From the desk of Rosemary Laird, MD
Founder of Navigating Aging Needs (NAN), LLC
The Present of the Past
In our world today, with its 24/7 news cycle and daily reports of strife, conflict, and chaos, it is often hard to pull your head out of the “present” and take a longer look to appreciate the passage and pages of time — events that make up a span of one’s life, that of those who have come before, and those who are following behind.
Caregiving and Conflict!
In these troubled times, one thing you can do to find a sense of peace is to “act locally” and strive to resolve your own conflicts at home. For a caregiving of a loved one suffering from Alzheimer's, this can be particularly challenging, as the disease slowly progresses and produces new challenges on a regular basis for you, your family, and your caregiving village to resolve.
Seeing the World Differently
This optical illusion is a good metaphor for the challenges that caregivers like you face every day, as their loved one’s mind is altered by Alzheimer’s disease and often may see the world in its own way — a way that is different from your own, and often from that of reality. In these kinds of situations, your loved one’s brain, suffering from Alzheimer’s, can and will make mistakes that your loved one won’t be able to identify as being incorrect.
Eating Your Way to a Healthier Brain
When I wrote recently about a new study suggesting that levels of lithium in the brain may be a factor in Alzheimer's, I was careful to emphasize that real-world application of the research may be far away into the future.
But in fact, there are lifestyle changes you can make, right now, that numerous studies have shown helps manage the disease and even prevent it — and a new study, out this month, even more strongly reinforces those findings. As exciting as this ability to slow or prevent Alzheimer's disease is, I understand it may be bittersweet news as you think of your loved one. So far, none of these strategies has been found to reverse the damage of Alzheimer's disease or significantly slow the disease.
A Potential New Direction in Alzheimer's
Now comes a study from Harvard University that, if true — and that’s still a big if — could totally change medicine’s thinking about what causes Alzheimer’s disease, and how to treat it.
It's About Time!
Even though we’re in the middle of summer, this week and the week ahead will mark several of the shortest days in recorded history: On July 22nd and August 3rd, the earth will spin 1.34 milliseconds faster than the usual 24-hour day.
The shorter days are caused by several somewhat mysterious geological forces, but scientists say it is nothing to worry about. Still, for caregivers of a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s, it might seem that the universe is adding one more time crunch to their already busy lives!
Staying Cool in the Heat of the Moment!
If there is any consolation to the high heat, it means you have a good excuse to put off running errands out of your house, and spend some quality time at home with your loved one.
Take Care of Yourself!
As the Global Selfcare Federation puts it, “this International Self-Care Day celebrates the value and potential of self-care” as a “fundamental act of self-love and self-preservation.” It’s the phrase “self-preservation” that is key: Caring for yourself is often regarded as an indulgence, a “guilty pleasure” that you do as a luxury, not as a necessity.
Staying With It!
Caregivers of loved ones with Alzheimer’s are not playing a game, of course, but this lesson from the court is very apt: Each day you are going to have some wins, and you are going to have some losses. And your success will be measured by how well you can stay with it and continue your very strenuous, sometimes very frustrating, but in the end very rewarding journey of caregiving.
Hot Times Are Coming!
I was taught at a young age by my parents not to gloat, so I’ll just settle for irony: I find it ironic that many of my friends and family are currently sweltering under a gigantic “heat dome” covering most of the eastern U.S. and pushing temperatures to above 100 degrees, while we here in Florida — the “heat capital of our nation” — are basking in cooler temperatures. “Come visit us down here in Florida and cool off,” is a phrase I thought I’d never utter to family members living up north during the summertime.
The Longest Day!
June 20th marks the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the astronomical event where the earth’s axis of rotation tilts closest to the sun, resulting in our longest day and shortest night of the year.
Alzheimer's Awareness and You
In truth, I wish that Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month, which takes place during June, could be every month. Certainly, that’s the case for caregivers of the 55 million loved ones worldwide who are living with Alzheimer’s.
Improve Brain Health One Meal at a Time
“You are what you eat,” as the old saying goes, and those of us in the medical realm who treat aging Americans have long suspected that diet plays a big role in a person’s mental health. Now a new study confirms that there is a strong relationship between following the so-called MIND diet and reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
The Making of Memories
Though each person is affected uniquely, Alzheimer’s typically first impacts “short term” or “working” memory, where someone is unable to recall a conversation or directive from a few minutes ago. As the illness progresses, there can eventually be loss of long-term memory, with the result that your loved one loses the details of their personal history along with losses of “procedural” memory — how to do processes such as using a knife and fork, or tying one’s shoes.
Hot Times Are Coming!
High heat puts even more of a burden on caregivers of loved ones suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Higher temperatures can lead to exhaustion, dehydration, and heat stroke, and studies have shown that the risk of death among people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias increases significantly during periods of high heat. Dehydration can also impact the efficacy of medications your loved one takes.
Alzheimer's and Motherhood
Aside from the enormous impact on mental and physical health that a caregiver experiences as a result of the stress of their day-to-day duties, there is also often a profound impact on the overall relationship between mother and her caregiver as the disease progresses. After all, each person has spent years in certain well-defined roles, and then in a short time many of the dynamics of the relationship may undergo dramatic changes.
Hope on the Horizon
Amid the everyday challenges of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, there is often an overarching concern that every caregiver carries: How to stay hopeful for your loved one’s benefit.
Uncertain Times
Uncertainty can be nerve-wracking for a caregiver of a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, and so it is continually changing how your loved one’s brain behaves, sometimes in unexpected ways. Activities that were once everyday occurrences for your loved one may suddenly disappear; new and strange behaviors may arise.
The Family Ties That Bind
It’s important and sometimes all too fleeting, but even a brief period together as a family, if you can manage it, does a world of good to help everyone through troubling times. This can be even more true of family caregivers and our loved ones experiencing the changes of Alzheimer’s disease. Having the family around can make your loved one feel more comfortable in their surroundings, and gives them a chance, perhaps, to reminisce about family times in the past.
It's Time to Decide!
“Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide,” said Napoleon Bonaparte. He may have been talking about a battle in wartime. But for caregivers of loved ones suffering from Alzheimer’s, the enormous value — and often agonizing process — of planning for a serious health care event in the future has never been more important.