Alzheimer’s disease

Leave a comment Posted on June 16, 2016June 15, 2016 Alzheimer's

What to do if you’ve just been diagnosed with dementia (or Alzheimer’s disease)!

Single Payer Healthcare?

Whether your diagnosis came as a shock, or confirmed what you’d suspected for some time, it’s important to plan ahead while you’re still able to make clear decisions for yourself.

If you’ve just been diagnosed with dementia, you may be feeling numb, scared and unable to take everything in. Give yourself a little time to adjust. It might help to talk it through with family and friends.

Once the initial feelings have passed, it’s time to move on and create an action plan for the future. Dementia is a progressive illness, so the sooner you take care of legal, financial and healthcare matters, the better. These are the key things to think about:

Get assessed

Your local authority has a duty to carry out a care and support needs assessment to establish which of its services you need. To arrange an assessment, contact social services or your GP.

Read more about how to get an assessment for a person with dementia. For further information, read the Alzheimer’s Society’s factsheet on community care assessments.

Services and support

Find out what’s available locally, so you’re prepared and able to call on this support as and when you need it. Services arranged by local authorities vary between areas, but may include home care services, equipment and adaptations for your home. Some services, such as community nursing, are arranged through the NHS. Ask your hospital consultant for details.

Charities such as the Alzheimer’s Society, Age UK and Dementia UK provide a range of services, including information, helplines, support groups, lunch clubs and home care schemes.

Read more about what to expect from social services and the NHS and where to find sources of help and support for people with dementia.

Making a will

It’s a good idea to make a will, if you haven’t already. This ensures that when you die, your money and possessions go to people of your choosing. A person with dementia can still make or change a will, provided you can show that you understand what you are doing and what the effects of it will be. Your solicitor will decide if this is the case.

Read more about dementia and legal issues, including making a will. The Alzheimer’s Society also has a useful factsheet on managing legal affairs.

Putting your papers in order

Make sure that all your important papers can be easily found. These might include bank and building society statements, mortgage or rent documents, insurance policies, your will, tax and pension details, bills and guarantees.

Consider setting up direct debits or standing orders for your regular bills. This will mean they are paid automatically from your bank account each month.

Read more about managing someone else’s banking.

Claiming benefits

Check that you are claiming all the benefits you’re entitled to. In particular, check:

whether you are eligible for Personal Independence Payment (which replaced Disability Living Allowance in early 2013) or Attendance Allowance
whether your carer (if you have one) is eligible for Carer’s Allowance

Lasting power of attorney

You can appoint one or more people as “attorneys” to manage your affairs, including your finances, property and medical treatment, should it become necessary. You can choose anybody you trust to be your attorney, usually a close friend or family member, but they must be over 18.

Advance care planning

You may wish to make an advance care plan, so you can have a say in your future medical care. It enables you to refuse, in advance, a specific medical treatment or procedure, should you become unable to decide for yourself in the future.

Find out about advance care planning.

Take care of your mental health

If you’re depressed or feeling very down, talk to your GP. Depression is very common in early dementia and there are a range of treatments, including talking treatments, that can help.

Staying well

As with other long-term conditions, it’s important to look after yourself when you have dementia, by stopping smoking, eating healthily and taking regular exercise. Ask your GP if you would benefit from flu vaccination and pneumonia vaccination.

Read more about living well with dementia.

Memory books

Memory books can be a helpful way of stimulating your memory and reconnecting you with your loved ones in the future. Essentially, it’s a “This is Your Life” compilation of photographs, notes and keepsakes from your childhood through to the present day. It can be either a physical book or a digital system, like a photo book.

Dementia books on prescription

Reading Well Books on Prescription for dementia offer support for people diagnosed with dementia, plus their relatives and carers. GPs and other health professionals can recommend titles from a list of 25 books on dementia. The books are available for anyone to borrow for free from their local library.

Books on Prescription for dementia are also available to people living without a formal diagnosis, who may be worrying about symptoms.

Summary

Information on what to do if you’ve just been diagnosed with dementia, including advice on benefits, legal affairs, social services and more.

Leave a comment Posted on June 13, 2016June 13, 2016 Alzheimer's

Signs of Dementia & Moving into a Nursing Home

People with dementia

For millions of older Americans, moving into a nursing home is a common step as many start to require more assistance and specialized care. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 1.4 million residents live in a nursing home facility and are likely to make it their permanent residence for the rest of their lives. Older individuals move to nursing homes for a number of reasons from a short visit after a surgery to a permanent stay after suffering from a memory loss issue like Alzheimer’s.

