The results of a recent study reported in the most recent journal of JAMA shows that 2000 units of Vitamin E can have beneficial effects at retarding the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.  In an older study, 2000 units of Vitamin E was shown to be equally as effective as taking a prescribed medication (10 mg of selegiline) daily at improving activities of daily living (dressing, eating, walking) and delaying placement into a nursing home.  Interestingly, in this study if the patient combined taking both vitamin E and selegiline together the beneficial effect of either substance was lost.  There are additional studies which have shown slowed cognitive decline in the elderly without dementia if they take high doses of Vitamin E.  As mentioned at the start of this paragraph, a new study was performed which enrolled 613 patients with mild to moderate dementia (mean age 79; 97% men).  The patients were broken into four groups: 2,000 units Vitamin E, 20 mg memantine, Vit E + memantine, and placebo.   They were followed for 4 years.  The group taking Vitamin E alone showed a reduction in disease production of 19% per year.  It even did better than the memantine alone (although this was not statistically significant).  Interestingly, similar to the study that used selegiline, when Vitamin E was combined with memantine then the beneficial effect was lost.

Talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks of taking high doses of Vitamin E.  One major concern is that Vitamin E can thin your blood and for patients already on anticoagulants it may not be wise to add a high dose of Vitamin E as well. 

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that is found in fruit, vegetables and whole grains.  It is best absorbed when taken with food.  It typically is dispensed in 400 IU’s capsules. 

There are 48 million (8% of the US population) who have some degree of hearing loss.  Almost 2/3 of all men who will ultimately lose their hearing will begin to do so as early as age 44.  Despite the large number of individuals with hearing loss, only 1 in 7 adults who could benefit from hearing aids actually use a hearing device.

There will come a time in our lives when due to an unexpected (or expected) circumstance we suddenly find ourselves or a loved one in need of help just to care for our basic needs.  If we are lucky, we may have a sibling, child or parent who lives nearby who can help out.  However, this may not be the situation for everyone and in that case hiring an agency to provide a visiting caretaker is an excellent option.  It is often less expensive then becoming a resident in an adult family home or skilled nursing facility and has the benefit of allowing you to remain in the comfort of your own surroundings.  

The purpose of the Living Will is to have documentation in place for that time when an individual might become unconscious (comatose) and need to communicate their treatment wishes to their healthcare team.   This is called a ‘living will’ because it takes effect while the person is still alive (although comatose) in contrast to the testamentary will which takes place after death.   This legal document only becomes active once two physicians certify that the patient is in an irreversible coma or other terminal condition with no reasonable hope for recovery.

One of the leading locations for falls is the bathroom.  It’s often a challenge for emergency personnel to reach the fallen individual leading to sometimes hours of laying in pain while a window is broken or a door is removed from the hinges in order to gain access to the bathroom.  Here are some simple suggestions to prevent a fall …

I often encounter a busy adult juggling the roles of parent for several children, spouse, and employee.  Then one of their parents dies (we’ll say dad for this example) and leaves the other parent to fend for themselves.  Suddenly, this busy adult has one more responsibility which is to help care for their widowed mother when it becomes apparent that her mother really depended on her deceased husband for all the shopping, paying bills, and driving. Some options to consider for the daughter would be …