Living with Alzheimer's: When YOU Are the Statistic

LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER’S: WHEN YOU ARE THE STATISTIC


Tucsonan Kathleen McCormack, an accomplished woman with a long and varied career in health policy, gerontology and career coaching, now has a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.  

For a health professional like her, the irony of living with Alzheimer’s disease is particularly poignant.

Having known Kathleen for 22 years, I recognized that she was showing some signs of cognitive decline. Greeting cards started coming a month or more before my birthday.  She began missing birthday lunch gatherings (including her own) because she couldn’t find the restaurant.

Terry, her husband of 50 years, noticed something as well. 

“When I had my first inklings that Kathleen was having short-term memory problems, I waited for awhile and also consulted with other family members to make sure before I sat down with her to discuss it.  Although she was resistant, Kathleen allowed me to be present during her next consult with her doctor (an internal medicine specialist). Well, not only did Kathleen resist (at first) but so did her PCP.  This surprised me.”

Eight months and several appointments later, Kathleen got her referral—and diagnosis.  How is she dealing with it?

“It’s a long and winding road that plays out differently for everyone,” she notes, and there are emotional ups and downs from day to day.  “This is not like surgery or an illness, when you expect to get better and to recover.  In our culture, people expect to get better.”

The first step is deciding what to say—and when. “For all of us, the question is, ‘Whom do you talk to?  Whom do you tell?’”

Managing the family’s response is another important consideration.  “They’re going through their own feelings of anger, sorrow and denial,” she says.

Now, she wants to help others facing a similar diagnosis.

Two of her siblings also have begun to exhibit signs of memory loss. Urging them to be proactive, Kathleen has taken on the delicate and difficult task of encouraging them to have a neurological assessment.

Because of her health industry background, Kathleen understands the importance of research.  She is participating in a worldwide study of individuals with early Alzheimer’s disease on gantenerumab, a prospective drug developed by Hoffmann LaRoche and Genentech.  She does not know if she has the placebo or the drug.  

When the study concludes in two years, all randomized participants will have access to the drug, if it proves safe and effective.

In the meantime, she has found an unexpected upside. “I’ve started writing rhyming poetry, something I’ve never done before.”   

Terry also is upbeat about his wife’s journey.

“Right now, Kathleen is doing well, and I see small improvements in her ability to remember things. This may be because of the behavioral modifications that she has made herself, after doing her own research on short-term memory improvement. It could also be from the positive effect of the study drug, or maybe just a placebo effect. Regardless, I am hoping that this will continue.”

---by Jodi Goalstone.  She serves on the Regional Leadership Committee of the Alzheimer Association’s Desert Southwest Chapter in Southern Arizona.  https://www.alz.org/dsw

New Smell Test May Help Predict Alzheimer's

As your loved one grows older, others may notice changes in his or her senses. Some seniors might start wearing glasses to read or using a hearing aid to block background noise. While this is completely normal, something could be amiss if a loved one experiences a sudden change in his or her sense of smell. Prescott in-home senior care experts share the findings of researchers from Columbia University Medical Center, New York State Psychiatric Institute, and New York-Presbyterian, who are researching the connection between loss of the sense of smell and developing Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s and the Sense of Smell

Dementia-related disorders like Alzheimer’s can impact a senior’s ability to differentiate between smells or smell strong odors altogether. The connection is unclear, but many doctors believe it has to do with the loss of key brain cells because of ribbons of plaque causing inflammation. While losing the sense of smell can be heartbreaking, it might be an excellent way to identify Alzheimer’s in its earliest stages.

The University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT)

Most of the research around Alzheimer’s and olfactory senses is now utilizing the UPSIT or a variation of it. This simple and affordable test simply gauges a senior’s ability to smell common items such as peanut butter or a candle. Those who score lower on the test seem to develop dementia-related disorders at much higher rates.

Moving Beyond the UPSIT

Correctly diagnosing dementia is no easy task until the condition begins impacting a senior’s , which is one of the reasons why the UPSIT can be an exceptional tool for doctors helping high-risk elders. If any anomalies are detected during the UPSIT, your loved one’s doctor can schedule additional tests, including brain scans. With an early diagnosis, your loved one can have more treatment options for slowing the progression of the condition and managing the side effects.

If your loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and needs help managing the condition, reach out to Home Care Assistance. We provide comprehensive dementia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s care for Prescott seniors. To learn more about how an experienced caregiver can help your senior loved one, call a knowledgeable Care Manager at 928-771-0105 and schedule a free consultation.

Visit us online @ http://www.homecareassistanceprescott.com