The Difference Between Forgetfulness and Alzheimer's
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- čas přidán 19. 10. 2009
- In this video excerpt, Teepa role-plays the difference between a person that is forgetful and a person that is living with dementia.
View the 2022 updated version of this video where Teepa Snow demonstrates the difference between normal forgetfulness and Alzheimer's with added commentary and improved audio • **Updated Sound** Diff... .
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I think one of the scarier parts of dementia is how confident those that have it are in their false memories.
And the brute strength they gain after the confidence. My grandmother could hold off two grown men with a chair, she swore I was a train robber.
@@Qwerty0791 do you think it’s related more to thoughts and emotions of fear than of happiness? In other words, I don’t hear a lot of stories of people with dementia saying optimistic things like “I just won the lottery” or “unicorns are real and I found one”. It usually seems to be fear related.
Or do you think it’s just the negative stories that tend to get shared more often?
@@AegisAuras It's proven that almost 3/4 of dreams remembered contain negative feelings. It might be a survival mechanism to always be on your toes when you're confused about a situation you don't understand. But also, if I didn't understand anything that was going on, I'd be frustrated to hell, too. Who knows?
My theory is they're having past memories or dream memories stored and they're coming out as thoughts in a new environment because In all honesty your mind is dying so it's not able to control much of it's own thoughts like it used too so with that happening it's not only confusing others but yourself you can't think straight and it just becomes a thought and you start to follow it you can see and hear everyone around but you start to think about something that happened years ago happening then because that memory is stored but since you're dying its letting lose
It's just like breaking a computer. If you mess with its components, it will also proudly proclaiming that the amount of letters you have in your text document is "0x17F3}, {$7["
A long time ago, I had read a quote on Alzheimer’s that someone had said: “Alzheimer’s isn’t forgetting where your keys are. Alzheimer’s is forgetting what a key _is.”_
Wow, I really needed to hear this! My grandmother has been struggling with forgetting things and it's been worrying my family. Thank you!
More like forgetting what lock the key belongs to, but more generally, the system we call our lifestyle and daily routines beginning to corrode away.
@@muhhamadavdol3781 except even normal people forget which keys belong to which locks
@@UnsungAces Not unless its a key you hardly ever use and doesn't have anything distinctive about it.
@@UnsungAces I think it's assumed that it's a common key that is used all the time.
The mental connection for what the key goes for is offline- the bridge is down. The bridge may workin again later or it may be down for good.
I used to take care of dementia patients. I was shocked by the complexity of the disorder. It is not just forgetfulness like I had thought. One woman and I literally had the same conversation repeatedly for three hours. I still acted as shocked to hear her big reveal every time she told it and always played dumb like we didn’t just talk about it. It was really sad but at least telling her story brought a smile to her face :)
Do they do weird things? Like my grandma puts all her clothes in the toilet 🚽 thinking it’s the washing machine and she sprays water all over her body, taking her clothes off when people around.. she refuses to go to the doctor so we try not to be forceful but I’m sure we’re gonna have to one day..
Thanks for sharing your experience, @Katie Doucet and staying with this woman in the moment. Nice work!
Hi, @Katya, it sounds like you might like to learn more. I know it's been a while since you made this comment, but please reach out to our team 1-877-877-1671 or consult@teepasnow.com to talk or if you would just like to learn more on your own, check out this part of our website (teepasnow.com/resources/for-families-and-friends/)
I’m a caregiver of a woman who has Dementia and I do the exact same thing. There are so many stories she tells me I’ve listened to over and over and I always make sure to act like it’s the first time I’ve heard it. It’s also so interesting that each time she tells these stories she always tells them with the same annunciations and facial expressions each time!
Her favorite thing is the news and I’m not a very political person. We sit and watch MSNBC every day and she loves it. She used to work in Washington and politics have always been dear to her. She also still owns and manages (as much as she can from the couch) a horse farm. The only thing that bothers me is that she believes everything her news channel says without checking facts but it’s her house and I deal with it. I also have to help with her phone a lot because she falls for every spam text!
Anyway, that’s for the chat!
As a medic I would often transport Alzheimer’s patients. One lady (I’m male) kept telling the same story every 15 minutes. The last time she told the story she reached out and held my hand. As a medic I didn’t mind but when she completed the loop and forgot who I was and she came around again she was freaked out and yanked her hand away from mine. She looked at me with this look of what are you doing? I felt so sorry for her, but I made sure she did not hold my hand again.
My Grandma’s one wish was that, no matter how old she got, she could keep her memory. When Alzheimer’s had long taken most of her memories/daily functioning from her, she once again shared this oft-repeated wish with me & and expressed how grateful she was that God had granted her this one desire and left her brain intact. She didn’t even realize she was gone.
Hi, @Marc Spector, thanks for sharing your experience with your Grandma. An interesting perspective.
There's one blessing in that, you know that she wasn't malevolent and was devoted
This is why we should have a way to end our live quietly and fast without pain. I would never wanna experience that, id rather die.
@@theultimatep1e40 I mean, you wouldnt actually know u were experiencing that
@@theultimatep1e40 you don't notice it happening.
That pretend phone call sounded so natural and pleasant!
I know right? She's a good actress
That was surprisingly educational about what casual talk sounds like in that particular accent. There's a certain emphasis on some syllables that I would otherwise attribute as curt or sharp that I now realize don't carry intent.
Shes awesome
@@bruh666 She even changed accents.
@@randomSaltyUser 🙄 There’s a difference between having a conversation and acting like you’re having one with nobody to bounce off.
My sister had dementia and died at age 90, but my other sister die at age 95 and had a mind as sharp as a tack. I'm 89 years old and still can think normally. Thank you God.
All of your siblings had really long lives that's a blessing.
You also have excellent grammar and spelling and use punctuation and capitalization and contractions correctly. Signs of a sharp mind. :)
@@gregferguson7737 Education correlates with later onsets overall.
I bet you can make some fantastic cakes.
@@gregferguson7737
2 errors in 2 sentences 😳
My grandpa suffers from dementia and has good and bad days. One time he asked me “what are those white things in the sky?” pointing at clouds. I realised how much dementia can distort the brain and memory. Weirdly it was also kinda wholesome because he looked at them with wonder like a child does, saying how pretty they looked
Well I'm going to go cry
☹
I was reading your comment & straight away thought 'just like a child', then saw that you had written that. And the innocence of those things is sweet, albeit wrapped up in sadness. Good luck.
Hi, @Ann00, thanks for noticing that your grandpa has good and bad days. Dementia does distort the brain and memory. I hope that you have been able to have some good days with him. Thanks also for being with him in that moment and seeing his wonder.
A friend's grandmother had severe dementia. It was the first time that I recall anyone describing it as "regressing into childhood". At least in her case it seemed accurate, as she seemed to be noticeably forgetting things that happened more recently but could recall everything from her childhood; and in fact acted like a child and couldn't understand why she got injured from "just playing". I don't know if this is common or how it usually manifests itself.
This is what an engaging teacher looks like. For people like me, it was the difference between getting an A in a class and checking out halfway through the semester.
I’m a caregiver. I let them believe whatever they want and I just join them in their world. I have the most fun with them, especially when we have conversations. I make up stuff that fits whatever narrative they’re living in in that moment. If they don’t want to go to lunch, I might act like we’re best friends and we have a special lunch date. I want to always preserve their dignity.
Great work @lipegr! You are helping people have moments of joy and connection! That's exactly what we at Positive Approach to Care try to do as well. If you are interested in learning more please check out resource pages for professionals (teepasnow.com/resources/for-professionals/) or maybe check out Teepa on TikTok (www.tiktok.com/@teepasnow?).
Nailed it
You're a good egg
I'm an LPN. When I worked at a nursing home I had a 90 year old woman who always always sat in a rocking chair in the common room. One day she was very agitated and kept coming out and telling the other nurse (who had her wing that night) that she couldn't sit in her rocking chair because there was a man in there and if she went in there the man was going to rape her. I don't know what this lady's past history was but she was very distressed and genuinely concerned. Her nurse kept "presenting reality" (they used to tell us to do that) and telling her there was no man in there. Finally when she came out the third time I said "I saw that guy! I kicked his ass and told him if I ever saw him again I'd kill him!!" She said "thank you honey!" And went in and sat down in her chair. We had another lady who was always worried about a little boy in the middle of the night. She'd ring for the nurse "I don't know what that little guy is doing running around with no pajamas but he's going to get cold!" We'd "dress" him and "take him back to his mom." And Edna would go to sleep.
This one lady most the time knew who I was, but sometimes she got confused and she would get upset, well she was like Sarah! Sarah get this door would ya (Sarah was her daughter I believe) I was the closest person so I said, am I Sarah? And she gave me this look and she’s of course you’re Sarah. So I was all oh okay, you needed the door did ya? And I just went by Sarah for the evening 😂
Despite a lack of family history of dementia, my mother has been terrified for years that she’s in the early stages of Alzheimer’s (she’s in her early 60’s). I sent her this video and it immediately relieved her of all her fear that she’s losing her marbles. She is so happy and I can tell it feels like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders.
Hi, @B! That's great. Thanks for sharing with her! Please also know that you or she can reach out to us any time to learn more. Call us 1-877-877-1671 or email consult@teepasnow.com to connet
An understandable fear. I have dissociation with amnesia and for years in my teens and early 20s I was worried I had early onset dementia. Everyone mocked me saying I was too young (not true) instead of meeting where I was, validating my concern and showing something like this that provides more nuance.
In my case, amnesia is closer to dementia than forgetfulness but it still probably would have helped me to see the slight differences rather than being outright ignored or laughed off.
If she wants she could still go get checked by a doctor just to 100% confirm and make her less worried. I know it sounds silly but if it causes you a lot of stress its worth it to get checked!
Same here, and my moms foster mother had dementia and that really shook her
@@qwandary I have had a few episodes like that of short term confusion/amnesia for a few hours at a time. The neurologist hasn't figured out what causes them and I seem to have good cognition at the time, I'm just going in and out of a state where I don't form new memories... But I also can't remember, while it is happening, things like the names of medications I take or what I take them for.. I had a full psych/cognitive test done late last year and everything was fine. I haven't had an episode since February this year... They seem to be two or three times a year... The last thing they decided is that it is an unusual form of migraine (even though I don't typically have a headache.). Do they know what causes your amnesia?
The doctors say that the events aren't symptoms of dementia, at least.
Teachers like this are what made me want to go to school, the examples and the explanations they gave were always so memorable it's impossible not to learn and also have fun at the same time!
I wish there were more teachers like this though, I barely had any that were this amazing at teaching, the rest just did the bare minimum and didn't even seem to care about what they taught, those classes were a genuine struggle to get through as my ADHD saw them as unimportant and a waste of energy and effort. It's hard to get motivated about something even the person teaching you it doesn't seem to care about.
i liked how we explained it in my IT classes our brain actually has damn near infinate storage (there are ways to improve memory so this 8 block stuffs not true at all) the problem is we have not evolved a proper memory addressing sector so we cant just always grab the info we need because we have no idea where it is.
