In my role as a geriatrician, encountering death is a frequent occurrence. I've witnessed numerous individuals navigating their grief and faced my own personal experiences with loss. It's not uncommon for people to feel uncertain about what's considered normal, what to say, how to process their thoughts, or how to provide support during such times. I hope this blog post can offer valuable guidance in these challenging moments. We will explore the definition of grief and highlight its distinctions from depression. We delve into how individuals may experience grief while addressing the circumst ..read more

Sleep patterns change as people age. Over the years, I have had multiple patients concerned about sleep problems. This blog post will explore the relationship between aging and sleep issues, including causes, symptoms, and treatments. As we age, sleep patterns naturally change. Older adults tend to have more difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep throughout the night, resulting in less time spent in deep sleep. Sleep changes can lead to feeling more tired during the day and an increased risk of developing sleep disorders like insomnia and sleep apnea. Older adults tend to spend less tim ..read more

By. Dr. Combs We as geriatricians are doctors who specialize in the care of older adults, usually aged 65 years and older. We take a holistic approach to caring for older adults. A well known geriatrician, Dr. Frank Molnar describes “The Geriatric 5 M’s” in highlighting the particular health considerations unique to older adults. These “5 M’s” are: Mind, Medication, Mobility, Multicomplexity, and Matters Most. The American Geriatric Society estimates that based on research about 30% of older adults would benefit from seeing a geriatrician. MIND When considering the mind, geriatricians focus o ..read more

Suppose you are a spouse or adult child of a loved one with dementia. In that case, you may be considering how to inform others about your loved one's diagnosis of dementia. Determining when and how to tell friends and family about a dementia diagnosis can be challenging. This blog post addresses this situation. You may be worried that letting others know about a dementia diagnosis could potentially change the way people interact with your loved one. Dementia is hard to keep secret. Just as you noticed something was wrong, family and friends may be sensing the same thoughts. It is normal to ha ..read more

By Dr. Golnosh Sharafsaleh MD In this post, I will go over what happens when a person is seen in a memory clinic. Generally, when a person is evaluated by a memory clinic, they have already seen their primary care provider for initial assessment of cognitive changes. These changes include the inability to learn new tasks, planning, memory loss, language skills, visual-spatial understanding, and carrying out primary day-to-day activities. People 65 years and older are usually screened for dementia during a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit. Other times people are evaluated due to concerns from fa ..read more

Do you ever worry that your loved one with dementia is dehydrated? Have you ever asked your loved one's doctor about your concerns with dehydration? This blog post will discuss why older adults with dementia experience dehydration and how you can help. Approximately 60% of our bodies contain water. The water in our bodies helps regulate temperature carries oxygen and nutrients to our organs, like the brain. Water also helps eliminate waste and toxins from our bodies. Now before you begin reading, this is about dehydration and dementia. The older adult who may only have a few sips of water a da ..read more

By. Dr. Golnosh Sharafsaleh, MD As a geriatrician, who specializes in memory disease I see patients almost daily for memory-related issues. Sometimes patients self-present to the memory clinic due to concerns that they may be developing dementia. Other times family members bring loved ones in due to problems that they are recognizing. In this post, I want to discuss some of the differences between normal changes with aging and abnormal signs of memory loss that need further evaluation by a medical professional. Normal changes that occur as we age. Dementia is not a normal part of aging; it is ..read more

By. Dr. Cannon Putting the pieces together! 1. Geriatricians only treat memory issues and dementia This is a common misconception. Geriatricians are trained to look at the whole person, not just their memory. In fact, a complete geriatric assessment usually takes up to 90 minutes because it assesses medications, falls, memory, and mood. Yes, geriatricians specialize in memory issues; they also manage polypharmacy (too many medications), falls, end of life care, and many other conditions. Check out the GeriAcademy blog on when to see a geriatrician. 2. If I see a geriatrician, I will lose my pr ..read more

In this post, I will discuss the importance of legal and financial planning after a dementia diagnosis. Unfortunately, many people do not have their finances or legal documents after a diagnosis of dementia, placing them at risk for exploitation or risk of not having their wishes carried out. Consider taking care of these things when you don't have a disease like dementia that can impair your thinking, and you can make clear decisions. A person with dementia may lose the ability to think clearly, as their disease progresses. Managing finances or making decisions about health will become proble ..read more

Dr. Sharafsaleh This post will review some communication strategies and tips when speaking to a loved one who has dementia. Persons with dementia may not always process and comprehend conversations in the way they did before their dementia diagnosis. Better communication strategies can decrease or eliminate frustration and allow persons with dementia to receive better care from their loved ones. What you need to know about dementia Dementia is irreversible, meaning the changes in the brain that are causing dementia cannot be stopped or turned back. Dementia will get worse over time. At this ..read more