10 Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer's

Memory loss that disrupts daily life may be a symptom of Alzheimer's or another dementia. Alzheimer's is a brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills. There are 10 warning signs and symptoms. Every individual may experience one or more of these signs in a different degree. If you notice any of them, please see a doctor.

1. MEMORY LOSS THAT DISRUPTS DAILY LIFE

One of the most common signs of Alzheimer's is memory loss, especially forgetting recently learned information. Others include forgetting important dates or events; asking for the same information over and over; increasingly needing to rely on memory aids (e.g., reminder notes or electronic devices) or family members for things they used to handle on their own.

What's a typical age-related change? 
Sometimes forgetting names or appointments, but remembering them later.

2. CHALLENGES IN PLANNING OR SOLVING PROBLEMS

Some people may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. They may have trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. They may have difficulty concentrating and take much longer to do things than they did before.

What's a typical age-related change? 
Making occasional errors when balancing a checkbook.

3. DIFFICULTY COMPLETING FAMILIAR TASKS AT HOME,               AT WORK OR AT LEISURE

People with Alzheimer's often find it hard to complete daily tasks. Sometimes, people may have trouble driving to a familiar location, managing a budget at work or remembering the rules of a favorite game.

What's a typical age-related change? 
Occasionally needing help to use the settings on a microwave or to record a television show.

4. CONFUSION WITH TIME OR PLACE

People with Alzheimer's can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time. They may have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there.

What's a typical age-related change? 
Getting confused about the day of the week but figuring it out later.

5. TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING VISUAL IMAGES AND                        SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS

For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer's. They may have difficulty reading, judging distance and determining color or contrast, which may cause problems with driving.

What's a typical age-related change? 
Vision changes related to cataracts..

6. NEW PROBLEMS WITH WORDS              IN SPEAKING OR WRITING

People with Alzheimer's may have trouble following or joining a conversation. They may stop in t

People with Alzheimer's may have trouble following or joining a conversation. They may stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue or they may repeat themselves. They may struggle with vocabulary, have problems finding the right word or call things by the wrong name (e.g., calling a "watch" a "hand-clock").

What's a typical age-related change? 
Sometimes having trouble finding the right word.

7. MISPLACING THINGS AND LOSING THE ABILITY TO RETRACE STEPS

A person with Alzheimer's disease may put things in unusual places. They may lose things and be unable to go back over their steps to find them again. Sometimes, they may accuse others of stealing. This may occur more frequently over time.

What's a typical age-related change? 
Misplacing things from time to time and retracing steps to find them.

8. DECREASED OR POOR JUDGMENT

People with Alzheimer's may experience changes in judgment or decision-making. For example, they may use poor judgment when dealing with money, giving large amounts to telemarketers. They may pay less attention to grooming or keeping themselves clean.

What's a typical age-related change? 
Making a bad decision once in a while.

9. WITHDRAWAL FROM WORK OR SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

A person with Alzheimer's may start to remove themselves from hobbies, social activities, work projects or sports. They may have trouble keeping up with a favorite sports team or remembering how to complete a favorite hobby. They may also avoid being social because of the changes they have experienced.

What's a typical age-related change? 
Sometimes feeling weary of work, family and social obligations.

10.CHANGES IN MOOD AND                         PERSONALITY

The mood and personalities of people with Alzheimer's can change. They can become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious. They may be easily upset at home, at work, with friends or in places where they are out of their comfort zone.

What's a typical age-related change? 
Developing very specific ways of doing things and becoming irritable when a routine is disrupted.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ALZHEIMER’S AND TYPICAL AGE-RELATED CHANGES?

Signs of Alzheimer’s/dementia	Typical age-related changes
Poor judgment and decision-making	Making a bad decision once in a while
Inability to manage a budget	Missing a monthly payment
Losing track of the date or the season	Forgetting which day it is and remembering it later
Difficulty having a conversation	Sometimes forgetting which word to use
Misplacing things and being unable to retrace steps to find them	Losing things from time to time

WHAT TO DO IF YOU NOTICE THESE SIGNS

If you notice any of the 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's in yourself or someone you know, don't ignore them. Schedule an appointment with your doctor.