We've come far, as we also understand how the brain remembers and records memories. ... ⚕♾☯️☮☪️✅♂️♀️👋👍😁👊
@Zoe Nelson, thanks for the complement. Teepa does enjoy helping folks have experiences so that they can learn in the way that works for them. If you would like to see more, please visit www.teepasnow.com or check out our other videos on our channel (czcams.com/channels/SXrEX7LkWOmfTaV6u1C7wQ.html
Hey, @hardwire - cool way to think about our brains, but I wonder what happens when the part of the brain that needs to pull up the data in the storage area has a glitch. Just wondering...
Yeah sadly its like 1 percent of the teachers that are passionate like that
Instructors like this are one of the few things I miss about being in college.
There are few, if any, like this in college these days. Teepa is in a lone instructor. Every nursing memory care center should be required to have their staff, take all her courses. There is nothing out there like Teepas teachings. #thankful for Teepa
Luckily we have videos on the internet reminding us of what excellent lecturers look like
Exactly what I was thinking:(
Yes. This is why we still need college. ☮️
If all instructors were like this gal, I'd rob a bank to go to college! She is brilliant. She doesn't just drone on, this proff is an actress who engages her audience.
Being forgetful is not remembering it's your anniversary. Having Alzheimer's is forgetting you have a wife.
or ...forgetfulness is losing the car keys. Alzheimers is losing the car and forgetting where you are.
not necessarily. you are talking about late stage alzheimers. i have ADD and its really hard for me to remember things. i havent been tested for alzheimers because i dont have insurance. but will eventually.
@Alex Domanovic
I wholeheartedly believe you, especially considering the intent of my OP.
My husband can't say he forgets because we are so easyly diagnosed with Alzheimer's when it is just ageing process
jeffersonianideal Or what kind of car you drive after exiting the store.
My grandfather has dementia, and I went to visit him with my family very recently. We showed him a bunch of pictures from when he was younger, like at his wedding. He recognized his parents in the photos, and we were quite shocked. My grandpa can't even recognize my dad (his son) and my uncles, but when we showed him a picture of my dad when he was a very young child, my grandpa suddenly started talking abt my dad and saying things like "he's a good boy." Suffice to say, there was a lot of emotion that day.
Hi, @Lumlee! There story sounds very familiar. Thanks for sharing! I'm sure there were a lot of emotions that day. If you would like to learn more, you might want to check out (teepasnow.com/resources/for-families-and-friends/) or just watch other videos here on our channel (czcams.com/channels/SXrEX7LkWOmfTaV6u1C7wQ.html)
Depending on your age:
If you're young, then this video is a novelty and is entertaining.
If you are middle aged and have older parents, then this video is interesting and serves as a sober warning to upcoming future events.
If you are reaching sixty years of age, this video is more than educational because you've seen the serious stuff happen to your parents and everyone their age, and you might be in the very first stages of that yourself.
It is my hope that you will have the patience, wisdom, and support to deal with it; love always~❤️
Hey, @dustymiller65, thanks for thinking about the various ages who might watch/need this video. We appreciate it.
@@teepasnowvideos You are most welcome, Teepa. My aunt and parents are in their mid 80's and memory impairment and memory loss is becoming an issue with them all. My siblings and I are searching for information on a range of topics from Alzheimer's to Dementia. Thank you for this video! It helps us in explaining, understanding, and coping with their issues. I am only beginning to realize the magnitude and depth of personal care in terms of time, energy and resources that will be required of us as time goes by.
Had to take care of my older father 5 years ago and of his real estate because he got in to dementia related issues. I was 19 at the time. He got cancer and then shown signs of dementia. The tumor started to disappear after a new treatment but the dementia got worse to the point he could not talk. Or rather pronounce words properly. He died in June 2021.
@@Mr.Cheeseburger24 I'm truly sorry to hear of the loss you've experienced. That's a very difficult, double burden to bear at so young an age. I wish you only the best, for whatever future endeavors you may pursue.
May your father rest peacefully. †
not really it’s still educational for all ages especially if they are around someone suffering from this. or just to keep in mind throughout the years
I knew when my husband started showing signs of dementia. When we were first married, by e would give me a rose for every year we were married, 6 years later, he forgot and so I teased him that he didn't get me roses and he screamed I never bought you flowers. Where we lived, he grew up there and he would forget to turn in to our road. These two episodes were just the beginning. Dementia/ alzheimers is a very sad and cruel disease. He's had dementia for 15yrs., you know he will never become his old self, as the caregiver, it breaks my heart to see him slowly losing everything that was important to him. I'm happy to be his caretaker, I know he won't be around much longer.
Thanks Wanda for choosing to remain positive and partner in care with your husband, it sounds like this journey hasn't been easy, but you are finding value in doing it the best you can.
Not all forms of dementia leads to alzeimers or are progressive. Fortunately too, if you catch it early on you can slow the progression and in some cases stop it all together. There are many types of dementia.
My mother just turned 60 but she had her symptoms when she was 56. It was very early, we did not expect that to happen. Eventually we just learned to accept her condition. It’s hard but what can we do, it’s already there, I just hope my father doesn’t get the same fate. 😭
God bless you.
My mom was a R.N. and her husband has dementia. It has got to the point where she could no longer care for him. Take care of him for as long as you can, but if it's finally too much, have a back-up plan. He's so bad now that he's in a locked unit. He's 91 and she's 81. I helped her all I could.
As a cop, an eldery woman with dementia kept calling to report exactly what this professor described. She believed a man was breaking into her house, moving things, and eating her food. The poor woman was distraught and looked so scared every time we would see her.
My partner and I tried to go the medical route for the first few months these calls kept coming in but that didn't seem to be having any progress. She likely was forgetting to take her prescriptions or they just weren't actually helping.
So, I just started telling her that I caught the guy who was doing it. That he got life in prison for eating her peanut butter and would never see the light of day again. It seemed to calm her down and give her some degree of piece of mind.
We got drastically fewer calls after that. I hope she is doing better.
Wholesome cop moments with Zach
Plot twist, the man was actually real and stole her phone
You didnt catch shit im still eating her peanut butter
I have two people at the retirement home I work at that do this. I might try this.
M Night Shyamalan twist, she had spies hiding in the attic... Lol jk
That was nice of y'all, others may have reported her so APS
As someone dealing with Alzheimer's firsthand as a forgetful person, this is real. I forget to officially clock out at work every now and again, and I forget to change the oil in my truck on regular intervals. My grandmother can't distinguish between me and my father, she forgets that she's 86 and not living in Iowa, and she has to be reminded daily on how to operate the microwave: none of this ever sticks. If she remembers that I'm her firstborn grandson, she's blown away that I'm 6' tall, have graying hair and a full beard.
Still, there are no scientific advancements on Alzheimer's, but we can fucking redefine a woman.
Hi, @notamexican91, thanks for doing all you can to help your grandmother and family. It can be so hard. However, please know that if you would ever like to discuss things with someone, our consulting team is available at consult@teepasnow.com or 1-877-877-1671.
"This is senile forgetfulness, you peaked at 25." I'm 30 and now I am terrified. Also she's a great actor!
Finishing this though, I now feel relieved. I hate being forgetful, but I guess knowing how much worse it can get puts things in perspective.
As a parnoid schizophrenic however... The idea that in my old age I'll start finding constant proof for my delusions is actually much more scary than anything I had ever imagined. I'll be carrying that fear with me until the end. I suppose knowing now is probably better than being unprepared but still...
I hope you'll be okay and make it through
we all die someday. it is the duty of people to do the best they can with what they have and know
Hi, @Tails Clock, I'm sorry that you are feeling terrified. I hope that you are finding some support/resources for you. If you would like to connect with our team, please email consult@teepasnow.com or check out our website www.teepasnow.com for more.
I was about 30 and could see forgetfulness (e.g. people's names) in colleagues ~15 years older
My father-in-law has dementia and recently we were driving to a diner where he loved to have dinner. On the way, we had to stop for a large group of geese that had decided to cross the road, maybe 20 to 30 of them. By the time we got to the diner, about 10 minutes later, he refused to get out of the car. He demanded to know what happened to the turkeys. We found out he thought the geese were turkeys and they were on the ground because they had been shot down and were now dead. He was very upset about this, and for days, he kept asking "who killed those birds?" Telling him the birds didn't die did not help. Eventually we told him "it probably was the government" and then he seemed satisfied.
This was supposed to be sad but damn why of all reasons you could give you chose government. 😂🤦♂️
@@hemlock42069 them turkeys knew some shit😂
Ahh typical government!
You know what? It probably was the government.
@@hemlock42069 ikr 🤣🤣🤣😭
It’s so interesting to hear her description of senile forgetfulness, as I’ve been experiencing that level of forgetfulness since I was a child
It’s a similar issue in people with adhd too, from what I’ve read
She says you peak at 25, so I'm looking forward to a better memory over the next 6 years.
Try looking into ADHD. I've suffered this since I was a kid, and its very common for ADD/ADHD people to lose focus constantly. I also have terrible object permanence issues through the roof! Once had 4 cartons of eggs in the fridge because I couldn't remember if I had eggs at home. Felt like I was losing my mind, and I was only 24!
@@Navajo9420 I feel so called out I have boxes and boxes of tea because of the same thing 😅
I’m a very visual person, so I always visualize my fridge and what is in there to figure out what I need to buy on the fly. If I’m travelling to the store, I visualize the layout to determine what I need, breaking down each isle by what it stores. I can’t really recall a list well, but my memory is great when I visualize a space. I couldn’t imagine functioning without it tho. Sorry to hear about the eggs, haha
I think this is the best demonstration of the difference between common forgetfulness and Dementia. You can tell the professor is actually passionate about discussing this topic. I love teachers like this who effortlessly engage their students with their knowledge and personality. 💜
My father had dementia and you nailed it. My mom became the strange woman in the house who my dad accused of being an imposter and wanted to steal his money. Even more scary is he became really paranoid and started hiding his guns all over the house. when he finally left the house it was in the back of an ambulance distraught and confused. He lasted another year in a care facility before he passed away. It was probably the biggest trial my family went through.
Hi, @Steven Leslie, it sounds like you and your family had a hard time with dementia. I'm sorry that happened, but thanks for sharing it with us.
This also happened to some degree with my dad. People he knew became strangers. He did recognize and love my mom till the end even though he was suspicious of her. He also left in the back of a transport after we could no longer get him to eat. He lasted 2 weeks after that. I later learned it's almost always one of three things that gets a dementia patient, infection from bed sores, pneumonia, or kidney failure. They haven't learned the mechanism about kidneys but it's what got my dad.
It happened like that for my dad as well
With Alzheimers you actually recall earlier and earlier events of your life. My grandmother can't even remember that my cousin is out of high school and in the military but she remembers a Saturday drive with her old friend Jolly in 1978! My Dad was a three year old in the back seat.
Although it's horrific, that is interesting. Those are the oldest and deepest memories we all have, those of when we are youngest
That’s my grandma
Eventually those early memories slip away too though
@@CampingforCool41 that’s very sad.
