The potential link between inflammatory processes and Alzheimer’s is not yet totally understood. Much more research is needed; however, the research that has been done establishes the importance that people with dementia treat any kind of infection seriously and seek medical help promptly.

The research from this study was published in Neurology journal, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. It raises the viewpoint that common anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen could be used in the fight against Alzheimer’s.

Gerri Tyber, Operations Manager
Barton Home Care

The transition from a normal, independent middle-aged person to one with incapacitating Guillian Barré Syndrome is not a pleasant one.  A three-week hospital stay and countless diagnostic tests resulted in my GBS diagnosis.  This is an insidious immune system disorder that causes severe nerve and muscle damage.  My case is much less severe than many who are afflicted with it, but it still caused a paralysis that made me fall numerous times ultimately resulting in a broken ankle.

I’m glad to finally be home, but I  currently have to rely on a walker to move around.  Daily mundane tasks like running the vacuum, driving a car and watering plants are still out of my ability range.  My feet and hands are not working properly;  the broken ankle is the least of my problems.

On a positive note, this experience has given me a new appreciation for the challenges that so many people face every day.  I’ll never look at a person using a walker or a cane in the same way again; I will always wonder what chain of events led them to that predicament.  Severe illness can take you to a dark place.  I have been fortunate, until now, to be a very healthy adult and never visited this very frightening place before—one that forces you to realize that circumstances beyond your control can result in a loss of your independence.

Even though very little is known about the causes of GBS and there is no cure for it, the nerve damage generally reverses itself.  The time frame for the reversal varies from individual to individual.  There is hope for full recovery; many other illnesses do not offer this hope.  This experience has taught me to “empathize” with those who are dealing with severe health issues.  I have a better understanding of their fears and their hopes for recuperation.

Gerri Tyber, Operations Manager
Barton Home Care

The generations who grew up in the Great Depression are often of a mindset that lets them ignore obvious symptoms like mood swings and appetite loss as just something they need to deal with.  Their natural stoicism prohibits them from seeking help.  Left unattended, depression can become debilitating.  Depending upon its progression, dealing with it can be as simple as reconnecting with people or getting out of the house.  If family and friends are unavailable during most of the year, there are other options to help increase social interaction. In-home senior care can help fill this void.

If the depression is more advanced, counseling may be needed or even antidepressants to help the individual cope with daily living.  It is important that families closely monitor their older relatives for signs of depression.

Gerri Tyber

Operations Manager, Barton Home Care

People usually spend more time inside, where it is darker, as they age.  This makes it more difficult for the body to know when to sleep and when to be awake.  That affects the amount of melatonin in the system, which in turn affects our circadian rhythms.  These are internal rhythms that result because of repetitive biological processes—those that recur every 24 hours.  Circadian rhythm can be influenced by a number of factors including the presence or absence of daylight.

Sleep/wake cycles are typically disturbed by dementia which can cause deterioration of mood, cognition and behavioral organization.  Research by the University of Sunderland in England has found that regular exposure to safe, low-level infra-red light can improve learning performance and jump start the cognitive function of the brain.  In addition, symptoms of depression are reduced.  Low levels of infra-red light are totally safe and occur naturally in sunlight.

A prototype cognitive helmet has been developed and is currently undergoing human testing in early stage dementia patients.  Experts say that early-stage dementia patients should see an improvement in cognitive function within a month by wearing this lightweight helmet in their homes for ten minutes a day.

In studies performed in the Netherlands, melatonin supplements in combination with bright light reduced aggressive behavior by 9%.  Simple measures like increasing illumination in both care facilities and homes can positively impact cognition, behavior, moods, sleep and functional activities with no adverse consequences.

Gerri Tyber, Operations Manager
Barton Home Care

Risk factors may involve heredity and geographic and environmental factors. MS is more common in individuals of Northern European descent, and it is suspected to be triggered by several viruses and bacteria. For unsubstantiated reasons, MS is more common in countries with temperate climates including Europe, northern United States, southern Canada and southeastern Australia.

Symptoms may include tremor, unsteady gait, fatigue, numbness or weakness in one or more limbs, vision issues like double or blurred vision, dizziness and/or electric-shock sensations brought about with certain head movements. Treatment may vary based on the level of the disease. Beta Interferons, which are genetically made copies of proteins that occur naturally in the body, may be used to address issues like fatigue, muscle spasms, inflammation of nerve tissues and other symptoms, but they may cause side effects.

There are some treatments in addition to medications that may be helpful. They include physical and occupational therapy, plasma exchange which may help to reduce the activity of the destructive factors in the immune system, rest, exercise, a well-balanced diet, and avoidance of extreme heat which may cause severe muscle weakness.

Helping an individual with MS can be physically and mentally exhausting. In dealing with these circumstances, in-home companion care can be of major assistance.

