Memory Loss With Age: Not Necessarily Normal

As people grow older, memory and thinking skills decline relatively rapidly in those who end up with later dementia compared with folks who are aging normally—even before dementia or Alzheimer’s disease is officially diagnosed. That’s according to a study published today in the journal Neurology.

As part of a longitudinal aging study of older black and white individuals living in a Chicago community, researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago tested participants’ memory and thinking skills every three years for up to 11 years. (The subjects’ average age at the beginning of the study was 79.)

The findings suggested that the memory and thinking abilities of subjects who had mild cognitive impairment, the precursor to Alzheimer’s disease, declined two times as fast every year as the abilities of those without any cognitive problems at the beginning of the study. Likewise, thinking ability and memory in subjects with Alzheimer’s disease declined four times as fast as in those without any cognitive problems. No significant differences were found between white and black participants.

…continue reading from US News…

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Becoming a Family Caregiver

It is not unusual for a family member to suddenly find them self in the role of a caregiver to a seriously ill family member. We all go through varying stages of emotions when our lives have been transformed by becoming a family caregiver. Research has shown there are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. These are the emotions that form the framework which makes up our learning to adjust and cope with our life as a family caregiver while we watch someone we love struggle with chronic illness.

The responsibility of being a primary caregiver can overwhelm you. The time requirements and physical demands of caring for older people are taxing. The emotional stress can be ever worse. So consider all the consequences carefully before you agree to be come a primary family caregiver.

Family members are in a position to help reduce the burden and stress of caregiving. There are times when strong disagreements arise over the treatment of an ill family member. All too often, a care giving family member is pitted against a distant family member who may feel guilty for not "being there. If there has been a history of feeling left out, arguing, or providing an unfair share of care giving, there can be deep resentment, too.

A sudden serious illness of a family loved one often bring families closer together than they may have been in years. Children of the seriously ill parent will have to make informed adhesions. There are situations where it is clear who will make the decisions and how. Think about how your family operates.

The caregiver’s rights must be recognized by all involved both for the sake of the caregiver and the patient. Family members can provide some relief for the caregiver of an elderly family member. No caregiver can perform their tasks well without an occasional rest. In situations where other members are hesitant to provide assistance, the family can involve a third party, either a clergy member, or someone from a geriatric social service agency.

A caregiver is often unaware that have a right and a need to some down time. The caregiver must be aware of their needs as the first step in getting help from others. Often genuine offers of help are rejected by caregivers because they do not know what to ask for.

Gerald Melnick is the publisher of the blog Senior News. In an average month over 2000 articles are scanned from over 30 different resources, about articles that impact on senior citizens in the areas of Health, Money and Relationships. Excerpts of the articles are listed with a link to the article so that a quick scan can show what is available and take the reader right to the source article. News For Seniors.

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Finding a New Focus: August Is Cataract Awareness Month

Advances in lenses help address two vision problems at one time

Getting cataracts? Need reading glasses too?

Several new options for artificial lenses can both eliminate cataracts and correct vision problems so you may not need glasses ever again.

The same crystalline lens in the eye creates both presbyopia and cataracts. In healthy, young eyes, the lens, which sits behind the iris, adjusts automatically for near, intermediate and long-range vision. But over time it becomes harder and less able to focus on objects close up, a condition called presbyopia, which most people notice around age 40, when they need help to read. Eventually, the lens can become cloudy and opaque as a cataract forms. By age 65, about half of all Americans have some lens clouding, and by age 75 as many as 70% of Americans have significantly impaired vision due to cataracts.

Read more from the Wall Street Journal  here…

If you need help with the care of a loved one in the Simpsonville SC area, please visit  www.assistingangels.com.