Always resisting the urge to say “you’ve already told this story before grandma”
No matter how many times you’ve heard it
Man that’s my grandpa, it’s sad that he’s slowly starting to forget us though. I think I fear uncontrollable forgetting more than death at this point. Everyone and everything you have a memory of slipping away like a hand full of sand.
Just make sure not to make the same mistake I did when my grandmother forgot who I was. I stopped caring, because I thought well she don't know me anymore what's the point of visiting. So my parents went without me. What I have read up on since then is (from ppl who work with patients like that and care for them): they might forget who you are or where to put you, but they won't forget that u are someone who they care about. So someday u are a friend to them maybe a cousin or maybe some aunt even, but just go with it and u will make their life better. Don't shame them by constantly telling them who you are, making them realize they go crazy. Keep them as close as before.
Now my mother is afraid that she will have the same fate as my grandmother, but this time if worse comes to worse (let's hope not and that it's just her imagination) I will be there.
@@1mawil1 Wow i didn't realize that thank you for telling me.
@@zed90_OW hey no problem man
My grandmother behaved in a very similar way, she was sure that we were close relatives but couldn't exactly place us, but sometimes she could and she was able to put the pieces back toghether, it was like the memory of who we are was still there but if most of the time she couldn't reach it and she recollected just a sensation. The good part is that even if they don't place you right they still feel loved, especially in such a fragile time for them; the bad one is that sometimes if they recognize you they have a moment of clarity and realize their memories are slipping away, and start questioning why they weren't able to remember who you are that in that moment seems so obvious again, it must be an horrible feeling.
Well I don't have any nice storys to tell, but I personly find it comforting to remind myself, that I'm the master of my own fate. And if the comming happiness does not outweight the suffering, then nothing is forcing me to continue, you know?
I laughed when she told the class about the peak at 25 and forgetfulness being progressively worse after that - that little scene she played, it's my life since the earliest childhood.
But then, I lived my life with undiagnosed ADHD and only now I understand why and how I couldn't finish a single task being distracted by whatever else was in my presence :) In a way, I'm now the least forgetful I ever was.
Same only I'd be lucky to remember 3 to 4 steps out of 5 in one set of instructions, even without distractions & I always had to go back to be reminded again what to do. It got really embarrassing when I had to start going to work. I was getting better to but then I ended up getting anoxic brain injury and ptsd so now I'm on disability & rarely need to remember much to do what I need to do. I guess in that way I've reached a kind of equilibrium. Glad things seem to have improved for you too!
Hi, @Calming Chaos, glad you found some humor in watching the video and that you have figured out how to deal with memory changes for you now.
I remember my mom slowly walking me through the steps of an errand (like running upstairs to get her a pair of socks). She'd pause at each step until I confirmed that I was visualizing it in my head.
"Ok, you're standing in front of my dresser"
"Ok"
"On the left side..."
(I motion with my left hand)
"In the middle drawer"
(I poke as though touching the top and middle drawers)
"In the back"
"Ok"
"I want a pair of short, black socks".
(I take off for her room)
If we did it that way, it worked. If she just asked me to grab her a pair of black socks from her room, I'd be in her room before I realized I had no idea where to look, or I knew where to look but couldn't remember what color she wanted, etc.
ADHD treated with home remedies is wild.
for me it was understanding that my forgetfulness is due to not being able to remember what I hear very well. If I see a name, almost guarantee I'll remember it first time and never forget. But if I hear it? I'll forget 2 minutes later. Every time. I've spent YEARS working with people and not knowing their name on a day to day basis cause I've only HEARD their name but never SEEN their name.
Apparently the deal is that ADHD frequently ends up being no working memory! So huh, no wonder why trying to do a little multitasking has never worked.
She has amazing comedic timing. She took a subject matter that's grim and made it entertaining and informative to learn about! Amazing video!
Hi, @Alexis Rodriguez! Thanks for the compliment. If you'd like to know more or see more of what Teepa's doing now, check out www.teepasnow.com or visit www.snowapproach.org
Unfortunately my grandmother's Alzheimer's started with forgetfulness. We were saying to her that everything is normal and anyone can forget what they wanted to do. She started to keep tabs of what she needs to cook for celebrations and when did she put something in the oven. A year later she started to forget her previous day almost entirely. 1 year after that she couldn't press the button on a remote, because she couldn't grasp the principle of the buttons on the remote. And actually couldn't find the remote, because her brain couldn't recognize it as a remote. We were lucky in a sense. She was a really gentle Alzheimer's patient, rarely tried to go to her old apartment and rarely reacted badly to us, when she didn't remember us. For some reason she always remembered me even when my grandfather with Parkinson was screaming that I do not exist. Maybe it was more of an emotional memory, because she didn't remember my name, just that she likes me. She was always calm and smiley around me and never was she opposed to me touching her, even though she really didn't like my other siblings trying to help her get up or go to another room. She sometimes even had coherent conversations with me in the late stages. I couldn't come often though. My grandfather would yell at me and everyone else, when I came (because I was a granddaughter that did not exist, and a stranger in his house who should go) and sometimes would yell at everyone long after I had left. He could sense that it is me even though he was almost blind and deaf at that point in life. So I was forced to stay away from them so as to not provoke his outbursts, because sometimes he would stay agitated for several days after my visit. She stayed with him. For him. And died 12 hours after he passed. Her heart was beating so slowly she couldn't walk or eat on her own, but till the last day she would lay next to him and stroke his hand to calm him down. When he was calling her name she would always answer 'I'm here' to him. They lived a long and happy life and died on the same day. And for some reason they remembered each other till their last days despite their dementia.
This was beautiful in a sense.. I’m so sorry for your losses
that is seriously beautiful and touching. i mean, im a fully grown man, and im kinda in shambles from reading all that. thank you for sharing you and your family's story
Beautiful. You have managed to express what it's like and how love isn't lost. One day I arrived at her bed in the nursing home and said "Hi Mum" as usual and Mum, who couldn't speak, said, clear as day, "Oh hello luvvy". I never heard her voice after that and she died soon after, but I know from this that our love was still there and still the same.
Beautiful story, but also very sad at the same time. My grandma has had dementia for about 7 years, and my grandpa died in 2019 but she has still remembered him.
:”) i love this, reminded me of ‘The Notebook’ 🤍
I worked with Dementia patients for years and their families and this is one of the best explanations of the difference between forgetfulness and dementia I’ve ever heard. As sadly more and more people are being diagnosed with dementia I wish more people would be taught about it especially family members of loved ones who are suffering with it. It’s the cruelest disease out because not only does the “patient” suffer but so does every family member and to be honest once the memory has gone completely it’s the family who suffer the most as they see their loved one decline physically too. Many people don’t realise that Dementia is a cognitive disorder so you don’t just loose your memory but you gradually loose the ability to do everything from walking, eating, drinking, swallowing to breathing . It’s the same as teaching people about death and the grieving process which I believe should be taught in all schools…even from Primary school age…after all we are all going to die one day and someone in our family will die usually starting from Grandparents down.
Hi, @Sarah Yates, thanks so much for sharing your experiences. You are so right that more people need to know and understand more. We appreciate that you find our explanations helpful. Please consider sharing what you found with others. You may also want to check out our website (www.teepasnow.com) or go see what Teepa is doing on TikTok (www.tiktok.com/@teepasnow?) to help spread the knowledge around. Let's see if we can help others look at this dementia journey in another light.
I have episodes where everything feels like a dream, like at any moment I would open my eyes and everything would just dissipated into thin air. I have moments where meeting my friend felt like meeting a new person all over again. I never seemed to remember birthdays unless I have timestamps as reminders somewhere in my picture albums or social media accounts. When I reminisce old memories, some of them felt like they never happened eventhough I was reminiscing beside my colleagues whom accompanied me there.
That last one always makes me worry, if I have symptoms to something that I must fix before it is too late. But I don't know what it is.
@@marzipanmerci1068 I don't know how old you are, Marzipan; but I'm only 22, and to be honest I think like that half the time too. In my case, I'm fairly sure it's due to ADHD- one of the effects of which is a reduced working memory, like she discusses in this video.
All those things; people I've met before, dates I should remember, not knowing if my memories are always real... I struggle with too. Things need to sit in working memory for a while, before they can become long-lasting full memories. And if your working memory is reduced, not everything gets copied over. My memories of events are often like a quick xerox of the full experience, hard to tell apart from a sketch I made up.
It might be worth getting tested for something like that. If it's anything like my experience, it *is* treatable. I hope it's not anything worse, and hope you see this.
To add more/some clarification, I do also experience a "dream-like" state, too. Especially when I don't have my medication. I'm just... perpetually sorta zoned out, not well-connected to my body or my self. I may also have depression too (which can be more than just sadness) or it may relate to me being on the autism spectrum (which isn't as bad a thing as you probably think it is).
There's also a currently unclear/unofficial diagnosis, known as Sluggish Cognitive Tempo, which fits me to a T. The idea of it is, that the brain works about as well as anyone else's, it just does it a little slower sometimes. So events are a bit of a blur since they happen so fast relative to you, meaning they aren't recorded/remembered right. People too sometimes, or you can't recall them right. New things replace working memory items, faster than they can be hard-saved. I don't know how you would, because it's not widely known, but it may be worth looking into. Just to see if it's what's up.
Lose*
When I was 7 or 8 my granny was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, she came to live with us but she didn’t recognise any of her children or grandchildren. In her mind she was 14 or 15 years old looking for her parents and friends. I thought it was terrible and it is sad but my mother, her daughter, who was a nurse said there’s nothing we can do except look after her but don’t be sad about it, she’s reliving her teenage years which were probably the happiest and freest time of her life. That helped me to accept it and I’ve repeated it to people who I’ve talked to who have loved ones in the same condition.
thanks for sharing. my friend at the gym 's mom is in the institution when she & her gdaughter visit her she didnt know who they were :(
Hi, @t3h_51d3w1nd3r, thanks for sharing. Thanks for also sharing with others that if you can be in the moment with the person rather then trying to correct them, things go much better.
Hi, @November Sky, I'm sorry your friend's mom didn't recognize her. That can be so hard, but I hope that they tried to enjoy the visits they did/are having.
Lost my grandmother to Alzheimer's, poor girl. It's just downright horrible and scary what happens. People, please be there for your loved ones in their times of need like this.
Hi, @Sara Roszkowski, I'm sorry for your loss, but thanks for encouraging others to be there for their loved ones!
My father didn't forget where he put his car keys. He forgot what a key was for. That's the difference.
My Dad recently got diagnosed with dementia. Me and my family knew for a decade now though. He was unfortunate enough to get early onset version(it started at 47).
My earliest memory of its occurrence was my dad forgetting to pick me and my brother up from school when I was 8, and then it happened again, and again. He soon lost his job a couple months later due to what I assume was memory related issues.
