New Scam Scare Tactics

I have often said that people who scam seniors are among the lowest form of human beings, if even you would qualify them as such. I am proud to say that Home Instead Senior Care has been diligent in their efforts to educate seniors and their families through our Senior Fraud Protection Kit and community education classes.

Sadly, the most painful fraud cases are instances where someone whom the senior knows exploits their trust for profit. More horrendous still are the stories of people who engage seniors and gain their trust for the sole purpose of exploiting them for personal gain. I suppose the theory is that you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Not so any longer.

Con artists have now come to the realization that they can more easily rob a senior by scare tactics and intimidation that by bothering to pretend to care. There are three of these new tactics which are worth mentioning and speaking to your senior loved ones about.

The first tactic is a plain and simple death threat. This sounds like something out of mobster movie but it is reality. An extortionist will tell a senior that a contract has been placed on their life and the only way to avoid getting whacked is to pay a premium. While this may sound ridiculously far fetched, consider the more than 1300 people who reported this crime in 2012 at a cost of over $2 million.

Secondly, an official looking person claiming to be from Social Security, Medicare, the police, etc. will show up at a senior's front door and demand immediate payment for a supposed fine. In some instances they use this tactic to simply gather personal data and financial data but most recently it is a direct push for actual payment.

The final and most prominent of the top three is the utility shakedown. A "utility worker" will show up and threaten to shut off utility services. This is an especially devastating threat during the winter and summer months when utilities can be an issue of survival in many parts of the county.

My hope is that one of these con-artists shows up on my front door step and tells me that there is a contract out on my life. On behalf of seniors and their families everywhere, I will happily turn the tables on him. I'll give him one for the Gipper!

http://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-08-2013/con-artists-use-fear-to-intimidate.html?intcmp=HP-spot2L

Alzheimer's and Red Meat

A recent study published in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease suggests that higher levels of iron in the body may contribute to Alzheimer's disease. While the study utilized a relatively small sample size, researchers believe that the iron may trigger a tissue breakdown associated with the disease. There are three things specifically mentioned as a way to address the elevated iron levels. The researchers suggest  that people reduce or stop red meat consumption, reduce or stop iron supplements, or that women have hysterectomies before menopause.

http://www.counselheal.com/articles/6463/20130822/red-meat-linked-alzheimers-disease.htm

So You Think You Can Dance

I am not ashamed to say that I am a reality TV junkie. I don't find there to be much programming on TV worth watching these days but I do have several favorite shows and virtually all of them fall into the reality TV category. Near the top of my DVR list is Fox's hit, So You Think You Can Dance.

In the show, pairs of dancers are asked every week to pair with a new choreographer and learn a new dance in a new style. For example, a classically trained ballerina and a hip hop dancer with no formal dance education will be paired together for a Viennese waltz. It is captivating.

While I watch it strictly to "ooh" and "ahh" at the feats displayed each week, there are benefits to dance which go far beyond entertainment. According to an article in yesterday's USA Today, dance offers some incredible benefits to seniors who are struggling with cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's.

 Enjoy!


http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/19/health-dance-art-alzheimers/2674973/

My First Book Report in Many Years

I am blessed to have the opportunity to work with seniors. The generation that Home Instead Senior Care currently serves is aptly described as "The Greatest Generation." While I am sure that each generation can lay claim to its own aspects of greatness, the generation that survived the depression and stormed the beaches at Normandy deserves a special place in history and a title to go along with it.

Yesterday, I finished reading The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. In it, Brown tells the remarkable story of the men's eight oared rowing crew which stunned the world by winning gold at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Many will choose to pass by this book due to a lack of interest in the topic of men's rowing, they will make a mistake in doing so.

The Boys in the Boat is about far more than rowing or the Olympics. The story of the 1936 team is a microcosm of the story of many young men of that generation. These were not carefully cultivated and well-bred athletes that seem to be emblematic of Olympic athletes today. These were boys coming up through impossibly difficult circumstances in order to triumph over adversity in life and on the water. In the book, Brown does a masterful job of interweaving the thickening plot of European politics of the time and the pilgrimmage of the Husky Clipper, the boat which carried the boys to gold. The rise of Hitler's Germany and the recovery of the United States from the Great Depression both serve as dramatic backdrops to the journey of those nine boys from Seattle to Berlin. Their victory was over more than just impossible odds. Their victory was a knife into the heart of an idea which would soon engulf the world in a horrible war. Perhaps more importantly, their victory blew new wind into the sail of an American dream which for many during those dark years seemed to have disappeared completely.