With early detection, you can: Get the maximum benefit from available treatments – You can explore treatments that may provide some relief of symptoms and help you maintain a level of independence longer. You may also increase your chances of participating in clinical drug trials that help advance research.
> Learn more about treatments.
> Learn more about clinical studies.

RELATED INFORMATION: 

> What is Alzheimer's Disease? 
> What is Dementia? 
> Risk Factors 
> Treatments 
> I Have Alzheimer's  
> Brain Tour 

By courtsey:http://www.alz.org/10-signs-symptoms-alzheimers-dementia.asp

Japan tracks dementia patients with QR codes attached to fingernails

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• BBC, 8 December 2016
 
• From the sectionAsia

A Japanese city is keeping track of elderly people with dementia by attaching barcodes containing personal information to their fingers and toes, officials say.

A company in Iruma, near Tokyo, has developed a tagging system for members of the public at risk of getting lost.

The 1cm (0.4in) square stickers hold an address, telephone number and unique identity number for each user.

The free service, launched this month, is a first for Japan.

The initiative, which uses a system of QR codes, was set up to help reunite family members with their elderly loved ones in the event that they go missing, according to the Iruma welfare office.

The technology allows police to obtain details of a person's local city hall, along with contact telephone numbers and personal details, simply by scanning the code.

An official told the AFP news agency that this new method was a "great advantage".

"There are already ID stickers for clothes or shoes but dementia patients are not always wearing those items."

The water-resistant stickers, which remain attached for an average of two weeks, can be more discreet than other items such as badges as they can be attached to toenails and worn beneath socks.

Japan is facing an ageing population, with more than a quarter of its citizens aged 65 or over.

This is set to increase to 40% by 2055, with the population expected to shrink from the current 127 million to 90 million.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38247437

Govt to hold talks on reviewing law for maintenance of parents

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  Payal Banerjee, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
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• Updated: Aug 31, 2016 09:57 IST
• The government on Wednesday will examine the possibility of allowing lawyers to appear before a tribunal, constituted under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens (MWPSC) Act, 2007, on behalf of senior citizens who are not provided maintenance or abandoned by their children.

  Under the existing provisions of the Act, senior citizens who are not being maintained by children, neglected or abandoned can directly approach the tribunal.

  “Under the Act participation of an advocate in the proceeding either for the applicant or respondent is barred. If the applicant is incapable of making an application, an NGO can make an application on his or her behalf,” said an official from the ministry of social justice and empowerment.

  The need for reviewing the legislation has arisen after the Punjab and Haryana and Madras high courts have, in different orders, said that the Centre reconsider some provisions of the Act,

  “The courts felt that Section 16 of the Act needs to be amended to allow children or relatives of the elderly people to also file appeals before the Appellate Tribunals.

  “Under the current Act, the right to appeal has been given only to the applicant (parent or senior citizen) and the same is not available to the respondent (son, daughter or relative etc).

  “The courts especially cited that Section 17 of the Act which prohibits representation by legal practitioners by any party before the tribunal or appellate tribunal, needs a re-look,” the official said.

  The courts also asked the ministry about dispensing with the current system of SDMs acting as tribunals and DMs acting as appellate tribunals under the Act, as the tribunals may involve mixed questions of fact and law to be decided. The courts observed that this can be discharged by a legally trained person.

  According to sources, the ministry had constituted a committee to review the Act in January which differed on all these points.

  “The objective behind framing the rules of the Act was to provide inexpensive and speedy justice to the senior citizens of the country. But allowing lawyers would mean it may take years or prolong a case. Engaging lawyers would also involve expenses. If lawyers are allowed, the entire spirit behind the legislation will be lost,” the official said.

