Alzheimer's Hope on The Horizon - Dr Mosqueda at Cal State Long Beach
Dr. Mosqueda's Community Lecture on Alzheimer's Disease was excellent. She used just the perfect blend of fact expertise, humor and compassion to educate almost 300 of us on Alzheimer's, its effect on those with the disease and on those who love & care for them.
Highlights:
She pointed out that all dementias are not the same. For example, vascular dementia which is caused by a narrowing or blockage of a blood vessel in the brain leads to problems retrieving information while other types of dementia affect the ability to store the information (memory) in the first place. She warned us to avoid suggesting that someone is just not trying hard enough to remember because it is quite possible that memory never got stored in the first place.
It was also interesting to hear Dr. Mosqueda express her reluctance to treat most of the symptoms with drugs due to the harshness of the side effects of the drugs, i.e., nausea, diarrhea, etc. with little obvious benefit. She believes that many people with Alzheimer's would be better off getting involved with Adult Day Care instead of relying on drugs to alleviate their symptoms.
She also emphasized that the we should pay attention to the "emotional context" of what the person with Alzheimer's is saying. Getting wrapped up in the "verbal context" will often be unproductive and lead to frustration, confusion, and anger.
You can learn more about UC Irvine's Geriatric Medicine Program by clicking on the link.
Dr. Mosqueda is also part of the multidisciplinary team that forms the
Center of Excellence in Elder Abuse and Neglect located at UCI's School of Medicine Program in Geriatrics.
Highlights:
She pointed out that all dementias are not the same. For example, vascular dementia which is caused by a narrowing or blockage of a blood vessel in the brain leads to problems retrieving information while other types of dementia affect the ability to store the information (memory) in the first place. She warned us to avoid suggesting that someone is just not trying hard enough to remember because it is quite possible that memory never got stored in the first place.
It was also interesting to hear Dr. Mosqueda express her reluctance to treat most of the symptoms with drugs due to the harshness of the side effects of the drugs, i.e., nausea, diarrhea, etc. with little obvious benefit. She believes that many people with Alzheimer's would be better off getting involved with Adult Day Care instead of relying on drugs to alleviate their symptoms.
She also emphasized that the we should pay attention to the "emotional context" of what the person with Alzheimer's is saying. Getting wrapped up in the "verbal context" will often be unproductive and lead to frustration, confusion, and anger.
You can learn more about UC Irvine's Geriatric Medicine Program by clicking on the link.
Dr. Mosqueda is also part of the multidisciplinary team that forms the
Center of Excellence in Elder Abuse and Neglect located at UCI's School of Medicine Program in Geriatrics.
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