My favorite part of the book was the epilogue where Brown takes his readers beyond the race and briefly explores the lives each of The Boys in the Boat went on to live. Not surprisingly, the grit and determination they showed in conquering the world was evidenced throughout each of their individual lives as well.

I am glad that I read the book. I am blessed to work with many who belong to that generation and who have similarly remarkable stories to tell.

Beware- New Scam in NC

Crimes are, by their very nature, cruel acts performed at the expense of other people. As a society, we have found ways to excuse certain crimes by pairing them with defensible motivations; crimes of desperation, crimes of passion. Yet there are certain crimes for which no defense can be made. Crimes which victimize the elderly are among those.

Recently, a new wave of scams designed to defraud senior citizens has swept across the nation. The "Med Alert Scam" is nothing incredibly creative yet seniors in Texas, Michigan, Kentucky, New York and North Carolina have been the targets of this most recent con. The Attorney General's office in NC says that they have already fielded more than 100 calls reporting this scam. Imagine how many more are victimized in silence.

The basis of the con operates in two primary fashions. The most common form which has been observed begins with an automated phone call. The call informs its recipient that either they have won a free med alert system or that someone has purchased a med alert system for them.The call then requests that they enter their credit or debit card information to pay for shipping. The second form that the con is known to have taken is that of free merchandise being delivered. The merchandise is delivered with little to no explanation of where it is from or what it entails. The return instructions and conditions of receipt are confusing and shrouded by legal jargon and fine print. Sooner rather than later, large invoices being to arrive accompanied by letters threatening legal action or worse. Many seniors simply pay the invoices rather than asking for help or attempting to confront the scumbag operation.

Home Instead Senior Care has put together some fantastic and free resources on the topic of senior fraud prevention. While it would definitely behoove everyone to read through the principles of the program, an easy rule of thumb to remember regarding telephone fraud is that you should never give any information out during a phone call that you did not initiate. While the financial toll that this scam may take on many seniors is devastating, the emotional toll is equally as brutal. Seniors who are already struggling to maintain a connection to the rapidly changing world around them, now retreat even further, afraid to even pick up the phone.

Check out the free resources at www.protectseniorsfromfraud.com

Remember to Have a Cup of Hot Cocoa with Grandma

There is something nostalgic about the image of sitting down and having a cup of hot cocoa with grandma. Even though most of the hot cocoa I have consumed in my life has been done as an effort to stave off hypothermia during Boy Scout campouts, there is still something about the image of grandma fixing a cup of cocoa that is strangely comforting. As it turns out, perhaps my subconscious was trying to send me messages about improving cognitive function in seniors. My subconscious is, after all, very intelligent and concerned with matters of seniors and memory retention. I digress.

A new study has shown that seniors who consume an average of two cups of hot cocoa a day shown a slight improvement in their cognitive function. The sources releasing this study are quick to point out that drawing factual conclusions at this point would be unwise due to the small sample size and the relatively small differentiation they observed between the two groups studied. The scientists expressed concern that this in no way advocates the consumption of hot cocoa and cautioned against the dangers of obesity brought about by the needless consumption of hot cocoa with regards to cognitive function. Killjoys.

We could wait to have a cup of hot cocoa with grandma until the results of the study have been more fully flushed out. As for me and my house, we will take no chances by minimizing our chocolate intake until slow-poke scientists finish their work. Hot chocolate for all!

Below you will find a link to my favorite hot cocoa recipe. I recommend adding in a dash of cayenne and subbing in bittersweet chocolate chips for half of the chips it calls for. Salud!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/semi-homemade-cooking-with-sandra-lee/the-best-hot-chocolate-ever-recipe/index.html

 

New Study- Breastfeeding Reduces Risk of Alzheimer's

My wife and I have been blessed with six sons. We have been further blessed that she has been able to breast-feed all of them. The benefits of breastfeeding are multiple. While there are those who may exaggerate those benefits and those who may downplay them, the scientific evidence is fairly convincing. Breastfed babies have been shown to have a reduced risk of ear infections, stomach viruses, respiratory infections, atopic dermatis, asthma, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, childhood leukemia and a gastrointestinal disease in preterm infants known as necrotizing enterocolitis. There are also many who believe that breastfeeding increases a child's intelligence. For the mother, breastfeeding is reported to reduce the occurrences of postpartum depression, certain types of cancer, hypertension and diabetes. All things considered, breastfeeding is a very good thing.

