Health Conditions : Alzheimer's & Dementia

How long does Alzheimer's disease last on average?
The average, calculated by the Alzheimer' Association is around 8 to 12 years. Read Dr. Grimaldi's full answer.

If Alzheimer’s is a disease of the memory, how do people die from it?
The disease is not only a memory disease. It initially manifests with a marked memory failure. However, learning and higher brain functions are also affected. Read Dr. Grimaldi's full answer.

What are the diagnostic tests used for Alzheimer's disease?
There are no specific laboratory tests that can unequivocally tell that you have Alzheimer's disease. Read Dr. Grimaldi's full answer.

What kind of information should I bring to my first visit to the doctor?
All background blood work and tests that assess brain function and brain imaging studies that might have been performed recently are helpful. Read Dr. Grimaldi's full answer.

Who should I go to if I suspect Alzheimer's disease?
Your family doctor can suspect the disease, but they may not be qualified to diagnosis the disease. Read Dr. Grimaldi's full answer.

Is Alzheimer’s disease hereditary?
Sometimes, if a member of the family has the disease, the siblings show a higher risk. However, 99.9% of Alzheimer's cases are not hereditary. Read Dr. Grimaldi's full answer.

I have been so busy and stressed out lately and am often misplacing things. Is that a warning sign of Alzheimer’s?
Misplacing things is not a sign of Alzheimer's in-and-of-itself. Losing your keys doesn't mean you have Alzheimer's. But there are 10 warning signs from the Alzheimer's Association that you should look out for.

The doctor told me that my elderly father was having hallucinations and delusions while in the hospital. What’s the difference?
A hallucination is experienced through the five senses; a delusion is something a person thinks, or believes to be true.

My grandmother developed Alzheimer’s at 84. My mother got it at 70. I am 40 and worried I am going to get it. Is there a test to know if I will develop it or not?
There is a test, but even if you have inherited the gene, it doesn't mean you will definitely develop Alzheimer's Disease.

What can I do to prevent my wife with Alzheimer’s from choking on her liquids and food? It is terrifying and I feel so helpless and don’t know what to do.
It happened with my father too and scared the daylights out of me. Unfortunately, when swallowing becomes impaired and choking begins it is usually a sign that the dementia is progressing further.

What’s the value of Adult Day Care and how can I convince a resistant elder to attend?
While caring for my elderly parents, I was advised to get them enrolled in a local Adult Day Care program to give them a life outside of bed all day “just waiting to die,” as my father would say. A year later (and at my wit’s end) I decided it was worth a try after I went for a tour of the center nearby.

My normally loving but now slightly demented father is suddenly using the worst possible profanity. How should I handle it?
When I was taking care of my elderly parents (both with early Alzheimer’s not properly diagnosed for over a year), no one warned me that inhibitions gradually fade and that profanity can often occur. Click to read Jacqueline's full answer.

My husband is exhibiting bizarre behavior and his bad temper has turned into raging. A friend said maybe he has Alzheimer’s, but isn’t that only memory loss?
That’s exactly what I thought about my father—he just couldn’t have Alzheimer’s! Let me answer your question by telling you my story, which if it rings true for you about what’s happening with your husband—you will understand what to do. Click to read the full answer.

How does a geriatrician complement the services of other doctors?
Caring for the elderly is really an interdisciplinary process.In addition to primary care physicians, other team members that can help elderly parents and their relatives are social workers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech/language therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, cardiologists, urologists and neurologists. Click to read Dr. Levy's full answer.

How do I ensure that I have legal authority to act on the behalf of my elderly parent should the need arise?
To avoid a maze of bureaucratic hurdles and the frustration caused by an inability to act at precisely the time you need to, make sure your loved one has the proper legal documents in place. Click to read Jon's full answer.

How do I cope with the sorrow of my mother’s prolonged illness, Alzheimer’s Disease?
I found that reading caregiving statistics helped me feel less alone, especially the one about: “More than 50 million Americans are taking care of a family member or friend--and 20 million of them are Baby Boomers caring for an aging parent.” Click to read Jacqueline's full answer.