Alzheimer's Blogging:

Are you in Denial?  I had a patient the other day on my ambulance who was in her 80's and as I took care of her, I asked her all the usual questions like what is your name, how old are you, when is your birthday. She got one out of three correct. Than I got a report from the nurse who told me this patient has a history of Dementia. Makes sense I thought. As I transferred this patient to the hospital, and was giving the nurse my report I mentioned that this patient could not answer my questions correctly and that the nurse at the nursing home said she had dementia. This patients daughter was upset and proceeded to set me straight that her mother does not have dementia or was she ever diagnosed with dementia.

This is real important for you and your family member. Please ask the simple questions and if your loved one can't answer it correctly please don't get upset. Get them checked. They may have dementia and can't help it.

You all know how I love to read Alzheimer's weekly on line magazine. They have an interesting article on  Sleep Apnea Ages Your Brain.

Elderly women who suffer from sleep apnea — characterized by disrupted breathing and sleep and a reduction in the intake of oxygen — are about twice as likely to develop dementia in the next five years as those without the condition, according to a multi-center study led by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco.




Check out this article: http://www.alzheimersweekly.com/content/sleep-apnea-ages-your-brain

Hope this helps,
Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint of James A Rock Pub., Co.
http://www.mariefostino.com/
http://www.mariefostino.blogspot.com/