Is it Just Stress or is it Dementia?

What do we do next? The holidays are over and life is getting back to normal for everyone. Or is it? During the holidays, we interact more than usual with our aging loved ones. It's then that we start to notice changes in their abilities, be it cognition, moodiness, mobility or other areas. In this conversation, participants will learn what signs to look for when they check in on their loved ones, what to say to them, and how to say it to ensure the most helpful engagement possible. 

Pam Ostrowski Author of It’s Not That Simple: Helping Families Navigate the Alzheimer’s Journey

• pam@itsnotthatsimple.com 
• https://alzheimersfamilyconsulting.com/

Chat Transcript

12:06:55     From Kathleen Morris : Hi All, Kathleen with Aging Well Eldercare here.

12:08:39     From SHARI HABER  to  Hosts and panelists : Hi from Shari Haber, Great Goodbyes LLC, helping adults prepare and advance plan for their ‘whenever’ death so they can die better and be remembered best. Mygreatgoodbye.com; shari@mygreatgoodbye.com

12:11:55     From Doug teDuits : Hi everyone - Doug from Brogleys Estate Organization and Relocation.  We are speciality and senior move managers.  Doug@brogleys.com

12:12:07     From Doug teDuits : 281-796-1966

12:25:22     From Patricia Dubroof : Meditation!!!!! Yoga!!!! Aromatherapy!!!

12:27:02     From sharon sirkis : T'ai Chi Chih too. www.taichichih.org

12:27:10     From Patricia Dubroof : Dance for PD is one of those magic discoveries from the early times of art and healing!

12:28:03     From Rod Paolini : What's PD?

12:28:09     From Patricia Dubroof : Visual art! Anything that takes you out of the alpha energy and drops you into the Beta - deep work happens there.

12:28:17     From Patricia Dubroof : Parkinson's Disease

12:28:45     From Patricia Dubroof : Even dehydration can cause cognitive challenges.

12:28:58     From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : PD is Parkinson's Disease

12:30:06     From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : Dance for PD® started as an idea, was born as an experiment, and has emerged as an innovative global program. https://danceforparkinsons.org/

12:30:43     From emily kearns : Lots of primaries are giving an Alzheimer's diagnosis after a simple mini mental.  They are usually not trained in dementia and need to refer to neurologists.

12:31:08     From emily kearns : By primaries, I mean PCPs, primary doctors

12:31:14     From Deborah Smith : A Dementia patient was taken off all her psych meds temporarily and all dementia symptoms disappeared, so this was medication induced.

12:32:27     From emily kearns : Yes - dementia "imposters" include: Medication cocktails, depression and mental illness, thyroid issues, vitamin deficiencies, etc.  I tell folks to get second opinions which older adults need to fight for due to ageism.

12:32:40     From Noelie Angevine : I belong to three art associations. I am a watercolor artist. My teacher teadhes me virtually, every two weeks. otherwise, I would probably stop painting. My stress level is so high.

12:32:57     From veda vazquez : My office is party central,  i always have music on and dancing

12:35:14     From Noelie Angevine : My psychiatrist has reduced my medications for depression, because those medications affect memory. Both he and my Primary Care doctor think my memory issues are related to the huge amount of stress I have.

12:35:18     From sharon sirkis : Pam, I was shocked that my partner's neurologist  was not familiar with Daniel Amen's work on memory rescue and memory makeover. PBS specials. His protocol is bright minds. And wasn't even all that interested when I mentioned it. Scary.

12:36:27     From Noelie Angevine : Lately, my husband's neurologist basically says, kindly, "you have that." That's about every six months.

12:36:56     From Noelie Angevine : Have you noticed it's difficult to get men to drink water?

12:37:21     From emily kearns : beer not good

12:37:32     From emily kearns : :)

12:37:54     From Noelie Angevine : Right..difficult to get him to drink fluids.

12:38:34     From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : Here is a discussion similar to what @deborah Smith was sharing https://www.retirementlivingsourcebook.com/videos/real-life-story-an-amazing-healthcare-recovery-from-nursing-home-to-hospice-to-independence

12:38:42     From Mary Beth Flynn  to  Hosts and panelists : Drink water early in the day. Not so much after 5pm

12:38:49     From Shirl Thompson : I have a 94 year old friend in a memory care facility, she has become very combative, this was never her personality, she is fighting staff and other patients. The facility has talked about calling the police on her! What conversation should be had, once police is is brought up???

12:42:52     From Noelie Angevine : Does Medicare pay for family counseling like yours?

12:44:39     From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : Pam's organization is Alzheimer's Family Consulting LLC https://alzheimersfamilyconsulting.com/

12:46:10     From Rhonda Hackley : Can you repeat the how many oz of fluids are helpful as well as the types of beverages. Please

12:46:20     From Pam Ostrowski - Alzheimer's Family Consulting : 48oz minimum

12:46:41     From emily kearns  to  Hosts and panelists : Sorry to have to leave; great work, Pam! TY.

12:46:54     From Pam Ostrowski - Alzheimer's Family Consulting : Thanks, Emily!

12:47:34     From Noelie Angevine : I've heard that there are villages here. I assume they are not the same type as the ones you describe, Steve?

12:48:17     From Noelie Angevine : Right! Those apartments are stultifying!

12:49:32     From Patricia Dubroof : Great energy today! Thanks Steve and Pam and all the good questions and discussions. I'm off to my next meeting.

12:50:14     From Shirl Thompson : Very helpful, awesome points, thank you both.

12:50:20     From Alicia Waning  to  Hosts and panelists : I came in late.  Sorry about that.

12:52:00     From Marjorie Cotterman  to  Hosts and panelists : Thank you so much for that.  “Behaviors” are a negative word for what is often MISCOMMUNICATION.  Not understanding what the person is trying their best to  say nonverbally

12:53:29     From Pam Ostrowski - Alzheimer's Family Consulting : Yes, @marjorie! Misunderstanding and miscommunication are the top 2 issues. Care staff don't seem to want to get to the details of what is the real issue sometimes.

12:53:43     From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : https://www.cnn.com/2013/07/11/world/europe/wus-holland-dementia-village/index.html

12:53:46     From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : https://www.vtvnetwork.org/

12:54:01     From SHARI HABER  to  Hosts and panelists : In younger (ie mid-60s) adults, have you ever seen ADD mistaken as being early stage dementia?

12:54:02     From Alicia Waning  to  Hosts and panelists : Would you be able to share a recorded  video?

12:54:05     From Mary Beth Flynn  to  Hosts and panelists : Thank you from Mary Beth Flynn at Artfully Aging!  Good information!

12:54:37     From Jan Brito : Great info!  Thanks so much!

12:57:23     From sharon sirkis : Funny!  Thanks so much!

12:57:37     From Deborah Smith : Thank you !!!

12:57:42     From Deborah Smith : Thank you Steve

12:57:57     From Page Hinkle  to  Hosts and panelists : Thank you!

12:58:10     From Tracy Bland : Thanks Steve, God Bless!

12:58:15     From Monna Fisher  to  Hosts and panelists : This is wonderful.  How can we access it on your web site?

12:58:26     From Cindy Goodman : Very good info and discussion!!! Thank You.

12:58:29     From Noelie Angevine : Thanks, so much!

12:58:47     From Deborah Smith : thank you Pam !!

12:58:52     From Marjorie Cotterman  to  Hosts and panelists : Yes, thank you so much for this session

12:59:08     From Betty BAHADORI : Another great hour. Thank you.