A new report released in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease shows that breastfeeding may also lower a woman's risk of Alzheimer's disease. While it is a fairly small group that the study researched, the results are eye popping. Women who breastfed at some point in their lives showed a 64% reduction in their risk of Alzheimer's when compared to those who had children but didn't breast-feed.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57597014/breast-feeding-may-lower-moms-risk-of-alzheimers-disease/

Let's Talk About Sex...in Nursing Homes.

Sexuality is an exciting topic at any age. Thanks in no small part to the daily dose of sexuality we ingest through television and media, the drugs constantly offering to help us have better sex, and the societal mentality that defines people according to who they have sex with, we think about sex a lot. One place, however, you might not spend a great deal of time thinking about sex in is a nursing home. Times they are a-changing.

Seniors today are far more active than they have ever been before. They are living longer, fuller lives. While many of the senses may dull or fail with old age, the sense of touch remains intact. Seniors have desires and seniors are having sex.

A conversation with any worker in an assisted living community will confirm this fact if you have any doubt. When the families are through visiting, the room swaps begin. This has brought about some difficult ethical questions to answer for administrators in facilities and communities. Do they have the legal power to stop consensual sex between adults? At what point is sex no longer consensual with regards to dementia?

There are examples on both sides of the debate. On the more conservative side is an example out of Iowa where to two seniors with dementia were caught having sex on Christmas day. Administrators and nurses were fired and lambasted as public examples of negligence. Charges were filed by the family against the facility for failing to prevent the rape of one resident by another. Eventually, both of the residents in question passed away as did the lawsuit. The administrators never worked in senior care again; the scarlet letter of a new era. In the Bronx, there is a nursing home with an entirely different take on the issue which is making headlines. At this home, the administrator brags that his staff "actively encourages and supports sex and intimacy among its residents. Our position is very strongly that consenting adults who have capacity, this is a civil right of theirs. They do not give up a civil right simply because they are in need of nursing care in a facility. And that our obligation as a nursing facility is to encourage their civil rights, as we would do with respect to voting."

No matter where you fall on this issue, the reality is that seniors are having sex more than probably ever before. With the rapidly increasing numbers of this demographic and the rise of seniors who are struggling with dementia, this is a conversation that needs to be had.

Senior Fraudsters Arrested in Our Area

Ten people are in jail in Raleigh/Durham for defrauding seniors after being arrested as a part of "Operation Nail It", a task force targeting con-artists who victimize seniors by pretending to do home repair work. Earlier this year, Home Instead Senior Care put a number of resources out into the community as a part of our campaign to help prevent senior fraud. In home repair scams, a serviceman will typically come directly to the home unsolicited and point out some repairs that desperately need to be completed. They will usually demand payment up front for the "services" but in actuality the only service they provide is the removal of funds from a victims bank account. Hear one senior's tragic tale of fraud below:

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=9188886

For tips on how to protect the seniors in your life from con-artists like this go to: www.protectseniorsfromfraud.com

Low Testosterone Shown To Increase Risk For Parkinson's

In a recent study, a drop in the testosterone levels of male mice caused them to manifest symptoms that appear to be very similar to those found in Parkinson's Disease. Male testosterone levels typically peak in the mid-30's and then decline around 1% each year thereafter. The decline can be made more sudden by other factors such as stress or other life events. Low testosterone has also been linked to an increased risk for Alzheimer's. Given that men are already known to be 1.5 times more likely to develop Parkinson's, the link to lower testosterone levels seems to make a lot of sense.

http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/17863/20130728/mouse-study-shows-link-between-low-testosterone.htm

Exciting News in the Battle Against Alzheimer's!

I typically hesitate posting medical journals or studies on this blog because I assume that those reading it probably don't have the time to sift through the jargon and medical terminology. However, this is some exciting news on the Alzheimer's front that I think needs to be shared. Out of respect for everyone's time, I will briefly summarize my understanding of the findings as well as post the actual article below.

