Alzheimer's Questions

1. How long can you live with Alzheimer's?

   Life expectancy for those with Alzheimer's can vary greatly from person to person. One reason is that the length of each stage (early/middle/late) differs widely by individual. Other factors include one's other health conditions and age at diagnosis.
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 4 Community Answers

2. How can I get my parent without Alzheimer's disease to go to a support group?

   The best way to get your parent to try a support group is to figure out what kind of appeal will carry the most weight. You're certainly right to try, because support groups have many benefits for spousal caregivers.
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer

3. What Are the Signs That a Person With Alzheimer's Should Stop Driving?

   There's a simple litmus test for gauging whether a person who has Alzheimer's -- or similar forms of dementia -- may be a hazard behind the wheel. Observe whether he or she is consistently unable to master tasks requiring sequential steps that used to come easily: following a multistep recipe, programming...
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

4. What's the best way to bring up the topic of unsafe driving to someone with Alzheimer's?

   For starters, do everything you can to avoid a power struggle. Respect that as long as the driver is mentally competent and not a clear danger on the road, it's his or her decision whether to stay behind the wheel. Include the person in discussions of specifics and safety concerns so that, ideally, he...
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 6 Community Answers

5. FAQ: What's the Difference Between Dementia and Alzheimer's?

   Dementia is the name of a set of symptoms that affect daily functioning, including memory loss, behavior changes, learning difficulties, and declines in abstract reasoning and judgment. Alzheimer's disease is the name of one specific form of dementia.
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer

6. I don't know how to handle conversations with my mom when she has dillusions. Help!

   The most concise definition of a delusion is 'a false belief'. The operative word, when communicating with Alzheimer delusions, is BELIEF! No matter how seemingly ridiculous the delusion for the person with Alzheimer's disease may seem to you, to her it is something she truly believes to be true...
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7. I want to know how to deal with hallucinations in people with Alzheimer's disease?

   Above all, don't be frightened. Don't tell the person who is seeing or hearing things that you know what he sees isn't real, because the things are real to him. The most common hallucinations involve sight or hearing, but people with Alzheimer's may also smell, taste, or feel things that are not really there...
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 3 Community Answers

8. How do you know if someone is in the final stage of Alzheimer's disease?

   When a person with Alzheimer's disease reaches the final stage, he usually displays the following physical and cognitive signs:
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 43 Community Answers

9. How Do I Help Someone With Dementia Remember to Take Medications?

   You're right not to leave it up to the person. Even in cases of mild or early dementia, it's common to have poor prospective memory -- that is, memory for events in the future -- like taking medication or keeping appointments. It's also hard to form new habits, whereas longtime pill-taking routines may be easier to remember and maintain...
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 3 Community Answers

10. Is Alzheimer's hereditary, and am I at risk?

    Not necessarily. Having a parent, especially a mother, with Alzheimer's is a known risk factor. But this doesn't mean that you will automatically get the disease. The cause of Alzheimer's isn't known and the role of heredity is unclear.
    FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 4 Community Answers

11. How Should I Tell Others That a Family Member Has Alzheimer's?

    There's no single "best" way or timetable for sharing this information. Ideally, in the early stage, the person with the disease should direct how and when to tell others. Some people feel embarrassed or ashamed and don't want anyone to know...
    FAQ 1 Expert Answer

12. Is it Okay to Give Sad News to a Person With Dementia?

    Yes, the person has the right to know this information, no matter what stage of disease she's in. How she responds and how well she remembers depends on the person and the circumstances.
    FAQ 1 Expert Answer

13. What Can I Do When Someone With Alzheimer's Wanders?

    Your primary concern is keeping the person safe. More than 6 in 10 people with Alzheimer's wander (pace the floors or walk away from where they live), and every year tragedies result.
    FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 3 Community Answers

14. FAQ: What Should I Do if I Think My Loved One Is Having Delirium in the Hospital?

    If you think your loved one is showing signs of delirium, bring it to a nurse's attention immediately. It's better not to wait until the next time you might catch the doctor making rounds.
    FAQ 1 Expert Answer

15. What is considered normal memory loss?

    Amazingly, brain cells start to deteriorate by the 30s, with the effects of this becoming more apparent by one's 40s, 50, and 60s: forgetting what you just walked in a room to get, losing your keys, blanking on a name. These are examples of normal memory loss, especially when they occur just every once in awhile...
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16. How can we explain to my mother that she needs help caring for my father?

    It so very difficut to take away independence from the parent who feels that it is their responsibility to care for her husband. "Til death do us part" is taken seriously by your mothers generation. I wonder if it would be possible to have an "in-law" apartment or section of the house for their own personal space...
    1 Expert Answer, 3 Community Answers

17. Can chronic migraines cause Alzheimer's?

    Your neurologist is right - there are no studies and no evidence suggesting migraines cause Alzheimer's disease. Serious head injury resulting in unconsciousness in young adulthood is one of several risk factors for Alzheimer's. Migraine injury to the brain is probably different, but I'm not a physician...
    1 Expert Answer

18. How can I help Dad keep his days and nights right?

    You and your father are both so fortunate that he’s involved in his choir and exercise. The only drawback is that sometimes he’s so eager that he loses his sense of time. He’s still high-functioning and may simply need a reminder.
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19. Does Mild Cognitive Impairment Mean Dementia Later On?

    The most important thing to remember about Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is that it is a "symptom" and not a "disease". It merely means that your ability to remember, or to use sound judgment, or to think in general, has been subtly affected by some medical condition. With this perspective, your question becomes rather straight forward...
    1 Expert Answer

20. Are laying in the dark and being mean part of sundown syndrome?

    Sundown syndrome (SS) is a definite possiblity as a reason for your father-in-law's behavioral changes late in the day. This specific syndrome, characterized by irritability usually directed at the caregiver, and confusion generally occurs in the earlier stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD)...
    1 Expert Answer