LightBridge Healthcare - Alzheimers & Dementia care

MINDY KIM-MILLER, MD, PhD
Dr. Mindy Kim-Miller, Senior VP of Research and Education, Principal Investigator, completed an MD/PhD Combined Degree Medical Scientist Training Program in order to pursue translational research. She received her PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Wisconsin-Madison...Read more

Question: I have been taking care of my mom, who is diagnosed with advanced/severe Alzheimer's, around the clock for the past two years. Right now my biggest struggle is how to deal with her saying, "please help me," every 15-20 seconds for hours on end every morning. I'm just about at the end of my rope with this one, and in all appearances there is nothing she really needs. Can you please help with this?Read more

Question: What's the difference between adult day care and respite care services? I don't really know anything about this disease and these places and I am taking care of a patient with a severe Alzheimer's. I cannot afford assisted living; he is not...What's the best thing for me to do?Read more

Question: I want to know if Haldol helps a lot to a person with Alzheimer's. My father's doctor stopped the medications he used to take (Seroquel,Namenda & Aricept) and put him in Haldol. Is this a good move? The reason why they put him on this med is that he is getting violent...looking for his millions of money and telling me that I am the thief. Now I feel scared all the time every time I am with him. Do you think combining all those medications will help? Please help me.

Question: My mother has Alzheimer's. I am one of 5 kids. She thinks I am a friend from when she was 6years old. I have twins that are ten years old she does not believe that I am her daughter or they are her grand kids. ...My question is do I correct her, or do I let it go?Read more

Question: My father has had colorectal cancer & had his rectum removed almost 3 weeks ago. He's 83 with Alzheimer's....Do you know of any helpful ideas for taking care of him & teaching him to care for his self? He's becoming terribly depressed with his failures....Do you have any advice?Read more

Question: I don't know how to respond to my mother when she tells me she has been talking to her parents (deceased for 30 yrs) and they want her to come home. I try to explain that they are in heaven, happy and we will see them again someday. Sometimes that works, but other times she insists on trying to telephone them or wants me to take her to them. She also asks me when my mother died. I remind her that she is my mother and how happy I am that she is. She also often confuses me with other relatives. She seems to be becoming much more focused on those close to her who have passed on frequently asking who in our family is deceased. How should I respond?Read more

Question: My dad was diagnosed two years ago with Alzheimer's disease....and recently become obsessive. Approximately two months ago, he began rubbing and picking at his forearm and elbow...my dad continues to pick at the gauze and tape until he has it removed. This turned into picking at his skin until it became raw, open and infected.....Do you have any suggestions to help me to help my dad?

Question: I'm taking care of a friend with stage 2 Alzheimer's. I was wondering if there is any easy way to give them their meds without them fighting me every time. Read more

Question: I have been caring for my parents for nearly a year now in their home. Mother has dementia....Mom is one of seven children, all but one has/had this condition. I guess one might say that my brother and I are pre-disposed. After being with her, there is no way I want to put my children through this. Is there anything we can do NOW to head off this potential problem?

Question: My dad has Alzheimers. When the caregiver is trying to give him a shower, he becomes very mean and belligerent. He yells about the water being hot and how his eyes are burning. The water is very lukewarm, for I have felt it when he is given a shower....Is there a way that we can prevent the caregiver from being hurt and making it less traumatic for my dad?

Question: My mother has bouts of "sundowning." She is on Dilantin and carbadopa for her Parkinsons. During her bouts, she clicks her teeth and makes other animated movements. She has not verbalized for years.....Is there a cure for sundowning?

Question: My mother...has fallen several times recently since the non-swallowing came on. I know she is getting weak and malnourished and the pain seems to be constant. We talked with her doctor today and they agreed to put a pain patch on her and put her in a wheelchair, which I think is a good idea. My only question is that could something have caused the non-swallowing and falling, and could a disease such as myasthenia gravis be responsible for these changes in her.Read more

Question: My mother is 85 years old and has dementia. She keeps asking me to take her to the house where she grew up. The house has been torn down, but she believes that the house has been rebuilt just for her. What am I am to say when she brings the house up? How do I have a conversation about the house without frustrating her?

