Alheizmer's Disease

[Sagefrakrobatik]

I wanted to know if you guys have any advice for me on how to handle this. She doesnt have it yet but the momentum is building up I think right now she has dementia.

Thanks

David

[Eastern Mind]

Hello.

My sympathies. This is hard for me, and even harder for you, I suspect. My mother had Alzheimer's, lasted about 5 years, and slowly went out with it. (This was about 10 years back.)
There is a lot of information on the internet, and depending on where you are, there may be an active Alzheimer's society branch. I would advise you to do your research. The early onset type is considered by most to be the toughest. For loved ones, its important to remember always that its the disease, not the person. The patient may react in weird ways, like panic attacks, anger etc. Never take it persoanally. For myself, my faith helped a lot. For my mother it was hard to tell at all, because in the later stages for sure, there is no emotion whatsoever. Aum Shanti, and best wishes.
EEM

[saidevo]

Perhaps the ancient Hindu practice of 'dorbiH karaNam (toppu karaNam)', which has reincarnated as 'Superbrain Yoga' can help?

http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=3888
http://www.rogerson.org/pdfs/Clips/Yoga_Rog_House.pdf

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=opera&rls=en&hs=P5e&ei=A-DKSbyiMJD6kAWd14DgCQ&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=%22super+brain+yoga%22+%22Alzheimer%27s%22&spell=1

I haven't gone through the links, just remembered to have read somewhere that the 'dorbiH karaNam' might be of help. May God bless her with speedy recovery!

[Sagefrakrobatik]

Its my grandmother. I forgot to say

[Eastern Mind]

Back when my mother had it, when she was alive, I was still teaching. I used to get close emotionally with my students. One of them had a Grandma with it at the time so we became our own little Alzheimer's support group at school. My student said her Grandmother would recognise her as her mother. (the student's mother) and call her by that name. So often memory gets quite fascinating as the memory of something 40 or 50 years ago will be vivid, yet the patient can't remember the season, the time of day, what they had for lunch etc. I learned stuff I never knew about Mom. One odd, and on the lighter side a bit about mom was that she quit a two pack a day habit with nicotine, cause she couldn't remember that she ever smoked. For the in between after the early stuff, but before total disablement, stage, constant supervision is in order as the patient can do harm to themselves. (Smoking and puttting it down in the wrong place would be an example. Mom used to get cold, and turn on the gas stove, then forget she turned it on.)

I did ask my guru about it but at that time he said they (the order) didn't know much but that they had invited America's leading expert over to learn more. I can't imagine what would happen if a self-realised souls with siddhis got it. That would be quite the adventure, I'm sure.

Aum Shanthi

BTW, dementia is just the name of a symptom. It is also caused by other factors besides Alzheimer's, such as strokes, shocks, other diseases etc. I'm not sure about today's medicine, but when my mom had it, there was no real living test for Alzheimer's except for an autopsy upon death. But the time line range of dementia etc jived with Alzheimers. We, the family, felt no need to have an autopsy done.

Aum Shanthi again.

[Znanna]

Namaste,

My grandmother had this, I was her legal guardian for the last several years of her life because of it.

My way of dealing with her was to try to understand her world view, and adapt my conversations and interactions to it, rather than try to bring her "back."

She liked silly things and stupid jokes, so I focused on that (as her other proclivities were rather nasty and spiteful). For example, for her birthday, I got her these huge fuzzy pink slippers and a coordinating robe ... she loved them, I suppose it reminded her of happy times.

The impression I always got was that, similar to someone imbued with psychotropic drugs, her mind was engaged with its own vision; she didn't care anymore about seeing and doing what was going on around her.

ZN