If your loved one is living with dementia of any kind, you may be under significant stress yourself as you navigate the new and evolving challenges that come with being a care partner. Although there are many types of dementia, Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) affects approximately 1.4 million Americans. This progressive disease may manifest subtly […]
Why Support Groups For Dementia Care Partners
The Impact of COVID-19 on Dementia Patients
and Their Care Partners
There’s no question that the novel coronavirus pandemic has had a formidable impact across the globe. We’re all struggling with the implications of this highly contagious virus and what it means for our way of life. For the approximately 50 million people living with dementia, the effects of COVID-19 are likely to be even more […]
Sundowning: What It Is and How You Can Help
Although sundowning is a common symptom of Alzheimer’s disease, those with Lewy Body Dementia may also experience this occurrence. Lewy Body Dementia symptoms progress in stages that gradually become more severe. In some cases, individuals with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) may experience a group of symptoms known as sundowning. Sundowning is a state of confusion […]
Signs That It’s Time for an Older Person to Stop Driving
(and How to Talk About It)
Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) affects approximately 1.4 million Americans over the age of 60. This disease causes progressive cognitive decline that can manifest in all aspects of life. While you may not recognize the earliest Lewy Body Dementia stages, mid-to-late stage LBD symptoms will make themselves known. This type of dementia often affects memory and […]
Lewy Body Dementia and the Autonomic Nervous System
Sitting with other caregivers at our monthly LBD Caregivers’ Support Group, I’m always struck by how stressful one aspect of LBD can be for us caregivers. That is the inconsistency, fluctuations and wide variety of the many LBD symptoms. There is a sense among us that we wake up each morning never knowing what […]
What We Can Learn About Lewy Body Dementia
From the Life of Robin Williams
Beloved comedian and actor Robin Williams’ suicide in 2014 shocked the world–and left his widow, Susan Schneider Williams, looking for answers. It wasn’t until three months after his death that the autopsy report revealed the presence of Lewy bodies throughout his brain. Like many of the 1.4 million Americans with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), Robin […]
Emotional Support Needs of Late-Stage Dementia Care Partners
Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) progresses in stages. Although the earliest signs of LBD may be difficult to detect or even indiscernible to friends, the later stages of the disease require a high level of assistance. If your loved one has a Lewy Body Dementia diagnosis and begins to enter the final stages of this type of […]
Signs It’s Time to Hire a Full-Time Dementia Care Partner
Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) affects approximately 1.4 million Americans and is most common in individuals over the age of 50. Although the earliest Lewy Body Dementia stages may be difficult to detect, the condition progresses with time and will eventually cause significant life disruptions. Late-stage LBD is categorized as moderately severe cognitive decline to […]
Recognizing the Signs of Stage Four Lewy Body Dementia
Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) develops in stages and a diagnosis is often difficult to determine in the earliest phases of the disease. While the first symptoms of LBD may be subtle and easy to brush off, stage four is when many individuals living with dementia are officially diagnosed. During this stage, doctors are able to […]
Recognizing the Early Signs of Lewy Body Dementia
Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) develops gradually, and those with LBD progress through seven distinctive stages. In the first stage, the individual does not experience any cognitive decline and does not have dementia. The second and third stages are marked by mild cognitive decline, but the first signs of dementia are often difficult to detect since […]