[senior citizen]

..............

[Bay Kid]

Thank God for Dad. He is with Mom 24/7, as he has been for 62 years. She has had Dementia for 9 years and will never improve, but we are thankful to still be with her. We see many of these symptoms. One of her favorite things to do is to hide when Dad comes in a room to scare him. She is going to give him a heart attic one day!

[Villages PL]

Overall, your opening post provides very good information.

Having said that, I would like question the technical correctness of the last paragraph of item #1. In a sense it is correct because in the second sentence they qualify their statement by using the phrase "suffer with".

They mention 4% and 50% have Alzheimer's which I assume begins at the time of diagnosis. But the disease exists long before there's a diagnosis, which I'm sure you already know.

Here's the way I think of it: If roughly 50% have Alzheimer's over the age of 85, then it's quite possible or likely that roughly 50% have the undiagnosed disease at about age 75.

Of course it may be difficult or impossible to prove in some cases, but I think the likelihood exists because, as many of us know, this disease doesn't just pop up overnight. Anyway, at the very least, I think the 4% figure between ages 65 and 74 is a joke. I think it may give a false impression to many people.

BTW, the average remaining brain weight at age 75 is 56% and that may support what I have stated above. (That's from the same book that stated the average remaining taste buds at age 75 = 36%)

[Bizdoc]

Vascular dementia is not Alzheimer's - they are separate but similar dementias (of which there are a number of different types. Outcome is the same.

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by Bizdoc

Vascular dementia is not Alzheimer's - they are separate but similar dementias (of which there are a number of different types. Outcome is the same.

Totally correct.

[senior citizen]

.........

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by Bizdoc

Vascular dementia is not Alzheimer's - they are separate but similar dementias (of which there are a number of different types. Outcome is the same.

Furthermore, it's not uncommon for people to have both at the same time.

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

Furthermore, it's not uncommon for people to have both at the same time.

True.......however....

The Mayo Clinic site claims that there is indeed a difference..........

It is only after death occurs , once an autopsy is performed, that Alzheimers can be definitely diagnosed..........and just how many of us, as caregivers, would want to subject their loved one to an autopsy........just to know?

Basically, dementia refers to a set of symptoms.

************************************************** **************************

"Alzheimer's disease and dementia are different"

"There is often confusion and misunderstanding with the terms Alzheimer's disease and dementia, but there is a distinct difference."

"The term dementia refers to a set of symptoms, not the disease itself. "

"These symptoms might include language difficulty, loss of recent memory or poor judgment."

"In other words, when an individual is said to have dementia they are exhibiting certain symptoms. "

"With a thorough screening including blood tests (to rule out other causes of dementia such as vitamin deficiency), a mental status evaluation, neuropsychological testing, and sometimes a brain scan, doctors can accurately diagnose the cause of the dementia symptoms in 90 percent of the cases."

"(It is true however, that Alzheimer's can be diagnosed with complete accuracy only after death, using a microscopic examination of brain tissue, which checks for plaques and tangles)."

"Although Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60-70 percent of cases of dementia, other disorders that cause dementia include: Vascular dementia, Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy Bodies and Frontotemporal dementia."

"In the early stages of a disease, there can be some clear differences between the diseases. "

"For example, in dementia with Lewy Bodies (the second most common cause of dementia) early symptoms of the disease may not be so much forgetfulness, but lowered attention span, recurrent visual hallucinations, and a fluctuation between periods of lucidity (or clear thinking) followed by periods of confusion. However, as the specific disease advances, more parts of the brain become affected, and the differences from one cause of dementia to another are subtle."


HOARDING & RUMMAGING

The Social Services Team at the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) frequently receives questions from caregivers regarding rummaging or hoarding behavior by loved ones. These behaviors are common among individuals with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. We would like to share some tips for caregivers whose loved ones are hoarding or rummaging.

Individuals with dementia sometimes put items down and forget where they put them. They may also save or hoard items including food or money because they feel a need to "hold on" to something or to "complete" something. If this is the case in your household, you can choose to ignore the behavior if it is not particularly troublesome or unsafe. Though, collections of food may potentially become health hazards.

Alternatively, you can clean out the person's collection. If you do, we suggest that you leave a few items behind (again, as long as they do not pose a danger); they may feel less obligated to add to a tangible collection than to start a new collection.

Some individuals with dementia rummage through drawers, closets or refrigerators. This behavior can be vexing for the person who will reorder these storage areas - you. It may help to provide a box or private space for individuals with dementia so they can rummage freely without disturbing other items in the home. This space should contain items that are safe and will interest the person.

Rummaging or hoarding behaviors may endanger an individual. It is important to put away any items that are valuable or hazardous. Caregivers should try to place items out of their loved one's reach or in secure locations.














　

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by senior citizen

True.......however....

The Mayo Clinic site claims that there is indeed a difference..........

It is only after death occurs , once an autopsy is performed, that Alzheimers can be definitely diagnosed..........and just how many of us, as caregivers, would want to subject their loved one to an autopsy........just to know?

Basically, dementia refers to a set of symptoms.

I'm fully aware that there's a difference. I was just pointing out that it's not uncommon for vascular dementia to exist together with Alzheimer's.

Yes, the term dementia covers many different forms.

But I happen to believe that an autopsy isn't needed to diagnose Alzheimer's. A very young doctor diagnosed my father in about 5 minutes and my father wasn't exhibiting any unusual behavior at the time of that office visit.

He asked him about 5 questions like, "Who's the president of the United States?" and "What year is it?" Then he asked him to draw the face of a clock.

The doctor then said, "I believe your father has Alzheimer's but I could be wrong. The only way you can know for sure is through a process of ruling everything else out." He then suggested we could rule out vascular dementia by getting an MRI. So we did that just to make sure.

At that point we were satisfied that there would be no point in digging any deeper. And I believe he had also been tested to make sure there was no vitamin deficiency.