Kids made fun of my dad for the way he was and it got me into a lot of fights. I quickly had to become the adult in my house because my mom had to work 50 hour weeks to keep up with two kids and my dads diabetes medication. I learned how to check his blood sugar, remind him to eat when he got low, and to not put too much insulin when he got high. I couldn’t be there all the time and eventually my dad got his first seizure session due to low blood sugar. His memory issues progressed rapidly as I went through high school. One day he went out for a drive and came back with a dented fender(he didn’t know how it happened) and we realized it was no longer safe for him to drive. I applied to get my license early and I became the main driver for my family. I hated my dad at this point. I didn’t understand the issue that well and I convinced myself that he did this to himself(either by losing his job and being home all the time or not taking care of his numbers to the point where it affected his memory).
He just turned 62 this June. He is a shell of his former self. Basic functions like going to the washroom and eating 3 times a day require strict assistance. He cries uncontrollably when people confuse him or upset him. He can’t hold conversation beyond the weather. He has no preference to anything and choices just lead to more confusion. Beneath all the confusion and issues my dad is a sweet person. He loves animals so much. He tries his best to do things himself even though it makes my job to take care of him harder and he won’t acknowledge his dementia at all.
When we got the diagnosis it shouldn’t have changed anything but it did. I no longer hated my dad. Alzheimer’s was going to do this to him regardless of what he did to prevent it. I still can’t bear to be in the same area as my dad for to long as his deterioration breaks me like nothing else.
I don’t expect anyone to read this. I just needed to vent. I often feel like a terrible caregiver and son. My greatest fear is to suffer the same fate as my dad. I’d rather die.
I read it mate. Vent away. You don't sound like a terrible caregiver, you sound like a loving son. Of course it's going to hurt seeing your dad that way. Don't be too hard on yourself.
I read it too. I spent time thinking about your life and I'd like to wish you the very best one can wish. Keep on keeping on
Friend, i believe in this thing : when life is too harsh and unforgiving means something great is coming your way.
Stay strong and have faith, things will get better.
I'm sorry for what you and your family are going through. I pray that you can stay strong and be there for your parents.
@@RedA-vp4sp very true I always have something good and huge come after my worst moments, it happens all the time. And to the writer above, I hope you find comfort with your dad’s presence, he is alive, no one knows tomorrow cherish these moments dear, in the end you will be glad when you remember that you were the shoulder that carried him to his old years.. you are blessed dear. And May you find unexplainable strength to carry on. He is surely proud of you. You’re blessed son ❤
I really like the 'forgetfulness' examples - it shows that as we get older we don't necessarily get worse at remembering things... we just have different experiences, more things to recall, more things to juggle. We aren't "worse" at we did when we were younger... we've just adapted to a different life!
“Questions and Ideas, Don’t Forget them,” …The title of a journal that encourages you to keep the
Journal with you, and particularly in places where ideas seem to come to you. This is another journal
by this author that I use consistently (fairly consistently anyway) You could probably create your own journal or notebook to accomplish this, but I like how this one is laid out.
In my experience with dementia I noticed that they’ll often become obsessed with a particular idea or object.
For my grandfather it was time. Before he got real bad with it he began to notice he was constantly losing track of time and so it’s like he put all his effort into thinking about it. He was always worried about what time it was.
Later on it was getting up to go work or mow or do something with his hands cause that’s what he did all his life. We’d get him distracted with a piece of rope with a knot tied in it and ask him if he could untie it for us.
Eventually it got to a point where he hardly recognized anything, not his wife, kids, or even his own house.
He wasn’t being forgetful, it’s that his entire worldview was warped beyond normal.
Hi, @OldManTin, thanks for sharing your experience. I'm sure it wasn't an easy one. Many people have experiences just like that.
At my aunt's funeral we were all milling around the funeral home and taking turns sitting next to Uncle George offering our condolences. He was suffering from advanced Alzheimers. When my turn came i quietly sat down beside him asking him how was he doing. He said 'fine'. I asked him do you know who i am? He turned to look me squarely in the face and after a few moments he answered 'no'.
I told him my name and said 'i love you Uncle George' and he said 'i love you too baby'
I hesitated a few seconds and teasingly asked him 'if you don't know who i am, how do you know you love me?'
I will never forget the most profound moment that happened then...
He smiled broadly and pointed his index finger upwards as he replied "I'm like my Heavenly Father, i love everybody"
💕
❤️
wow even in his confused state he can share his love with his family
Uncle George, aka Uncle Troll
wow that is so wholesome, what an amazing uncle.
@@sharquimetal its a pretty who wholesome progamer move your having trouble remebering whos who just spread the love your enemies are probobly dead by now and if not let bygones be bygones your 80+ who gives a shit its not worth it to hate
im gonna try this although i plan to maintain mental aquity till the day i die
I feel so relieved to know this! My ggma died of dementia, my grandma died of dementia, my mom's been "forgetful" since I was young, and my mind has been going downhill for about 20 years (but far more so since I turned 40 this year). I thought to myself, "Well, it's starting.". The dread has been all-consuming. Thank you so much for plainly clarifying. I will likely follow in my grandmothers' footsteps, but that probably won't be anytime soon. Phew!
Just because your mom or relatives had it don't mean you will my mom and aunt had it but the rest of the family older folks are smart as a whip saw a video where a 74 year old was so worried about it went and got tested didn't at all the stress of worries made him forget things the Dr told him to stop
My beloved grandmother had alzheimers, started when she was 83. She was always healthy as a horse, and smart as a whip. always healthy, so physically she was well and strong. It got worse very rapidly and 3 years later she asked me who I was. I was in my early 20s and it crushed me because we were very close. 4 years later she was completely mute, and bedridden. She passed at 87. I was always afraid my mom would get it especially when she hit her 80s. She did get mild senile dementia around age 85, but definitely not alzheimers, and was doing well when we took her to las vegas for her 89th birthday. She had a good time. But unfortunately a couple months later caught the flu. And passed from pneumonia. My dad lived to 97 and was as sharp as a tack. I hope I follow his footsteps. Also, my grandmother's sister, lived to 99, and also totally mentally competent. So I think we both can feel a little better about it not hitting us. It does seem to be totally random who unfortunately gets it. All the best to you.
My mother was very absent minded, she died at 64 of a heart attack. If she had lived longer I'm pretty sure she would have ended up with Alzheimer's. I took a DNA test with 23 and me a couple of years ago and was horrified to find a copy of apoe4. I'm sure my mother passed it down to me and I hate her for it.
Wow, @Mandy Bennett, thanks for sharing your story. Your comment has continued to encourage others to share their stories as well! If you are wanting to learn more so that you will be better prepared for yourself, consider checking out our monthly online journal (teepasnow.com/online-dementia-journal/) or checking out our website (www.teepasnow.com). We are here to help people learn more and talk things through.
I know it tends to run in families, but my Sister-in-law has Dementia and to our knowledge there is no other people in the family who have it. And, a good friends’ mom and aunt had Alzheimers and she is in her early 70s and she is very sharp and still a bookkeeper for a company.
I had the privilege to attend and be an audience volunteer at several Teepa Snow Alzheimer’s Workshops. She is THE premier person in the U.S./World on this topic. Bless her and everyone who has ever used her tools with their loved ones.
I've been having this irrational fear of early onset dementia for a few months now, thinking that forgetting things was apart of that diagnosis. This video really helped to educate me that I'm just a bit forgetful, I pickup on those cues and it all comes back to me. Thanks for this.
Hey, @Black Nova, you are very welcome. If you want to know more, please visit www.teepasnow.com or check out some of our other videos (czcams.com/channels/SXrEX7LkWOmfTaV6u1C7wQ.html)
Me too.
Me too. I've been having memory issues/short term forgetfulness problems the past year (I'm only 31). But it turns out I have a vitamin B12 deficiency that's been wrecking my memory the past year. I'm getting B12 shots now to help bring my levels up, but I still worry about my memory regardless as some days are better than others while I'm still in this recovery process.
I've read these things about memory: If you forget where you left your keys it's okay, but if you forget what keys are for there's a problem. Also, forgetting what you were going to do or get when you go to a different room is normal because the brain is like a filing cabinet. When you go from one room to another it's like closing and then opening a different drawer in a filing cabinet. The files are normal.
The acting, though simple, was powerful.
Brought tears to my eyes.
She’s absolutely brilliant. Would have made a great actor too !
I was legitimately impressed by her acting. Funny lady too
I see the algorithm has brought us all together once more
A 13 year old video just helped me learn how to deal with my grandmother's memories or memory lapse. The 8 thing concentration part was the best. Thank you so much!
Hi, @Scottiboi828, glad that we helped you with your grandmother. If you'd like to know more, check out www.teepasnow.com or check out some of our newer videos here on our channel (czcams.com/channels/SXrEX7LkWOmfTaV6u1C7wQ.html)
@@teepasnowvideos Thank you!
A good way to remember things is creating the visual cue before you start your task. “When I see the coffee pot, I’ll remember to make coffee.” I’ve done that for years and it works so well that I can create multiple visual cues to establish a events task list. “When my daughter gets in the car, I’ll remember to go to Walmart. When arriving inside Walmart, I’ll see the pharmacy area and remember I need a toothbrush.”
Hi, @Cam DAhawkdriver, it sounds like you have come up with a great visual cue method that works for you. Thanks so much for sharing!
That's an awesome technique!
This is also highly effective for me, provided I'm not distracted with something else when doing that activity
I do this all,the time!
this sounds like an advanced version of putting an item out of place so you remember to do something lol
My father and three of his four siblings died of Alzheimer’s. To say I’m concerned about my future is an understatement. This video was quite comforting, at least for the time being.
I wish the best for you man.
Same
There are some habits you can acquire to avoid even carrying the genetic factor, such as supplementing vitamin b12 in adequate daily doses (at least 500mcg). there are also these new researches pointing out that cannabidiol is neuroprotective so I wish you a better luck.
@@jessicapalhares8436 so in other words smoking weed helps?
@@SamanthaEdgell no, they're only reffering to a specific chemical in weed, cannabidiol or cbd, it's the non psychoactive compound in weed that gets you all relaxed and stuff, thc, the "high" part of weed has deep rooted research in long term use being linked to alzheimer.
This was actually SO informative. And connecting the lesson to a story we can visualize is a technique that helps stick it in the brain. This lady knows what she’s doing!
I worked in an Assisted Living home and watched my Dad decline with Dementia and Parkinsons...THIS short video helped me immensely! Sometimes I worry I have dementia .I am 62. But, she is right. If I go back to where I began the thought..I suddenly recall it! YAY!! I am normal! There was a study also, about going through doorways, or that very experience of transitioning back to the original room. It's true. re-tracing our footsteps....
Hey, @April Morrison so glad that you found this video helpful. If you like short videos, you may also want to check out what Teepa is doing on TikTok (www.tiktok.com/@teepasnow) or connect to her Facebook page where she posts a video every day (facebook.com/teepasnows.pac)
My grandma had dementia and currently my uncle has it too. It is one of the most horrible diseases and I wouldn’t wish it onto anybody. Seeing somebody lose all memory and personality until they are a living corpse is dreadful. I hope we can find a cure to it one day, but at the moment at old age keep your brain active and continue to learn. That seems to be the only thing that helps as far as I know.
