JUST IN TIME FOR WORLD FTD AWARENESS WEEK, WE’RE JOINED TODAY BY DEB, WHO HAS BEEN A CAREGIVER TO SOMEONE WITH F-T-D, AND DR. TIFFANY CHOW, VICE PRESIDENT OF CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT AT ALECTOR AND A NEUROLOGIST EXPERT IN DEMENTIA.

BIO-About Dr. Tiffany Chow
Dr. Tiffany Chow is a Vice President, Clinical Development, Neurology at Alector. She is the author of Canadian bestseller, The Memory Clinic, a comprehensive and ultimately reassuring work about the prevention and management of dementia. She has spent most of her career as a Behavioral Neurologist working with patients and families living with dementias and supporting clinical trials for these illnesses.
Prior to joining Alector, Dr. Chow was a Senior Medical Strategy Director (Central Nervous System) at IQVIA, where she engaged with sponsors developing therapeutics for dementia, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy, and migraine.
Dr. Chow is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Department of Pathology and Laboratory Sciences. She has previously served as Neurology faculty for the University of Southern California, the University of Toronto, and the University of California at Los Angeles. She earned her MD from Rush

The post FOR CAREGIVERS OR RELATIVES WHO WATCH THE PROGRESSION OF A DISEASE CALLED FRONTO-TEMPORAL DEMENTIA, OR F-T-D, IN A FAMILY MEMBER, IT CAN FEEL LIKE A STRANGER HAS MOVED INTO THE HOUSEHOLD. appeared first on Good News!.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, it’s estimated that more than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s in 2021. That means that nearly 6 million Americans are battling the daily effects of Alzheimer’s in these hot summer months.

Lisa Skinner, behavioral expert in the field of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, highlights the unique effects that hot summertime weather can have on a person battling Alzheimer’s:

“Elderly adults are more prone to heat illnesses than their younger counterparts because when we age, our bodies become less efficient at regulating temperatures. Seniors over 65 don’t sweat as much as younger adults which is an important heat-regulation mechanism. Also, seniors store fat differently, which complicates heat-regulation in the body further. Heat is even more dangerous for those with cognitive decline because they lack the sense of reasoning to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves, especially from dehydration and heat stroke,” says Lisa.

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder and what does it look like in people with Alzheimer’s and Dementia?

“Depression is a very common risk factor for those living with dementia, and the more symptoms of depression that a person with dementia experiences, the more rapid a decline they tend to suffer in thinking and memory skills. Seniors who have dementia are also more prone to suffer from a health condition called SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) due to the symptoms and nature of dementia. This disorder is a form of depression that coincides with the seasonal changes that take place to the fall and winter months. The causes are unknown; however, some of the factors that seem to influence seasonal affect disorder include a change in the circadian rhythm as the days grow shorter, a decrease in melatonin levels, a decrease in serotonin levels, and pre-existing health conditions such as dementia.”

“SAD can greatly impact the quality of a person’s life with dementia. Effects include depression, lethargy, fatigue, anxiety, loneliness, difficulty concentrating, moodiness, restlessness and insomnia. Conversely, some people experience overeating, weight gain, as well as oversleeping. All these symptoms are also common to dementia itself, so if you are a caregiver to someone with dementia, it is imperative that you act as a second set of eyes and ears to watch for any concerning changes in behavior that may alert you to a more serious situation arising,” says Lisa.

Here are Lisa’s top 5 tips for caretakers navigating the hot, summer weather while supporting someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia:

TIP #1: Keep elders with dementia out of the direct sun and extremely hot environments
As temperatures rise, their internal body temperatures do too, which is the main reason seniors suffer from heat stroke more than younger people do throughout the summer.

TIP #2: Keep seniors well-hydrated
This is critical to their well-being during hot summer months. Dehydration diminishes one’s ability to regulate temperature; so, the risk of developing a heat illness rises dramatically. For seniors who already struggle to manage internal heat, dehydration can deter the body’s natural cooling process even further. During heat waves, especially, make sure you provide water and juices regularly at every meal, as well as have them sipping fluids throughout the day rather than drinking them quickly. Providing ice chips and drinks containing electrolytes are popular choices for people with dementia. Also, avoid alcohol.
TIP #3: Be mindful of these lifestyle and health factors that increase the risk of developing heat-related illnesses
Some common heat-related illnesses among the elderly may include 1) Dehydration; 2) Chronic illnesses such as heart and kidney diseases, and blood circulation conditions; 3) Prescription medications that reduce sweating; 4) Salt-restricted diets; 5) Overdressing. People with dementia have a tendency to layer their clothing… So make sure their clothing is appropriate for the current temperature in their environment; and lastly 6) Lack of airflow or access to air-conditioning.
TIP #4: Watch for signs of heat exhaustion, which may precede the more serious heat stroke
Heat exhaustion symptoms include excessive sweating, tiredness, weakness, dizziness, headache and muscle cramps. As exhaustion progresses, symptoms may progress to nausea, vomiting, and fainting. Heat stroke can set in quickly, within 10-15 minutes. The symptoms of heat stroke include extremely high body temperature, the absence of sweating, confusion, seizure and coma. It is especially important to look for signs of distress or noticeable changes in people with dementia, since they most likely will not be able to communicate many of these symptoms to you.
Here are a few things you can do to help someone who is suffering from heat stroke symptoms:

Have the person lie down in a cool place, and if you can, put a fan directly on that person.