Scientists have previously identified a gene, APOE4, which is known to increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's later in life. Individuals who possess one copy of the gene are three times more likely to develop Alzheimer's and those who possess more than one copy are ten times more likely. That discovery was made in 1991. This is not news.

The exciting news is the recent discovery that people who have the APOE4 gene experience changes in the way that 215 other genes express themselves before they actually develop Alzheimer's.  This is exciting for a number of reasons. Mostly, it means that scientists can begin to look into early ways to intervene BEFORE symptoms appear. All of the treatment options for people with Alzheimer's currently are behind the proverbial eight ball. Once you develop the disease THEN doctors look into ways that they can slow the progression. There is currently no feasible way to predict who will get it. There is no way to prevent people from acquiring it. There is no way to cure people who have it. In a world of gray skies and dim possibilities, this is finally some sunshine from behind the clouds.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-24/path-of-alzheimer-s-disease-risk-gene-tracked-scientists-say.html

Parkinson's Didn't Stop an Astronaut From His Space Walk

This is an amazing story about astronaut Rich Clifford, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease when he was 42 yrs old. He went on to fly in another space shuttle mission and complete a lengthy space walk in spite of his diagnosis. After 15 yrs of staying silent on the subject, he now tours the country to raise awareness for Parkinson's and to tell his own fantastic story.

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/14/parkinsons-didnt-stop-his-space-walk/

China Mandates That Children Care For Their Parents.

The People's Republic of China made waves recently by enacting "The Law of Protection of Rights and Interests of the Aged." Among other things, this law mandates that children visit their parents regularly in order to provide for their financial and spiritual needs. Senior issues are an area of critical concern for China. Currently, they have approximately 185 million people over the age of 60. By 2050, the elderly are predicted to account for more than a third of the entire population. Read more about it below.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/02/world/asia/china-elderly-law/index.html?iref=allsearch

Woman Marries for the Fourth Time at 80 Yrs Old

A local woman made headlines this week when she married for the fourth time at the age of 80. When a local news station interviewed her recently, they asked her a myriad of questions about life, marriage, happiness, and of course her new husband. 

 The interviewer asked her questions about what it felt like to be marrying again at 80, and then... about her new husband's occupation. "He's a funeral director," she answered.

"Interesting," the newsman thought.

He then asked her if she wouldn't mind telling him a little about her first three husbands and what they did for a living. She paused for a few moments, needing time to reflect on all those years. After a short time, a smile came to her face and she answered proudly, explaining that she had first married a banker when she was in her 20's, then a circus ringmaster when in her 40's, and a preacher when in her 60's, and now - in her 80's - a funeral director.

The interviewer looked at her, quite astonished, and asked why she had married four men with such diverse careers.

She smiled and explained,

"I married one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go."

 

- Thanks to HISC franchise owner Karin Lindblom for sending this to me.

AARP says that 1 out of 4 Retired Early to Care for a Spouse

One-in-5 employees age 45-74 say they expect to take time off of work to care for a spouse, a parent or relative in the next five years, AARP officials say.

An AARP report, "Keeping Up with the Times: Supporting Family Caregivers with Workplace Leave Policies," also said 1-in-4 retirees said they left the workforce earlier than planned to care for an ill spouse or other family member.

"The aging of the population, changing workforce demographics and increasing demands on family caregivers are colliding at the expense of working caregivers," Lynn Feinberg, senior strategic policy adviser with the AARP Public Policy Institute and author of the report, said in a statement.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2013/06/19/One-in-5-employees-age-45-74-must-quit-work-for-caregiving/UPI-41721371620805/#ixzz2Xzilse9x

What Good is Long Term Care Insurance?

I have heard countless horror stories about insurance. It seemed to be ubiquitous during the debate leading up to the passage of the new healthcare law. Insurance companies are out to get us! Evil corporations are profiteering on the misfortune of others!

Unfortunately, the positive aspects of being insured never receive the same fanfare as the tales of woe which are politically useful when public servants are attempting to push an agenda. I suppose they don't make for interesting news stories. "Stay tuned to hear about how a father purchased insurance for his family and then received the benefit to which he was entitled when his son broke his arm at a middle school soccer game." Next.

