Testing For Memory Problems

I came across some not-so-new information (2005) that has enforced my determination to see if my mother can be helped by testing for memory problems she is having.

In an article on rxpgnews.com, research decribes testing for the difference in alzheimer's and the second most common dementia, frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Anything that can determine the possible type and intervention available is all I'm looking for!

The MRI test is not invasive and less expensive than other scans. Now to get the doctor on board.

Remember What?

Mom has been having more periods of confusion as well as the failure to recall nouns in everyday conversation. Time and days are becoming more illusive for her also. This morning I brought up the subject again of having the doctor go ahead and order the MRI and other tests that may help in a diagnosis.

In a previous post, I reported on brief testing done at the memory clinic of our local hospital. At that time, the doctor reading the results felt enough concern that he suggested the full battery of tests to understand what was happening to her and, if it was Alzheimer's, possibly slow things down with the proper medication. At first, Mom was receptive to the idea. Then, because a friend suggested they take a "memory class", she wanted to fore go the tests until a later time, if at all.

Well, the class never happened and I think the time for testing has come. Her regular doctor's appointment is the first week in July. When I eased into the subject this morning, she was agreeable and said yes, she would do anything. I don't want to force her...some people may not want to know their future. Especially if that future includes memory loss.

Mother and I will be away for two weeks before her doctor's appointment, having the time of her life, I hope. We'll be seeing old friends, relatives and familiar places for what will surely be the last time in my mother's life. Traveling is becoming a hardship for her, but I feel this may well be the last gift of this type I can give her that she will enjoy...and hopefully, remember.

Safety Planning for Wanderers

When the diagnosis of Alzheimer's is made, the patient may be experiencing early stage mild memory loss and confusion. Challenges arise when individuals progress to the middle stages. Wandering is a classic behavioral symptom in the middle stage, and one which often becomes a safety issue. The question for caregivers is how to ensure safety without limiting mobility and freedom.

While there are common symptoms that characterize Alzheimer's disease, each person experiences the illness differently. Therefore, wandering may be a more serious issue for some than others. Steps should be taken to implement a safety plan. A very important step to take is enrolling the person in an identification bracelet program. Check with your local Alzheimer's Resource Center if you have one, or the Sheriff's Department in your County. The ID bracelets are registered with the Sheriff's departments, so they should be able to give you information on who to see for a safety program kit. Tragic outcomes can be avoided and lives can be saved with planning.

The Verdict on Coffee

It looks like the verdict is in on coffee. Coffee is good for you...in some ways. While coffee has been much maligned in the past, it appears to have some health benefits according to recent research.

It is one of few drinks these days that doesn't come loaded with sugar and calories. The experts say it may guard against gout, diabetes, and alzheimers among other health problems. Studies have also suggested coffee could lower the risk of Parkinson's disease, depression and suicide.

That's quite a list of possibilities for something that is still considered a guilty pleasure. Coffee consumption has picked up in the last 10 years or so. With the explosion of Starbucks and other coffee chains, more than half of Americans are drinking coffee regularly. The problem comes when cream and sugar is added to coffee along with whipped cream and flavorings that add up to hundreds of calories.

Doctors haven't gone so far as to prescribe coffee, but they aren't telling people to give it up, either. Two cups a day is considered okay for most people. Everything in moderation.

Now We Wait

This morning was my mother's monthly appointment to check the levels of blood thinner in her system. Until recently, I took her for this blood work every week and her medications were adjusted each time as necessary. Her new doctor felt that was excessive and told her he didn't do things that way. Needless to say, the new schedule made ME happy, so long as it was good for Mom.

This appointment was also the first time she had been back to her primary care physician since the last visit to Memory Care. I spoke of this in my post Let's Face It...Who Likes Exercise? as exercise was one of the things suggested to keep the brain functioning better for longer. No one can be really certain they have the beginnings of Alzheimers disease, but the doctor at Memory Care felt there was enough concern from the initial testing that Mom should go ahead with the full battery of tests, including an MRI. If she wanted to. And up to today, she wanted to! According to Mom, she "just didn't want to say anything about it right now".

So now we wait. I hope I'll be ready to hear the verdict when she finally is ready. In the meantime, lots of exercise to do!

Let's Face it. Who Likes Exercise?

Today was a little unnerving. I took my mother for a follow up visit to a memory care specialist. She has some issues going on that have given us both concerns over just what this is. Or could be. The specialist apparently has a few "concerns" as well, nothing concrete but suggests she go ahead with the full battery of tests to see if it could confirm that the big "A" is coming on. I've been reading some on the brain and alzheimer's as well as other forms of dementia. Studies have shown that exercise, physical as well as mental, can help in postponing the progression of the disease. So what's on my mind now is how to encourage an 84 year old woman with bad knees to exercise. In her case, walking is best. Fortunately, we live in a state where bad weather is not an issue. Motivation is. Not just my mother but me! Let's face it. Who really likes to exercise? We're told it's good for just about everything. It's time to find out.