It is never easy. Watching your parents get older can bring forward a number of serious concerns. Are they able to live on their own? Are they safe? And when will they require extra care? These type of decisions are rarely straightforward or simple to make. It can be difficult to flip the switch in your mind from being cared for to becoming a caregiver yourself. That makes it especially important to find healthy ways to cope.
Start by making a game plan. Being organized and having an action plan in place can be a great way to ease your mind. It can take the overwhelming task of caring for a parent (or both of your parents) and make it feel a little more manageable. How can you do it? Ask yourself a few questions. How much care do they need? How frequently do they go to doctor's appointments? Are there any safety concerns related to their home environment? Think about all of the little things. This will help you create a schedule, come up with a timeline, and start getting organized.
It doesn't matter if you are caring for your parent's part time or full time. The demands are still extremely challenging. That makes it essential for you to have support. Remember that you don't have to do it alone. Watching your parents become weak, forgetful, or require more care is not easy to sit back and watch. You are used to seeing them in a certain way. So, make sure you have support and plenty of it. Speak to friends and family members. Let them know what your concerns are, how you are coping, and any ways that they can help you deal with the day-to-day responsibilities.
Speaking of having support, don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Many caregivers find it overwhelming to take on so much. Especially when it happens all at once. Maybe your parent had a bad fall and is having trouble recovering. Or perhaps their memory is fading fast. That can alter the level of care they require. Months and months of constant care giving can be draining. Having someone to step in, help, or vent to can make a world of difference. Know who you can reach out to - and when you need to.
Just as important as having support is to utilize local resources. Every city and town has a number of resources that can help you get through this difficult time. Those services will vary from place to place. However, they may include counselling sessions, care giving tips, emergency phone numbers, and so on. You may also want to speak to your parent's doctor for a bit of guidance and insight into what you can expect in the months and years ahead. Having those resources on hand can help you cope and make sure you don't feel overwhelmed.
Sometimes, it isn't easy to handle it all. Caring for an aging parent is no simple task. It requires patience, emotional stability, and an awful lot of outside help. Deal with these changes in a positive way by staying organized and reaching out to others. It is the best way to cope in a healthy manner.
Dr. David Tal has more than twenty years of clinical experience. He strongly believes that medical treatment can improve the life of Alzheimer's and memory loss patients.
Saturday, 14 March 2015
Sunday, 1 March 2015
Could Age Related Memory Loss Actually Be Reversible?
Did you lose your car keys? Forget about that lunch date with your spouse? Miss out on your hair appointment? These things happen. Unfortunately, they tend to happen more frequently as we age. Age related memory loss affects men and women all over the country, largely because of decreased blood flow to the brain and the inability to absorb brain-boosting nutrients. Memory loss is a normal part of getting older...but could it be reversible? A study from Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) is looking into the possibility.
It all started when they uncovered a major contributing factor to age related memory loss. The researchers in the CUMC study found that a protein deficiency in the brain could be a major contributing factor to memory loss. The study, published in the scientific journal, Science Translational Medicine, found evidence that the hippocampus (which is part of the brain directly linked to memory) begins to lack the protein RbAp48 over time. This in turn caused serious memory loss in older age. Initially, the main objective of the study was to prove that Alzheimer's disease is a totally separate issue from age-related memory loss. During the study, they discovered that age-related memory loss was a separate process - and that the RbAp48 gene signalled deterioration over time.
According to Dr. Eric Kandel, the co-director of Columbia University's Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mid Brain Behavior Institute, "these results have public health consequences." Namely, those consequences are that age-related memory loss could in fact be reversed. It may sound far-fetched, but the researchers involved in the study believe this could be part of our future. They began another experiment where they increased RbAp48 in the brains of aged mice. They found that when this took place, the memories of the mice were improved.... and even similar to that of younger mice. Dr. Kandel believes this should be encouraging for men and women dealing with age related memory loss. He feels it "shows that this protein is a major factor, and it speaks to the fact that age-related memory loss is due to a functional change in neurons."
So, is age related memory loss actually reversible? And what does this mean for the future? If the CUMC study is anything to go by, we are beginning to get a better understanding of memory loss and why it happens. This is significant. It means that it is only a matter of time before scientists and doctors find a way to improve the daily lives of people living with this issue. This could in turn prolong independent living in older age and make life feel a little less stressful. Only time will tell what will become of this research. However, there is no doubt that men and women all over the world are hoping that memory loss can - and will be - reversed.
No one wants to deal with memory loss. It is however, a part of the aging process. Almost all of us will deal with some form of it at one point or another. With more research uncovering the root of the problem, we can start to feel hopeful about the future. Perhaps some day, age related memory loss will be reversed once and for all.
Dr. David Tal has more than twenty years of clinical experience. He strongly believes that medical treatment can improve the life of Alzheimer's and Memory Loss patients.
It all started when they uncovered a major contributing factor to age related memory loss. The researchers in the CUMC study found that a protein deficiency in the brain could be a major contributing factor to memory loss. The study, published in the scientific journal, Science Translational Medicine, found evidence that the hippocampus (which is part of the brain directly linked to memory) begins to lack the protein RbAp48 over time. This in turn caused serious memory loss in older age. Initially, the main objective of the study was to prove that Alzheimer's disease is a totally separate issue from age-related memory loss. During the study, they discovered that age-related memory loss was a separate process - and that the RbAp48 gene signalled deterioration over time.
According to Dr. Eric Kandel, the co-director of Columbia University's Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mid Brain Behavior Institute, "these results have public health consequences." Namely, those consequences are that age-related memory loss could in fact be reversed. It may sound far-fetched, but the researchers involved in the study believe this could be part of our future. They began another experiment where they increased RbAp48 in the brains of aged mice. They found that when this took place, the memories of the mice were improved.... and even similar to that of younger mice. Dr. Kandel believes this should be encouraging for men and women dealing with age related memory loss. He feels it "shows that this protein is a major factor, and it speaks to the fact that age-related memory loss is due to a functional change in neurons."
So, is age related memory loss actually reversible? And what does this mean for the future? If the CUMC study is anything to go by, we are beginning to get a better understanding of memory loss and why it happens. This is significant. It means that it is only a matter of time before scientists and doctors find a way to improve the daily lives of people living with this issue. This could in turn prolong independent living in older age and make life feel a little less stressful. Only time will tell what will become of this research. However, there is no doubt that men and women all over the world are hoping that memory loss can - and will be - reversed.
No one wants to deal with memory loss. It is however, a part of the aging process. Almost all of us will deal with some form of it at one point or another. With more research uncovering the root of the problem, we can start to feel hopeful about the future. Perhaps some day, age related memory loss will be reversed once and for all.
Dr. David Tal has more than twenty years of clinical experience. He strongly believes that medical treatment can improve the life of Alzheimer's and Memory Loss patients.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)