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Alzheimer’s Caregiving: Great Resources for Coping With Emotions
Right At Home
As a family caregiver of a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed and often times, angry. The anger probably stems from being exhausted, overwhelmed, and frustrated. To make matters worse, it is also very difficult to make sense of the situation and your changing relationship with your loved one–and worse yet, no one to really target your anger towards.
The Duke Family Support Program offers a wide variety of well-written resources for caregivers who are trying to manage their emotions by helping them understand them. One particular resource, “Pressure Points: Alzheimer’s and Anger” helps caregivers navigate through their emotions in a compelling booklet. The booklet can be ordered for $8 through the site.
Posted on January 29, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Caregiving | Tags: Alzheimer's, caregiver stress, Caregiving, family caregiving
Combined approach may be better way to treat autism
Science Daily
Children with autism would likely receive better treatment if supporters of the two major teaching methods stopped bickering over theory and focused on a combined approach, a Michigan State University psychologist argues in a new paper.
For years, the behavioral and developmental camps have argued over which theory is more effective in teaching communication and other skills to preschool-aged children with autism. Basically, behaviorists believe learning occurs through reinforcement or reward while developmental advocates stress learning through important interactions with caregivers.
But while the theories differ, the actual methods the two camps ultimately use to teach children can be strikingly similar, especially when the treatment is naturalistic, or unstructured, said Brooke Ingersoll, MSU assistant professor of psychology.
via Combined approach may be better way to treat autism.
Posted on January 29, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism, Caregiving | Tags: Autism treatment, children with Autism
Caregiving: Making decisions for dementia patients
Swapna Writes
As I mentioned earlier, one of the most frightening parts of caregiving for me is taking decisions on behalf of the patient.In most aging, the elder takes his or her own decisions, but in the case of dementia patients, decision-making is the caregiver’s responsibility.
Is the patient in pain or not, and should I call the doctor? What, exactly, is paining, and how much? Did the patient’s pain reduce with the medication? If the doctor offers a choice, should antibiotics be given or not, if the patient may not benefit from them? How aggressive and invasive should treatment be? Should the patient be hospitalized?
My current phase of caregiving may require tough decisions that my mother can no longer participate in, as she just does not understand anything.
via Decision making for dementia patients « Swapna writes….
Posted on January 27, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Caregiving, Dementia | Tags: Caregiving, family caregiving, hospitals
Brain Imaging Technique May Help Diagnose Autism
emaxhealth.com
Researchers at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia report that a brain imaging technique may help in the diagnosis of autism. The reason this is possible is that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) process language and sound a fraction of a second slower than children who do not have autism, and magnetoencephalography (MEG) allows clinicians to detect this difference.
via Brain Imaging Technique May Help Diagnose Autism, Autism.
Posted on January 26, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: Autism, children with Autism, research
Alzheimer’s & Dementia:Night-time wandering
American Health Assistance Foundation
What do you do if your husband just wants to go outside at night all the time?
For your husband’s safety and your own piece of mind, your best bet is to ensure that your home is locked up tightly at night so that your husband cannot easily leave. For this, deadbolts that lock from the inside are useful, so long as your husband does not have access to the key. Windows will also need to be secured by some sort of locking mechanism for which only you have the key. Hang bells or other noisy things on the door handles, to alert you if he is trying to open a door. If your husband’s vision is poor, you can also try placing rugs with large dark-colored block designs in front of door exits. Dementia patients with poor vision can mistake the 2-dimensional floor objects for solid 3-dimensional objects or holes in the ground, and are deterred from crossing them. Motion-activated lights, such as are often installed outside, can be used indoors as another deterrent for the door exit area. However, it is important to keep in mind that these measures, while deterring your husband from exiting, may also serve to confuse or agitate him. So you may still need to guide him safely back to bed after he has “triggered” a safety mechanism.
