Category: Blog Post

Receiving a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s affects a person psychologically and emotionally, disturbing their thoughts and responses. They might experience a wide range of emotions and may feel depressed or sometimes relieved. Recognizing and responding to their emotional needs is crucial for coping with such a situation.

The impact of Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

A person recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s is likely to experience a wide range of emotions such as grief, anger, loss, fear, shock, disbelief, and even relief. Sometimes people may have positive responses, feeling relieved to know what is wrong or glad that they may be able to plan for the future.

Some people may find it challenging to deal with these feelings. Receiving a diagnosis confirmation might lead to anxiety and depression. They could be anxious about the future, worried about confusion and forgetfulness, and unhappy about how the disease affects others close to them.

The people surrounding the person will also experience different emotional reactions. It is critical that the person living with Alzheimer’s and those around them both feel comfortable expressing their emotions.

Caregiver Tips

• Do not disregard the person’s troubles. Instead, listen to them and let them know you care.
• Live in the present and avoid dwelling too much on what the future might or might not entail.
• If the occasion is right, a sense of humor might be beneficial.

Emotional impact on the patient

Emotional responses frequently vary for people with Alzheimer’s. They may have less control over their emotions and verbal expression. For example, someone may overreact to situations, experience sudden mood swings, or feel agitated. They can also appear unusually cold or indifferent.

Caregivers often find it challenging to adjust to these changes. It may be beneficial to remember that these symptoms are due to detrimental changes in the brain. The loss of factual recollections or deterioration in mental clarity can cause someone to react to a situation more emotionally than expected.

It’s critical to look behind the words or actions you observe and consider the emotions the individual could be attempting to convey. Unmet needs can also be the root of strong emotions. Caregivers should try to identify these requirements and, where possible, address them.

Effect on self-esteem and confidence

People with dementia may experience insecurity and a loss of confidence in their abilities. They may not trust their judgment and feel they are no longer in charge. Due to their diagnosis, they may also suffer from the negative impacts of stigma and social “demotion” (not receiving the same treatment as others). Their self-esteem may suffer due to the effect on their physical and mental well-being, financial situation, employment status, and interpersonal relationships.

Nevertheless, some people experience new interpersonal relationships due to their diagnosis through engagement in activities like joining a class or support group. Some people can manage chronic health conditions better because they have high self-esteem.

Caregiver Tips

• Give the person a lot of support and praise and highlight their achievements.
• Make sure people have enough time to engage in activities they enjoy or that serve as a source of motivation.
• Try to be as encouraging as possible when the person makes a mistake.
• Encourage people to create new social connections and retain current ones. Organizing social gatherings with friends and family, joining interest organizations, and promoting conversation can help.

Cannabidiol (CBD) has gained popularity as a treatment for many ailments, from typical aches and pains to seizures. Now, some initial studies suggest that CBD may show promise in the treatment of dementia symptoms.

There is currently no scientific evidence that CBD products can assist in curing or preventing Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. However, preliminary research suggests CBD may help with some of the symptoms. Although there is no known treatment for dementia or Alzheimer’s, these encouraging studies pave the way for new therapies to comfort those with memory loss and other symptoms.

What is CBD?

The Cannabis sativa (C. Sativa) plant contains more than 100 distinct phytocannabinoids, and CBD is one of the active compounds. Its purported effects on inflammation, sleep, and mood could explain its rising prominence.

The psychoactive component of the cannabis plant, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is not always present in CBD. Contrary to THC, CBD does not make a person “high” and offers the same medical benefits as marijuana, including pain relief, better sleep, and a calming effect. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), CBD products may have a maximum (dry weight) THC content of 0.3%.

Following are the main types of CBD:

• Full-spectrum CBD contains all of the plant’s constituents, including THC.
• Broad-spectrum CBD contains almost all of the plant’s constituents, including trace amounts of THC, although occasionally, there is none.
• CBD isolate is the purest form of CBD with no other compounds or THC.

While CBD oil impacts brain function, it does so differently than THC. According to researchers, CBD interacts with receptor systems and works directly with the endocannabinoid system (ECS). These receptors are mainly present in the peripheral and central nervous systems.

What research suggests about CBD and Alzheimer’s?

