This is article #709, and, after almost 2 years of writing, I’m going to break one of my cardinal rules.  While I receive interesting material from the pharmaceutical industry on a daily basis, I have never written about any of it.  While much of Pharma’s material has educational value, it is mainly targeted towards generating sales.  Today, I received an educational piece worth writing about.

Dementia, memory loss, is on the rise in my practice and many practices across the country.  As the Baby Boomers age, memory disorders become important for both the Boomers and their families.  Unfortunately, most of my patients and their spouses refuse to recognize the early signs of dementia, delaying treatment and failing to prepare for the day when they can’t function on their own. 

The children of patients suffering from dementia often find themselves ill prepared for their new role, the parenting of their parents.  The proper term for the spouse or children of a person suffering from dementia is “caregiver” and “caregivers” need all the help they can get.

“Care to Care” is a program sponsored by Novartis.  (There, I broke my rule, I mentioned a pharmaceutical company.  No, I am not on their payroll and have no interest in Novartis.)  The program offers a Caregivers guide which reviews “diagnosis, coping, getting help , staying positive, and connecting with others.”

It also offers more about the caregiver’s role with advice from an expert panel and gives an excellent checklist for making the home a safer place to live in.  The resource page offers “anything from the importance of legal and financial matters, to care giving agencies, to the support of national organizations.”

Living with dementia is difficult for the person suffering from dementia, his family, and his community.  If you or a loved one has concerns about dementia/memory loss, get help early!  There is much that can be done to help everyone involved.

Novartis and other pharmaceutical companies are actively involved in research on treatments for dementia and have produced medications that, when given early, can slow the progression of dementia.  Hopefully, the day will come when we can cure it!  Until then, early warning signs need to be recognized and treatment approaches need to be acted upon.

For those who would like to prevent dementia, exercise more, eat a diet high in berries, stress less, and enjoy life more!  Live Wellthy!