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As (Alzheimer's) disease progresses, there is little or no hope of recovery of memory, but people do not exist of memory alone. People have feelings, imagination, desires, drives, will and moral being. It is in these realms that there are ways to touch patients and let them touch us.
~ Cohen and Eisdorfer The Loss of Self |
At Best Alzheimer's Products, we are striving to make life better for people living with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
"...it's a wonderful website. It has more information than I've found anywhere about making life more comfortable."
Mary ~ Ontario
You may be the caregiver for one who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or some other form of dementia. Maybe you are the only family member in a position to care for this loved one, or you may be sharing the responsibility with others. You may even be a professional looking for ideas to improve upon the care you are giving. You know better than anyone how demanding, how arduous a task this is. You are not alone. There are others who have accepted similar roles. Sometimes just knowing this can offer a small amount of comfort. Sometimes you could really use more tangible support.
The more you know about caring for your loved one, the better job you will do, and the better will be her quality of life. As you surf this site you will find ideas and suggestions for activities and entertainment that reduce agitation, aid sleep, often allowing for a reduction in medication. Read results of the latest clinical research to help make informed decisions concerning the care of your loved one.
Learn how providing aids for daily living can prolong her independence, how diet and exercise could improve and extend his level of cognitive functioning; how we might even prevent or at least forestall Alzheimer's.
Then visit our store for more ideas. We have spent hundreds and hundreds of hours finding age- and stage-appropriate activities so you don't have to. We have already given many or these games and activities to our super-critic for analysis and feedback. (That's her at the top of this page and many of the pages throughout the website!) Her name is Bernice. She is the inspiration for this endeavor, and you will get to know her as you explore deeper into the site.
The store is actually a different website: Both are Best Alzheimer's Products, but a store needs different programming, so it looks different than this site, but every page on this site and on the store has our logo at the top, so you will always know you are in the right place.
We have also given a lot of thought to the every day needs of the person with dementia as well as the needs of that person's caregiver. These needs range from basic safety and the primary needs of eating, bathing, etc., to exercise, entertainment, and the human need for a sense of worth and accomplishment.
A lot of people think we are doing a good job of getting information to caregivers, information that can really help them provide the best possible care to their loved ones. We appreciate the kudos, of course, and we think that we are doing some good things. But we realize that we can't be everything to everyone, at least not yet. So we have created a list of resources; organizations, websites, blogs, and other vehicles to support the dementia caregiver. This list is constantly growing and evolving and can supplement the information you get here. Just be sure to come back.
Video is one of the best descriptive and instructive vehicles available, and we are using it more and more on this website. If we think a certain video or video segment will help you provide better care, we will make it available. Sometimes the clips contain advertisements, and we apologize for that, but you will usually find the content to be well worth the minor inconvenience of the ad.
"Thank you for your website. It made it easy to find something for me to send to my mother, for my dad."
Susan ~ Texas
We are often asked the difference between Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Dementia is a comprehensive classification referring to any long-term cognitive dysfunction that is severe enough to impair normal functioning. Dementia is a syndrome that includes many different but related conditions or diseases. Alzheimer's disease is one type, or more accurately, one cause of dementia. Other causes include vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and others. Dementia may be static (severity unchanging) or progressive (symptoms becoming more severe over time) Alzheimer's disease is a progressive dementia, and is the most common form, accounting for as much as 80% of all dementia. For that reason, the term Alzheimer's disease has come to be almost synonymous with dementia, and we will sometimes use the two interchangeably in the interest of readability. Learn more about Alzheimer's disease....
One important note!! There are conditions with symptoms similar to Alzheimer's disease. There is no cure for Alzheimer's, but sometimes these conditions that mimic Alzheimer's are treatable, even curable. Always seek professional help and a professional diagnosis if you suspect Alzheimer's disease.
We continue to watch progress in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, medical and non-medical, and will update this site to reflect these developments. We will also put this information into our Newsletter. Our main goal is always to provide you with the information you need and the means to make life more comfortable and more meaningful for all victims of this terrible disease. That includes family, friends, and caregivers.
So explore the site as it continues to expand.
And come back often!
For years before being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, Bernice knew that her memory was failing. She developed an intricate system of note-writing and record keeping to help her maintain a semblance of normalcy, both for her own functioning and to convince her few friends (she has no remaining family) that everything was okay.
This charade served her purpose for several years, keeping those who knew her at a distance, and allowing her to function, at least at a minimal level. She fed herself, but was undernourished. She paid her bills, but her comforts were minimal, even though she could afford much better for herself. Finally, several occurrences of auditory hallucination and increasingly frequent paranoid and delusional episodes lead her friend, Holly, to sense that something was very wrong.
Upon entering Bernice's condo, for the first time in many months, Holly was horrified and heartbroken. Bernice had always been clean and neat. She was a professional woman, organized and orderly. Now, her home was unkempt: her person was disheveled. It was obvious that all of her energy was being spent on the most basic activities of daily living. Holly knew it was time for intervention.
In many ways, Bernice's story is typical of the 5 million people in the United States, the estimated 24 million worldwide, who suffer from Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Anyone who has watched a loved one deteriorate as a result of Alzheimer's will recognize at least some of Bernice's symptoms and behaviors. Hopefully you will also recognize that, though memory and many other normal functions dissolve under the influence of this disease, much of the person they always were is still there. Bernice is now in the middle stages of her disease, yet she retains a vibrant sense of humor. At times she displays periods of clarity, moments of creativity and even of critical thinking.
As you will eventually see from reading her story and looking at her pictures, Bernice always was and continues to be a character. Her memory is failing. Her personality and her sense of humor remain intact. As such, she has proven to be a consummate critic of the things we give to her to stimulate her senses, her imagination, her humor. She is always willing to offer her opinion. You will find that opinion in many places as you explore this site.
On March 16 we were guests on Aging Info Radio, AM 560 Chicago, with Sue Zawacki. We had a lot of fun talking about what we do and why. Listen to the broadcast now!
Toasty Bears and Collars
Warming Comfort
People with Alzheimer's disease can be soothed and calmed by Toasty™ Bears and the Toasty Collars.
As many as 5.3 million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer's.
Every 71 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer's.
Alzheimer's costs the U.S. $148 billion each year in medical and care expenses, and in lost productivity.
10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer's in the United States.
Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S.
*These statistics come from the Alzheimer's Association, this country's leading voluntary health organization in the care, support and research of Alzheimer's disease.
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