Answers to Your Questions about Dementia Care

Aug 24 2011 in Denise's Blog, Your Caregiving Journey by Denise

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Yesterday on Your Caregiving Journey, we began our new monthly series on dementia care. Claire Day, Vice President of Constituent Services for the Alzheimer’s Association Delaware Valley Chapter, joined us to explain what Alzheimer’s is, its warning signs and to answer two questions from a listener. You can listen to our show via the player at the bottom of the post. (Note: Claire will join us on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 10:30 a.m. CT, 11:30 a.m. ET, 8:30 a.m. PT) to share tips and techniques for coping.)

Claire reminded us that Alzheimer’s disease is disease of changes and loss of function. It’s not that we can’t find our keys. It’s that we don’t know how to use the keys we’re holding. And, the disease changes who we are—our moods, our personality.

During our show, Claire also answered two questions from a listener:

1. My mother hasn’t got up and dressed in the morning on her own for several months. On Saturday morning, she was up and dressed and sitting in her living room (although not dressed properly, still up and dressed). Is this another “unexpected” in dementia?

2. On certain days my mother is so opposed to sitting; she wants to be doing something, feels as though she should be doing something. Physically because of a stroke, she is not able to. Is reassuring her unsettledness enough? I often feel like I should be entertaining more.

Do you have questions for Claire? Be sure to share them in our comments section, below, or by sending me an email .

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