Why Paleo may Help Prevent Dementia

Recent studies show that there is a correlation between high blood sugar and an increased risk of dementia. You don't have to be fully diabetic to be at risk. For me, this is personal. My mother, Judy, who passed away in December with advanced dementia, always carried some extra weight, and I'm pretty sure she was pre-diabetic but didn't know My mother, Judy, with her grandsonit. (She carried weight around her stomach, an indicator of pre-diabetes, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.) I think that if Mom had known years ago what I know now about diet she would have tried hard to change her eating habits. In a previous post ("Is There a Diet to Reduce the Risk of Dementia?") I wrote about the benefits of a low-carb and anti-inflammatory diet.

Today I want to share with you that once again I am starting a Paleo diet with the hope of losing weight, lowering my blood sugar (on the high side of normal), and getting fit. Like Mom, I carry a lot of weight around my middle, and I need to lose 70 pounds to get back to what I weighed pre-children. On a Paleo diet you eat like a caveman--whatever you could kill, pull from a tree, or dig from the ground before the advent of agriculture. The theory is that human beings have been living in agricultural societies for only a tiny fraction of their time on earth. We are genetically and metabolically unsuited to eat grain, sugar, refined foods such as vegetable oil, potatoes, dairy, legumes, and alcholol. If you eat Paleo-style you eat protein, animal fat, olive oil, lots of vegetables and some fruits and nuts. Basically you shop the periphery of the supermarket--and you cook a lot. Planning ahead is key.

I started this diet three weeks ago, but fell off the wagon a couple of times because my hubbie and teenage children brought treats into the house that I found too tempting. Now, I'm starting over with the Whole 30 Paleo program (check it out, it's pretty cool) and I'm on Day 3 today. Hubbie and I bought 2 toolboxes with combination locks to keep his treats in--one for the chest freezer for his ice cream bars, one for the pantry for his chips and stuff. So now I can't get to his treats late a night, but he and the kids can if they want to. This was a major step to help me succeed.

If anyone in your family has had dementia--and particulary if you are an active caregiver for someone with dementia--please take time to think about your own health. How you eat and exercise now will have an effect on your brain health in 10 or 20 years.

Here's my Paleo lunch today (all leftovers):  pork steak with sauteed onions; pureed cauliflower with coconut milk and grassfed butter (butter from my health food store) (texture is just like mashed potato); massaged kale salad with olive oil, lemon and my garden cherry tomatoes; my garden green and wax beans (not technically Paleo because they are legumes, but I worked hard to grow them so I'm eating them! String beans are more Paleo if their seeds are tiny).

This 30-day Paleo challenge includes exercise, too. I'm making sure to do something active every day, whether it's hauling weeds out of my garden, walking, or using my new hand weights to do some resistance training.

At the end of my 30-day Paleo challenge I'll let you know if I lost any weight and if my sugar and carb cravings have disappeared. So far, so good!

Night-Time Activities to Soothe an Agitated Senior with Dementia

Do you care for someone with dementia who gets agitated in the evenings or at night? In this article for eCareDiary.com I share some tips for soothing a person with dementia so you both have a more pleasant time in the late hours of the day. If you have tips of your own, please leave a comment below.

Question:  I have noticed that my mother who has been diagnosed with dementia, gets increasingly agitated at night. What kind of nighttime activities can help her relax?

My answer:
Agitation is extremely common in the middle and late stages of dementia, especially in the evening (“sundowning”). However, if your mother’s agitation has gotten much worse all of a sudden, the first thing to do is make sure she does not have a medical condition, such as a urinary tract infection, dehydration, hunger (from not eating properly), constipation, or bronchitis, that can cause discomfort and a change in behavior. Medication interactions can also cause agitation. It’s very important to have your mother’s doctor complete a thorough exam, and to not allow her doctors or other caregivers to blame her agitated behavior on dementia. Often there is a real need underlying such behavior.

Read more

Life and Death in Assisted Living

If you are considering assisted living for your loved one with dementia, this Frontline report paints a rather scary portrait of the pitfalls of assisted living:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/life-and-death-in-assisted-living/

My mother,  Judy, left, lived with me and my family, briefly, then in a conventional assisted living facility, a "memory care" assisted living facility, and a nursing home. What I say to other caregivers is BEWARE of conventional assisted living. It's simply not designed to accommodate people with dementia. The facility won't tell you that, though, when you take a tour. Their business is to promise you the moon and the stars.

I had to move my mother out of the conventional assisted living facility when she became incontinent and was found wet and cold in her bed in the mornings, uncovered. I hired private aides to come in and keep her showered and changed, but then found an excellent memory care assisted living facility that we were fortunate enough to have nearby. Mom spent 3 very happy years there, with the specially-trained staff who were loving to her. (This photo of her was taken there.) Unfortunately it was private-pay (no Medicaid), and when she ran out of her hard-earned savings (she pinched every penny over the years as a teacher) she had to move into a nursing home for her last 2 years.

