bob Tell
Author
Dementia Diary, A Caregiver's Journal
http://dementia-diary.com
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