Age-Related Memory Loss

How Creativity Opens New Worlds for Elders with Dementia

Barbara had a bad attitude her entire life, and it didn’t improve when she struggled with dementia. Snarky, sometimes mean, but also needy and wanting all the attention all the time, she’d always looked after herself. Now she couldn’t, and she wasn’t gracious about it. Even her dementia didn’t stop her from making snide remarks […]

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On the First Day of Christmas, Dementia Gave To Me…

The whole song leaves me wondering. Partridges are small for eating, pear trees are dormant in winter and as for the leaping lords and milking maids…forget it. (The five golden rings have possibilities, but I got a golden engagement ring in March and a golden wedding band in September, so I’m good for rings as

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How to Cope When Your Elder Forgets Your Name

We’ve all done it. You’re calling one of your kids, and you run through the roll call of names, including the family dog. This is not that. This is when you sit beside your mother who walks with dementia, at a family event, give her a kiss and say, “Hi, Mom. How are you doing?”

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Memory Loss: When Should I Worry? I

“So my forgetfulness is age-related memory loss and nothing to be overly concerned about. I’m going to look at my lifestyle and try to figure out how I can up my game. But now I’m worried about Great-aunt Margaret…” What other issues should concern you? We talked about the instrumental activities of daily living which

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I’ve Had Enough of Embarrassing Memory Loss!

Is there one phrase which is true of every person with dementia and every person who lost their keys, forgot a name or used poor judgement and fears they might be developing dementia? One phrase? Everyone is different. Everyone. Is. Different. Dr. Bill Thomas, the founder of The Eden Alternative, said, “If you’ve met one

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How To Stop Worrying When You Lose Your Keys

I’ve lived under a cloud all my adult life. Shortly after I was married at 23, and certainly by the time I’d had my first daughter at 25, my mother showed signs of early-onset dementia. Our family knew nothing about the disease, and society at large was far less knowledgeable at the time. It was

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