What do you know about Alzheimer's type dementia?

This is a very good discussion, for me anyway, as Alzheimers runs in my family. At least 50% of my family, on my Fathers side, develop it. It is genetic. My Father was diagnosed only a few months ago. In his case, the signs had been slowly showing for years., He couldn't rememember how to drive home from my place, at night, & I only live an 8 min drive away. He is not too bad yet, as he qualified for the medication. This may stop further deterioration, or it may not. It works in 30% of cases. My Father had to have a special driving test, but he passed, which is great. He does find-a-word puzzles every day. I wont to move him onto something else, like mazes, to get his brain working in a different direction. For prevention myself, I am taking fish oil capsules every day, which is known to help prevent Alzheimers. Other than that, I try to keep my mind active. I help my daughter with her school work sometimes, mainly in research, & she does some very advanced work. I read a lot. I am on the internet every day. But obviously as I get older I will have to do more to keep my brain active. If you or others on My Lot have any other suggestions to help prevent Alzheimers, I am happy to listen & learn.

Thank you for posting this GG. Sad when people lose their memory of simple things. I too hope to live to 100 years. One of my favorite tunes is by "Five for Fighting." 100 years. We can only hope and pray that we are spared from this dreaded disease. Big huggers to you.

I think you will remember pal that my Mum and Dad both have it , Dad is far further on than Mum , he is forgetting everything now , Mum is on Aracept and we are hoping that slows it down a bit , So far I am still managing to look after them both , They are still in their own home and the both still know who I am , If I am not there Mum phones all the time , she does housework all day , that is her way of coping , I know it wont be too long before they don't know who I am , It will break my heart , I live for today and don't think too much about tomorrow , Hubby had a bypass and Ross has CP , so I am kept busy but I am still glad I have them all here with me , This has turned into a book lol xx

alzheimers is just a scary disease. I feel so sorry for those with it as well as those how have family with Alzheimers. I have been around people who have Alzheimers and it just breaks my heart.

I used to deal with Alzheimer's patients when I was working at the hospital and I deal with it now with hubby's grandma. A few years back she would still have some times where everything seemed ok, but not anymore. Well she still recognizes some of us. She always recognizes my son even though he has grown up so much. But she didn't recognize hubby's cousin or even her daughter sometimes. She doesn't talk at all - or when she does it is hard to follow. Even to answer simple questions sometimes it doesn't make sense. It's very sad to see her like that.

I absolutely agree with you. I am certain this sort of thing is preventable and here is my 5-pronged approach toward prevention: 1) Attitude is everything. When we are upbeat and enthusiastic and positive in our attitudes, this, I feel facilitates good health overall and is a necessary precursor for fitness. I assess my attitude constantly to make sure I am living to the fullest. What we don't use we lose, and that goes for the joy of living, too. 2) Exercise. My exercise of choice is rebounding on a mini-trampoline. It is fun and keep me balanced. I have other favorite fitness things such as walking and yes even shopping (!) that I do with an eye toward using what I don't want to lose, but rebounding is my favorite which I participate in almost every single day. 3) Learn something new every day! Today I learned how to put PayPerPost referral links on my blog. Learning a little thing like that is not only good exercise for the brain but it is a big thrill to see a thing work. 4) Eat "right" and drink lots of clean water while avoiding unhealthy habits. That doesn't mean starvation or no fun as most things are OK in moderation, and there is no need to be a zealot, but everyone should know about the food pyramid and also appreciate the need for reasoned supplementation in today's diet. I plan meals ahead to make sure we have what we need on hand so that we eat sensibly instead on on instinct. 5) Make goals and do the things necessary to achieve them. I too fully plan to live beyond the 100 year mark and often when I make one of life's daily choices, I ask myself "How will I feel about having made this choice looking back when I am 90 or 100 or 110 years old." Will this choice seem as important then as it does now? That is what I'm doing!

It is not something that I would like to have either I have known a few People with it and it is a shame it really is and I can not imagine myself being like that and hope that I never will

I am just about to post a new study results on this actually, stay tuned.

Every morning without fail I get my first cup of coffe and do a crossword puzzle. I never miss a morning doing this as it seems to clear out the cobwebs and I feel alert and ready to face the day.

It has now been proven that all persons with downs syndrome will eventually get alzheimer's in their 30s to 40's usually. I have worked with that population and it is just terrible. I only have an aunt that is showing signs of it and is now taking aricept. But as far as we know that is the only person from either side of my family to maybe have it. I try not to eat much processed foods...lol that;s about it.

I try to exercise the brain cells every day. I do crossword puzzles, blog, learn to code html's, converse with friends, watch informative tv programs, read books, read news articles, etc. I also try to eat good food and healthy snacks. Physical exercise is also important. I think it is important to feed the mind, the body and the soul.

Hi Hon I try to learn new things daily and test myself often. I also try to be sure to progress in some way daily xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

i don't know anything but www.intimetv.com has a show"Journey to Alzheimers".You can watch it there

A very important factor in Altzheimer is also that, if it's not hereditary already, it usually breaks out after menopause or in the 50s up. Altzheimer is more common in women because of estrogen. Estrogen is the female hormone which increases our memory. During menopause, the estrogen level sinks and testosterone rises, and thus the memory level decreases and makes it more prone to altzheimer. Many men and women in their 50s and 60s therefore use hormone therapies where they are being treated with estrogen to increase the memory and prevent from altzheimer. Hope this helps. ^^ I also hopw that none of us will ever have to suffer from it, not that you'll ever remember anyways.

Well just what I learnt and also have seen it pretty much first hand as my great auntie is like that which is sad I think when thinks like that happen a.Your mylot friend loveyoohbaby.

Alzheimers is scary, and Dementia. When I was 18 and went to the US, I worked in an office 9-5, but on the weekends I did homecare, as the office work barely paid the rent and I needed extra dosh to buy clothes and food . Let me tell you that I earned my 2 dollars an hour. I looked after an Alzheimers patient, the agency told us it was just a parkinsons patient. I often spent 3 12 hour shifts in a row with Bessie, and you never knew when she would mix the kitchen and the bathroom up, and at night would wake up screaming that there were men hiding in her closet waiting to attack her. I know it was dangerous, but it was a studio apartment, and once I got her down for the night, so I could rest somewhat on the couch, I would put the four chairs across the room, so she would have got move them and put a bread tie on the chain of the door, so that if she attempted to go out I would hear her. After I gave up this work, I heard of her being found in the middle of brooklyn bridge traffic, and on the roof, and not much after that. this was in the 80s. The thought of having alzheimers is scary, I want my full mental facility as long as I live.