Although there is not a lot of research on the connection between CBD oil and Alzheimer’s, the findings from what we have so far are encouraging. There is no evidence to support CBD’s ability to halt, slow down, reverse, or prevent illnesses that lead to dementia. It, however, may help regulate some behavioral problems, such as aggression and agitation.

A few studies have revealed that using cannabinoids reduced the signs of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). However, because of the small sample sizes, study methods, and brief trial duration of these investigations, it was challenging to validate the effectiveness of these compounds on BPSD.

According to a 2019 study, CBD’s active ingredients may help cure and prevent Alzheimer’s disease by reducing some of its symptoms, including memory loss and behavioral problems. Additionally, combining CBD and THC would be more advantageous than doing it separately.

A recent study suggests that high doses of CBD given to people with late-stage Alzheimer’s disease may raise the levels of some proteins essential for clearing plaque from the brain.

Since there is a lack of available data, more human trials are required to determine whether CBD can aid in treating Alzheimer’s.

What Alzheimer’s psychological and physical symptoms can CBD help treat?

Behavioral changes due to Alzheimer’s include aggression, sleep disturbances, lost inhibitions, and social withdrawal. CBD may help reduce typical symptoms and treat psychological problems like insomnia, anxiety, and depression.

While CBD might aid with some symptoms, it may not help treat the effects that develop as the disease advances.

What are the side effects of CBD?

Although generally regarded as safe and seems to be tolerated by most people, studies have noted the following side-effects:

• Diarrhea
• Dry Mouth
• Reduced Appetite
• Drowsiness and Fatigue

CBD can also interact with other medicines you might be taking. Therefore, it is always advisable to consult your doctor before taking it.

How to choose CBD dosage?

Several factors influence the amount of CBD you should take, such as your body weight, individual body chemistry, CBD concentration, and other medications you are on. Before experimenting with the dosage on your own, it’s crucial to consult your doctor, who will recommend an adequate dosage. Since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate CBD, it’s critical to follow your doctor’s recommendations.

References

1. Hartmann, A., Lisboa, S.F., Sonego, A.B., Coutinho, D., Gomes, F.V. and Guimaraes, F.S., 2019. Cannabidiol attenuates aggressive behavior induced by social isolation in mice: Involvement of 5-HT1A and CB1 receptors. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 94, p.109637. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31054943/

2. Effects of THC-Free CBD Oil on Agitation in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease. U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04436081

3. Kim, S.H., Yang, J.W., Kim, K.H., Kim, J.U. and Yook, T.H., 2019. A Review on Studies of Marijuana for Alzheimer’s Disease–Focusing on CBD, THC. Journal of pharmacopuncture, 22(4), p.225. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6970569/

4. Khodadadi, H., Salles, É.L., Jarrahi, A., Costigliola, V., Khan, M.B., Yu, J.C., Morgan, J.C., Hess, D.C., Vaibhav, K., Dhandapani, K.M. and Baban, B., 2021. Cannabidiol ameliorates cognitive function via regulation of IL-33 and TREM2 upregulation in a murine model of Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 80(3), pp.973-977. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33612548/

5. MacCallum, C.A. and Russo, E.B., 2018. Practical considerations in medical cannabis administration and dosing. European journal of internal medicine, 49, pp.12-19. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29307505/

6. Iffland, K. and Grotenhermen, F., 2017. An update on safety and side effects of cannabidiol: a review of clinical data and relevant animal studies. Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 2(1), pp.139-154. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5569602/

People with Alzheimer’s will require more care as they go through the stages of the disease. One explanation is that medications used to treat the disease can not cure the condition; instead, they can only manage its symptoms. Over time, symptoms like confusion and memory loss will worsen.

Many people with Alzheimer’s or other kinds of dementia want to spend as much time as possible at home. Being a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer’s can provide the unique challenge of juggling multiple responsibilities, including being a parent, partner, and employee.

Some caregivers need assistance when the person is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, while others require help when the person is in the later stages of the disease. It is okay to ask for assistance whenever you need it. There are numerous ways to receive help with caring for a dementia patient if the moment ever comes when you require more assistance.

1. Home Health Care Services

Home health care refers to medical help and care given inside a patient’s residence. Home health care aides are certified medical personnel who visit your home to assist you in recovering from an illness, injury, or hospital stay. Aides offer medical treatments coordinated by your doctor, and you require your doctor’s order for these services.

