Lisa Gwyther

Caring.com Expert

About

Lisa P. Gwyther, author of The Alzheimer's Action Plan, is a social worker with 38 years of experience in providing services to the aging and those with Alzheimer's. For 23 years, she's been the education director of the Bryan Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. She is also an associate professor in the Duke University Medical Center Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and is the immediate past president of the Gerontological Society of America.

Recently Published on Caring.com

  1. Tuesday October 20, 2009

    1. Is brain shrinking an Alzheimer's diagnosis?

      Answer - "Some small amount of brain shrinkage" on an MRI is not adequate for a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. No single test or MRI can be used by itself to diagnose Alzheimer's. Much depends on his age, other medical conditions, and most important, have there been changes in his ability to handle usual daily tasks...

  2. Tuesday October 06, 2009

    1. Does my friend have Alzheimer's?

      Answer - One questionable incident doesn't diagnose Alzheimer's. But as her friend, your concern is justified. Why would her doctor reassure her? Did she or her family raise questions earlier? Was she tested? No single test at one point in time can reliably diagnose Alzheimer's disease. However, the change in her you just noticed is key...

  3. Monday April 27, 2009

    1. Is it typical to be afraid to be alone?

      Answer - Alzheimer's is almost synonymous with "afraid to be alone". Families describe your mother's following you to the bathroom as "shadowing". In essence, you are the person who makes sense of her world, and if she can't see or touch you, she is scared. She becomes your shadow.

  4. Thursday April 16, 2009

    1. Can a person still be considered competent after a sundown syndrome diagnosis?

      Answer - Sundown syndrome and legal competence are two separate issues. Sundown syndrome is not a diagnosis, but a number of symptoms often seen together associated with many brain diseases, but commonly associated with Alzheimer's and related disorders...

  5. Tuesday April 07, 2009

    1. Can chronic migraines cause Alzheimer's?

      Answer - 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...

    2. What should be done if a stranger seems to be exhibiting dementia symptoms and is alone?

      Answer - Helping strangers who show signs of dementia may be the mark of a dementia-friendly community. Our communities must become more responsive to citizens with a range of disabilities if we are to age in place without stigma associated with cognitive or physical disabilities.

  6. Tuesday March 17, 2009

    1. Can Alzheimer's suddenly get worse?

      Answer - Yes, Alzheimer's symptoms can and do worsen suddenly, once described by a man with Alzheimer's as the "come and go" disease. Although the progression of disability and memory loss in Alzheimer's is generally slow and insidious, people with Alzheimer's may have small strokes, episodes of delirium or...

  7. Tuesday March 10, 2009

    1. Could my mother's gag reflex to water be dementia related?

      Answer - Your mother's gag reflex to water could be related to her dementia, but difficulty swallowing thin liquids like water is usually a more common symptom of the moderate to severe stages of dementia. Regardless, it would helpful to have a swallowing study by a speech and language specialist. Swallowing problems may indicate another medical condition as well...

  8. Thursday March 05, 2009

    1. Does my husband have symptoms of dementia?

      Answer - Your husband has obvious dementia symptoms, somewhat consistent with one of the less common, younger onset dementias called frontal temporal dementia (FTD). His ability "to fool" the testers is typical of people with FTD. First, ask yourself if this is a significant change from the person he was (when he wasn't depressed)...

  9. Sunday September 28, 2008

    1. My mom won't admit to having memory problems. How can I handle this?

      Answer - Your mother illustrates the complexity of age-related conditions and risks. It's not just her forgetting, but it's also her vision affecting her phone use. I bet it frustrates her, you ,and her callers. But her phone is too important a connection for her to give up, especially if she lives alone...

    2. How can I deal with changing eating habits?

      Answer - It can be difficult when eating habits change in a senior, especially if they have Alzheimer's

  10. Monday July 07, 2008

    1. How do we deal with two conflicting opinions about an Alzheimer's diagnosis?

      Answer - One doctor says dementia; one says Alzheimer's, so who's right?

    2. My 88 year old father is uncharacteristically making accussions of my mother. What could be wrong?

      Answer - Making false accusations is a delusion and may be a sign of cognitive impairment that requires careful handing.

  11. Thursday May 29, 2008

    1. How can I get my mother to go for another Alzheimer's evaluation?

      Answer - How to get a reluctant person to have an Alzheimer's evaluation.