I recently had a client comment on my lack of enthusiasm for using a GPS device while driving. Instead, I suggest drawing schematic routes to your destination including major landmarks. She asked why I felt this way, as she uses her GPS regularly and does fine. The answer is complex. There are so many forms of technology that clearly help us function in everyday life. Smart phones, computers, and GPS devices add convenience and help us overcome limits. But there is a downside. These aids can also make us less aware of what’s around us. Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons discuss the issue in their book, The Invisible Gorilla. They describe “inattentional blindness” as the trade-off of being so good at focused attention that we see far less than we think we do. Our brains as so good at focusing […]
What should you expect in a memory evaluation? A good evaluation doesn’t hurt and you can’t pass or fail. It’s not like going to school. The essence of the evaluation is to determine how your memory and thinking skills are working. You should be comfortable and family members should be able to sit in and add their observations. There are three parts to a thorough evaluation: interview, formal evaluation, and feedback. There are several objectives for an interview about memory. First, the interviewer should put you at ease. Ideally, you and someone who knows you well (in case you forget that you forget) are interviewed at the same time. Part of the interview is to provide background information such as birth date, education, work history, health history, etc. This information also provides an assessment of your long term memory (e.g., […]
We all hope to remain in the first stage of Alzheimer’s disease, Normal. This is the time during our life when we are free of objective as well as functional decline. This is the stage where senior moments are just senior moments. This is the stage when the efficiency of your memory slows along with everything else. You may need more external memory supports and you may not be able to multitask as well as in the past but you are fully competent and self-directed. If given a rigorous memory evaluation, you will do as well as you ever did. This stage may last all of your life but there are no guarantees. Fifty percent of those living beyond age 85 may not show signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Forgetfulness is the second stage of Alzheimer’s disease. Forgetfulness shows up in […]
The progression of Alzheimer’s disease unfolds over the course of decades. We lose valuable time by ignoring changes in memory and waiting for a medical diagnosis to take action. By the time current medical screenings detect significant decline we have lost years of valuable time and quality of life. We are too conservative about rigorously evaluating memory but appropriately careful about making a medical diagnosis such as Alzheimer’s disease. By treating Alzheimer’s disease as a medical rather than a memory problem, we miss the opportunity to get ahead of the changes and directly treat memory while the mind still works well. We lose the opportunity to build skills we will need to protect our family and ourselves. The unfolding of early Alzheimer’s disease overlaps with normal aging. This process can be described in alternative ways. One way of viewing the […]
“Money Woes Can Be an Early Clue to Alzheimer’s.” This is an attention grabbing headline from the November 4th edition of the New York Times. The point of the article is to inform that complex decision-making may be the first sign of Alzheimer’s that catches attention. We often dismiss mild memory loss as another senior moment rather than a call to action. The changes are so small that complex problem solving is ignored. I once had a client who received attention only after he bought his plane ticket to pick up the $17 million he had won from the publisher’s clearing house. The dilemma is to determine competency. This is a very complex legal issue that faces families, medical professional, financial advisors, and attorneys alike. Financial decisions have important impact on not only the person with Alzheimer’s disease but also […]
I’m presenting a seminar titled, “Remembering What Not to Forget” this Tuesday, October 19th at 10 am. It will be held at the Renaissance Academy at the Atrium in Fort Myers. Call 425-3276 for reservations and directions.
People often remind each other of appointments, words, what to buy, and names. For example, at work there are administrative assistants whose job it is to remember for and remind others. These memory collaborators serve as the backbone of organizations. At home, partners are our memory collaborators. So often my wife helps me find words for which I am searching, reminds me of appointments, helps me recall times I have enjoyed, and what to pick up at the grocery store. She also reduces my memory load by managing the checkbook and finances. As with many married couples it is a symphony of collaborative efforts that makes both of our lives easier as neither of us has to remember everything on our own. For those with memory disorders, the need for memory collaboration is no longer a convenience but becomes a […]
A recent report in the journal Brain indicates that ratings from family and friends better predict early signs of memory decline than do traditional medical screenings that are so commonly given to detect and monitor those with possible Alzheimer’s disease or other brain disorders that may be progressive. The questionnaire used in the study is called the Ascertain Dementia 8 and takes only about two minutes to complete. The Ascertain Dementia 8 provides a low cost screen to detect those who need more thorough follow-up evaluation to determine the causes of noted problems. This study is a reminder that a thorough evaluation for memory disorders requires both technical evaluation such as neuropsychological and medical tests and a thorough history. A good history is obtained not only from self-report (which can be tricky if you forget that you forget) but also […]
What Remembering What Not To Forget When Tuesday, October 19, 2010 10:00am – All Ages Where (map) Other InfoDr. Beckwith will present a course “Remembering What Not To Forget”at the Renaissance Academy at the Atrium in Fort Myers, FL on October 19 from 10-11:30. Call 425-3276 for reservations and directions. « Back to the calendar
I was recently moderating a support group for families caring for a parent or sibling with Alzheimer’s disease. One of the participants was 60 years old and after some discussion of her mother she turned and asked: “What about me?” She is noticing changes in her memory and concerned as was her 39 year old daughter sitting next to her. She reported no clear memory deficits but was worrying about her future and whether her current memory concerns were normal for her age, a result of the stress of caregiving, or signs that she may one day develop Alzheimer’s disease. I am hearing this question more and more. Clearly, there is an increased risk for developing Alzheimer’s if someone in your family is diagnosed with the disease. For example, I recall a retired physician who sought evaluation as he was […]
