Dementia

Causes of dementia in the elderly
My entry into the world of dementia in the elderly - My story of caregiving for my 94 year old Mom,
By way of introduction, I am Lori, a 53 year old caregiver for my darling Mom, Gertie. I "married" my Mom on April 7, 2007, the day her partner and lover of 65 years (my Dad, Joe) died. During the past 5 years, I've seen a gradual decline in mental status so that's where my knowledge of dementia in the elderly comes from. Mom and Dad had lived with me in the summer here in my old farmhouse 14 miles outside DC for the past 15 years so, when Dad died and Mom came home, the transition was fairl...

About Dementia
What Is Dementia - Alzheimer's Association (alz.org)
Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. Memory loss is an example. Alzheimer's is the most common type of dementia. Dementia is not a specific disease. It's an overall term that describes a wide range of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person's ability to perform everyday activities. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, accounting for 60 to 80 perc...

Caring for Alzheimer's
Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's
I was overjoyed when they officially announced we would be unemployed from the non-profit I had worked at for over the past decade. I saw the sorrow and fear in everyones eyes and I felt for them, but I also knew this meant I could finally get a break. Over the past few years I had scraped together days off and spare time to deal with hospice care, funeral arrangements, family fraud, feral cat infestation and removal, my grandfather's sudden hoarding and odd behavior. Time off would be wonder...