Any one who has worked in the health care industry or has had a dementia patient at home knows how behaviors can literally change overnight when someone has an UTI. Almost any “challenging” behavior will be exaggerated or magnified greatly when someone has an UTI. I had a recent personal experience that made me question…

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Are you about to have surgery? Or have you recently had surgery and don’t feel like you are back to “normal” yet? . “26% of surgery patients leave Intensive Care Units with new, Alzheimer’s-like symptoms.”  . “Patients treated in intensive care units across the globe enter with no evidence of cognitive impairment but oftentimes leave…

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Red Plates vs. White Plates?? Does it make a difference for persons with Alzheimer’s.  Does it really matter what color plate or coffee mug is used for someone with AD? The answer is YES!   According to a study completed at Boston University in 2004, “40% of individuals with severe Alzheimer’s lose an unhealthy amount…

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   Caregivers removing car keys and their loved one’s ability to drive is a very difficult decision.  Perhaps this article by Dr. Brian Ott of Rhode Island Hospital will assist you in making a responsible decision when the time is appropriate. *** “Driving Impairment May Be a Sign of Very Early Alzheimer’s Disease . Brain…

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Dear Friends, The Fall 2017     [Highlight this link and go to page 3 for article about Doreen] issue of the AFTD Newsletter spotlights all aspects of our mission, from spreading FTD awareness, to advancing groundbreaking scientific research, to helping members of the FTD community connect with one another. Doreen Putnam In this issue,…

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What’s the difference?   “Apathy and depression are two conditions that have been studied extensively in psychology. Apathy refers to the lack of interest that can be seen in a person. Depression, on the other hand, is a psychological condition where a person loses interest in daily activities and feels hopeless.” (differencebetween.com) So how does…

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  The statistics are awesome.. meaning unbelievable or daunting.   Look at those statistics… falls happen so fast and can do so much damage to an elderly person, especially one with some form of dementia.   Dementia patients don’t necessarily understand the pain they are experiencing following a fall or when a fracture occurs. If…

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I recently posted this piece on my FB page DCPutnam Consulting.  The posting received more than 2,300 hits and obviously had a huge impact on my readers. I want to include it here so others may see it in the future.  (Double click on diagram to enlarge.) *****     *****     *****     *****     ***** This diagram was…

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Aaron Hernandez’s autopsy has proven that when he died at age 27,  he had Stage 3 of 4 stages of CTE ! CTE is Chronic Traumatic Encephalophy. Hernandez was a player with the New England Patriot’s prior to his suicidal death. We’ve all heard this phrase ~ CTE ~ over the past few years as…

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