I really don't know. Who knows, with all the environmental pollution today. I've stopped drinking any kind of cola and an kind of soda but, will that help me? Again, I don't know.
This article just might be the most important most comprehensive layperson "introduction to the dementias" article on the subject of dementia I've ever read! Thank you.
I've read many articles having had a Mom with early onset D, fronto-temporal and / or Pick's disease, a Dad with alcoholic D, a step-mom withe Lewy Body D, and a husband with Vascular D. Every single one of them had been a heavy smoker and my husband also had uncontrolled high blood pressure starting in his 30's because he did not like taking pills and hid that situation from me until too late and he had had many mini-strokes and a larger one. (By age 78 he also had chronic kidney disease and was bedridden and fully incontinent because of his decades of not controlling the pills for the ten years after his larger stroke helped, but not enough. He never was "out of it" and always knew who people were, but that did not make caregiving "easy". But I state that no matter who the caregivers are and no matter how far gone the one with dementia is, everyone in the immediate family suffers and has their lives, pockets, and careers affected in major and cruel ways.
It seems to me that since dementia is so prevalent that there should be a widespread public program of optional savings accounts for dementia care -- like HSA are an option but only for some employers-- and wide spread vetted and available caregiver helpers and that such care should not be limited to private "long term care" policies with many having onerous "deductibles" such as $25,000 deductibles.
Way too many people, employers, and families suffer from the inability to find and/ or afford proper D care and have to resort to ruined lives, ruined careers, lack of proper respite care, ruined employment situations when family medical leave is inadequate, etc. And long-term care policies as they exist now are unaffordable and community programs as they exist now are haphazard, some are of poor quality, and many proper affordable programs not available at all.
For the life of me I don't understand why any concepts such as "healthcare and caregiving are human rights"--and even Medicaid expansion is denigrated by the rich-- are anathema to too many MAGATS when heath conditions and dementias equally affect people too often irrespective of race and economic class to begin with and then may become more prevalent for certain racial and economic classes of groups of people over and above the basic numbers of wide spread dementias.
And it will be an even larger nightmare if Trump is elected and if politicians such as Rubio, Rick Scott and DeSantis are kept in power or allowed even greater political power. The last three have denied Floridians Medicaid expansion, for example. And we all know about the active talk, if not planning, by and in behalf of MAGATS to restrict or drastically cut the already inadequate Social Security and Medicare.
(Medicare does not help with the $500-600 a month for incontinency supplies, for example, and per accountants I've discussed it with, there are no tax deductions. Further, when a spouse with Social Security dies and leaves a Spouse with his or her own Social Security, the survivor loses one Social Security. One day a family may have $25,000 or more in a budget for either their own or future dementia, caregiving, non-emergency medical transportation* and incontinency needs and as of the first day of the month after the first spouse's death the survivor might have $25,000 or more less in the budget. * Just try getting a bed-ridden person to a doctor or hospital for non-emergency needs: Medicare does not pay and it can be $1,000 or more round trip for two large men and a gurney.)
Both dementia care --and even non-dementia chronic care--in the US is a nightmare and inhumane disgrace.
Phyliss, I fully agree with everything you said. I hope everyone reads your comment. This exactly why I reject both Trump and Conservative politics. I would love to hear more from you.
Thank you for this excellent article! The huge number of us Boomers in our 60s - 70s have increased the percentage of people with this terrible disease. We need more support for the caregivers needed in the building tidal wave.
My brother and I took care of our father for 3 years as he spiraled into dementia. With hearing loss, it made him into an angry man. He was a good father, husband - human being. This disease took away his dignity and nearly crushed his children emotionally.
An excellent article, Allan. Thank you for writing this very informative piece and providing practical steps to take for the prevention and treatment of dementia.
I really don't know. Who knows, with all the environmental pollution today. I've stopped drinking any kind of cola and an kind of soda but, will that help me? Again, I don't know.
This article just might be the most important most comprehensive layperson "introduction to the dementias" article on the subject of dementia I've ever read! Thank you.
