Articles for Memory Care

Medications can be real lifesavers when taken in the proper doses and at the proper times. This is especially true for prescription medications meant to treat specific symptoms for specific individuals. However, they can turn on you if you take them in the wrong doses, at the wrong times, or don’t take them at all. This is a danger for older adults who may be taking multiple medications and may have memory issues.

If you find yourself or a loved one in a situation where medication schedules are confusing, it’s time to look into some products and services that can keep you on track. The keys to success are organization and reminders. Once you know what needs to be taken when and in what dose, the next step is to make sure you are reminded about those requirements.

Keeping in touch with a loved one in a care home is especially difficult during this epidemic. The restrictions and pleas to stay at home leave many wondering just what is allowable and what isn’t. Compounding this stress is the fact that regulations are constantly changing, and dementia patients may not understand what is going on and why you don’t visit them. A few scenarios and guidelines may help you stay connected, both for your sake and the patient’s.

Dear Families/Friends: It is always South Mountain’s top priority to maintain the health and well-being of your loved one. Since… Read More »SMMC Taking Measures to Keep Our Residents Safe

The terms Alzeimer’s and dementia are household words today. But some other, less well known types of dementia — that often strike before age 60 and cause difficultiies in thinking and behavior — are called frontemporal disorders (FTD). 

What Are Frontotemporal Disorders?

Damage to the brain’s frontal and temporal lobes causes forms of dementia called frontotemporal disorders.

Frontotemporal disorders are the result of damage to neurons (nerve cells) in parts of the brain called the frontal and temporal lobes. As neurons die in the frontal and temporal regions, these lobes atrophy, or shrink. Gradually, this damage causes difficulties in thinking and behaviors normally controlled by these parts of the brain. Many possible symptoms can result, including unusual behaviors, emotional problems, trouble communicating, difficulty with work, or difficulty with walking.

Frontotemporal disorders are forms of dementia caused by a family of brain diseases known as frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Dementia is a severe loss of thinking abilities that interferes with a person’s ability to perform daily activities such as working, driving, and preparing meals. Other brain diseases that can cause dementia include Alzheimer’s disease and multiple strokes. Scientists think that FTLD is the most common cause of dementia in people younger than age 60. Roughly 60 percent of people with FTLD are 45 to 64 years old.

People can live with frontotemporal disorders for up to 10 years, sometimes longer, but it is difficult to predict the time course for an individual patient. The disorders are progressive,