6.16.2009

A few notes on Alzheimer's Disease

Been reading some more on Alzheimer's lately. I have HBO's "Alzheimer's Project" on my DVR but haven't gotten around to watching it yet... but here are some other notes of late.

I have been reading about the Home Environmental Skill Building Program during my metro trips, which has been interesting. I can't use it very well in the hospital environment, but it would be good in home health as long as you could justify the billing. It has had some good insights for me anyway, namely, the understanding of different priorities between OT and caregiver.

If this article about early-onset Alzheimer's doesn't scare the crap out of you, you don't worry like I do... yikes. I have a lot of word finding difficulties, so my paranoia is bumping up now.

Stumbled onto The Alzheimer's Reading Room while looking up something else, it will probably become one of my top blogs in the scrollbar. I found it because I had read about the Test Your Memory exam on a Medline press release and wanted to see what was included in the test. However, after looking at it, I think we need an adaptation for the US... don't tell my history teacher father, but I'm not sure that I remember when WWI started. I would pick the JFK assassination as a seminal date in many of the current elderly individuals' minds, however, I don't know if there is a reasoning behind the date that it shouldn't be something the person actually lived through.

Saw 2 clients w/ dementia today, one early-stage and one end-stage. Depressing. Early stage lady was faking it pretty well but had severely decreased short and long term memory. Independent w/ BADLs though, so I am recommending adult day care, hopefully that will work out well. My end stage lady was a social admission... 92 y.o. husband came in w/ a cardiac emergency and she can't care for herself. Sweet lady, but gets confused in the middle of her sentences. She was good at ADLs too though.
Long term care for her. No one likes to see their mother's mind crumble.


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