dementia expert

In the discussion of part 4 of this series, we were discussing problems with something called executive functioning. Other problems that arise from disturbances in executive function are as follows:

People with dementia may be highly emotional in an unrestrained and unpredictable way. They may act impulsively and without  any forethought and do highly inappropriate things. They may have great difficulty concentrating. Many people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias show a tendency to fixate on things and only with the greatest effort be able to shift their attention away from that thing they are fixated upon.

As you can imagine this behavior is very disturbing. The unfortunate thing……..Come back to see what I am talking about.

As always, feel free to leave comments and questions.

by Susan Berg

visit my sister site

Yesterday the question was asked, “Can you die because of dementia?”
The answer is yes.
As these diseases advance, even simple automatic body functions no longer work right.
For many with late stage dementia, the simple act of eating is a problem. People with dementia can forget how to chew food, and even worse they can forget to how to swallow the food.

Of course, the family can always elect to insert a G-tube(Nutrition going straight into their stomach)
But why would you want to do that?  At that point their quality of life is so poor.
No cure is going to come fast enough to help these folks.

You can see why these diseases are so difficult on family and friends.

What would you do if your loved one needed a feeding tube to sustain his/her life, especially if you promised him/her that you would never do it?

This brings to mind the fact that you should never make a promise about a loved ones care because you never know what is going to happen.

The guilt can be extremely hard on you

Your comments, please

On a happier note visit my sister site

People with dementia can also have trouble making sound safe decisions. Their judgment skills can be off.Those with dementia often have difficulty shifting their attention from one task to another or cannot stay focused on one task for any length of time. In other words their concentration is off.

Another problem which is related, is that people with dementia can have trouble with the ability to delay gratification. They can display wide mood swings,

Also they often have difficulty making plans in advance,

Dementia folks sometimes fail to envision the consequences of their actions whether they are good or bad.

All this is…..

Come back tomorrow for more vital information

by Susan Berg

Please visit my sister site

I welcome comments and questions

People with dementia have movement problems because of brain damage from things such as: plaques and tangles, brain bleeds and/or poor blood flow not because their is something wrong with their limbs, muscles, bones and tendons.  

Another problem those with dementia may experience is the ability to identify people places and things. These people can not name simple objects like a dog or a newspaper. As these diseases progress, even friends and family’s faces may no longer recognized

The scientific term for this is agnosia.

The curious fact is not all people with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia have this problem initially. It depends what part of their brain is affected as I mentioned earlier, after the hippocampus being affected, the next part of the brain to be damaged is somewhat random 

More tomorrow

by Susan Berg

make sure to visit my sister site 

Yesterday, we were discussing language problems for people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. We talked about the inability to find the right words when dementia persons try to speak. Technically this is called expressive aphasia.

We then discussed a dementia persons’ inability to understand what someone has said to them. Technically this is called receptive aphasia. Both these problems can seriously impact a dementia persons’  life.

Also of serious consequence is a condition called apraxia. Apraxia is when a person can not motor plan. In other words, they can not initiate common everyday movements such as walking, brushing their teeth, or even, something as simple as, raising their hand. Sometimes once you help them to start the movement, they can complete it, but sometimes not. People with dementia…….

Come back tomorrow to find out.

Please visit my sister site.

If you are interested in an interview I did about dementia, please leave a message in the comment area.

Thanks for stopping by.

By Susan Berg

And we are back to important facts about dementia

Besides remembering things, there are other problems that persons with dementia often display.

First they may have trouble with language. they could have trouble expressing themselves. In other words, they can not find the words to describe an object. They know what they want to say. They just can not say it. Imagine how frustrating this must be.

They may also display difficulty understanding what is being said to them. It sounds like jibberish. Often people with dementia have either of these conditions but they may have both. This depends in which part of the brain has been affected by this mind robbing disease.

Another problem a person with dementia may have is………

Come back tomorrow to find out.

For activities for those with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias,visit my sister site 

Read on to find out. As I stated yesterday, those with dementia will enjoy Chinese New Year especialy using the ideas I suggested at my sister site

As you may or may not know according to the Chinese zodiac this is the Year of the Ox.
It just so happens that Susan Berg and President Obama are Ox people. Find out the characteristics of those with the Chinese Ox sign on my sister site.

As mentioned before, There are some other great links and activities for those with or without dementia there.

Come back tomorrow for some more useful information

Also check out these fortunes by clicking here

Already I am deviating from the dementia topic, but this is important because Chinese New Year is this year Monday, January 26. People with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias will enjoy this holiday.

I would briefly like to discuss my personality characteristics according to the Chinese zodiac.

This is the Year of the Ox. President Obama and I are both ox people

We  are the supremely self-assured, and as a result are noted for inspiring confidence in others. Generally patient and thoughtful, we measure our words, and speak clearly and concisely often when it matters most.Born to lead, Ox people like us can be quite stubborn — but also stubbornly loyal to those we love. However, when opposed, our fierce tempers are legendary. So always follow this very wise advice : never cross an Ox! For more information on how to celebrate Chinese New Year, click here

Activity Professionals Week is over. I would like to get back to the basics. How many of you know what dementia really is and why even if you do not have dementia, it affects you?

First lets discuss the paticulars of dementia.
The area of the brain that is first affected is the hippocampus. For moe information on this go to
Keys to understanding dementia  through Key to understanding dementia(part4). On part 5 I said we would take a detour. Well now we are back for a while. I may take a detour again if late breaking news is something you really need to know.

We were going to discuss diagnosis, signs, symptoms, and behaviors in dementia.

The main problem that describes dementia is memory deficits. Not the ordinary memory problems that people normally experience as they age, but more severe memory problems where old memories can no longer be recalled or new memories cannot be made. A diagnosis of dementia requires more than the presence of memory problems……

Come back tomorrow to find out more

by Susan Berg

visit my sister site

We’re #1
Today is the final day of National Activity Professionals Week.

I would like to thank all of you for ALL you do.

Here is the final portion of the poem
We overcome obstacles beyond comprehension
our course need be steady, beyond apprehensionOur purpose is higher
than the eye can see
and although we do appear quite commonly,
Our call is one most extraordinary.We are Immense