At Home Instead Senior Care, I have the opportunity to visit with families each day who are faced with the fiscal reality of what it takes to provide quality care for their aging parents. Most are thrust into being a family caregiver without any warning or forethought. They wake up at 3am to a phone call letting them know that their relationship to their parents has forever changed. They thought they had more time. Many have no plan in place. As a result, they will spend the years to come in a constant tug-o-war between the desire to give their parents the best care available and the financial reality of providing that care. Sacrifices will be made. Compromises will be agreed upon. Regrets will endure.

Other families will never face that music. They will likely wake to the same phone call at 3am. Their lives will probably also change with little or no warning. They also thought that they had more time. But they have a plan in place. Years ago, their parents saw the proverbial writing on the wall and purchased a Long Term Care Insurance(LTCI) policy for themselves. Their children will still work to give them the best care available but will never be forced to make the same heartbreaking decisions as others in similar situations. They will have tools and resources at their disposal as a result of their parents' foresight.

There are horror stories about every type of insurance policy not providing benefits in the way in which it was expected but those stories are the rare exception and not the rule. The reality is that most of us go through life paying for insurance policies which protect us against things from which we will likely never suffer.  Most people will live their lives without ever suffering a catastrophic injury or illness. And yet there is a tremendous sense of urgency to be insured 'just in case.' A LTCI Policy is the one type of policy that is not a 'just in case' arrangement. You will get older. You will need help. It is only a question of when. And when that time comes, how will your children provide for you?

Carnivore with a Side of Vegan

As a professing Texan (as if there was any other kind), I soundly reject all aspects of the plant based approach to survival. In my mind, heaven looks like an amazing cookout. Jesus, Moses, Noah, Paul, John and I are all sitting on a deck somewhere in Texas in mid-April. Perfectly marbled, 2 inch thick rib-eye steaks are sizzling their way to a glorious medium-rare and some of Texas' finest craft beer waits to be poured while we talk theology and Aggie football. Paradise.

Yet the growing number of studies being publishing which detail the tremendous health risk of an animal based protein diet have certainly gotten my attention. I read them all online with a skeptic's eye and then quickly delete my browsing history lest someone should suspect me of considering them as a viable alternative to carnivorism.

Recently, I found myself watching an excerpt from a speech given by Neal Barnard MD. In this excerpt, Dr.Barnard speaks of the huge health risk that a diet high in saturated fat poses. He goes as far as to state that minimizing the levels of saturated and trans fat intake substantially lowers the risk for Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment. While I do not personally subscribe to some of the more extreme steps that he and many of his colleagues recommend for reasons previously stated, I do believe that our country consumes far too much meat and far too few vegetables. Watch the video below but tell no one you saw it here.

Bundle Up Folks!

Two weeks ago, I spent the entire Sunday in shorts and a t-shirt playing basketball with my oldest three sons. This past Sunday, the clothing ensemble looked more appropriate to a typical January day but the weather was still remarkably warm coming on the heels of a snowy Friday morning which caused the cancellation and delay of  hundreds of schools and businesses across the Triangle. This morning's forecast warns of an extreme cold front moving through our area during the next few days. Tonight's temperatures are expected to dip into the low twenties and tomorrow night will reach into the teens. Daytime temps will offer very little respite from the cold. High temperatures are expected to be in the low 40's with wind chills that should keep most of us inside for the next 7-10 days. Brrrrr!

In light of the approaching winter weather, allow me to ask a question. What are you doing to make sure that the senior in your life survives? Pardon the Draconian language but extreme bouts of cold weather are potentially lethal for seniors.

Part of the normal aging process is a natural thinning of the skin. Gone are the days of being regarded as 'thick-skinned.' This change makes it more difficult for a senior to regulate the temperature of their own body. By itself, thin skin isn't particularly dangerous and is easy problem for which to compensate. The complications arise when you factor in some of the other changes and realities of the normal aging process. A senior nervous system doesn't process information as quickly as it did during younger years. As a result, a senior likely will not realize he is cold until the early effects of hypothermia have already set in. Furthermore, one of the early signs of hypothermia is muscle stiffness particularly in the neck, arms and legs. Have you ever met a senior who complains of being a little stiff? Ironically, the chronic aches and pains that most seniors have grown accustomed to ignoring are the very ones that should alert them of danger within their own bodies.

For a moment, we should consider the possibility that the seniors in our lives might also be taking prescription medications. Seniors account for 25% of all prescription medications taken in this country so it seems only reasonable that we consider this as a possibility. Many of the medications that seniors take can further inhibit the body's natural alarm systems placing seniors at an even greater risk.