Get your full 8 hour sleep helps a ton too fasting too obviously eating healthy can help bc despite your brain being the most protected organ in the body the weaker the other systems are the more wear and tear you brain may deal with.
There a podcast by Harvard scientist David sinclair on brain and aging. Free here on CZcams worth a look.
its so sad to see people you love slowly fading away i also wish they find a cure
@@mcjhin906 its like a simulation :O
Much love to you and your loved ones. My late grandma suffered from it for about 10 years. Passed in 2018. Still not over it.
looool
Going to visit my grandmother and watching her get stuck in what was essentially a human logic loop is what really helped me understand this. After telling her about my boring minimum wage job 5 different times me and my family had a bit of cruel fun and started telling her about my increasingly absurd occupations. She didn’t believe us, but it always lightened up the mood for everyone, including her.
Making fun of you grandmother with dementia is one of the most disgusting things I have heard inn long time!!
Shame on you!
@@Celisar1 she's having fun aswell, so please stfu
@@Celisar1 Could also just repeat the logic loop over and over, getting nowhere at all.
There is no moral winning with dementia, there is only running against the clock.
@@Celisar1 there's a difference between making fun of someone and having fun with someone. Making fun of her would be like "I bet you can't remember what your wedding song was anymore imagine forgetting everything important about your life." This seems like it was just in good fun
@@Celisar1 how are they making fun of her? They're just making their stories more interesting so the grandma could grasp on to what humanity she had left. That's one of the most humane things you can do.
She is incredibly charismatic.
That phone call sounded so real
As someone 28 years old with ADHD that’s made me forgetful my entire life, and has only been getting worse, the thought of the future makes me incredibly stressed out. 😰I really don’t like thinking about my memory getting even worse.
This video is very informative, though. It makes me feel less guilty that my brain doesn’t always hold onto things, being talked to about memory in an easily digestible form like this. Thank you.
I've been anxious & fatigued for many years, so I've had a lot of brain fog. That's made me wonder about my future too. But so far it looks like I'm normal.
It's wild because there's kind of a fight in the psychiatric field between ADHD and a possible disorder that hasn't even been officially named - it's only consistently described as 'Sluggish Cognitive Tempo' even though there are at least two different proposed names (CDD 'Concentration Deficit Disorder' and CDHS 'Cognitive Disengagement Hypoactivity Syndrome'), and there's a lot of debate on whether it's part of Inattentive type, or if it's its own type under ADHD, or if it's own separate thing that is comorbid but not intrinsically tied to ADHD.
The point being, there is every possibility that your experiences tie into that 'sluggish cognitive tempo' area, because the bare minimum recognition is that SCT exists, but there's not much else known. But in the same token? If your experiences fall in this bucket? Embrace that fact as something that won't destroy you later. It's not dementia.
Also, side-note? We're similar ages. I'm a year apart.
@@acedianPianist , holy s hit, I am Googling SCT right now and this is life changing. I’ll need to look into it deeper when I’m not awake at an hour I should be sleeping, but holy…. Thank you so much. Genuinely, just. Wow. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing this information, @Sea Earl Punch!
Hi, @DindellaTheDefender! I'm sorry that you have been worried about your forgetfulness. It can be very hard some days. However, we are glad that you found this video, watched, and commented. If you'd like to learn more, please visit www.teepasnow.com or send you question to info@teepasnow.com
I found steeps a year ago when I finally quit being in denial of my husbands dementia, she helped me realize it wasn’t him saying those mean things to me and not trusting me.. I am grateful now to know that at 74, I just have forgetfulness . Thank you Teepa, I have told many people about you, and have received many thanks from them.
That's tragic. He loves you still very much, no matter what happens, the moments you shared will still have happened. I don't well up over a lot of comments, but if I was even the person saying those horrible things to the person I loved of all my life, I'd pray they'd know there was something else happening and it wasn't anything to do with the love I had for them.
Bless you young lady.
My papa has Alzheimer’s and as sad as it is, it’s really interesting to watch it progress
Hi, @springtronic, thanks for sharing a bit of your story even though it is sad. I hope that you are enjoying the time that you have with your papa.
I'm glad I was able to learn the difference between alzheimer's and forgetfulness. I'll be able to remember this from now on.
Dementia runs in my family. As my parents and I get older, I've been getting more concerned about learning the signs of dementia. You made this so simple to understand and I can't thank you enough for the nugget of insight you've given me.
Stop eating sugar and carbs.
@Eweyhen, you are very welcome. We are happy that you find Teepa's insight helpful. If you are wanting to learn more, consider subscribing to our CZcams Channel (czcams.com/users/teepasnowvideosfeatured) so that you will get notified when we post new videos or if you would like to listen to something, check out our podcast (anchor.fm/dementiacaregivertalkshow)
@@jolesliewhitten6545 if it were only that simple…
@@jolesliewhitten6545 dementia runs in my family, and it's due to a connective tissue disorder that worsens each generation that inherits it...my grandfathercand father both were fit healthy men who ate well and worked physically hard all their lives, it doesn't stop the blood vessels in their brain from erupting, in different spots at will causing vascular dementia. So far 2 out of 22 grandchildren me being one chose not to have our own kids to stop passing on the gene, the rest just went ahead. So do keep your dietary recommendations to yourself! Joe Biden also has a vascular dementia unrelated to diet.
@@joywebster2678 this is really admirable for you to try limit the suffering. I hope someday they will find a way to help people with your disorder.
Can’t wait to show this to my mom first chance I get. She’s spent nearly my whole life terrified she’s going to get dementia. She’s always had poor memory after having multiple incidences of head trauma in her youth. She loses her words and is a poor speller-but this has been going on for 20 years, it’s not changed much with age.
She just sounds kinda dumb
If it helps at all. Tell your mom that I'm 20, family has no history of dementia, no serious head trauma but I can't tell you how many times a day I'll get up to go do something and within .05 seconds of getting up it'll be gone with the wind. Until about I'm doing something else and remember.
Hi, @K.Roe, I hope that you've had a chance to share this video with you mom since you wrote this comment. If you would like to share some other info, please check out this video (teepasnow.com/about-dementia-new/) or visit www.teepasnow.com to learn more.
My first year at university I remember the strong distinction between a lecture and a conventional class in high school. It was this amazing difference in the deliverance of speech and information. Not all, but a majority of lecturers were like this. It’s such a great way of teaching, it’s fun, it’s comical, it sticks, it’s serious, and it’s life long lasting. This reminded me of those first few times sitting in a theatre watching my med science lecturers, thinking to myself, wow, this is so much better than school.
Thanks, @brenyboy26! I'm glad that you liked our style.
That is such a lovely explanation. I was a caregiver for my late grandmother and I can tell you it is hard. We're not in their minds and our minds don't function like theirs do. The hardest part of taking care of a person with dementia/alzheimers is those moments when they realise there's something wrong. My grandmother did whatever she could to "train" her brain all her life. And she was, fortunately, smart enough to realise she was going downhill and was adamant that my mother was in charge of her important things, including bank, bills, etc. It's funny because when she demanded that we didn't think it was that bad (we all lived in the same house, talked on daily basis and yet didn't notice THAT much of a difference, we all thought she's a bit old and a bit more forgetful), yet she knew and she made sure not to mess anything in the future.
Thanks for sharing your story @MsLoverPower! We're glad that your family was able to be there for your grandmother and each other. Going through the journey of dementia is not something that should be done alone or even with just one other person. It takes everyone being curious, not judgemental, and planning for the worse, but enjoying moments of joy that makes it easier. If you'd like to learn more, consider becoming a subscriber to our channel (czcams.com/channels/SXrEX7LkWOmfTaV6u1C7wQ.html) or checking out Teepa's videos on TikTok (www.tiktok.com/@teepasnow?)
When my Nans dementia and Alzheimer's started to really take a tole on her life I made a playlist of all the old songs she loved so that I could still see her tapping her foot and coming alive to certain songs that hold memory's for her it felt amazing
It does take its toll. We did this for my uncle and he remembered the words and started to sing. Everyone used to love hearing him sing. It does help to connect to memory via the senses because it's a different part of the brain and sometimes the easiest way to activate recall. Also, very pleasant to see that flicker of the person again 🙂👌 feels rewarding.
Hi, @Pitfall, nice job making a playlist for your Nans! We know the power of music is amazing. So glad that you figured that out. Thanks for sharing.
Hi, @Kat Wright, thanks for sharing!
That is a great idea.
Love to know the information, and how the teacher is very skilled with her demonstration, 10/10 acting.
God I love when this video comes up in my feed. The way she teaches and explains is so great, and the way she emphasizes that change needs made to help patients is well pushed at the end. I love it.
Glad that you like it @Carter Varadi. If you like this one, you might also want to subscribe to our channel (czcams.com/channels/SXrEX7LkWOmfTaV6u1C7wQ.html) to be notified when we upload newer content or you may want to visit our website www.teepasnow.com
This woman has soo much personality, teachers like this are gems💎
I thought this was going to go in the route of "Alzheimer is when you get to the kitchen without any distractions and forget why you went there," because I do that fairly often. I do have anxiety, though, which is nothing but distractions. Thank you for helping me understand that I don't have alzheimer yet. Most importantly, thank you for helping me better recognize it and how to treat those experiencing it.
It may also help you to know that it's VERY easy to forget why you've gone into a room once you've passed through a door frame. This is normal as well, look it up!
How to treat those experiencing it? The video cut off at just the 'right' (worst) time, before getting into explaining how to deal with it.
@@azure5584 I was wondering the same thing
@@azure5584 Sorry, I meant by not treating it like forgetfulness.
I used to have that often. I feel like it's getting worse now. I'm almost 40 and I'm so scared that one of these days, I might find myself somewhere and can't remember how I got there. A couple of years ago, one day, I gave my mother her monthly allowance. She asked me what the money was for and so I told her that's her monthly allowance. She looked confused and said to me, you already gave me the money. I asked her when and where and she said I gave it to her when we were at the grocery store just 30 minutes prior. I was confused and told her that I hadn't so she looked at me puzzled and asked me to check my purse and count my cash. So I did. I counted my cash and to my surprise, she was right. Right then and there I tried to remember but nothing. Two years has passed and I still think about that day. It worries me so much till this day that I don't seem to have any memory of that at all no matter how hard and how much I tried to remember. Usually, when I forget something, I will definitely remember after sometime or when I'm reminded either by something or someone. Never like this. Another incident, one morning I woke my brother up because he told me to wake him up in case he's not up yet because he needed to be somewhere early. He said to me, 'I told you that a few days ago and you didn't wake me up so I was late that day'. I was so confused. I was very sure he told me that the night before. We all laughed because everyone knows I'm a forgetful person. In the back of my mind I feel this deep concern and fear that this is not just normal forgetfulness because I experienced confusion a few times while driving. It's that kind of sudden confusion about where I was at and where I was going. It usually lasted for about 5 seconds but it was always very scary. I had to check the house a few times everytime I go out because I'm scared that I might forget to turn off the stove or the iron or the water etc. Now I have to leave myself notes or make reminders on my phone because that's the only way I can help myself. I hate forgetting things that's important to me and it makes me sad and frustrated whenever I forget. I want to be the one reminding my kids and not the other way around. It makes me feel incompetent, sad. I'm all they have. Am I paranoid or is this normal?