Posted on January 25, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Caregiving, Dementia, Wandering | Tags: Alzheimer's, alzheimers wandering, Caregiving, caregiving stress, family caregiving, safety, Wandering
Patient Money – A Road Map to Help Parents Deal With the Financial Burden of Autism – NYTimes.com
The New York Times
When Jeff Sell’s twin sons were found to have autism 13 years ago, he, like so many other parents in the same situation, found himself with a million questions: Will my children be able to function? What are the best treatments and where do I find them? How will this affect the rest of my family?
Jeff Sell, with his sons, Ben, at left, and Joe, in a family photo taken last April at an event called “Bounce for Autism.”
And besides those monumental worries, Mr. Sell kept asking himself another fundamental question as he began the long string of doctor and therapist visits with his sons: “How in the world am I going to pay for all this?”
Autism trends, treatments and therapies routinely make headlines. Often overlooked, though, is the financial burden for many families with autistic children.
via Patient Money – A Road Map to Help Parents Deal With the Financial Burden of Autism – NYTimes.com.
Posted on January 22, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism, Caregiving | Tags: Autism, children with Autism, finances, insurance coverage
Autism: transitioning to college and the real world
San Francisco Chronicle
I used to envy my friends who had children with learning disabilities and Asperger Syndrome. I watched their sons and daughters move from special education classes to regular classes–some even landed in our school district’s gifted and talented program. My understanding at the time was that since these kids were on the “graduation track”, they would likely go to college, enter the work force and go on to live independently.
I would later learn that academics alone are not enough.”My daughters have the grades and intelligence to get into college,” said my friend, Marnie Raymond. Her twin teenage girls have Asperger Sydrome.”But their underdeveloped social skills, lack of central coherence and poor executive functioning impact their ability to function without a great deal of support.
Now there is an option in the Bay Area for college-age youths with Asperger Syndrome, high-functioning autism, dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other learning differences to help them transition into the real world–The College Internship Program CIPin downtown Berkeley.
via City Brights: Laura Shumaker : Autism: transitioning to college and the real world.
Posted on January 16, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: adults with autism, Asperger Syndrome, Asperger's, California, children with Autism, College, school
Man with Alzheimer’s found by using electronic tracker
St. Petersburg Times
TAMPA — A 77-year-old man with Alzheimer’s disease who went missing Thursday was found by deputies who activated an electronic locator on the man’s ankle.
Carl Chandler of W Hiawatha Street in Tampa goes for a walk around his neighborhood every afternoon. He’s usually gone for about a half hour.
His wife of 55 years, Naomi Fay Chandler, said she got worried when Chandler didn’t come home after about an hour.
Chandler wears an electronic LoJack SafteyNet tracker that is registered with the Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office through a nonprofit Virginia company called Project Lifesaver. When Chandler’s wife notified deputies that he was missing, they turned on his tracker.
via Man with Alzheimer’s found by using electronic tracker – St. Petersburg Times.
Posted on January 16, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Search and Rescue, Wandering |
Dealing with Difficult Behavior Caused by Dementia and Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer's Reading Room
I often get asked question about how I deal with my mother when she evidences erratic behavior.
I read these six coping strategies for dementia-related behavior problems some time ago. Dr. Peter Rabins is a renowned Johns Hopkins neurologist. He touches on the following behaviors: outbursts, agitation, aggression, wandering, vocalizations, hoarding and hiding things, and inappropriate sexual behavior.
via Alzheimer’s Reading Room: Dealing with Difficult Behavior Caused by Dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Posted on January 9, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Caregiving, Dementia | Tags: Caregiving
Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Parent-Reported Autism Symptoms in School-Age Children with High-Functioning Autism
Healing Thresholds
Cognitive behavioral therapy CBT may be helpful for reducing autism symptoms in school-age children.
This pilot study asked whether cognitive behavioral therapy may be helpful for children with autism ages 7-11 years old. Nine children received cognitive behavioral therapy for 3 months, and an additional10 children did not receive therapy until 3 months later wait-listed controls.
Parents were asked to score their autism symptoms before and after treatment. Children who received therapy improved as compared to children who did not receive therapy. The improvements lasted at least 3 months after the therapy was stopped.
Posted on January 7, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: children with Autism, family caregiving, parents, research