Today, there are a great number of nursing home facilities that are specialized in memory care or have a specific wing or unit for elders with dementia. If you are a caregiver or relative to an elderly loved one, here are some signs of dementia and some steps to consider when moving him or her into a nursing home facility:

What is Dementia?

Many people think that dementia is a specific disease affecting the brain, but instead, it is a term that describes the wide range of symptoms associated with memory loss and other cognitive skills severe enough to interfere with an individual’s ability to perform simple, daily tasks. There are two common types of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. Alzheimer’s accounts for about 80% of dementia cases, while vascular dementia occurs after a stroke. Alzheimer’s disease occurs when there are high levels of a certain protein inside and outside of brain cells, making it hard for the cells to stay healthy and communicate properly and the hippocampus (the learning and memory center of the brain) becomes damaged, leading to memory loss.

Many people assume that dementia is a natural part of aging and is often mistakenly called “senility”, but dementia occurs when brain cells have been damaged due to depression, medication side effects, alcohol abuse, thyroid issues, and even vitamin deficiencies. While damage is often permanent, some damage can be stopped or prevented from getting worse when certain condition (listed above) are treated.

The Warning Signs of Dementia

Although dementia can affect each individual differently, depending on the type of dementia one has, there are common warning signs that can alert a caregiver or a relative that an elderly individual may have dementia. Some signs may include, but are not limited to:

Memory Loss: Forgetting newly learned information, asking for the same information repeatedly, forgetting important dates or information.

Struggle with Planning or Solving: An individual may be showing a early sign of dementia if he or she struggles with tasks that used to be easy such as simple math problems, keeping track of bills and important paperwork, and following a familiar recipe.

Unaware of Time or Place: Everyone may lose track of time every now and again, but when someone doesn’t know how he or she got to where he or she is or is confused about a time or place, he or she may have dementia.

Change in Mood or Personality: Damage to brain cells can make someone seem like he is someone else. He or she may not enjoy things like he or she used to or doesn’t trust or feel comfortable around friends and family.

Time to Move

When someone starts to show signs of dementia, many caregivers and loved ones try to “cover up” any evidence. Unfortunately, over time, particularly as the symptoms get worse, it becomes harder to help out and manage the symptoms like memory loss, changes in moods, and struggling to do daily tasks. As symptoms worsen, the health and overall safety of the individual with dementia is at risk.

According to Salvi, Schostok, & Pritchard, PC, early planning and research can make for an easier transition when it’s time to move a loved one into a nursing home. Before an incident occurs, such as getting lost or causing harm to oneself, caregivers and loved ones should begin to plan a move into a nursing home facility where the individual can receive the specialized and safe care that he or she needs.

Leave a comment Posted on May 22, 2016May 19, 2016 Alzheimer's

Dementia – what are the early signs of dementia?

With an aging population dementia (such as Alzheimer’s disease) are becoming more common.

So we felt it would be useful to share this useful infographic on the early signs and symptoms of dementia.

From Visually.

Leave a comment Posted on January 14, 2016January 14, 2016 Diet

Coffee – what are the health benefits of coffee and how do different countries view coffee and health?

Coffee, Diet and Health- what are the health benefits of coffee and how do different countries view coffee and health?

Despite a cultural love of coffee, over a third (39%) of Europeans are uncertain about the potential health benefits of coffee. Coffee remains integrated into the European lifestyle: predominantly drunk at home, at work or in cafes, with 40% of respondents saying coffee gets their day off to a good start.

The consumer research, conducted by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC), surveyed over 4,000 people across 10 European countries[1], to understand their beliefs, behaviours, and knowledge regarding a healthy diet.

The results show that although 70% of Europeans believe they are healthy, many still don’t know what lifestyle changes they can make to help reduce their risk of common, serious health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and cardiovascular disease. Age was an important determining factor: with the youngest and oldest respondents revealing the biggest knowledge gaps.

Coffee, Diet and Health

Key findings:

European respondents told us that they are healthy. Given the overall rise in obesity and related health problems in Europe, some respondents may be over-confident about their own health[2]:

· 70% of Europeans overall described themselves as either ‘fairly healthy’ or ‘very healthy’

· The French were most likely to describe themselves as either ‘fairly healthy’ or ‘very healthy’ (83%)

· The Danes were most likely to describe themselves as either ‘fairly unhealthy’ or ‘very unhealthy’ (51%)

· Coffee drinkers were 12% more likely to report better levels of health than non-coffee drinkers

· 76% of Europeans said they need more information on maintaining a healthy lifestyle

· 46% of women and 40% of men said their New Year’s resolution was to eat more healthily in 2016

Day-to-day health anxieties are prioritised over longer-term health risks, according to the survey results, despite the fact that cancer[3], cardiovascular (heart) disease[4] and excessive alcohol consumption[5] are some of the biggest public health concerns in Europe:

