Joanne Koenig Coste

Caring.com Expert

About

Joanne Koenig Coste is a nationally recognized expert on Alzheimer's care and an outspoken advocate for patient and family care. She is the author of Learning to Speak Alzheimer's. Also, she currently is in private practice as an Alzheimer's family therapist. Ms. Koenig Coste also serves as President of Alzheimer Consulting Associates, implementing state-of-the-art Alzheimer care throughout the United States.

Recently Published on Caring.com

  1. Monday November 02, 2009

    1. Is Hospice a solution for an Alzheimer's patient?

      Answer - When you ask for a 'solution' there must exist a 'problem'. Since one has not been identified, I will assume this is a generalized query. Perhaps there is no primary carepartner or no home setting or extended healthcare community for the patient to live out his/her final years...

  2. Friday October 30, 2009

    1. My spouse has Parkinson's with mild dementia. She is having...

      Answer - This is not an unusual query as each year more and more folks are diagnosed with a progressive neurological dementia caused by something other than Alzheimer's. Lewy Body disease, which comprises about 20% of these people, bears a remarkable resemblance to Parkinson's and can be easily misdiagnosed in the early stages...

    2. Are Mom's medications not working?

      Answer - Alzheimer medication side effects are both plentiful and mysterious particularly when more than one medical issue exists. Not every patient reacts the same way to the different meds which confounds the prescription process often leading carepartners to assume the doctor is not appropriately managing their loved one's care...

  3. Wednesday October 28, 2009

    1. Could meds be causing her aggression?

      Answer - Finding the right combination of Alzheimer meds can be tricky as individual patients may react differently particularly when an additional med is being used. One of the side effects of Alzheimer meds is often an improvement in awareness which leads to increased anger and frustration and aggression as...

  4. Thursday October 22, 2009

    1. What 's the best way to travel with dementia?

      Answer - Getting from place to place with a person who is pleasant but cognitively impaired is difficult enough but traveling with an abusive dementia patient has an abundance of added difficulties. The most immediate question would be "When is it no longer a viable option to spend winter months in FL...

  5. Wednesday October 21, 2009

    1. What's the life expectancy of a late-age Alzheimer's diagnosis?

      Answer - Ah!  How I wish we could help families and patients plan better for the final days but unfortunately the length of the disease process remains 'from 2 - 20 years' according to the medical experts.  I have certainly found that patients who begin this process with a rapid decline seem to continue...

    2. Is it OK to stop Alzheimer's meds?

      Answer - Stopping Alzheimer medications is not as logical as it may sound. Often when the meds are withdrawn the disease process actually appears to speed up. Most clinicians and professional AD carepartners opt to keep the Alzheimer person on such medications as Aricept and Namenda until the last stage of the disease where the person requires total care...

    3. Should we get a second opinion?

      Answer - YES! We want to offer our loved ones the best possible medical attention including appropriate diagnosis of any changes that effect mood, personality, cognition, and memory. I would suggest a second opinion even without the differing diagnoses given by the two physicians she has already seen...

    4. Is my husband's dementia typical for a 72 year-old?

      Answer - How I wish I knew how to define where a person should be in dementia progression r/t age or other factors. Unfortunately it is difficult, at best, to determine whether someone is in the early, mid, or late stage of the disease as the stages overlap...

  6. Thursday April 16, 2009

    1. How do I help my mother stay less stressed while caring for my father?

      Answer - Obviously you can't drop everything to help your mom 24/7, as you must also take care of your own needs. This can be a lengthy disease process and even secondary caregivers are subject to burnout. Fortunately there are several different ways you can ease her load.

  7. Tuesday April 14, 2009

    1. What should I do if my mom with Alzheimer's won't see a doctor?

      Answer - One of the questions I hear most often is "How do I get my family members and/or the patient out of denial?" This query concerning a reluctant patient refusing to get medical attention is also at the top of the most-often-asked list. I think the two questions have a great deal in common. Denial serves a purpose...

  8. Friday April 10, 2009

    1. Is it common for my father to walk around the house a lot?

      Answer - Wandering behavior in someone with dementia can include restless pacing.

    2. How does the personality of someone with dementia change?

      Answer - Most people with dementia retain the essence of their pre-disease personality. In fact their personality seems to be exaggerated - a sweet young person appears to be even more gentle with Alzheimer's and 'the boss' becomes more controlling...