I've read many articles having had a Mom with early onset D, fronto-temporal and / or Pick's disease, a Dad with alcoholic D, a step-mom withe Lewy Body D, and a husband with Vascular D. Every single one of them had been a heavy smoker and my husband also had uncontrolled high blood pressure starting in his 30's because he did not like taking pills and hid that situation from me until too late and he had had many mini-strokes and a larger one. (By age 78 he also had chronic kidney disease and was bedridden and fully incontinent because of his decades of not controlling the pills for the ten years after his larger stroke helped, but not enough. He never was "out of it" and always knew who people were, but that did not make caregiving "easy". But I state that no matter who the caregivers are and no matter how far gone the one with dementia is, everyone in the immediate family suffers and has their lives, pockets, and careers affected in major and cruel ways.
It seems to me that since dementia is so prevalent that there should be a widespread public program of optional savings accounts for dementia care -- like HSA are an option but only for some employers-- and wide spread vetted and available caregiver helpers and that such care should not be limited to private "long term care" policies with many having onerous "deductibles" such as $25,000 deductibles.
Way too many people, employers, and families suffer from the inability to find and/ or afford proper D care and have to resort to ruined lives, ruined careers, lack of proper respite care, ruined employment situations when family medical leave is inadequate, etc. And long-term care policies as they exist now are unaffordable and community programs as they exist now are haphazard, some are of poor quality, and many proper affordable programs not available at all.
For the life of me I don't understand why any concepts such as "healthcare and caregiving are human rights"--and even Medicaid expansion is denigrated by the rich-- are anathema to too many MAGATS when heath conditions and dementias equally affect people too often irrespective of race and economic class to begin with and then may become more prevalent for certain racial and economic classes of groups of people over and above the basic numbers of wide spread dementias.
And it will be an even larger nightmare if Trump is elected and if politicians such as Rubio, Rick Scott and DeSantis are kept in power or allowed even greater political power. The last three have denied Floridians Medicaid expansion, for example. And we all know about the active talk, if not planning, by and in behalf of MAGATS to restrict or drastically cut the already inadequate Social Security and Medicare.
(Medicare does not help with the $500-600 a month for incontinency supplies, for example, and per accountants I've discussed it with, there are no tax deductions. Further, when a spouse with Social Security dies and leaves a Spouse with his or her own Social Security, the survivor loses one Social Security. One day a family may have $25,000 or more in a budget for either their own or future dementia, caregiving, non-emergency medical transportation* and incontinency needs and as of the first day of the month after the first spouse's death the survivor might have $25,000 or more less in the budget. * Just try getting a bed-ridden person to a doctor or hospital for non-emergency needs: Medicare does not pay and it can be $1,000 or more round trip for two large men and a gurney.)
Both dementia care --and even non-dementia chronic care--in the US is a nightmare and inhumane disgrace.
Phyliss, I fully agree with everything you said. I hope everyone reads your comment. This exactly why I reject both Trump and Conservative politics. I would love to hear more from you.
Allan
Such a scary disease.
Thank you for this excellent article! The huge number of us Boomers in our 60s - 70s have increased the percentage of people with this terrible disease. We need more support for the caregivers needed in the building tidal wave.
My brother and I took care of our father for 3 years as he spiraled into dementia. With hearing loss, it made him into an angry man. He was a good father, husband - human being. This disease took away his dignity and nearly crushed his children emotionally.
Excellent read! Coincidentally, I wrote an article on a similar subject. Savants, spontaneous savants and related cases that science is in a bind to explain. Care to comment on it? I'd appreciate it enormously. Thank you! https://open.substack.com/pub/renegvolpi/p/on-savant-syndrome-the-new-rain-man?r=1mncrk&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I direct messaged you after I read your excellent article
Very, very informative and helpful. Thank you!
An excellent article, Allan. Thank you for writing this very informative piece and providing practical steps to take for the prevention and treatment of dementia.
I've read that one can develop dementia by way of cola cans. Is that true? Is it hereditary?
Likely referring to the aluminum
I think so
You are amazing. I'm very impressed by your dedication to your friend can only win you a special seat in heaven
Yes, the assets of a person with dementia must be protected. Yes dementia is cruel