The Best Life Blog

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that develops slowly over time. About 10,000,000 people around the world (including 1,000,000 in the U.S. and 55,000 in Canada) live with Parkinson’s. This is a long-lasting condition (up to 20 years) that has no cure. However, medications and therapies are available to help people manage their symptoms better.

My office has a sensor that turns the light off after a prolonged absence of movement. The light sometimes switches off while I am busily clicking my computer keyboard. Yes, I’m working but seemingly inert. My usual response to “lights out” is to wave my arms above my head. Sometimes I just keep working in the dark. What I really should do is get up and move.

Certain types of dementia (e.g., Alzheimer’s, Lewy body, Parkinson’s and frontotemporal dementia) may affect language ability. People who have these conditions may forget the names of people and things. They could use words that mean something entirely unrelated. Sometimes, they speak in “word salad,” using a combination of words and sounds that seem to make no sense. Over time, many might stop speaking entirely.

People often think of caregiving as mostly hands-on care. It involves tasks like bathing, feeding, transferring and toileting. However, caregiving is more than caretaking. Caregiving tends to the whole person and all their needs.

RAISE (which stands for Recognize, Assist, Include, Support and Engage) focuses on providing relief to those who care for a relative or close loved one. Family caregivers don’t have to provide just personal care to qualify. The RAISE Act can help any family caregiver who provides housekeeping, financial and medical assistance.

When you or someone you love experiences a memory lapse, you may worry it is the start of dementia. Yet, most of us who have memory challenges as we age are not experiencing dementia.

Staying hydrated is important for your body, especially your brain.

Here are four reasons to fuel your brain with water throughout the day:

For many parts of the country, bitter cold temperatures and icy roads keep us hunkered down at home this time of year. We may find ourselves sitting in front of the fireplace wrapped in warm, fuzzy blankets sipping mugs of steamy hot cocoa. If you’ve indulged in simple pleasures such as these, you’ve experienced “hygge.”

When night closes in, keep your guard up. However, don’t waste time looking for monsters who lurk under the bed. Or, wait for restless ghosts to prowl the halls. Rather, be aware of the potential hazards that might cause nighttime falls.