Today’s re-blog as part of World Alzheimer’s Month focuses on an article by Beth Britton about how dementia and personality interact.
“Every day can, and often is, very different. Sometimes the changes in a person’s personality may be more, or less, pronounced. If they become less pronounced, you may feel like the person is ‘returning to their old self’, only to see the ‘reversal’ of that the next day, week or month.”
Today’s re-blog as part of World Alzheimer’s Month focuses on an article by Susan Macaulay which comments on 10 seldom-mentioned “side effects” of using antipsychotics in long-term dementia care, which are also 10 more good reasons we should #BanBPSD.
“There are a tonne of reasons not to give antipsychotics to people who live with Dementia. There are also a tonne of reasons why people are given antipsychotic medications in long-term care, most of which have something to do with their normal responses to adverse conditions and poor care approaches, and nothing to do with Dementia. The normal human responses are pejoratively labelled, and erroneously attributed to Dementia.”
Today’s re-blog as part of World Alzheimer’s Month focuses on an Open Letter to Gabriella Rogers and Channel 9 in Australia relating to the campaign to Ban BPSD, the Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (#BanBPSD).
It was written by:
Leah Bisiani, MHlthSc, Dip Bus, dementia and aged care consultant, RN.1
Kate Swaffer, human rights activist, author, MSc dementia care, PhD candidate
Daniella Greenwood, consultant, author, speaker, activist
Dr Chris Alderman, B Pharm, PhD, FSHP, BCPP, CGP
Dr Al Power, Geriatrician, author, educator
Susan Macaulay, care partner, author, dementia advocate”
in response to an article on Channel 9 in Australia called “New drug to treat behavioural issues in Dementia patients”
Today’s re-blog as part of World Alzheimer’s Month focuses on an article by Susan Macaulay which comments on why we need to rethink the way we label the behaviour of people who live with Alzheimer’s disease.
The article states
“It’s time to reframe behavioural expressions in ways that enable us to identify their root causes and, in turn, inform improved efforts to implement humane, personalized, and effective approaches for the care of PLWD. Seniors with dementia need to be better understood and compassionately cared for, not drugged and managed to fit the constraints of a broken system.”
Today’s re-blog as part of World Alzheimer’s Month focuses on an article in Margaret Swope’s blog, Our Parkinson’s Place, relating to agitation in Dementia and asks are drugs the best treatment?
The article talks about a piece of research and quotes Study co-author Dr. Helen Kales from the University of Michigan
“This research advocates a significant shift from current practice, recommending that nonpharmacological treatments are a first-line approach for agitation in dementia.”
Today’s re-blog as part of World Alzheimer’s Month focuses on an article by Susan Macaulay which comments on Is your Dementia glass half empty or half full?
“Like most people, I saw Alzheimer disease and other dementias as a terrible tragedy in which those who live with dementia are on a journey that is nothing more than a long slow, tortuous train through hell – a journey in which they are robbed of their very selves as they disappear into a black hole of oblivion. I was mistaken in those beliefs. Today, based on my experience with people who live with dementia, I see the disease and those who have it in a completely different light.
But I was right about one thing. On November 16, 2012, a little over a year after I came back to Canada from Dubai, Mom was placed in a long-term care facility. Once I saw the reality of institutional care, I again abandoned my own life plan to stay close by her side and be her advocate.”
Today’s re-blogs as part of World Alzheimer’s Month focuses on two short articles by Kate Swaffer, relating to Walking and the awful term “Wandering”
“You’ll be shocked to learn what happens to your body just from walking daily.”
“collaborative #BanBPSD campaign, today I’d like to talk about wandering.”
Today’s re-blog as part of World Alzheimer’s Month focuses on an article by Sonya Barness relating to the Medicalization of Growing Older, where Sonya states
“the medicalization of ageing means primarily viewing ageing as a medical problem, defining the experiences and challenges of ageing in medical terms, and thus seeing “solutions” also as primarily medical.”
Unraveling the Paradigm: The Medicalization of Growing Older
Today’s re-blog as part of World Alzheimer’s Month focuses on an article by Susan Macaulay which comments on 20 behavioural expressions for which antipsychotic medications are unwarranted and ineffective in people who live with Dementia.
“What happens in the brain chemically–even when people are labeled “delusional”–is not the same in diseases that cause dementia as in classical psychosis where dopamine activity is increased, causing hallucinations and delusions. The primary action [of antipsychotics]in that disorder is achieved by blocking dopamine activity.
But no form of dementia involves heightened dopamine activity; in fact many people, including those with Lewy body dementia, have decreased dopamine activity. So dopamine-blocking drugs not only have no chemical rationale, they also are particularly toxic for such people.”
Today’s re-blog as part of World Alzheimer’s Month focuses on an article relating to a recording from a webinar by Dr Al Power held in January 2016. Where Dr Power
“discusses information and his thoughts about drug use and misuse, and he challenges the “BPSD” concept, and shares so much more.”