It’s an awful thing to miss someone who’s still here.
You are so right, @Chris Bird, it is awful to miss someone while they are still here. I hope that when things get too hard to handle, you can reach out to talk to someone so it's not quite so hard. Please know that we offer free 30-minute consultations for anyone at consult@teepasnow.com or call 1-877-877-1671.
from smiling, it dawns upon me and makes me tear up when she said
"reminding me won't help"
well damn
Thanks for sharing your reaction, @Art Aizen.
Back in 2017 my grandfather started getting really nervous all the time, everything would piss him off and make him really irritated and aggressive. He would go on to say we wanted to start a war in the family because of the smallest things, like not doing the dishes. By the end of that year he started showing heavy signs of forgetfulness, and that's when things clicked. We took him to the doctor, did all the tests and soon started the Alzheimer's treatment. It's just the two of us now, no one could bare the weight it is giving up everything in your life to take care of someone till the day they die. He raised me like a father and I could never accept putting him in a home. Our relationship has only gotten better with time, we're closer than we have ever been and I like to think I'm making up for the shitty teenager I was and all he had to put up with me growing up. But boy it is heavy duty, especially on my mental health. Sometimes I get these forgetful moments and I get afraid it might be early signs that I also might have Alzheimer's in the future. This video has helped me a little. Thank you.
Hope you're doing good, don't beat yourself up too much if you get carer's burnout at some point, you can hire a decent nurse to hang around if some day is too difficult, you're very brave and I'm sure your grandpa would be more than grateful if he can have some clearness of mind, hope you have a wonderful week
I wish you nothing but the best, friend.
Hi, @Junior Rocha! We are so glad that this video helped you a little. Thank you for doing all that you are for your grandfather. If you are still in this role and would like to know more, please check out our Friends and family page( teepasnow.com/resources/for-families-and-friends/) or visit www.teepasnow.com for more information.
A wonderful lady with a brilliant way of sharing information about dementia.
Gillian Hesketh Ji
She's a good teacher
Seeing it acted out makes it make so much more sense.
My mother’s short term memory is going recently. She’ll often tell me the exact same thing several days in a row like she never told me before. She’s very aware that dementia runs in her family and that scares her. So I don’t tell her if she’s told me the same story two or three times. I’d like to think that I’m doing the right thing by not stressing her out, but sometimes I’m not so sure.
That's how my grandma started before we found out she had Alzheimer's, we would often have long conversations on the phone then out of the blue those conversations kept repeating. At first it was small things about the day then repeating the same thing in the same conversation and I was a teen so I kept telling her grandma you already told me this and would get frustrated. Then it was multiple calls a day and forgetting things when she went out till she couldn't live by herself anymore and moved in with her sister. Sadly ignoring the problem won't make it go away and things like this are better if caught earlier. There isn't a cure unfortunately but it's better to prepare than to be blindsided and not have a plan for having your loved one be comfortable and safe as things start to get stressful for them.
I really hope you got it checked out with a doctor
ask a doctor or a psychologist if that's the right thing to do
You and your mother will suffer either way. You should let her know and allow her to make an informed decision rather than keeping her ignorant.
I think it's great that you're trying not to stress her out. However the sooner she gets a diagnosis and medication, the better she will be able to understand what's going on. My mother passed from alzheimer's last year and I found that although the diagnosis is super scary, i think it also gave her some piece of mind. Because what we don't see is the years of stress people with dementia put themselves through to seem as "normal" as possible when really they already know something is off
Between 2014-2016 I had to watch my grandma who was apparently one of the worst cases of dementia her hospice nurse ever seen, slowly die in front of me. She lived with us the last 4-5 years of her life but 2016 was hell. I was only 17 and she thought I was my father and it was 1985 and some days I was her father and it was 1939. I’ve been asked about joining the military to fight in Nam, where my brothers are (have none), did they find out who shot Kennedy, why is the electrical socket making faces again, what it was like to fight Nazis, or the worst one which was calling me papa and wanting me to hold her cause the thunderstorm scared her (there was no storm) oh and I can’t say what she actually said but she told my dad to go down the woods and cut the little “black” boy out of the tree. She used to call the black hospice lady that word a lot too but they were used to it and very understanding and professional. In her head it was 1930 still some days. God awful thing to see now I’m sad
Damn, I hope you're doing better and you're Grandma can rest well. It must be heartbreaking to watch that.
Poor darling. I really hope she's resting easy now. The part about wanting to be held by her papa broke my damn heart.
Don’t be sad, get glad!
now she’s burning in hell
Damn this broke my heart... hope you and your family are alright!
That was encouraging. Strangely enough, the only times I've done anything that resembled dementia were while I had COVID. Fortunately I recovered.
Hi@AnyasCelticCreations At Etsy! Thanks for commenting.
I’m 20. I got sick with covid a week before my 19th birthday back in 2021. My memory used to be like an archive. I could tell you exactly what I was doing and thinking on May 5th, 2019 and the day before and the day after and a year before that and so on.
3 months after getting covid, I started to become aware that something was wrong. Besides being so physically sick and weak and fatigued that I was collapsing at work and going to the ER a handful of times a week, I became so much more terrified when I started to realize my thinking wasn’t right anymore. I would start a sentence and halfway through it would disappear. Not trail off. Stop. I’d stutter and my face would scrunch and my coworkers thought I was having a stroke. And I couldn’t piece together the phrase, or the thought behind the phrase. It’s like nothing existed there. The same thing happened when I would read. My eyes would unfocus and I’d daze for a millisecond, but that’s all it took. I couldn’t absorb the print on the page or why I had the book or what my desire was to read it. I couldn’t read for a year. And then, the entire order of words in sentences I spoke out loud reversed. It wasn’t even a conscious thought. I meant to say “the bucket is at the back room” but actually said “backroom at is the bucket” and wouldn’t notice it. I still do that. I don’t know how. I mixed up the meanings of words that sounded similar, like a toddler. Sometimes i go into stores and I don’t remember why I’m there. Or I have a vague idea of why I came, but there’s no picture in my head, and I didn’t think to write it down, so I pace a single aisle for a long time, looking around but not knowing why I’m looking around. I go into another aisle after a while and find something else unrelated to why I’m there to buy. I can’t finish a thought, and lose a half hour to being in the aisle. And i can’t ask for help because I don’t know. Anything. I spent 50 minutes in the lettuce aisle of Walmart a few months ago. And it won’t come back to me until I’m home and my sister or my parents ask if I got said thing and they explain that I said I was going out to get them.
I can’t write or make art or create music whilst sick because within 5 minutes my clarity goes away. Some things are better now, but it’s been a year and 3 months to the day now. And most of that I spent being in that fog. I can’t even describe what brain fog is, or what I feel and think when it’s here. Because it takes away my ability to do any of that. I can’t remember anything. I watered my plants 4 days ago. “No, that was 16 days ago.” Its tuesday, “no it’s Saturday.” I have to get ready for the musical. “That was 3 years ago, Elisabeth.”
I can’t understand people talking to me. I feel bad, because they can see I’m not “listening” but it’s not because I have something I deem more important in mind, or I don’t care. I don’t even realize you’re speaking sentences to me. I don’t even realize I’m not listening. I try to listen. I try to absorb what you’re saying out loud. And each sentence comes into light killing the sentence behind it, so it doesn’t make sense.
Long Haul Covid has taken something from me from age 18. It’s so scary. A year and three months of this. This video makes me feel a pit in my stomach. But I just wanted to say I understand exactly what you felt. And I’m sorry that you had to endure it too. I hope nothing like that ever finds you again. Fuck covid
im only at 2:07 but im going to put my prediction here: Forgetfulness you can still backtrack to a certain point while dementia stirs the pot
Great synopsis, @Apple!
I already have this forgetfulness, partially due to ADHD. I have to have pretty strong episodic cues to remember things and my working memory seems to be smaller than 8 items. It is better when I take stimulants but still very damaging to my ability to function. I'll have to tie my pencil to the notepad!! But this video has helped relieve me of worry that I or loved ones are developing dementia.
Hi, @Elizabeth Montserrat, so glad that this video gave you some peace. If you would like to know more, please check out our website (www.teepasnow.com), other videos on our CZcams Channel (czcams.com/channels/SXrEX7LkWOmfTaV6u1C7wQ.html) or contact us 1-877-877-1671.
Psychologist told me I had wicked ADHD. Off the charts worse than this teenage boy that she used as John Doe to show a comparison. Anyway I feel you on that working memory
Object permanence is rough for real
Yup, exactly. Any divergence to the course of my actions will cause me to forget myself entirely.
I was looking for an ADHD comment. Hi fellow adhder
My mum's mental state became pretty close to dementia due to multiple brain metastases before she died at 49 y/o. And while she didn't forget about people, you could tell how difficult and confusing the last time was for her. I can't imagine watching a loved one.... deteriorate like this for months or even years.
I'm sorry for your loss.
my mother struggles with speaking and remembering things properly, though shes not diagnosed with dementia or anything. It scares me though because she literally breaks into tears when she's lost something or like writes a word incorrectly and not seeing what's wrong
shes near 60 years old and im really worried, i dont want her to get worse
@@HisameArtwork thank you..
@@robyyyne oh man, that sounds hard, sorry man :/
Also it must be so scary to notice you forget things like this
@@robyyyne I don't want to freak you out but my mother also started out with forgetting words. So even if you or your mother are not ready to look a bit more into it, I recommend you try to learn her body language as well as you can as it can get really frustrating for both parties when one is unable to communicate their needs.
Sometimes it also helps to just smile and pretend you understand so she doesn't get so frustrated everytime she can't think of a word.
Wishing you and your mother all the best!
OMG! I feel so much better since seeing this! Thank you, thank you, thank you! ❤️
She’s just put my mind to rest, whew! Thanks for this, I was getting worried.😮
Besides dementia this actually helped me understand how regular forgetfulness works, I keep getting told that I've got a problem with remembering things, but based off the fact I have autism which means I take in all information around me all the time it's no wonder I can't remember specific things!!
@@DoitsuXitaly12 did you use 3 multiple times purposefully?
ADHD to...causes working memory issues. I have it. Dx at 50! An I thought I was loosing it. But now I know what's going on in my brain
Yes! I have the same problem. To make things worse, it takes far less than a phone call to forget what I had in mind. These days the things that I had going on already in my mind will make me forget what I was about to do, and I'm only 38.
Hi @Local Tavern's Lute Player, well based on the number of likes and responses to your comment, you definitely said something that other's think as well. Glad that you learned something about yourself as well as those living with brain change. If you would like to learn more, you might want to check out (teepasnow.com/about-dementia-new/) or what other videos here on our channel (czcams.com/channels/SXrEX7LkWOmfTaV6u1C7wQ.html)
This is a great breakdown of forgetfulness vs dementia. The only thing most people tend to know about dementia is 'forgetting where things are and forgetting who your family is' when it's so much more than that. My family was able to hospice our Grandma at our home for the final few months of her life, but she'd been mentally going downhill for a very long time (and her diagnosis had been established years ago).
