Friday, March 13, 2009

I have 'delayed recall"




















I purchased several pairs of reading glasses
so I could always find a pair -
that just isn't working. I never remember where I left them . . .

These are begot in the ventricle of memory, nourished in the womb of pia mater, and delivered upon the mellowing of occasion.
Love’s Labour ’s Lost. Act iv. Sc. 2.


According to the authors of the Johns Hopkins white paper on memory, "studies repeatedly show that older people who do poorly on timed tests actually do as well or better than their college-age counterparts when they are permitted to work at their own pace." The machinery was slow, but it worked. It was not dial-up, not broadband, but it was still connected.

"It is not that the right side of the brain (where we encounter new and novel situations) is abandoned for the left, but that with age the left side is more fully engaged. Or, simply, it is more full."

Rainy Friday (praise God for the rain!)


The pizza was delicious!


The flowers are dying . . .


Scorpio Tales Newsletter ready to be mailed!

Quoting from . . .

pages 75-76

Caregivers who accompany patients to the Froedtert Senior Health Program's Geriatric Evaluation Cinic, where Dr. Kerwin practices, [Dr. Diana R. Kerwin, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology at the Medical College of Wisconsin] are screened for "caregiver stress" and see a gerontology nurse and social worker, who answer their questions, provide information, and help create a plan for the care of the patient. Caregivers are given a kit with information about support groups and community services, including adult day care, home care agencies, assisted living, skilled nursing facilities, and respite care. "What we're seeing is that Alzheimer's is not a typical disease model, precisely because the health and well-being of the caregiver is affected as well as the patient. I know when I assume care of the Alzheimer's patient, I am also caring for the caregiver."

The Alzheimer's Association says that more than 80 percent of Alzheimer's caregivers report that they frequently experience high levels of stress, and nearly half say they suffer from depression. The National Family Caregiver Alliance terms caregiver depression "one of today's all-too-silent health crises." The alliance estimates that caregiving spouses between the ages of sixty-six and ninety-six who are experiencing mental or emotional strain have a 63 percent higher risk of dying than people the same age who are not caregivers.
______________

Studies have shown that if caregivers receive individualized support and counseling, people with Alzheimer's may stay out of nursing homes longer.
The importance of taking care of the Caregiver . . .