Gerri Tyber, Operations Manager
Barton Home Care

Nerve cells in a normal brain produce the chemical dopamine. Dopamine transmits signals to the brain that produce the smooth movement of muscles. Most people with Parkinson’s have damaged or dead dopamine-producing cells. Nerve cells are caused to fire wildly, which leaves patients unable to control their movements.

One of the primary drugs used in treatment is levodopa. It is often used in conjunction with carbidopa. Though not perfect, this combination of drugs can be very effective. In 1998, the FDA approved a brain “pacemaker” to help control tremors. A surgical option is a brain operation that has shown itself to be helpful for some Parkinson’s patients. It is called pallidotomy. A tiny electric probe is used to destroy a portion of the globus pallidus, which experts think is overactive in people with Parkinson’s. Studies have shown that this surgery’s effects are often temporary—lasting about two years.

Another brain surgery that offers some hope for treatment involves surgically implanting electrodes to stimulate the part of the brain that is related to impulsivity. When successful, people with the disease are able to reduce their medication intake by more than 60%. Exact placement of the electrodes is vital. A few millimeters can be the difference between success and failure.

An additional avenue of exploration involves implanting specialized cells, not to be confused with stem cells, found in the human eye into areas of the brain that have suffered damage because of Parkinson’s. This treatment is called Spheramine and in its early trials has shown improvement in symptoms with only one significant side effect—a headache.

Click on this link for more information on Parkinson’s Disease…Senior Health Care for the Denver Colorado Metro Area.

Gerri Tyber, Operations Manager
Barton Home Care

There are many options to consider before making a decision that will work best for your family. If home hospice care is chosen, someone will need to be available on a 24-hour basis. Obviously, this is an exhausting scenario. Relatives and close friends may supply some needed respite, but often additional help is needed to handle around-the-clock needs or possible crises. Home hospice generally costs less than hospital-based or long-term care facilities. Families often opt to keep their family member in a familiar setting. Often they seek help from in-home companion care companies like Barton Home Care. If you are faced with such a selection, you will find there are many considerations to be made before choosing home health care to offer assistance.

Medicare, Medicaid, most private insurance plans, HMO’s and the Department of Veterans Affairs will often pay for hospice care. Some services are provided at no charge to patients who are unable to pay for them. Medicare hospice benefits are available when a doctor and the hospice medical director, who is also a physician, determine that a patient has less than six months to live.

Gerri Tyber, Operations Manager
Barton Home Care

Scientists like Dr. Denise Park, the director of the University of Illinois’ Center for Healthy Minds, see an emerging need to determine how to slow down cognitive aging since the population is living longer. One proven way to fight against time’s destruction is basic physical exercise, like walking. The brain and body both profit from exercise. According to RIchard Suzman of the National Institute of Aging, research suggests that interventions like controlling diabetes and hypertension may have positive ramifications on improving aging mental abilities. Cognitive training, ranging from brain-training games to crossword puzzles, may also have positive implications, but this has not yet been proven.

People with higher educations and challenging occupations have a cognitive reserve buildup. This seems to delay Alzheimer-related memory loss. Once the condition takes hold, however, better-educated people decline more rapidly than their counterparts. This study was recently published in the journal “Neurology.” Researchers at Yeshiva University’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that every year of education a person had achieved delayed the accelerated memory decline that precedes dememtia by about two and one-half months. The bad news is that once memory loss begins with these individuals, the rate of decline is faster for each year of education that they have. Based on these findings, an individual with 16 years of schooling might experience memory decline 50 percent faster than someone with only four years of eduation.

For more information, click on Alzheimer’s Care for the Denver Metro area

Gerri Tyber
Operations Manager, Barton Home Care

Because of our aging population, some states have seen the need for a new system to help law enforcement agencies find elderly people who have wandered away. It is called the “Silver Alert” system. It is like the Amber Alert system which goes into action immediately when a child goes missing. If a senior citizen is reported missing and they are considered to have a serious health condition, such as Alzheimer’s or dementia, law enforcement will enter their information into the system, and all media will be immediately notified. Generally with senior citizens the first 48 hours are the most important, because they often have serious health issues.

Every state has an Amber Alert program, while only five states currently have a silver alert program. Three more states are presently working on adopting silver alert legislation. Oddly enough, Florida has no such law and has the highest population in the country of people over 65. In late February of 2008, an elderly woman signed herself out of the home for seniors where she lived in Key Largo, Florida. She planned to do some shopping. She had suffered from bouts of dementia in the past, but according to her daughter she had shown recent improvement and had made other similar short trips in the last month. Unfortunately, her body was found about a week later in Clearwater, Florida. Authorities and divers are looking for her car in the water nearby. This tragedy could possibly have been averted.

The Alzheimer’s Association affirms that six out of ten people with dementia will wander at least once. It is predicted that tracking the elderly will become a full-grown industry when 78 million baby boomers reach old age.

Gerri Tyber

Operations Manager, Barton Home Care