Tag: dementia and palliative care

How Palliative Care Can Help People with Alzheimer’s Disease and their Families

May 22, 2023

Palliative care can provide many benefits to people living with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, and their caregivers.


Palliative care can provide many benefits to people living with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, and their caregivers.

“Palliative care is an opportunity for you and your loved one to get a helping hand and make it easier for both of you,” says Doris Phildor, Health Systems Director at the Alzheimer’s Association in New York City.  … Read More

A Quality Life: Palliative Care Helps Families Living with Dementia Focus on Quality of Life

May 25, 2021

Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are mostly known for memory loss that worsens over time, but it comes with a range of complex needs – for the person diagnosed and the family. And the health needs and safety concerns for all involved typically increase as the disease progresses. 

Ann, a 92-year-old mother, grandmother, and former nurse, has been living with dementia for about 7 years. She also has COPD and heart problems. Ann has been able to stay in her own home with the help of her daughter Holly, care from home aides, and a palliative care team. 

Holly and her family know firsthand that the palliative care team improves the quality of life for people with dementia and their caregivers by adding a layer of support. 

This is Ann and Holly’s palliative care story. … Read More

If You Live with a Serious Illness, Learn How to Improve Your Quality of Life

February 15, 2021

If you have cancer, lung, heart or kidney disease, Alzheimer’s, or another serious illness, you should know about a medical team that can address your symptoms and stress. 

The medical team is called palliative care and they’re available in a variety of medical settings. Palliative care teams focus on relieving the symptoms and stress of your illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.  … Read More

Living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia: How Palliative Care Can Help

November 25, 2020

By Andy Esch, MD 

If you care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, you may be struggling with the day-to-day challenges and maintaining quality of life. Dementia is a disease of the brain, which begins with memory loss, confusion, and difficulty making decisions, all of which worsen over time. This may mean that your loved one doesn’t recognize their surroundings or people in their life, or may not be able to find the right words or do tasks that were once handled easily.  … Read More

Coronavirus and Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia: What You Need to Know

June 1, 2020

While having dementia or Alzheimer’s disease aren’t known to increase the risk for coronavirus, other factors may. These include advanced age, and having additional serious medical conditions such as heart disease, respiratory illnesses, diabetes and kidney failure. In addition, infections in general are frequently missed among people with dementia, which could lead to worsening cognitive abilities. 

Also, depending on the stage of the disease, communication may be difficult. Since much of the time, a family member is the main caregiver, it’s important to have a plan to stay safe during this uniquely challenging and stressful time.   … Read More

How Music Can Help People Living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias

July 11, 2019

If you care for a loved one living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, and are looking for ways to help them cope with loss in memory and brain function, you’ll want to know about a program called Music & Memory.  … Read More

Maintaining Quality of Life with Alzheimer’s: Palliative Care Can Help

November 7, 2018

If you or a loved one are living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, you know you are facing a difficult road ahead. The disease begins with memory loss, confusion and trouble making decisions, and gets worse over time, eventually affecting basic control over the body. But with the help of a medical specialty called palliative care, there is a lot that can be done to make people living with dementia more comfortable and reduce distress.

… Read More

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