Dementia may be an unspoken matter that nags at our older adult well-being. It may also be one of those conditions I don’t talk about with others, perhaps unsure how to broach the subject. I know that this condition is broader than one specific disease—e.g., Alzheimer’s—and that only a percentage of older adults might have to deal with complete cognitive loss. I am also aware that medicallyMORE...
Dementiated conversations
For about twelve years, I’ve visited a resident—let’s call her Gladys—at the same assisted living facility where my mother spent her last years. We used to talk about current events, revived memories, family circumstances and wisdom of all kinds. Now, with Gladys’s dementia working its will, the back-and-forth of a satisfying conversation might seem impossible. That’s not true, thoughMORE...
Word therapy?
Over the years, I’ve noticed that the first signs of cognitive decline and dementia often appear as the loss of memory regarding nouns. A key indicator seems to be the substitution of the word “things” in place of the names for ordinary items. Even common synonyms aren’t available, so “things” becomes the go-to noun. This is a useful work-around, but also can be a signal that word-recallMORE...
What day is it?
One of the easiest questions on the *Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) is “What day of the week is it?” One problem with your possible response: After a few years of retirement, you might think of every non-working day as just another Saturday! Neuroscientists report that, on awakening, our brains first check for answers to two questions: “What time (day/date/season) is it?” and “WhereMORE...
Deferring dementia 1
This and the following entry propose the likelihood that most congregations offer their members—perhaps especially older members—benefits that help deter or delay the effects of Alzheimer’s dementia. Perhaps you might see your congregation’s significance in a new light. Today an introduction and one factor that helps me understand Alzheimer’s dementia.. Today I write with observations about howMORE...