The Caring Corner – the President Have Dementia?
According to one of his sons, Ronald Reagan’s fight against Alzheimer’s started while he was President. The fortieth president was officially diagnosed with the disease in 1994, half a decade after he left office. But his son Ron has shared that he had become increasingly concerned with his dad’s cognitive abilities as early as his […]
The Caring Corner – Link Between Head Trauma, Football and Dementia
If you’re aware of the goings-on at Chapel Hill High School, you may have heard that the school this year is not fielding a varsity football team. Sadly (or unsadly), there are not enough upper classmen who want to (or are allowed to) go out. The school will still have a JV team. Our own son is at […]
The Caring Corner – Dementia
Dementia is a term used to describe decreased intellectual functioning that interferes with everyday functions. It affects, fully or in part, two or more cognitive capabilities of the individual, such as language, memory, perception, reasoning or judgment. It is sometimes incorrectly referred to as “senility” or “senile dementia”, because people who have it commonly are advanced in age. […]
The Caring Corner – Challenge of End-of-Life Decisions
It’s a challenging time when someone we love is nearing the end of life. It’s hard enough to say anything, let alone have meaningful conversations about medical treatments. Patients often experience pain and those around them—family members — struggle to digest what is going on, understand the options and reach some level of agreement. Sadly, […]
The Caring Corner – Is It Mild Forgetfulness and When Is It a More Serious Memory Problem?
What is mild forgetfulness? It’s a given that many of us will become more forgetful as we get older. It takes longer to learn new things, to find our glasses or car keys, to remember somebody’s name. These events, while disquieting, are not considered by doctors to be serious memory problems. You should confer with […]
The Caring Corner – Go a Little Faster
Everyone knows that exercise is good for your health. Even simple walking on a regular basis can add years to your life. A team of researchers found that picking up the pace a little bit adds a few extra years. They concluded that walking speed is linked to the risk of dying early from heart […]
Long Term Care Insurance: A Safe Bet?
For a while it seemed like long-term care insurance was a essential element of planning for aging. Many of us are going to need long-term care when we get older, and the cost can be prohibitive. Adult daycare averages $18,000/year in the United States. Nursing homes average $90,000 per year. And personal one-on-one care provided […]
Your Pharmacist Works for You
That may not be precisely the truth, but let’s face it: if it were not for you and other people needing medicine, your pharmacist would not have a job. In any event, if you are a caregiver for someone with dementia and other age-related concerns, or if you have been prescribed lots of meds yourself, […]
Is It Possible to Prevent Dementia?
With scientists still trying to understand what causes dementia, there is no cure at the moment. But, there is lots of evidence suggesting that lifestyle factors have a big impact in reducing our risk for dementia. Some of the risk factors for dementia are hard to change. These include: our genetic make up and age. […]
Need for Dementia Friendly Financial Services Growing
Dementia-friendly financial services are vitally important for Orange County’s growing elder population. Older adults may be economically at risk due to living alone, reliance on government benefits and a disproportionate risk of falling victim to scams. Financial organizations that have gone through Dementia Friendly training in the Chapel Hill area include: Wells Fargo Bank, Investors […]
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