• Home health care services include:
• Nursing Care
• Medication administration and management
• Assistance with getting dressed, bathing, grooming, eating, and bedtime preparation
• Wound Care
• Physical, occupational, or speech therapy
• Monitoring for mental health issues such as depression and anxiety

Home care services usually charge hourly. For overnight stays, certain services have a set payment. Medicare may reimburse some expenses but does not generally cover nonmedical care.

2. Home Helpers and Companions

You can also obtain several additional in-home services if you need more help. They include hiring companions who can visit to aid with boredom management and lessen the likelihood of wandering, as well as assistance with housework and grocery shopping. Contrary to the home health services previously discussed, which provide medical treatment, these services are occasionally known as home care services.

3. Meal Delivery Services

Numerous communities offer meal services if planning meals or keeping a regular eating schedule becomes too challenging. They will deliver a ready-made nutritious meal to your house and help maintain the strength and health of the person. The staff, however, do not feed the person.

According to regional standards, the individual with Alzheimer’s must be eligible for the service. Some organizations offer their services for free, while others could impose a modest fee.

4. Adult Day Care Services

Adult day care services offer a secure environment, enjoyable activities, and staff who are attentive to the needs of the Alzheimer’s patient in an adult day care facility. They additionally offer transportation and can pick up the patient, take them to the day care, and return them home. These services can help you take a much-needed respite.

Many initiatives need private funding, but some organizations, like the government, may have grants or assistance funds available to help. One method to keep your loved one in their home while providing stimulation and attention during the day when you’re not there is via adult day care services. Many seniors get along well with the employees and have a great time at these facilities.

5. Visiting Healthcare Providers

If you find taking your loved one to the hospital or doctor’s office challenging, you can get help for visiting healthcare providers. Many communities have visiting healthcare providers who can visit you at home for an examination and to offer care. Medicare, Medicaid, or your insurance can cover some of these medical services, but other services might only be accessible for a price. You can find out if there are any mobile healthcare providers in your area by searching online or in the phone book.

6. Respite Services

Respite services offer temporary care for Alzheimer’s patients at home, in an adult daycare center, or healthcare facility. The duration could be a few hours or several weeks. These services allow you to take a break from the regular and prevent caregiver burnout.

Respite services may bill by the hour, day, or week. Most insurance plans do not cover the expenses. Medicare, however, will cover a hospice patient’s respite care expenses in a hospital or skilled nursing facility for up to five consecutive days.

7. Facility Options

Although many individuals wish they could keep their loved ones with them at home, for some people, residential care facilities are the best choice. It can be because their loved one needs a lot of care around the clock, their problematic behaviors make it risky for one person to provide care, or Medicaid is the sole funding source for nursing homes.

Assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and specialized dementia care units are all possible residential settings for adults with dementia. Depending upon the level of care required, the facilities in your neighborhood, and the financial resources available, you can choose the suitable one.

8. Hospice Care

Your loved one might benefit from hospice care in the late stages of Alzheimer’s. Hospice care is for people nearing the end of their lives who are no longer getting treatment for a fatal illness. Hospice care keeps the dying person in their home or a hospice center as pain-free and pleasant as possible. Additionally, they assist the family by offering end-of-life care. If you choose to start getting curative therapies again, you can terminate hospice care at any time.

Medicaid, Medicare, Veterans Health Administration, or private insurance plans may cover all the hospice expenses. If you receive hospice care in a nursing home or an assisted facility, you may need to pay for the room and all the other costs not covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or insurance.

Since symptoms like memory loss and confusion worsen with Alzheimer’s progression, caregivers will need help. It may seem like asking for assistance implies weakness or a lack of concern, yet the opposite is true. It indicates your strength and awareness of boundaries and when to ask for help. So, dear caregivers, you can consider the care options for your elderly loved ones whenever you feel the need for assistance!

Some people have asserted that using coconut oil could help treat or even reverse Alzheimer’s disease. These claims are due to a theory that brain cells in people with Alzheimer’s are incapable of metabolizing glucose properly for energy production and therefore ‘starve’. Advocates believe that in such a case, coconut oil can act as a substitute energy source for the brain. These claims, however, are not currently supported by enough experimental data.

