Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) is the core daily personal care activities that are necessary in order for people to be able to live independently. Loss of mental functioning is measured by other standardized tests and referred to as cognitive impairment. Activities of Daily Livings are particularly important because along with cognitive impairment, and in some cases “medical necessity,” they are the mechanism used by the insurance industry to determine qualification for long-term care benefits and may also be used to determine qualification for admission to a nursing or assisted living home facility. (more…)

Several gene mutations have been shown to cause Parkinson’s Disease, but they account for a small minority of patients and have not been found in most individuals with sporadic Parkinson’s Disease. Epidemiological studies indicate a genetic contribution to the occurrence of sporadic Parkinson’s Disease. The World War II Veteran Twins Registry study shows that genetic factors play a role in sporadic PD when the disease manifests at or before age 50. Using positron emission tomography (PET) with 18 F-DOPA and longitudinal evaluation, 75% concordance of Parkinson’s Disease has been demonstrated in monozygotic twins versus 22% in dizygotic twins. (more…)

The principal reversible dementias are metabolic. Hypothyroidism and exposure to industrial or environmental toxins should be considered; iatrogenic cognitive impairment due to medications is a common example. Depending on the acuteness and intensity of the metabolic disturbance, the clinical presentation may be more similar to delirium than dementia. These dementias are reversible, but often not completely, depending on the length of exposure of the brain to the abnormal metabolic environment. (more…)

The treatment of any person of any age with any degree of cognitive impairment must be individualized. Clearly, if there are underlying causes and risk factors for deterioration, they must be addressed.

Dementia treatment based on non-pharmacological approaches include providing educational material, suggesting counseling, and recommending environmental modifications in the patient’s home or other residential care environment. (more…)

There are differences on what exactly contribute to quality of life on a personal level from person to person. Although many older people in good health condition have the increase of physical problems that affect them and their businesses. Although these disorders are more common with age, including Alzheimer, dementia, arthritis, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, depression, kidneys problem; lung disease, cancer and men’s prostate disease. (more…)

Addiction is more than frequent drug use. Recent scientific research provides strong evidence that drugs not only interfere with normal brain functioning but also have long-term effects on brain metabolism and activity. Those addicted to drugs experience compulsive drug craving and cannot quit by themselves. Treatment of dementia is necessary to end this compulsive behavior. (more…)

The Costs of Senior Care Options

When planning for our retirement, most of us allocate money into a 401K or another savings program to take advantage of tax write-offs and to make sure we will be able to enjoy a nice lifestyle when we are no longer working from 9 to 5. We imagine using the money to supplement our monthly social security checks to enjoy vacations and other leisure activities while taking advantage of all those senior discounts. (more…)