OT: Avoiding Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia

Just keep working! Keep mentally active one way or another. It's the single most important thing you can do.

Reply to
Cursitor Doom
Loading thread data ...

And physically active. My father, at 90, was alarmed that his buddies had stopped "having sex" ;-) ...Jim Thompson

--
| James E.Thompson                                 |    mens     | 
| Analog Innovations                               |     et      | 
 Click to see the full signature
Reply to
Jim Thompson

Cycling is a damn good substitute for those of us who've lost interest in carnal pursuits.

Reply to
Cursitor Doom

If I lost interest in "carnal pursuits" I'd consider myself dead ;-) ...Jim Thompson

--
| James E.Thompson                                 |    mens     | 
| Analog Innovations                               |     et      | 
 Click to see the full signature
Reply to
Jim Thompson
[snip]

They're going the laparoscopic route to repair my fistula problem.

But I've also had a hip joint replacement (8 years ago) with a long scar down my left leg that has virtually vanished. ...Jim Thompson

--
| James E.Thompson                                 |    mens     | 
| Analog Innovations                               |     et      | 
 Click to see the full signature
Reply to
Jim Thompson

I wish it were that easy. This post strikes rather close to home, as my paternal aunt died last week at age 84 after suffering from Alzheimer's for close to a decade.

For much of her life she was an extremely bright and curious woman, who played piano beautifully, and knew several languages (including Chinese

- she worked and lived in Hong Kong for many years and apparently could speak a couple dialects so well that on the phone she would be mistaken for a native speaker.)

For the past six years she was bedbound in a care facility, unable to speak or eat on her own. She took a turn for the worse early this summer, developed pneumonia, and her time came. It's criminal that people have to continue on in that type of "living death", and horrifically unnatural.

I'm glad you're at peace now, Ann. You will be missed.

Reply to
bitrex

In Denmark if you are able to give consent and hold a cup and drink you can end your life in a hospital. There was a PBS show called "Suicide Tourist" about this.

--

Rick C
Reply to
rickman

She was very religious, so in her case I'm not sure she would've made that choice, even had it been available.

Naturally, since this is the US we're talking about, in most places even the choice is not on the table.

Reply to
bitrex

Only if you are an animal and *not* a human. Then we consider it cruel to let them suffer.

--

Rick C
Reply to
rickman

Because then every elderly person would be pushed to do it, right? Terminate themselves for the good of the collective. "Death panels", and all that.

Reply to
bitrex

It doesn't happen that way in the Netherlands, where euthenasia is an option. One of our friends got pharangeal cancer and chose to go before the situation got excessively unpleasant.

There is a legal requirement that the patient's suffering is unbearable with no prospect of improvement. Not exactly consistent with pushing every elderly patient to ask for a termination.

formatting link

--
Bill Sloman, Sydney
Reply to
bill.sloman

I think "death panels" would be the government. I believe the concern is more those close to the person, possibly to become heirs earlier or for other reasons. But as long as the same rules that they use in Denmark are used, I don't see that happening. You can only do this if you are terminal and clearly in lots of pain and suffering. So you can't off yourself because of a bad hangnail.

--

Rick C
Reply to
rickman

Well, OK, just as long as I'm still allowed to be crazy.

--
John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc 

lunatic fringe electronics
 Click to see the full signature
Reply to
John Larkin

It's said that multilingual people statistically get Alzheimer's 4-5 years later. However, it supposedly only works if you switch languages many times each day. I am multi-lingual but I won't count on it.

If you are able to, keep visiting such care homes. It can be emotionally tough but the people living there towards and usually until their end of life deserve it. We regularly go there with our dogs and it makes faces light up when they see them and can touch them. It brings back fond memories from the days they had dogs of their own.

Even without companion animals it can be done and can go both ways. I have heard first-hand stories about life during the great depression that I'd never have without visiting. They may not have a clue what happened five minutes ago and will ask your name 10 times an hour but they can often tell you in great detail what happened many decades ago.

--
Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/
Reply to
Joerg

Telling crazy people that they weren't allowed to be crazy would be something of a waste of time. Your problem is that you think you are being crazy when you are merely being silly.

--
Bill Sloman, Sydney
Reply to
bill.sloman

That is such a small thing for us to do and such a huge thing in their lives. I have a friend who is 90 and still getting around very well except he has gone blind in both eyes. He did great until his second eye went and he can no longer read. He is still living independently with a few friends helping him get out for shopping and doctors.

But he is bored and lonely. He won't show his unhappiness, but I know it's there. I also know my visits make his day. So I don't mind going to see him every other day when I'm in town. I just hope things don't get worse for him before the end.

--

Rick C
Reply to
rickman

definitely not legal in Denmark it would fall under the laws covering murder, it was probably Switzerland

-Lasse

Reply to
Lasse Langwadt Christensen

Sorry, you are right.

--

Rick C
Reply to
rickman

Sounds like my mother. The Smithsonian sent her a special cassette player and "books on tape" once a month. If it weren't for that, she probably would have gone nuts. She went down pretty fast the last year (she lived to 95).

Reply to
krw

you can also eat Indian food - the turmeric apparently doubles the rate the brain clears the offending growths that start Alzheimer's.

Reply to
David Eather

ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.