Elder Care and Elder Rage: Know the EARLY Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

Caring for your elderly parents can be a challenge

By Jacqueline Marcell
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Alzheimer's/Dementia Often Overlooked

What is so shocking is that no one ever discussed the possibility of dementia with me that first year. I was told my parents’ “senior moments” and odd behaviors were just old age and a “normal part of aging.” Since one of eight people get Alzheimer's by age 65, and nearly half by age 85, I should have been alerted. Had I simply been shown the "Ten Warning Signs of Alzheimer's," I would have realized what was happening and gotten my parents the help they desperately needed. If any of this rings true for you or someone you love, I urge you to seek a dementia specialist—immediately!

Ten Warning Signs of Alzheimer's
(Reprinted with permission of the Alzheimer’s Association)

  1. Memory loss
  2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks
  3. Problems with language
  4. Disorientation of time and place
  5. Poor or decreased judgment
  6. Problems with abstract thinking
  7. Misplacing things
  8. Changes in mood or behavior
  9. Changes in personality
  10. Loss of initiative
Read expanded descriptions at www.ElderRage.com/Alzheimers.asp.

Published May 26, 2009

Jacqueline Marcell
Silver Planet Feature Writer

Jacqueline Marcell is a former television executive whose caregiving experience resulted in Elder Rage, a Book-of-the-Month Club selection receiving 264 five-star Amazon reviews and being considered for a feature film. The addendum by a renowned dementia specialist, Rodman Shankle, MS, MD, makes it also valuable for health care professionals/physicians and required text at numerous universities for courses in geriatric assessment and management. Over 50 endorsements include Hugh Downs, Regis Philbin, John Hopkins Memory Clinic, and the National Adult Day Services Association, which bestowed their Media Award.

Jacqueline also received “Advocate of the Year” from the National Association of Women Business Owners at their Remarkable Women Awards. She also hosts the “Coping with Caregiving” radio program at www.wsRadio.com/CopingWithCaregiving; writes for AgingCare.com and ThirdAge.com; and is an international speaker, including to the National Security Agency and the Florida House of Representatives. Jacqueline is also a breast cancer survivor who advocates that everyone (especially caregivers) closely monitor their own health. Visit www.ElderRage.com.
Elder Care and Elder Rage: Know the EARLY Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease
Balancing Brain Chemistry 
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