Here are a few things you can do if you are a senior to protect yourself:

• If you live alone, arrange for a daily check-in call with a friend, neighbor, relative, etc.
• Wear warm clothing. Instead of tight clothing, wear several loose, warm layers. Wear a hat and scarf to avoid significant heat loss through your head and neck. Stay dry. Moisture from perspiration, rain, or melting snow can seriously reduce or destroy the insulating value of clothing because water conducts body heat over 25 times faster than air.
• Use extra blankets because hypothermia can develop during sleep.
• Eat nutritious foods and exercise moderately; proper diet and physical conditioning help protect you against abnormal heat and cold.
• Get proper rest; fatigue makes you more vulnerable to subnormal heat and cold.
• Drink adequate amounts of liquids, such as water. Limit your alcohol intake because alcohol speeds up body heat loss.

Check out this article from the SC Office on Aging about warning signs and dangers of hypothermia in senior citizens.  http://aging.sc.gov/seniors/HealthAndSafety/Pages/ColdWeatherTips.aspx

The Fine Line Between Binging and Moderation

Researchers at Rutgers University have reported that binge drinking can decrease the development of adult brain cells by as much as 40 percent. Whew! I sure am glad that I don't have a binge drinking problem.

Not so fast. Also included in the study is information about the thin line that tends to separate drinking in moderation from what many consider to be binge drinking.

It has long been accepted as truth that a couple glasses of wine each day are a good way to promote cardiovascular and brain health. However, lead author of the study, Megan Anderson, cautions "Moderate drinking can become binge drinking without the person realizing it. In the short term, there may not be any noticeable motor skills or overall functioning problems. But in the long term, this type of behavior could have an adverse effect on learning and memory."

According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, men who drink 14 drinks a week and women who drink 7 are considered at-risk drinkers. While many people commonly assume that binge drinking is a strictly collegiate phenomenon, the statistics counter that assumption. According to the institute, 70 percent of binge drinking involved adults age 26 and older. "This research indicates that social or daily drinking may be more harmful to brain health than what is now believed by the general public."

Dementia Observations

I was watching on of my favorite "lazy Sunday afternoon movies' this weekend, A Few Good Men. At one point in the movie, the lawyers are discussing their case when Tom Cruise's character says: "It doesn't matter what you think. It only matters what you can prove!" Sometimes art really does imitate life. But then again, sometimes it doesn't.

There are a number of things that I have learned in my years at Home Instead Senior Care. Some lessons I have learned correlate with specific scientific studies and factoids which validate my amateur assertions. Most of the time, however, my experience has taught me things that medical science may not publish.

This is one of those times.

There is an old adage about Alzheimer's and dementia which states: "Once you've seen one case of Alzheimer's, you've seen one case of Alzheimer's." That is true. And while every person who battles with Alzheimer's has a unique story to tell, there are some fairly consistent themes. Alzheimer's is typically a steady progression. It may be a fast progression. It may be a slow progression. In every case I have seen, it is a steady progression.

Here is a theoretical (and in no way related to a real person that I spoke with recently) example.
A previously competent father falls one morning and is admitted to a hospital for observation. After being discharged, he is sent to a rehab facility where he can receive medical attention for his wounds until they are healed. Within days of admittance into the facility, he begins to show massive signs of confusion and is hardly able to carry on a conversation. The family contacts me and says- 'He won't be able to return home now that his Alzheimer's has progressed.'

This is not the Alzheimer's that I have seen. Whenever there is an immediate drop in cognitive function, there is almost always another cause. There might be a stroke or some other type of event. Most commonly, it is a result of medication changes in my experience. Senior's kidneys work less efficiently and therefore make them more susceptible to the effects of 'pharmacological tinkering.'

So if you see someone who was as 'sharp as a tack' yesterday and 'doesn't know he's in the world' today, chances are that it isn't Alzheimer's.


[Opinions expressed therein are observational in nature and do not constitute a medical diagnosis. Lair Family Ventures LLC dba Home Instead Senior Care are not liable for any damage done if reader adopts what was previously stated as an opinion as a matter of fact. But seriously people, why would you look to a blog to diagnose or treat anyone. I'm flattered. But seriously?]