| Globe Syndicate
for release September 6, 2002 The Sandwich Generation . . . Helping Your Aging Parents by Carol Abaya, M.A. Are you juggling doing errands for your aging parents, your children, yourself and working at the same time? Are you tired, stressed out and upset that your once vibrant parent is now frail and needy? Do you feel alone? Rest assured you are not alone! The Sandwich Generation is dedicated to the 50 million Americans who may have elder/parent care concerns and/or responsibilities. Drugs & Confusion: Is It Alzheimer's?
Question: My father, 74, is very confused and agitated. Is it Alzheimer's? He refuses to go to a doctor. Question: My wife, 78, has become very anxious and verbally abusive. She's totally unreasonable. Does she have Alzheimer's? Question: My mother, 81, shuffles her feet when she walks, and has tripped three times in the past few months and fallen twice. Is it Alzheimer's? Answer: I'm not a doctor, but.... the third situation may be Parkinson's or Lewy Body Disease rather than Alzheimer's. The other two situations could be the result of a wide range of reasons/illness. Negative reaction to drugs may be a problem. Malfunctioning of the thyroid or adrenal glands may be a problem. Even food additives can cause unusual problems. Only a doctor can really tell. Medicine interaction can cause agitation and anxiousness. An infection or bladder problems can also cause agitation. Constipation in the elderly is a major problem - one that is not often talked about. There are complex, yet simple tests that can identify mental ability levels. The Cohen Mansfield Agitation Inventory determines anxiety levels and problems. On your own, you can have them draw a clock. If they have trouble doing this, more tests are warranted. Loss of their sense of humor is another indicator of mental problems. There are also a few things you can do to see if agitation decreases. Increase house lighting levels and make sure the person gets out of the house for at least an hour a day for sunlight. Exercise and music also help reduce agitation levels. And do see a geriatric certified physician for a thorough, multi-disciplined evaluation. Lewy Body Disease: About 1.5 million Americans have Alzheimer's. Millions more have other forms of dementia, with similar symptoms. However, one kind of dementia, called Lewy Body Disease, has symptoms similar to Parkinson's as well as Alzheimer's. 15% to 20% of those with dementia really have LBD. Symptoms include: hallucinations, cognitive problems, hypertension, unexplained falls, visual spatial deficits, memory loss. A person with LBD may ask the same question over and over again. Because the frontal brain lobes coordinate sensory information and "instructs" a person to react in a certain way, a person with LBD can't control what he/she says. Only a doctor can identify the real reason for dementia and/or physical deterioration. * * * Question: My father, 70, has been watching a lot of TV and is becoming "hooked" on some of these antidepressant vitamins. Instead of becoming less depressed, he's become a recluse and agitated when we visit. What's going on? Answer: These so-called antidepressants are doing just the opposite. Your father should stop them immediately. All too often supplements as well as prescription medicine create new, more serious problems. * * * Do you have a question? Send it in. Although letters cannot be answered individually, appropriate letters will be answered in this column whenever possible. Letters may be edited. Send letters to Ms. Carol Abaya, c/o Name\Address of YOUR newspaper (or mail direct to her at PO Box 132,Wickatunk, NJ 07765-0132) or contact her through her web site: thesandwichgeneration.com. Carol Abaya is an international-award-winning journalist and creator of the unique magazine The Sandwich Generation: You & Your Aging Parents. NOTES TO EDITORS: text = 470 words; other material = 160 words We would appreciate it if you would include the "Globe Syndicate" bug at the end of the column. ©2002 by Globe Syndicate, all rights reserved. |