ML,
Take your mom to a neuropsychologist. A neurologists screening won’t be sensitive enough. Too many false negatives.
@emeraldkith4 regarding age related dementia and alzheiemrs
http://m.alz.org/what-is-dementia.asp
If someone has vascular dementia ( mini stokes) different areas of the brain are effected, causing impairment in specific behaviors. Example, someone has language problems but not memory issues.
Alzheimers can first appear with mathmatical skills - can’t do checkbook, pay bills, calculate tip on bill.
Friend’s husband, could not longer do checkbook balancing.
Father in law, could not calculate tips on restaurant bill.
http://m.alz.org/10-warning-signs.asp
Jym’s advice is good, to go to neuropsychologist/ neurologist which is what friend did. Surpsingly many people attending support groups has parents who had not been officially diagnosed by credentialed specialist. Good advice.
My Bookclub discussed Still Alice last night. We had a guest speaker from our local U’s Wellness Center. They have a team that evaluates people, including psychologists and neurologists. Driving tests are given. They have support groups and caregiver groups. They help people find state resources. Family interviews are part of the evaluation, as well as records from physicians.
She reiterated what SJChessMom said, the dementia is the general term. Alzheimer’s, vascular, alcohol-related, and other forms are included. The state continues to use Alzheimer’s as official title, because they would lose funding if shifted to Neurological Diseases.
EK, I am hoping that your area has such a center. I refer to my center a lot.
My dad had stroke induced dementia but very mild because he used to have an excellent memory. His hand writings were almost beautiful and clear as printing. Unbelievable.
Check out Dr Mary Newport book, her husband has early Alzheimer’s in his 50s, he carries the gene for Alzheimer’s , she was able to neutralized the disease progression in her husband that at least he can live a reasonable happy life versus before where her husband declined to a point that he forgot what to do with a fork/spoon in the morning, not knowing it’s used for eating cereal she provide for him.
Make sure she is getting enough dietary fat and I kid you not dietary cholesterol.
If she is on statins discuss getting her off it. The pharmaceuticals are trying to push statins as being preventative for Alzheimers but they are likely to be an aggravating factor.
The brain is 60% fat but cannot synthesize its own. It depends on the liver to provide it with needed cholesterol. By the time fats & cholesterol reach the brain much of it will have gotten oxidized in the journey.
(Not a doctor nor do I play one on the internet)
I wonder about Dr. Newport’s coconut oil prescription for Alzheimers. It sounds too good to be true, but there seem to be many people who say it has helped. I’m going to ask my doctor (the one who actually believes in prevention, not my PCP) tomorrow about that.
Eat lots of nuts!
Don’t be afraid of saturated fat. Meat fat, whatever. Her brain needs it.
It’s the carbs she needs to be picky about.
Popping in to agree how important it is to not automatically think all memory impairment is Alzheimer’s, not confuse them.
I just read an article that says that while Dr Newports husband had two years during which it seemed to help, he then continued to deteriorate. It also warns that coconut oil is very high in saturated fat.
I do use it on my skin & hair though.
This article has relevance to aging, and explains telescopy in a way that makes sense to me.
I think the suggestion for an alarm to remind me to stop and pay attention to my surroundings is a good one.
I tend to focus on what comes next, rather than what I am doing * now*.
http://www.nextavenue.org/6-ways-to-slow-down-time/
Ek, I agree. I’m on vacation now and I finally remember the last name of this person that I used to work. Brain calms down. My husband said I just have slower access time.
Yeah, I also have a slow access time when it’s work around that house that he wants me to do. Dang! Forgot to do that again.
Bus, I hope you know how to delegate. Important skill. I would delegate back to husband. Haha
I found an article about coconut oil following Dr Mary Newport.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2258665/Alzeimers-Can-coconut-oil-ease-Families-whove-given-loved-ones-swear-it.html
Oh yeah, I’ll just delegate them back to him! Of course the problem is, that he needs me to do those chores when he’s gone, so I guess I could delegate them to the dogs. Those dogs, they never do what I tell them to! Like me, they are plant killers. Always forget to water.
Interesting article. Seems worth trying, particularly if you can get your coconut oil in chocolate bars…
A new book- written by Jonathan Kozol,
http://www.cleveland.com/books/index.ssf/2015/06/jonathan_kozol_movingly_recoun.html
I’m one of those who everyone thinks is being paranoid about memory loss. I’m in my early 60s, and in the last year or so begun to notice that my memory is much worse than it was before. Typical symptoms are not primarily the short term memory loss, but more of things like not remembering the last name of someone who has worked across the hall for ages unless I really focused, or thought of something else and jumped back, etc. Same with street names of at places where I’ve been hundreds of times. I even went as far as documenting the number of incidents each day that I classified as yellow/orange/red to see if things are getting worse, and everyone close to me thinks it’s a joke. I sure hope they’re right.
Dad of 3- have you heard of the Sage memory test
Hope this makes you feel better.
http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/2010/04/test-your-memory-for-alzheimers.html
Post 57, in your link there is a thread whats the difference between dementia and AD, it states almost 50% of people over age 85 has Alzheimer’s, I’ve heard it from TV and it’s confirmed in that thread. I thought I had memory issue. Apparently not, maybe I had hearing problem, I missed the word “almost”.
I’m going to try that Sage memory test when I have time. I got the results from my cognitive test at the clinic, and my doctor said that they were by far the best she had ever seen, and I wasn’t showing anything to be concerned about. Apparently the test is designed for failure, not to do well. However…why do I forget someone’s name who told me five seconds ago? What is the name of that word again? And where did I put my coffee?