  The social justice ministry’s national consultation on Wednesday involves stakeholders such as senior citizens’ associations, state governments and central ministries, bar council of India, national law commission of India. The ministry will seek suggestions of stakeholders on whether the Act should be reviewed.

  The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 makes it a legal obligation for children and heirs to provide maintenance to senior citizens and parents, by monthly allowance.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/govt-to-hold-talks-on-reviewing-law-for-maintenance-for-parents/story-H1Nn7NI0YqtuzsBBwvu79N.html

Mind Mantra: Elder Men and Sexually Inappropriate Behavior

Mind Mantra: Elder Men and Sexually Inappropriate Behavior: Over the last few years the society has become aware of high number of inappropriate sexual behaviors present in the Elderly. While earl...

Never too late to live in

The Telegraph, Ananya Sengupta

New Delhi, Sept. 10: Single men above 50 years want to marry. Single women above 50, if ready to seek a partner at all, prefer live-in relationships. This is one reason matchmakers like Natubhai Patel are struggling to find wives for their 50-plus male clients - bachelors, divorcees or widowers. "Single women above 50 don't want to wash clothes or clean houses - most of them are widows and don't want to get trapped in household chores again," Patel, the president of the Ahmedabad-based Anubandh Foundation, one of the country's handful of senior citizen marriage bureaus run by NGOs, said. "The 50-plus women are looking for retired government employees who have pension and a house - they are only seeking financial security and companionship in their old age," Patel added, speaking ahead of a matchmaking event in Delhi this month. In an inversion of the received wisdom about gender roles, many of Patel's male clients balk at live-in relationships, preferring the emotional security of marriage. N.M. Rajeshwari, the president of Thodu Needa, a Hyderabad-based NGO that tries to unite single elderly people, echoed Patel. "Many women who get in touch with us don't want to get married because they don't want any legal entanglements," she said. "They are happy in live-in relationships as they can maintain their independence and also balance the needs of their existing families, consisting of grown-up children and their spouses." One other reason that elderly males struggle to find wives is that far fewer single elderly women are looking for partners at all. Anubandh, for instance, which has held 41 matchmaking sessions across states in its 15-year existence, has 8,802 men on its register but only 982 women. "Of the women, 70 per cent want a live-in relationship to avoid the hassles of marriage," Patel said. Of the 600 over-50 clients registered with Rajeshwari's five-year-old organisation, only about 200 are women. Most of her 150 clients who are seeking a live-in partner are women, Rajeshwari said. It's a trend that prompted Anubandh to start facilitating live-in relationships since 2011, after exclusively promoting marriages in its first 10 years. "We realise that some of the participants may choose to live in for a few years before taking the next step," Patel said. The agencies promoting elderly marriages offer their services free and take care to ensure that the women are not exploited, Patel said. All participants must register by producing valid identity proof and a copy of their divorce papers or the death certificate of their spouse. Patel, a former central government employee, seeks CVs and then organises group meetings. The matches are made through a process similar to speed-dating and personal interactions. Both Patel and Rajeshwari said they wanted more 50-plus women to come forward to seek a partner - whether a husband or a live-in boyfriend. "I think it's society that holds them back. I want to tell single women to seek a companion who will be their friend for life, even if they don't want to marry," Patel said. He listed companionship and sex as the primary reasons the elderly marry, citing how his organisation helped an 83-year-old former professor, who has 15 grandchildren, acquire a 61-year-old bride last year. It has been a tough journey: over 15 years, Patel has aided 95 marriages and 23 live-in relationships. "I want to tell single women that marrying or living in at an older age is not a stigma," Rajeshwari said. "Staying alone can be extremely lonely." V.B. Sharan, 69, a former CRPF commandant who had married at 62 after his first wife's death, offered his own experience as example. "I married because I needed a companion. Today, I have six children, three from each of our previous marriages. I took care of my (current) wife's three children, who were still studying, after we married. Now, we are a happy family." Sharan runs the Senior Citizen Forum, which is helping Patel organise his matchmaking session in Delhi. Patel, however, has a word of caution for the over-50 men seeking matrimony: three such marriages he has organised have ended in divorce. He now counsels the couples in the dos and don'ts. "One of the marriages broke up because of this and I had to speak to the man. Companionship should be the goal," he said. The other two broke up because of property issues and family problems, Patel said. "So, the bottom line is that the elderly too get into similar problems in marriage as the young," he laughed. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1160911/jsp/frontpage/story_107594.jsp#.V9vOZ_B961v