I don't think that conventional assisted living is as frightening as this program makes it out to be, but I do wish that as my mother's caregiver I had been more aware earlier on of the shortcomings of assisted living. Your loved one will still need you to be vigilant and their advocate. Don't expect much "assistance" from conventional assisted living. Try to find "memory care" assisted living instead.

Dementia and Social Security Disability Benefits

Can someone with dementia receive Social Security disability benefits? This is an excellent question, and I'm happy to share with you today a guest post by Ram Meyyappan, editor of the website Social Security Disability Help, a network of over 200 attorneys who provide free evaluations about social security eligibility.

My mother, Judy, age 75My mother, Judy, was already receiving Social Security disability benefits for another medical condition when her dementia began about 15 years ago, so I didn't have to help her apply for the benefits. But since dementia is such a costly condition, lasting for years, we need all the financial help we can get.

Here is Ram's article:

Dementia and Social Security Disability Benefits:

If you are suffering from dementia, the symptoms of your condition can make it impossible to hold down a job. This can wreak financial havoc on a family. Without a means of income and mounting medical bills, the situation can quickly spiral out of control. Fortunately Social Security Disability benefits may be able to help.

There are two disability programs operated by the Social Security Administration (SSA). These include Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Each program has its own qualifying criteria.

SSDI and SSI

In order to be approved for SSDI, you must have earned enough work credits throughout your work history. Generally this means working five out of the past ten years. If you are too young to have a ten-year work history, it usually means working half of the years since your 18^th birthday.

SSI is a needs-based program. You do not need any work credits to qualify for this program. You must, however, meet certain financial requirements. As of 2013, to qualify for SSI, your monthly income must not exceed $710 as an individual or $1,060 as a couple. Your household assets must also not exceed $2,000 as an individual or $3,000 as a couple.

In addition to meeting either one of these financial requirements, you must also have ample medical proof and documentation to prove that your dementia keeps you from working.

Proving a Disability with Dementia

In addition to meeting the above-mentioned criteria, you must also prove to the SSA that you are disabled according to their guidelines. When you apply for Social Security Disability benefits the adjudicator who reviews your file will compare your condition to a publication known as the Social Security Blue Book (http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/). This Blue Book contains a listing of all of the conditions that may qualify an individual for benefits. The Blue Book does not have a specific listing for dementia in the Blue Book. There are conditions listed however, that may cause dementia. If one of these conditions is causing your dementia, that is the condition that you will want to apply under. Some of the conditions that involve dementia that are listed in the Blue Book include:

• ·       Picks Disease (Type A)
• ·       Parkinsonian syndrome
• ·       Early-onset Alzheimer's
• ·       Creutz-Jakob Disease
• ·       Primary Progressive Aphasia
• ·       Lewy Body Dementia

The key is to determine which listing applies to your specific condition and to supply the medical evidence to prove that you meet the criteria that has been set forth for that listing. In order to qualify you will want to obtain copies of all of your medical records including clinical histories, lab results, treatment histories, and a written statement from your treating physicians.

For tips on gathering medical evidence, please visit: http://www.disability-benefits-help.org/disability-tips/gathering-medical-records

Dementia and the Compassionate Allowances Program

The SSA introduced the Compassionate Allowances program in 2008 to speed up the application process for those with a severe disability. During The normal disability application process, it can take anywhere between 3-6 months to receive a decision on your initial application. However people with conditions that qualify for the compassionate allowance program will hear back within a few weeks to a month.

All of the conditions mentioned above qualify for the compassionate allowance. For more information on the compassionate allowances program and a complete list of conditions that qualify, please visit: http://www.disability-benefits-help.org/compassionate-allowances

Applying for Benefits with Dementia

Oftentimes people with dementia are not capable of applying for benefits on their own. In such situations, a caregiver or legal guardian apply for benefits on your behalf. You or your guardian can apply for benefits online or in person at your local Social Security office. If you are applying in person, have your medical documentation ready. If you are applying online, you will be provided with a cover sheet that will allow you to fax all of your supporting evidence to the SSA.

Once all of your information has been gathered by the SSA, it will take approximately three to six months to receive a decision regarding your case if you do not have a compassionate allowance condition. You should hear back within a few weeks if you do have a condition that qualifies for a compassionate allowance.

For a free evaluation, visit Social Security Disability Help.

The Green House Project (a radical alternative to nursing home care)

Dr. Bill Thomas I just heard on the radio that Dr. Bill Thomas of The Green House Project will be interviewed on NPR's All Things Considered TODAY at 5 p.m. ET. Those of you who have read my book know that I think highly of the Green House Project, a radical alternative to conventional nursing home care. Only a few of us are lucky enough to have one nearby, but more and more Green Houses are being built across the country.

Listen to his interview today, or download the recording from the NPR website after today:  http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=2