Take steps to lower their body temperature; air-conditioning, cool fluids, and/or providing access to a cool bath or sponge bath will also help.

Always seek proper medical attention.

If you are interested in learning more about how to practice an Alzheimer’s safe summer, I would be happy to connect you with Lisa directly for a phone, zoom or email interview. I’d also be happy to send you a copy of her upcoming book Truth, Lies & Alzheimer’s for review.

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The study, which appears in Scientific Reports, shows that wine has an effect on one’s glymphatic function, or the way the brain removes toxins. To clear itself of damaging and accumulated proteins like tau and beta amyloid, which are often linked with dementia, the brain pumps in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) to act as a flushing solution. All sorts of variables can influence the glymphatic system’s operation, including trauma, stroke, and excessive alcohol intake.
But when researchers dosed the mice in the study with moderate alcohol—amounting to 2.6 drinks daily—the glymphatic system was more efficient, removing more waste and exhibiting less inflammation than the teetotaling control mice.

As is usually the case when it comes to booze, you can have too much of a good thing. When mice got the equivalent of 7.9 drinks daily, their glymphatic system grew sluggish until the overindulging was terminated.

“Studies have shown that low-to-moderate alcohol intake is associated with a lesser risk of dementia, while heavy drinking for many years confers an increased risk of cognitive decline,” lead study author Maiken Nedergaard, of the University of Rochester Medical Center, said in a press statement. “This study may help explain why this occurs. Specifically, low doses of alcohol appear to improve overall brain health.”

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Actually I have nightmare every day and I am scared to death as to the outcome, my bothers and fist cousin keep threatening to evict and move my mother to a small one bedroom in Queens. They have hired two attorneys that are specialists (That are being paid by my father’s estate) that are against my mother and I. Everyday we read about elderly women prayed upon and raped in nursing homes, caregivers that overmedicate and abuse their patients. Cruelty that is unjust and one of the consuming and overwhelming reasons that my grandparents and parents worked so hard to flee for their lives and from the nightmares of the ghettos of Russia, Away from the fear of death and bullying of the “Pogroms”. My mother’s father never left his home for over two years. My mother still has nightmares of the soldiers coming to her door asking if they were Jewish, while they were hiding in a closet in the dark, afraid for their lives. I hold her hand while she is going through this recurring nightmare. As I am next to her I too start crying at the fear and cruelty I am living for giving up my life to move back home and live like a child again and questioning everyday if I did and do the right thing. Desperately trying and searching for approval from friends and acquaintances, as family members only see me as blocking them from getting their money. Fearing that this will happen to me , knowing I have hostile trustees that will get back at me later. Just as my mother has fears when I’m not around. I fear for my mother’s life, as it will take a sheriff, doctors, sedation and the police ambulance before I will let anyone move my mother from her home of 46 years. I have sleepless nights about the possibility of that outcome. I read everyday about supposedly close families and then the disgusting family situations. On the other hand I think and pray that my mother would be better off not being here on earth and seeing the obvious. Nobody comes to break bread with her anymore. My mother was nobodies fool. She always had the ability to go right to the heart. I know she still sees. Relatives call at night to make their obligatory daily call and she says “I love you, when are you coming to see me?” and then the caretakers and I hear their bullshit answers. On the other hand I am frustrated and confused that I have this conflicting feelings.

Didn’t I come from the same womb? Is there a right or wrong? I thought everyone was taught to honor their mother and father. Didn’t they get the same love I did? Why do I feel so alone in the family? Am I right? Am I doing the right thing? Why do I let that Devil and Angel struggle throughout me everyday? Why don’t I walk away, let them move my mother, hire cheaper care givers, overmedicate her, sell the apartment, call home everyday, get the same amount of money, live my life, my mother’s 96 – she lived her life, liquidate all the assets of the estate now, so when my mother dies everything is done . No body will be obligated to come from Florida, Syracuse, California, Kansas City, Delaware , Brooklyn , Rockville Center after the funeral.

Additional thoughts

My mother and father earned the money, not I or my brothers.

The agony of the indecision and fear of not knowing

I am on an emotional roll a coaster every day going through the gamut of emotions.

I am afraid to go out grocery shopping or to a meeting for fear that my brother’s will have her taken out by medication and force.

My note to my dad – laid on his heart , under the shroud in his casket

My Aunt Darolyn suggested I write a note and put him under his shroud next to his heart so he could read it on his way up to heaven. I also said I will email him in heaven on Facebook. I placed a bell in your left hand and said “if you need me for anything on your way to heaven, just ring the bell and I’ll be right there. I also placed a black Grenadine tie, that you love so much. Ties were your way out of Palooka-ville and making a better life for you, mother and your family.

Errol

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