· 24% of respondents wanted to better manage their stress levels (the most stressed country was Italy, with 32% of Italians worried about stress), and 28% wanted to feel more energetic and less fatigued (the most tired country was Finland, with 45% of Finns worried about fatigue); compared to just 12% overall who were concerned about getting cancer, and 10% who were concerned about their heart health

· 18-24 year olds are as likely to cut down on coffee for their New Year’s resolution as they are to cut down on alcohol (9% for both). Danes are 2% more likely to cut down on alcohol than coffee

Respondents often struggled to recognise the potential health benefits of coffee:

· 71% of Europeans believe that drinking coffee does not help to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes (75% of those aged 55+ held this belief). However, scientific research suggests that drinking 3-4 cups of coffee a day is associated with an approximate 25% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes[6,7]

· 63% of Europeans believe that drinking coffee does not help to reduce the risk of mental decline in older people, for example Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease (64% of those aged 55+ who answered this question held this belief). Yet research suggests that moderate, life-long consumption of coffee is associated with a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s[8,9]

· 42% of Europeans believe that drinking coffee increases the risk of cardiovascular (heart) disease (54% of those aged 18-24 held this belief). But scientific studies have suggested an association between moderate coffee consumption and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease[10,11]

Age plays a large role in defining respondents’ awareness of coffee’s role in a healthy diet:

· On average, 18-24 year olds were the least successful at recognising the potential health benefits of coffee: for example, just over a quarter (28%) did not know that coffee can help increase concentration and alertness

· Older respondents displayed very poor knowledge of diseases that could potentially pose the highest statistical risk to them: over half (56%) of those aged 35 and above are not aware of the potential health benefits of coffee relating specifically to cognitive decline, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease risk

67% of Europeans stated that they could not imagine life without coffee. The health effects of coffee consumption have been extensively researched: moderate consumption of coffee at 3-5 cups per day[12] has been associated with a range of desirable physiological effects and fits within a healthy diet and active lifestyle. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are advised by EFSA to consume no more than 200mg of caffeine, per day, from all sources. This is equivalent to no more than two cups per day[13].

Professor Chris Seal, Professor of Food and Human Nutrition at Newcastle University, UK said: “Many Europeans enjoy a cup of coffee, but clearly some feel guilty about drinking it – and unnecessarily so. Moderate, regular coffee consumption at 3-5 cups per day has been linked to a number of positive health benefits, such as reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Hopefully, this means people will now enjoy their cup of coffee without the guilt.”

References

1. 4119 respondents across 10 European countries were surveyed by ISIC in November 2015

2. World Health Organization, ‘Obesity: Data and Statistics’ Available at: http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/noncommunicable-diseases/obesity/data-and-statistics

3. World Health Organization, ‘Cancer: Data and Statistics’ Available at: http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/noncommunicable-diseases/cancer/data-and-statistics

4. World Health Organization, ‘Cardiovascular diseases: Data and Statistics’ Available at: http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/noncommunicable-diseases/cardiovascular-diseases/data-and-statistics

5. World Health Organization, ‘Alcohol use: Data and Statistics’ Available at: http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/disease-prevention/alcohol-use/data-and-statistics

6. Huxley R. et al. (2009) Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, and Tea Consumption in Relation to Incident Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Arch Intern Med, 169:2053-63

7. Zhang Y. et al. (2011) Coffee consumption and the incidence of type 2 diabetes in men and women with normal glucose tolerance: The Strong Heart Study. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 21(6):418-23

8. Santos C. et al. (2010) Caffeine intake and dementia: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Alzheimers Dis, 20(1):187-204

9. Barranco Quintana J.L. et al. (2007) Alzheimer’s disease and coffee: a quantitative review. Neurol Res, 29:91-5

10. European Heart Network, ‘European Cardiovascular Disease Statistics 2012’ Available at: http://www.ehnheart.org/cvd-statistics.html

11. Ding M. et al (2014) Long-term coffee consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Circulation. 129(6):643-59

12. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, ‘Moderate coffee drinking may lower risk of premature death’

Available at: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/moderate-coffee-drinking-may-lower-risk-of-premature-death/

13. EFSA (2015) Scientific Opinion on the Safety of Caffeine, EFSA Journal, 13(5):4102

Leave a comment Posted on January 11, 2016January 11, 2016 Alzheimer's

Ten early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease – what everyone needs to know!

10 early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s!

With an aging population around the globe know the tell tale signs of Alzheimer’s and dementia have become much more important.

We have been blogging about dementia for some time but felt that this was an excellent introductory infographic.

And yes please do share because people need to know.