Raghuram Rajan's IIT prof quit job to work for downtrodden tribals

Alok Sagar, social activist and former IIT professor.

• Shruti Tomar, Hindustan Times, Bhopal
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• Updated: May 11, 2016 15:37 IST
• At a time when media is inundated with mudslinging over the qualification of leaders, the story of a former IIT Delhi professor who has spent the last 32 years in service of the downtrodden in Madhya Pradesh is a breath of fresh air.
  Alok Sagar, a resident of New Delhi, did his bachelor in electrical engineering from the prestigious IIT Delhi and got his masters degree from the institute in 1973. He went on to complete his PhD at Houston University in Texas, US, before returning to India to become a professor at his alma mater.
  However, it later dawned on him that he would be able to better contribute to the growth of the country and its people by working on the ground. So, in 1982, Sagar resigned as professor and began working with the tribals in Betul and Hoshangabad districts, helping save the environment — one tree at a time.
  He has planted more than 50,000 trees in Betul district. And in association with the Shramik Adiwasi Sangathan, Sagar works for the welfare of tribals. Today, he can be seen riding bicycle, in line with his green endeavour, collecting and distributing seeds among tribals at a reasonable rate.
  Over the more than three decades, the memory of his degrees faded, and no one would have ever known of the great mind in their midst had it not been for the election in the district’s Ghoradongari assembly constituency.
  Unable to trace his background, the Betul district administration grew suspicious of Sagar and ordered him to leave, citing security reasons. It was only then that the former professor revealed his enviable qualifications.
  “Unlike the baseless fight over degrees of politicians, Sagar has set an example of being a true social worker,” said Anurag Modi, an activist who works with Sagar.
  During his time as a professor in the 1980s at IIT Delhi, he taught Raghuram Rajan, the present governor of the Reserve Bank of India, but Sagar says he doesn’t need a degree to serve people, only will power. “In India, people are facing so many problems, but people are busy proving their intelligence by showing their degrees than serving people,” he said.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/bhopal/mp-this-iit-prof-quit-job-to-work-for-downtrodden-tribals/story-CFUa47OhFyCYHTAZdmaVYM.html

Soon, Aadhaar must to avail rail concession

THE HINDU, NEW Delhi, September 12, 2016

The Indian Railways may soon make it mandatory for senior citizen passengers to provide their Aadhaar numbers to avail concessions on rail tickets.

To begin with, senior citizens will be able to get ticket concessions only through Aadhaar from December this year, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Chairman and Managing Director A.K. Manocha told The Hindu.

At present, male senior citizens can avail 40 per cent discount on ticket fares and female passengers 50 per cent reduction on ticket fares on all trains including Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto. Railways provides 53 such concessions, including those for the differently-abled and patients, incurring a loss of Rs.1,500 crore every year.

From December

“The Railway Board has taken a decision to give discount on fares to senior citizens only on the basis of Aadhaar numbers from December,” Mr. Manocha said.

He further said that IRCTC was likely to incentivise all passengers to book rail tickets through Aadhaar by offering them several sops.

“For instance, an IRCTC user can only book six tickets in a month, as per the present rules. However, we may do away with this norm as we will get to know if you are misusing the tickets or not through the Aadhaar number of the user,” Mr. Manocha said. The Railways is also planning to extend the passenger insurance scheme to passengers travelling by unreserved tickets, by linking it with their Aadhaar and bank accounts.

http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/soon-aadhaar-must-to-avail-rail-concession/article9100907.ece