Paranoia and delusional behaviors oftentimes develop in people with Alzheimer's disease or other causes of dementia. It takes a measure of understanding of these behaviors to know how to effectively respond and how to continually cope with this conduct.Paranoia is an unrealistic fear or concern that harm is imminent, or an extreme and unreasonable suspicion of other people and their motives. Your mom may accuse you of stealing some of her possessions, for instance, or have a tremendous amount of mistrust in you through accusations and insults. You as her caregiver will be the target and possibly the trigger for these behaviors, which can be upsetting and unnerving for you.Additionally, your mom may share these fears with other family members and friends, causing them to doubt your care and prompting embarrassment and distress on your part.Delusions are fixed false beliefs that are not easily changed.Paranoid delusional behaviors are common in people with Alzheimer's disease. The person … [Read more...] about Alzheimer’s Q&A: How do I cope with paranoid delusional behaviors in my mom who has Alzheimer’s disease?
Health
Tiny Device Is a ‘Huge Advance’ for Treatment of Severe Heart Failure
Sections SEARCH Skip to content Skip to site index Health Subscribe Log In Subscribe Log In Today’s Paper Advertisement Supported by A clip used to repair damaged heart valves sharply reduced the deaths among patients with a grim prognosis. ByGina Kolata Sept. 23, 2018 Almost two million Americans have severe heart failure, and for them even mundane tasks can be extraordinarily difficult. With blood flow impeded throughout their bodies, patients may become breathless simply walking across a room or up stairs. Some must sleep sitting up to avoid gasping for air. Drugs may help to control the symptoms, but the disease takes a relentless course, and most people with severe heart failure do not have long to live. Until now, there has been little doctors can do. But on Sunday, researchers reported that a tiny clip inserted into the heart sharply reduced death rates in patients with severe heart failure. In a large clinical … [Read more...] about Tiny Device Is a ‘Huge Advance’ for Treatment of Severe Heart Failure
Life is short in some Oklahoma communities
STILWELL — Eight miles west of the Arkansas state line, where U.S. Highway 59 meets State Highway 51, is a small eastern Oklahoma town that looks much like other small eastern Oklahoma towns — there's a county courthouse in the center, a war memorial, drab downtown shops, Ozark foothills in the distance. This town is losing a generation of... When you subscribe for $0.99, you get full digital access to: 1) Unlock ALL exclusive articles from The Oklahoman. 2) Customize all 15 topics with NewsOK Pro. 3) An ad-FREE reading experience on NewsOK. 4) The Oklahoman for iOS and Android apps, Print Replica, Archives and Oklahoman.com. Learn more. Unlock ALL exclusive articles. Get full-digital access.* Already a subscriber? Activate or log in with your Oklahoman or NewsOK Pro account. … [Read more...] about Life is short in some Oklahoma communities
UN: Excessive drinking killed more than 3 million people in 2016
GENEVA — Drinking too much alcohol killed more than 3 million people in 2016, mostly men, the World Health Organization said. The U.N. health agency also warned that current policy responses are not sufficient to reverse trends predicting an increase in consumption over the next 10 years. In a new report Friday, the agency said that about 237 million men and 46 million women faced alcohol problems, with the highest prevalence in Europe and the Americas. Europe has the highest global per capita alcohol consumption, even though it has already dropped by 10 percent since 2010. Around a third of alcohol-related deaths were a result of injuries, including car crashes and self-harm, while about one in five were due to either digestive disorders or cardiovascular diseases. Cancers, infectious diseases, mental disorders and other health conditions were also to blame. “Far too many people, their families and communities suffer the consequences of the harmful use of alcohol … [Read more...] about UN: Excessive drinking killed more than 3 million people in 2016
For These Florence Survivors, The Threat Of Drug Relapse Was Scarier Than Any Floodwaters
HEALTH 09/22/2018 02:30 pm ET How one North Carolina clinic helped patients with opioid addiction during the storm. By Erin Schumaker FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. ― Randolph Alcorn was almost in tears. The 30-year-old had come from Louisiana for a contract job fixing power lines damaged by Hurricane Florence. After 16-hour days in the elements, he said he’d been soaking wet, from rain or sweat or both, from the day he arrived in North Carolina. But what really worried him was how far he was from the closest opioid addiction clinic that would treat him ― the Carolina Treatment Center of Fayetteville ― after a road collapse blew out the tires of his service truck. Without the methadone he takes twice a week, he worried about going into withdrawal ― or worse, relapsing and going back to opioids. Getting to the clinic for the second time during his trip, amid road closures, the tire blowout and extended workdays, was also putting him in a tough … [Read more...] about For These Florence Survivors, The Threat Of Drug Relapse Was Scarier Than Any Floodwaters