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One in Three Will Be Affected by Dementia | |
Marcell points out that not everyone becomes aggressive with dementia. She says her mother was "sweet and lovely" both before and after her Alzheimer's diagnosis, indicating that the disease can manifest itself in many ways. There are many types of dementia, Alzheimer's is just one form, and there is no stopping the progression nor is there a cure. Stage One typically lasts 2-4 years; Stage Two lasts 2-10 years (and usually requires full-time care); and Stage Three lasts 1-3 years. Statistically families (and many doctors who are not dementia specialists) wait 4 years, ignoring early warning signs before reaching out for help (through Stage One), because they incorrectly believe that these intermittent odd behaviors are just a normal part of aging and untreatable senility. Marcell says, “By the age of 65, one out of every ten persons has some form of dementia, and by the age of 85, one out of every two persons has it. Surprisingly, the fastest growing segment of our population is the 85+ group.” Marcell says her mission is to, “spread the word about the importance of early diagnosis to the 78 million baby boomers who are often in denial about eldercare until they are in a crisis.” She wants everyone to know that with medication (Aricept, Exelon or Reminyl), dementia symptoms might be masked and slowed down by 2-4 years, keeping a loved one in Stage One longer, which is intermittent and mild. “Seeking help early can save families a lot of heartache and money, and save our society the burden of caring for so many elders who decline sooner than need be. It's really very simple: When your loved one does something that strikes you as illogical or irrational--it is! You don't need to be a Ph.D. to know something is wrong, you need an M.D. who can diagnose and treat it properly.” Where She Found Help Marcell credits the Alzheimer's Association (800-272-3900) for referring her to geriatric dementia specialists who uncovered her father's early stage Alzheimer's disease. (His regular doctors missed it completely.) They prescribed medication to improve his cognitive ability, and then treated the aggression and (often-present) depression. Then, after also balancing him with optimal nutrition, Marcell began what she calls, "Behavior Modification 101", consisting of rewards & consequences (because his short-term memory was still quite good), and succeeded in turning around his bad behaviors--the majority of the time. The final key was getting herself into a support group, and getting both parents out of bed ("waiting to die"), and involved in daily activities and socialization at an Adult Day Health Care facility--which completely turned their lives around at 80 and 85. Marcell adds, “75% of dementia patients are being cared for at home, and sadly, elder abuse is reaching epidemic proportions because families are so unprepared for the frustrations of caregiving their elders, who are living longer than ever. She believes that if people understood how to properly manage it, elder abuse would be reduced. She is pleased that the National Center on Elder Abuse recently published a very favorable review of Elder Rage in their national newsletter. Getting the Word Out AARP's Bulletin featured Marcell on their cover (circulation 22 million), putting Elder Rage on the fast track to becoming a bestseller. “I'm reaching frustrated adult children who are reading it like a novel, and finding hope and tangible solutions for managing their 'challenging' elderly loved-ones.” The addendum by renowned dementia specialist, Dr. Rodman Shankle, “A Physicians Guide to Treating Aggression in Dementia,” also helps doctors diagnose and treat this most troubling aspect of dementia, which can occur in some patients. The bottom line message of both author and doctor is that, “there can still be a good life after a diagnosis of dementia, if it is properly managed medically and behaviorally.” Elder Rage is also an extensive self-help book with answers to difficult "how to" questions like: getting loved ones to give up driving, accept a caregiver, see a different doctor, go to day care--and also includes a wealth of valuable resources, websites and recommended reading. 40+ high profile endorsements include: Hugh Downs, Regis Philbin, Dr. Dean Edell, the late Steve Allen, Jacqueline Bisset, Ed Asner, Dr. Bernie Siegel, Dr. John Gray, Leeza Gibbons, Robert Stack, Dr. Nancy Snyderman/ABC News, Johns Hopkins Memory Clinic, Duke University Center For Aging, Dr. Eric Tangalos/Mayo Clinic, Dr. Rudy Tanzi/Harvard Medical School, Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, and the National Adult Day Services Association, who is honoring Marcell with their annual NADSA Media Award when she speaks for the American Society on Aging in April, 2002. Hitting a Chord With Boomers Marcell speaks nationwide to families and professionals on eldercare awareness and reform. She replaced an ailing Maureen Reagan at the Governor's Conference for Women, presenting a seminar with California First Lady, Sharon Davis. CNN and NBC have interviewed her, she has been a frequent guest on talk radio & television, including the "Iyanla" show, Prevention magazine published an article, and the University of Tennessee's Educational Psychology Department is using Elder Rage as required text for their course, "Assessment & Management of Geriatric Patients." 105 glowing reviews on Amazon.com indicate that she’s hit a chord with a timely issue. Marcell emphasizes, “Dementia costs American business over $33 billion a year--79% of that is from lost productivity and absenteeism of employees who must take time off to care for ailing family members. Everyone should know the warning signs of dementia and the importance of seeking help sooner than later.” She says she learned caregiving the hard way, which is why she wrote her first book, “so that no one would ever have to go through what I did.” Determined to make a difference, she says her mission is to, “get to Washington as quickly as possible and help change our eldercare laws." She laughs, "I have an ulterior motive--I don't have children, so I've got to help straighten things out before I get old!" Ten Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s 1. Recent memory loss that affects job skills 2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks 3. Problems with language 4. Disorientation of time and place 5. Poor or decreased judgment 6. Problems with abstract thinking 7. Misplacing things 8. Changes in mood or behavior 9. Changes in personality 10. Loss of initiative | |
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