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Elder CareTips:
Mastering The Eldercare Maze™
March 15, 2006
What's The
Difference Between
Alzheimer's
and Dementia?
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"What's the difference
between dementia and Alzheimer's?" It's a common
question, and doctors are some of the best at confusing
us. Physicians seem to prefer the word "dementia" -
maybe because Alzheimer's has become such a loaded word.
"Dementia" somehow sounds less frightening to many
people, and now even the experts have started using the
words interchangeably.
They aren't interchangeable. Alzheimer's and dementia
are two very different things.
Dementia is a symptom. Pain is a symptom, and many
different injuries and illnesses can cause pain. When
you go to the doctor because you hurt, you won't be
satisfied if the doctor diagnoses "pain" and sends you
home. You want to know what is causing the pain, and how
to treat it.
"Dementia" simply means the symptom of a deterioration
of intellectual abilities resulting from an unspecified
disease or disorder of the brain.
Alzheimer's Disease is one disease/disorder that causes
dementia. Many other illnesses or "syndromes" can also
cause dementia. Parkinson's Disease can cause dementia.
A stroke can cause dementia. Even dehydration can cause
dementia.
Many of the things that can cause dementia are
treatable, even potentially curable.
If you have taken your elder to the doctor and received
a diagnosis of "dementia" you haven't received a
diagnosis at all. Unless you know what is causing the
dementia you can't begin to treat it's root cause.
If your physician has diagnosed "dementia" it's time for
a second opinion. You are probably dealing with a
physician who is either not comfortable with the truth,
or who doesn't know how (or doesn't want to bother) to
differentiate between all the possible causes of
dementia. Either way, a skilled geriatrician or a
neurologist who is comfortable with seniors would be a
good bet.
One
has a greater sense of intellectual degradation after an
interview
with a
doctor than from any human experience.
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Elder CareTip:
A Watched Pot Never Boils...Dry
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I t's so easy to do,
and it can have such devastating consequences...leaving a
pan of water on the stove to boil dry. If your elder is in
the habit of boiling water in a pan for instant coffee,
tea, or soup, your next gift for the house should be a
safer tea pot.
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best pots have sensors that turn the unit off if it
goes dry...they are so much safer than a pot on the
stove. Best of all are the electric ones that can be
immersed in water. The
pot on the right is an example of one that isn't
too "cute" for a man to be comfortable using.
Then, of course, your
next job will be to convince your elder to use it.
I'm still working on that one.
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On the whole,
caregivers spend far too much time on the phone. When our
time is precious and our patience is worn thin, there's
nothing more frustrating than that endless loop of "push
one," "push two." Someone sent me this link to
Get Human. Use their directions to bypass that endless
loop and get right to a human being at over 400 U.S.
companies. Try it - you'll like it!
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Really Interesting Stuff
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(Source: Philadelphia
Daily News) Most everyone who cares for a person with
dementia would like to be able to peer into the brain of
their person - to get a glimpse of what's happening in
there. Maybe if we could better understand we could better
help, better empathize, better care.
We can't actually get
in there yet, but maybe we can "see" through the eyes of
someone with Alzheimer's disease in another way. In a
series of six powerful self-portraits artist William
Utermohlen documented the progressive ravaging of his
brain by Alzheimer's disease.
His works, completed
shortly after his diagnosis, convey feelings of terror and
isolation, later giving way to defiance and anger; then
shame, confusion and anguish. In his final portraits,
there are little more than afterimages of a creative and
talented spirit whose identity appears to have vanished.
His paintings are
about half way down the page.
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