A clinical trial was conducted in the U.S. to evaluate the efficacy of coconut oil in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. It was, however, terminated in 2017 due to low enrollment. As a result, the researchers did not fully understand if coconut oil was effective for people with dementia.

The Theory Behind Coconut Oil

Researchers believe brain cells in dementia patients’ brains have issues converting glucose into energy, giving rise to the theory that coconut oil could correct this.

The hormone insulin, which controls blood sugar and glucose, has been connected to Alzheimer’s-related alterations in the brain. According to brain scans of elderly patients with Alzheimer’s, some parts of the brain start to have difficulty metabolizing glucose as the illness worsens. This problem is comparable to the one experienced by people with diabetes who can no longer produce or utilize the insulin required to transport glucose into their cells. However, it is still unclear precisely what part insulin plays in the condition.

Ketones, a class of compounds, are central to this theory. The damage brought on by Alzheimer’s interferes with the brain’s ability to use glucose, the primary energy source. When glucose is scarce (e.g., during fasting, strenuous exercise, and in newborns), the brain naturally draws some energy from ketone bodies. Ketones, produced by the degradation of coconut oil and similar substances, may offer the brain cells a different energy source and help reduce the damage due to Alzheimer’s.

Researchers are uncertain whether the difficulty that brain cells experience in producing energy is a cause of the illness or a result of other processes connected to it.

Ketogenic Diet and Cholesterol Levels

Unless a person eats a diet that is extremely low in carbohydrates, the body rarely produces many ketones by itself. The “keto” diet severely restricts carbohydrates while substituting them with high-fat diet intakes, forcing the body to rely on fat as its chief energy source.

Coconut oil allows the consumption of a slightly higher amount of carbohydrates while preventing the body from using them as its primary energy source. The only reason this works is that the body has to metabolize fats due to a metabolic shift.

Since the body prefers to use glucose for metabolism over fats, a ketogenic diet must be severely restrictive. It implies that including coconut oil in your diet will not give your brain cells a different energy source. Some studies have also linked the keto diet with high ‘bad’ cholesterol in some people, increasing the risk of stroke, heart disease, and dementia.

Coconut oil also has a high saturated fat content and can raise cholesterol levels. Therefore, the World Health Organization advises against consuming large amounts of oil.

Can Coconut Oil Be Genuinely Effective Against Alzheimer’s?

Unfortunately, there is no credible scientific evidence to back up the above claim. Since rigorous, extensive research studies on the effectiveness of coconut oil in treating Alzheimer’s disease are lacking, we do not know if it works or not. Due to the absence of large-scale studies, we cannot say whether coconut oil genuinely helps people with Alzheimer’s.

Should You Give Coconut Oil A Try?

It is crucial to remember that anecdotal evidence of coconut oil’s advantages for people with Alzheimer’s has not yet been thoroughly investigated or verified by researchers. As a result, not many medical professionals suggest coconut oil as a potential treatment for patients with cognitive impairment.

The absence of medical support does not mean that caregivers should dismiss coconut oil out of hand. However, just as the benefits of coconut oil are not proven, researchers have not ruled out any risks or side effects from using it in foods or as an adjunctive treatment for Alzheimer’s.

Proponents of the theory typically recommend consuming about three to five tablespoons of coconut oil per day to prevent the worsening of Alzheimer’s symptoms. However, it is crucial to start slowly at first. Consuming coconut oil for the first time may cause some people to experience extreme fullness and diarrhea. You can add a few tablespoons to some yogurt, oatmeal, or even a smoothie. Another well-liked alternative is to use coconut oil instead of butter or vegetable oil when sautéing meats or vegetables, particularly in stir-fries and curry dishes.

Consider Discussing Alternative Treatments with a Doctor

It is crucial to remember that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved coconut oil as a treatment for any condition. The FDA also advises against consuming excessive amounts of saturated fats like coconut oil. It is advisable to first talk to the loved one’s doctor about using coconut oil as an alternative or complementary therapy for Alzheimer’s disease, especially if they have a history of heart problems. While a doctor might not be able to suggest the oil as a treatment, you should always inform them of any significant treatment and dietary plan changes.

References

1.https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01883648
2.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26791878/
3.http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/43222/9241546727.pdf;jsessionid=4C65FFBC072E098AC11E600338E5254C?sequence=1