Question: I am trying to get my mother to stop smoking and drinking. My mother had depression when she was younger, and she started smoking and drinking pretty heavily during her first serious episode of depression. She is now 74 years old and hasn't had an episode in a very long time, but she continues to have one drink a day with one cigarette. I heard that her risk of Alzheimer's disease might be higher because of her bad habits. Is that true?Read more

Question: Some of my relatives have Alzheimer's disease, and I am worried that I might get it too. I want a way to check for the early signs of dementia. Somebody told me that it might be possible to test myself at home using a smell test. Is that true?Read more

Question: Is it normal for someone with Alzheimer's to go into a grocery store and try to walk out with a cart of groceries without paying for them when he is with his caretaker? When security stopped him, he said he was confused. He had money in his wallet, but I always pay for his things. Do I need to leave him home when he wants to go with me to the grocery store? HELP. Is this just the beginning of odd behavior?Read more

Question: I worry about my father, who is Mother's caregiver. She is not to the point of getting 24-hour professional help but is at a stage where leaving her alone is worrisome. Dad is 82 and like many from his generation is very private and doesn't reach out to others. I am limited in what I can do because he thinks he can/should do it himself. I worry that he is depressed but can't get him to address this with his doctor. Any suggestions would be very appreciated. My mother is happy -- she is loved and doing well from her point-of-view. It is my mother who we grieve over, but it is my father who keeps me up at night with worry.Read more

Question: My mother, her mother, and my great aunt had Alzheimers. My mother had early onset and died from the complications at 69. I am now 59. The only sibling. Do I need to take tests? If so what kind? and When? What are the percentages that I will get it? I am a single person and probably do not have the funds for long term care. I get scared when I get forgetful. My biological father was or had manic depression. I have been on Prozac for over 20 years to help with depression and obsessive compulsions....

Question: My mother was finally diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease after weeks of testing and seeing various doctors. It seemed like the doctors had to figure out what she didn't have before they could figure out what she did have. Why is it so hard to diagnose Alzheimer's disease? Is there hope of finding a better way to diagnose the disease?...

Question: With more people living longer and developing Alzheimer's Disease, what type of research is there on finding a cure?...

Question: My aunt (80) was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease about 18 months ago (beginning to moderate). My aunt has always been a daily 2-drink person, and has recently begun to consume dangerous quantities of whisky in the early morning hours. Is there a correlation between alcohol and Alzheimer's? Is there a resource that would help us determine when/if an intervention is called for? ...Read more

Question: Can the foods I eat affect my chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease? ...

Question: Sometimes my mother does not want to drink water with her meals, and she often seems to forget to drink during the day. How important is it for her to drink more water, and how do I get her to do it?...

Question: My mother-in-law was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. What medications can she take for it?

LightBridge

Healthcare Research Inc

Connecting families and professionals to the latest Alzheimer's caregiver resources

Other language

Search

Menu

Resize text

Caregiver Resources

About Dr. Mindy

Repetitive Phrases

Respite Care

Haldol

Dealing with Delusions

Learning New Tasks

Responding to Confusion

Repetitive Behaviors

Giving Medication When the Person Fights it

Preventing Memory Loss and Alzheimer’s Disease

Bathing

Sundowning

Difficulties Swallowing

Conversations about Going Home

Smoking & Drinking Risks

Home Screening

Shopping & Shoplifting

Caregiver Stress & Depression

Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease

Diagnosis Research

Alzheimer's Disease Research

Alcohol & Alzhiemer's Disease

Nutrition

Hydration & Dementia

Medications for Alzheimer's Disease

Affiliations, Partnerships and Friends: