Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms, like those of many other treatable health conditions, can be virtually identical to age dementia symptoms, senile dementia symptoms and Alzheimer’s symptoms. As many as 20% of people over age 65 have low Vitamin B12 levels. Correcting the deficiency can help your elderly loved one resume a full and normal live.

Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms include:

• Loss of appetite
• Diarrhea
• Numbness and tingling of hands and feet
• Paleness
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Sore mouth and tongue
• Confusion or change in mental status in severe or advanced cases (which can be confused with dementia). More importantly, even a moderate deficiency of this important vitamin and its counterpart, folic acid, may ultimate contribute to the onset of Alzheimers disease or other related dementias.

Vitamin B12 is found naturally in animal products and is also added to certain foods. Good sources of vitamin B12 include:

• Fish and seafood
• Meat
• Poultry
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Milk
• Yogurt
• Fortified foods such as cereals

Posted by: Frank Esposito, Vice President of Expert Home Care.  New Jersey’s Expert Home Care provides professional and reliable home health care and companion care for NJ elderly, helping them with their daily living activities since 1984. Please call us toll free at 800-848-2336 when you have home care related questions or need assistance for a loved one. Get a Free Home Care Assessment (a $375 value!) when you mention this post.

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimers often leads to such symptoms as denial, anger, social withdrawal, anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, and irritability.  It can be an all-consuming 24-hour-a-day, seven-day a week grind.

What can you do?  At Expert Home Care, we suggest the following:

• Manage your stress level. Use various relaxation techniques to ease the stress and consult your doctor.

• Take care of yourself. Don’t ignore your own health, or you’ll suffer burn out.   Watch your diet, exercise and get plenty of sleep.

• Join a support group. There are many others out there like you and there is support in numbers.

• Do legal and financial planning. There are issues that need to be discussed – make sure you take care of these sooner rather than later.

• Give yourself a break. Bring in a home health aide to assist with the activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, toileting and feeding) or to help around the house.  This can help you recharge your batteries several hours during the day or, by choosing respite care, for a long weekend.

• Don’t be a martyr. You are not expected to do it all alone.  Seek the support of family, friends and community resources.

New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors has been providing senior care, home care & live-in care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when you need help at 800-848-2336. Click for a Free Home Care Consumer Guide for selecting the most appropriate home care agency for your loved one.

Posted By: Frank

Adverse reactions to Medications- Side effects mimicking dementia are most commonly caused by antiarthritic medications, anihypertensizes, neuroleptics, hypnotics, and sedatives. Make sure your doctor is monitoring all your medications, including over-the-counter.

Emotional Distress- Seniors face a tremendous amount of changes in their lives, sometimes abrupt. Retirement, loss of a loved one or pet, divorce, change in location; all of these can cause depression, anxiety, and can damage physical and mental health. Make sure your physician is informed of these stressors in your life.

Metabolic Disturbances- Electrolyte imbalances, hypoglycemia, hypercalcemia, hepatic diseases, pancreatic disorders, renal failure, or liver failure can also cause confusion and effect sleep, appetite, and emotional balance.

Read the full story.

Today we continue our Alzheimer’s warning signs in New Jersey - this helps family members and caregivers understand if the memory loss of your aging senior is a serious health concern. If you notice any of these signs in yourself or someone you know, don’t ignore them. See your doctor for a check up.

5. Poor Judgment.
Not normal -  People with Alzheimer’s may dress inappropriately, i.e. put on layers of clothing on a warm day or very little in the cold. Demonstrate poor judgment about money, like giving away large sums to telemarketers.

Normal - Suggest a questionable or debatable decision from time to time.

6. Abstract thinking problems.
Not normal - Unusual difficulty performing complex mental tasks, like forgetting what numbers are and how they should be used.

Normal - Challenged when balancing a checkbook.

7. Misplacing things.
Not normal - Put things in unusual places: an iron in the freezer or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl.

Normal – Misplace keys or other important things temporarily.

8. Changes in behavior or mood.
Normal - Have rapid mood swings – from calm to tears to anger – and for no obvious reason.

Normal – From time to time feeling sad or moody.

More on the Alzheimer’s warning signs – also visit Alz.org for more information.

Alzheimer’s Association tells us that memory loss that disrupts everyday life is not a normal part of aging.

Alzheimer’s disease, a fatal brain disease that gets worse over time and causes changes in thinking, reasoning and behavior. Although the disease is more common in people 65 and older, it can also strike those in their 30s, 40s and 50s.

Here is a list of Alzheimer’s warning signs to help you understand if it’s serious health concern. If you notice any of these signs don’t ignore them,  see your doctor for a check up. There are other conditions, some that are treatable, that could be causing the signs.

1. Memory Loss
Not normal: Forgetting recently learned information is one of the most common early signs of dementia.

Normal – Forgetting names or appointments occasionally.

2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks
Not normal: People living with memory loss or dementia find it hard to plan or complete everyday tasks. 

Normal – Occasionally forgetting why you came into a room or what you planned to say.

3. Problems with language
Not normal: They often forget simple words or substitute unusual words, making their speech or writing hard to understand.

Normal - Sometimes having trouble finding the right word.

4. Disorientation to time and place.
Not normal: Become lost – forget where they are and how they got there, and not know how to get back home.

Normal - Forgetting the day of the week or where you were going.