Resources for coping with memory loss
Here are some of Memo Touch’s favorite, noncommercial websites:
Is it Alzheimers or something else?
Healthline:
“Dementia is a loss of brain function that occurs with certain diseases. It affects memory, thinking, language, judgment, and behavior…”
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WebMD:
“It's normal for our loved ones to become a bit forgetful as they age. So how can we separate a harmless "senior moment" from a more serious problem like Alzheimer's disease?...”
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WebMD:
“Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the term used by medical professionals when memory loss is greater than what "normally" occurs with aging, but a person is still able to perform normal daily activities…”
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What should I know as a family caregiver?
National Institute on Aging:
Forgetfulness: Knowing when to ask for help: "Many people worry about becoming forgetful. They think forgetfulness is the first sign of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Over the past few years, scientists have learned a lot about memory and why some kinds of memory problems are serious but others are not."
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Family Caregiver Alliance:
“Caregiving takes many forms. Many of us help older, sick, or disabled family members and friends every day. We know we are helping, but we don't think of ourselves as caregivers. We are glad to do this and feel rewarded by it, but if the demands are heavy, over time we can also become exhausted and stressed…”
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New York Times, Jan. 21, 2010
“Later outside the exam room, the son pulled me aside. I noticed the dark circles around his eyes. “You’re tired, aren’t you?” I asked him.
“The man’s dark eyes began to fill with tears. I immediately, reflexively almost, started apologizing for not being able to do more for his father. But he stopped me.
“ ‘No, no,’ he said, wiping the tears away with the back of his hand. ‘It’s not that. It’s not that at all.’ He paused and looked toward his father, still lying on the table in the room and smiling at the lights. ‘It’s just that no doctor has ever asked me if I was tired…’ ”
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Caregiver.com
By Dr. M. Ross Seligson
"Being able to cope with the strains and stresses of being a Caregiver is part of the art of Caregiving In order to remain healthy so that we can continue to be Caregivers, we must be able to see our own limitations and learn to care for ourselves as well as others."
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Where can I get help locally?
Alzheimers Association:
“If you or someone you care about has Alzheimer's disease, you need to find good care in your community. You've come to the right place…”
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U.S. Office on Aging:
“Welcome to the Eldercare Locator, a public service of the U.S. Administration on Aging connecting you to services for older adults and their families.You can also reach us at 1-800-677-1116…”
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What's new on the aging market?
Aging in Place Technology Watch:
"Innovation is alive and well in the aging in place technology space although it hasn't all been recently catalogued here. So catching up with some recent press releases and product announcements from the April to June timeframe, here are more technologies for helping older adults."
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What's the latest research telling us?
Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation:
May 3, 2011
Scientists have long been studying beta-amyloid, the sticky protein that builds up in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s disease. Everyone makes beta-amyloid, but in those with Alzheimer’s disease, the protein accumulates to toxic levels, eventually forming clumps in the brain called plaque that may play a part in damaging brain cells critical for thinking and memory.
But does this buildup of plaque occur in Alzheimer’s patients because they make too much beta-amyloid? Or are they unable to clear the sticky protein that naturally forms, the way healthy people do?"
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