Shortly before she was hospice-d, she used to watch the original King Kong over and over again, and every time she expected the ending to be different. Towards the end of her life, she would forget she was eating or drinking while holding a forkful of food or a drink in her hand. She would grimace in very obvious pain, and then look confused and say "No?" when my mom or the visiting nurses asked if she was in pain seconds later. I'd catch her looking at me out of the corner of my eye, and I could tell she was trying to place where she knew me.
It's terrible and incredible, what can happen when something as complex as the human mind degrades.
Hi, @NobodyInParticular45! Thanks for sharing a bit of your experience with us and for watching!
My mum’s always paranoid she’s had early stage alzheimers, finally I can show her this and calm her down once and for all
Hi, @t heoscout. I hope that you did share it with your mum. If either of you still have questions, please visit www.teepasnow.com or check out other videos here on our channel (czcams.com/channels/SXrEX7LkWOmfTaV6u1C7wQ.html)
@@teepasnowvideos Thanks for the information! I showed her and she's not fully convinced, but I guess she'll eventually stop saying she has it after her memory quality stayed the same for many years.
Truly the BEST video in the world on this topic. People hv SO MANY misconceptions about Alz. This clears things up perfectly.
Glad you found it to be a good video, @Sojourner. If you want to see more, please check out others here on our channel (czcams.com/channels/SXrEX7LkWOmfTaV6u1C7wQ0.html) or checkout our other products at www.teepasnow.com
I've worked with seniors for a good many years, and people both with and without dementia among other things. I agree with most of this, except for one thing: Asking someone if they 'remember' something during an episode, especially if it happens mid-activity can be a really good cue to redirect them to the task. Most people retain that not remembering something is embarrassing, so it can help smooth things over and keep them going. A conversation I've lost count on the frequency of can go like this: "Hi Betty, would you like to come do [activity] with me? Everyone will be there." To which Betty replies, "Yes, that sounds like fun. I used to teach school you know!" Then 15 feet down the hall towards an activity, Betty asks, "Where are we going?"
At this point, there's three options.
1) Play into their delusions and confusion which I see people in the comments doing, which is in my opinion, kind of cruel to lie to them and can take up enormous amounts of time. Just because they are mentally ill, doesn't mean it's okay. Not to mention it can aggravate or confuse the people hearing the conversation nearby and set off episodes you don't want to deal with.
2) Explain again where you are going and why, which can not only lead to refusal, confusion, and frustration from the changed environment, but also fear and suspicion and again, takes up a lot of time..
Or 3) "We're going to do [activity] with your friends, remember?" Which, regardless of if they truly remember mostly ends in, "Oh yeah! I'd like that. I used to teach school you know!" and overall success since they just don't want to admit they've forgotten.
So... it's not helpful to say "remember?" as a form of shaming or disappointment, but I feel it is helpful to redirect them appropriately and efficiently. There's gonna be a lot different approaches to caring for vulnerable people, but I've had success with this.
I like this answer thank you, very helpful
I like this idea! It seems like it could also be comforting to them because it implies they’ve already thought about it and agreed.
Mmm there are manny opinions abount 1 2 and 3 i kinda find it crull to tel them nope thats not real youre story is agriviting others or nope that dident happen doont no if its cruel to just talk whit them like its true and i no time is short in elder care bicos of to littel time to littel poeple to do the work . But i find it cruel poeple thake the short route just becos of time i no the same store can tend to be boring but cant you somtimes do the short rout and somtimes just give them the happines ? Im sorry foor my ignorant rambeling my English is terrible
@@suzannedevreugd It's important to note that not once did I say you should tell them it's not true. You're right - that's a very unkind way to treat people.
Aside from case 1, which I said wasn't something I think should be done because I thought it was cruel to lie to them, the other two cases involved only telling them the truth.
Case 2 is the long route that doesn't gain you anything and loses time.
Case 3 is truthful and should only be used when it is true. Lying to someone to try and get them to consent will not end well, even if they have mental problems. If you can't get them to consent in the calm environment you approached them in, then you will not get consent in a more chaotic situation.
So again, the point is - don't lie to people, but don't waste your time. You may feel case 2 is the kindest option, but chances are when they're this far gone, they won't retain at the end of the conversation what you said in the beginning.
There is a time and a place to converse with them, and to be exceedingly kind and patient, usually to help calm them down after a rough episode. My suggestion is purely to be efficient without being cruel.
@@suzannedevreugd ... as a side note because I was thinking about what you meant after sending the last reply:
Telling people that their delusions are true is just as bad as telling them that they are lies, both can cause an escalation of the situation. There's also cases where people have had strokes and know exactly what they are trying to say, and what you are trying to say, but the person in question cannot word find appropriately, which would just make someone in that situation particularly lose trust in you.
My technique when there are delusional episodes is to simply ask questions until they wear themselves out trying to think of answers and go somewhere else.
"Is that so?"
"Where did that happen?"
"How long ago was that?"
"Was everything alright?"
Questions show your interest and engagement without affirming or denying those behaviors. It's only useful when you have time for it, of course, but it can be helpful.
This is a weight off of my shoulders. I thought I was losing my mind. But now I see how when I retrace my steps, I can remember what I had set off to do. What a relief. My heart aches for those with dementia. It seems to be such a “mean” turn of life…(hope that makes sense).
Warning: LONG COMMENT. It’s just a rant about my personal experience with Alzheimer’s.
Context: my family is pretty religious, but not super terrible.
My great grandfather had very bad Alzheimer’s. He was diagnosed before I was born, and he wasn’t too bad when I was little. Then he got sick, and the disease got harsher.
He had a few select stories he would tell. Being in the Navy, working as a bricklayer, talking about his side of the family (his mother, his father, and his sister, Matilda Cordelia “Minnie May” [Last Name], which he somehow remembered the full name and nicknames of).
He loved the holidays. He would sing Amazing Grace, Let It Snow, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and the occasional Silent Night. He also knew some parts of country-ish songs I was raised on, specifically Quarter After One (or it could be titled Need You Now, I can’t recall. It’s been years since I’ve listened to it). He would stick with specific lyrics for most songs, but he would remember the words if you started him off on the right verse.
His caretaker was his wife, my great grandmother, and it was very stressful for her. Imagine taking care of a mere shell of the person you loved.
In the later stages, he would ask where his car was, and start walking towards the door without using his walker. When asked where he was going, he’d say he was going home to his family, as they were expecting him. Nobody ever really had the heart to tell him that he was the last one of his family. He’d also claim that he saw Matilda, his sister, walking down the hallways and getting her stuff together to leave.
He would call my grandma and her husband by name most of the time, with the occasional mix up between his daughter and his wife, as they looked similar. My mother would be his sister or his cousin sometimes, but he would sometimes get her name right, calling her Jen, or if he was in a playful mood he would call her Jenny. He didn’t know my dad. I was his great grandchild that basically didn’t exist. I was my mom, I was his sister, I was a family friend. No matter who he thought I was, he would react kindly.
He was always a teaser, and that didn’t fade at all from his sickness. He would compliment and/or tease people all the time, including waiters, people at church, complete strangers sometimes.
If I remember correctly, he eventually was sent to the hospital because of a head injury. They said it was pneumonia that took him. He went out listening to the voice of his wife as she sang him Amazing Grace. I can’t listen to that song anymore without crying. I wasn’t there, but everyone says he seemed more collected and present right before they took him off life support.
I was maybe 10 when he passed. It doesn’t feel like that long ago, but I’ve heard that it’s been a while. My biggest regret is that I didn’t understand what he was going through, and I never knew who he actually was before he was sick. I think I was too young to _really_ process what Alzheimer’s was. All I knew was that it made him not remember things and that he would repeat himself over and over.
I’m not exactly religious anymore, but my family says that him saying he “wanted to go home” could have meant something else, like going to Heaven.
And maybe I’m crazy, but I like to think that his and my great grandma’s ghosts actually visited me in my dreams to let me know that they were okay. Call me insane, but the rest of the family got the same type of dream within a week of one another.
Uhh. So. This was just a rant I guess. I doubt anyone will read this, but if they do, sorry for my rambling and thank you for listening.
God Bless you. That wasn't a rant. It was very well presented, interesting and informative, and I felt your sadness. Keep Safe and Take Care.
Hi, @Asrians, I agree with @Beverley Balshaw, this was not a rant, but a well written memory/story about a wonderful man. Thanks for sharing it with us!
@@teepasnowvideos I appreciate that, thank you. This is the first comment that I’ve written that’s been like this, so I very much appreciate the support. Your video is very informative and well presented as well, and I would like to thank you for sharing your knowledge to the public.
Thank you so much for posting this. My mom is exactly as you described with dementia; I am exactly how you described with forgetfulness. Thanks to you, I’ll sleep better at night.
Hi, @Delanaria, glad to know that you may be sleeping better after this video, but if you ever have additional questions, please reach out to our teach at Positive Approach to Care (www.teepasnow.com or 1-877-877-1671).
This makes me so sad, because it's how my grandma spent her last years. We lived a 30 sec walking distance from her and someone from the family spent time with her every day, but she did live alone. She was fixated on the idea that her neighbours keep sneaking into her house, breaking and ruining her stuff, gas pipes, walls, taps...we did not know better and always tried to make her understand that nobody sneaks into her house, but even as we were pointing at the completely untouched and functioning things that she claimed were broken, she still insisted they were damaged. And we could see in her eyes she was heartbroken that we didn't believe her. It hurts so much to know she had to experience this, but I still don't know how we could have communicated better with her. She was not fantasizing about random imaginary people, she kept blaming the neighbours, and we were scared she might cause a bigger problem with them if we didn't try to talk her out of her 'fantasies'.
So what did you end up doing?
@@agawdsparadise3782 Just what I wrote...endless conversations with her whenever she brought up the topic, trying to (unsuccesfully) convince her that there was no breaking into her house...
Hi, @Dori Muranyi Art, I'm sorry that you had so many difficult conversations with your grandma. It sounds like it was very hard for everyone. I'm wondering if you ever encounter someone again who asks these types of question what if you were to try and just go with their conversation? Teepa has done a few TikTok videos on this very topic. Maybe check them out (www.tiktok.com/@teepasnow/video/7039411702735310126) or this one (www.tiktok.com/@teepasnow/video/7015744188427930885)
Thanks for asking!
Please see my earlier response @Dori Muranyi Art
I love how she made up a whole side of a conversation so effortlessly.
A simple but beautiful explanation 👏. When I was in medical school, a professor once told me a difference between the two that really stuck and it's that Dementia will lack insight, a person that is forgetful is aware of it and even blames themselves for it but a person with dementia will come up with an explanation constantly for their actions.
Hi, @doctorsoncards, thanks for another way to understand the difference!
As a paranoid hypochondriac, this presentation is as relieving as it is informative.
I'm sorry but, would you like to share your story?
