So My Mom or Dad Has Dementia / Alzheimer's Disease, Now What?
Before you get yourself worked up, make sure you have a reason to be worked up over! Oh, and before I forget, for the purpose of this article, Alzheimer's and dementia are the same thing, because they are - Alzheimer's is just a type of dementia. Ok, so here we go... Even if a doctor tells you your mom or dad has dementia (Alzheimer's is just a type of dementia) it doesn't mean they do. I've noticed in the past 10 years that doctors are in such a time crunch and are so quick to get patients in and out of their office that they will just put a diagnosis on someone and write a prescription and out the door you go. The way insurance companies are now is such that the doctors have to see so many patients per day they literally have to allocate a certain number of minute per patient. It's sad, it's a shame, it's the reason we need healthcare reform of some kind, but it's the way it is for now. So let's say that your mom or dad is forgetful. Well, I'm 36 and I'm forgetful. If mom or dad can't plan simple menus for the week, can't plan their day or week out, manage their finances, miss appointments, forget a LOT of things often, then chances are he or she does have dementia. Here's what to do, and here's what you can expect. This is just a quick post, and I will break down each line item into a separate lengthy, white-paper article as soon as I can. WHAT TO DO:
Get them on Aricept, and if the dementia has progressed enough, ask the doctor if they can also be on an Exelon patch, or Namenda as well.
Get them on 2 to 4 grams of fish oil a day. Even if they already have dementia, it may slow the progression. Here is an excerpt from a huge international study about where people in other countries that eat fish more often, and eat red meat less, have lower incidents of dementia: "The study, which included 15,000 people 65 and older in China, India, Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico, Peru and the Dominican Republic, found that those who ate fish nearly every day were almost 20 percent less likely to develop dementia than those who ate fish just a few days a week. Adults who ate fish a few days a week were almost 20 percent less likely to develop dementia than those who ate no fish at all."There is a gradient effect, so the more fish you eat, the less likely you are to get dementia," said Dr. Emiliano Albanese, a clinical epidemiologist at King's College London and the senior author of the study. "Exactly the opposite is true for meat," he added. "The more meat you eat, the more likely you are to have dementia." Other studies have shown that red meat in particular may be bad for the brain. Here's the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/21/health/21fish.html?em
If they are over age 65, ask for a referral to outpatient physical and occupational therapy. Many nursing homes have outpatient clinics as well and those nursing homes will give you some idea of how you can slow the progression of dementia. The main concepts are, they need to be active physically and mentally and be as independent as possible, while maintaining their safety of course. I'll be writing and article about research that shows activities and examples of activities that can slow the progression of dementia.
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