@@zievfik I don't have much of a story really! I'm just easily paranoid and I'm afraid of becoming ill. I've been paranoid about alzheimers for many years, and I've been extremely forgetful even as a child. I saw a doctor about the possibility of young onset alzheimer's/dementia when I was only 12, but it was just me being paranoid, I was fine. My grandmother had dementia and I was worried my mother might have it as well, but a lot of her behaviors more closely resemble the "healthy" forgetful behaviors presented earlier in this video.
I do truly hope that within my lifetime we'll see a cure for dementia and alzheimer's. I'm just as afraid of my loved ones getting ill and losing themselves as I am afraid of it happening to myself. It kills me to think about the people I love forgetting the things in their lives that have made them the happiest.
A friend's mom has Alzheimer's. Her mom took the car keys and tried to go see her father who passed away over 30 years ago. Luckily my friend was able to stop her. All she did was take the keys and I don't think she remembered what she was going to do. But about a month ago my friend had a big scare because her mom went missing for 2 hours. And they couldn't find her and they found out that she had gone on a walk. Someone else found her and brought her home. I don't get to see my friend as much, but she needs this time with her mom. Her mom and dad are the only blood relatives she has. :( Other than that, it's just me and two of her other friends.
Hi, @lunarcorpse, thanks for being a good friend and supporting her. Please let her know that she can talk to us about things. Have her connect for a free 30-minute consult (consult@teepasnow.com or call 1-877-877-1671). Trying to understand what's happening for her mother can be confusing and we may be able to help.
@@teepasnowvideos she's been trying to convince her dad that her mom needs an in home nurse. He keeps saying that she's fine, but if he waits too long something bad could happen to her. My grandma used to take care of dementia and Alzheimer patients at a care home. She's been asking my grandma for advice. They told her to get alarms for the doors front and back because sometimes she'll just disappear. :( She's been spending every Sunday with her mom. And I know it's going to break her when her mom forgets her.
WOW, this is now so clear and I see that there is a big difference between forgetfulness and Alzheimers. I still am forgetful and you described me well, my mother is well into the Alzheimer description and there is no question in my mind now. Thank you. I will get busy and do a better job with her.
Thanks, @Joyce Harris! I appreciate your comment and really love that you see value in using the Snow Approach with everyone (including yourself), not just people living with dementia to make a more caring community. If you liked this video, you may also like to check out our monthly online journal (teepasnow.com/online-dementia-journal/) and if things have changed in the years since you watched this video, consider reaching out to us via email at info@teepasnow.com if you have any questions.
She deserves an Oscar for the phone call
My grandpa has dementia right now, this disease is different, he lives in different world and he doesnt even remember hes wife. Its terryfying to see memories being taken from your loved ones and seeing them disapear.
Hi, @Felizery, I know that watching someone change can be terrifying, but thanks for watching and commenting. If you like to talk to someone about it, please reach out to us at consult@teepasnow.com or learn or at www.teepasnow.com
I'm not even 30 yet, and I still struggle with the first example (senile forgetfulness.) And while I'm certain it's due to my ADHD (diagnosed around 5 and properly medicated since), and my psychiatrist assures me it's nothing to worry about, I'm still terrified of getting Alzheimer's/dementia. Grandmother got it, and it doesn't help that my dad has brain damage from an accident in his 20s in addition to having (obviously only suspected) ADD and not taking anything for it, so that wigs me out all the time, too. Though I'm pretty sure it's only forgetfulness, thanks to this video! Still though, I think it's my biggest fear to go out with that diseases...
Anyway! 12 years later and still responding to comments, being helpful and positive... You're too good for this world, thank you for your efforts and all the help you've given so many people 💜
If you have AD(H)D then you might have days where you are as forgetful as a 70 year old and days where you are as focused as a neurotypical 25 year old. I‘ve been living with it, in addition to ASD, and have had all kinds of experiences with doctors and psychologists, all assuring me that my symptoms are normal for my disorders and don‘t have a trend of becoming worse, even though there are days where I feel like it‘s worse than usual. This is caused by chemical imbalances, even in neurotypical people, but even more so in those with AD(H)D.
@@aesth1cc I’ve noticed sometimes I’m laser focused and remember/notice everything and then there’s days where I just can’t remember anything. I honestly started getting worried. It’s nice to see other people with ADHD have the same experiences. 😩
@@MatthewNeathery ADHD is definitely one or the other. It’s either incredibly hard to stop focusing (like hours or even a whole day or just unrelenting focus) and sometimes it’s hard to even read a paragraph and remember what you read. I know my medicine can help, but the other basics like good food intake, better sleep, exercise and so on all help with it a bit. Despite that the first example that was presented happens to me at least twice a week and I’m 24. While my family does have a history of Alzheimer’s I’m 99.99% certain it’s the ADHD ASD combo doing their thing.
Stimulant meds at 5?
parents and grandparents of those with adhd have a higher probability of getting dementia, but adhd cannot cause dementia
I have symptoms that resemble ADHD and I've had trouble with the forgetfulness. I've gotten very good at looking for all the different ways I can leave something somewhere. Can't remember where I left my phone but I've gotten good at looking for it. I make sure to keep important stuff that I dont touch a lot in a place that is easy to find and doesn't change around too much. If I dont keep my belongings in my bag it'll be a 90% certainty that I'll leave it if I set it down. Consistency and a writing utensil helps a lot.
I can usually remember what i was going to do so long as it's quiet enough no one interrups my train of though (i can't seal out noise. just cant). Knowing my own habits, like which side i prefer my phone to be on helps. did you know ADHD brains randomly delete small bits of info, then fill in the blanks? thats why you can forget your books in your locker, becasue your brain deleted the info of them being in the lokcer, and decides they must be in your backpack....they aren't. fun times
True, there doesn't even need to be a phonecall to interrupt the action. Going into a different room makes me forget that I wanted a cup of tea sometimes. ADHD is strange
Hi @Kimmie6772, it sounds like you have figured out what is typical for you and how to deal with it. Good job! Thanks for sharing.
My great-grandmother lived to be 103 and since she was 90 she had Alzheimer's. She lived in a specialized care facility but we would bring her to my grandparent's house for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sadly she couldn't recognize anyone after she turned 93, and the very last Xmas we had with her she asked me about my dog by its name and why it wasn't at Xmas dinner. We still talk about that moment every Xmas since she passed away.
Hi, @Thomas Kelliher, thanks for sharing that memory. I'm glad that you and the family can still share those stories. I'm sure you have many more too.
She sounds like an amazing person. Wish I was sitting there watching her demonstrate all this. 🐐
Hi, @Kris. Glad you liked this video. If you want to see more, please check out our CZcams Channel (czcams.com/channels/SXrEX7LkWOmfTaV6u1C7wQ.html) or you may want to watch Teepa on TikTok (www.tiktok.com/@teepasnow?)
I'm on the autism spectrum and Ive had moments like this where I genuinely forget something that happened or a conversation I had. But I think the cause is different. My brain can't prioritize so I process everything and I'm constantly on multiple trains of thought at once. My memory is a lot better when I have structure so I have less I have to think about. But right now I'm moving house so even my morning routine isn't automatic anymore. My working memory is overloaded so things are slipping through the cracks.
Or maybe I do have early onset dementia. That would be just my luck.
I'm the same, my memory is terrible.
Same, my autistic ADHD memory has more holes than Swiss cheese.
I'm on the spectrum too and my memory isn't quite the greatest. There's moments where I've sent the same picture to the same group twice within a few hours of each other and forgot about it.
Or a show immediately goes to a commercial and I forget what show was on.
It's not dementia though, I have a very clear memory if I'm conscious of it, but I'm thinking my memory is like... An as needed thing?
It doesn't hold things I don't deem important.
For example, I never remember names right away, yet the first time I met my now boyfriend and asked his name, I remembered it the first time he told me.
Memory is a very strange thing, I wish we knew more about it.
Me too! I have poor memory especially when it comes to names. I also have trouble sometimes remembering things about my friends. For example I couldn't tell you if my best friend is right or left handed. (But in my defense I haven't seen her in a while lol) But I have fantastic memory when it comes to media I'm interested in (hyperfixations) and my real talent is spacial memory. I know the store I work at better than my own managers. I remember every product and every box. They tested me once by asking about a super specific spot for a product and I was able to answer no problem. It's the one impressive thing I can do lol. But then I get anxious if someone moves something without telling me because my "map" is suddenly off.
Honestly dementia is a fear of mine even though no one in my family has ever had it. I'm always worried that I'm at risk for it because I can get pretty scatterbrained, but this video definitely gave me some perspective. I think you're dead on that autism makes it harder to manage memories.
Relate to needing structure to think. I'm ADHD, with many autistic traits. needing structure is fun when my mom is ADHD enoguh she'll want to drive 2 hours away on a day i THOUGHT was a stay at home day, and therefore dressed in my staying home clothes
My mom always forgets that we talked on the phone when I call her past 9pm. Once she even called in the morning and yelled at me that I hadn't called, even though we had a 30 minute conversation the night before. And she's fully coherent and herself in these night-time convos. She just totally forgets them. It's weird.
she could be in a sort of sleepwalking state
there have been many cases of people doing complex tasks sex talking to people getting dressed
ive turned off my room or hallway lights before the light was in my eyes i was so tired i ignored it and the next morning the light was off (living alone locked doors no other possibility) no recolection at all of getting up
but i suppose you dont remember rolling around on your bed or ajusting your sheets either i know when i used to wake my brother up he would talk and not remember what he said (he would say fuck off in a groggy voice look at me completly eyes open and immedietly go back to sleep even when i got him sitting up thw only relaible way to make sure was to ask hia questions and if he displayed more than basic english he was probobly awake)
ive been "woken up" before too when they say they talked to me that i dont remember mainly when i only got a couple hours sleep from staying up all night
i guess i was trying to furfill my basic instinct to sleep by saying "ok" or "im awake" before putting my head down and deleting all thoae now uneeded memories
point is you can ask her when she usually sleeps if you dont already know whats up im no doctor you should talk to an expert id your conserned
Many prescription sleep medications can cause this to happen as well. If she’s taking anything to help her sleep, that could definitely be the cause.
@@kellynolen498 Yeah, it could be some form of sleepwalking. Although she seems too coherent for it being sleepwalking. It's probably fine, just a little odd. As of now, her daytime memory is perfect, which make me think it's related to sleep/tiredness. I'll continue to monitor her.
@@doubleabd839 She doesn't take any sleep meds, but she does take about 8 different medications every day, so it could be that one of them has strange side-effects. I'll have a look at her meds next time I visit.
@@doubleabd839 oh yea. Benzos sure can do that. I had taken a tad too much benzos once.
Next day i came downstairs and there was chinese food remains on the table. I wondered how the f that got there. So later on my sis came over and i told her and she started laughing. Then a guy called i knew and i started telling him things and all the time he said "i know" and i didnt get how he knew all that. And my sis laughed even more all the time.
So then she told me how i was depressed and had taken too many benzo's when she got there, the day before. How i had ordered chinese and talked with that guy on the phone for an hour, before she could guide me to bed, where i fell asleep right away. I didnt remember a thing.