Sue, the former managing editor of Alzlive.com, has spent a long career in the press, including the newspapers The Toronto Star, The Financial Times and The Globe and Mail, where she oversaw Health, among a range of other features.
Sue, the former managing editor of Alzlive.com, has spent a long career in the press, including the newspapers The Toronto Star, The Financial Times and The Globe and Mail, where she oversaw Health, among a range of other features.
Articles by Susan Grimbly
Article: Community
I don't speak English. Please translate?
by SUSAN GRIMBLY
There is no shortage of top-flight info on the Alzheimer’s journey, but the lion’s share of it is in English, as is this post. But note I said “lion’s share.” Interested parties, advocacy groups and government sites are reaching out to Latino, Asian and other groups, with advice and specific…
Article: World
Alzheimer's rates declining in developed countries
by SUSAN GRIMBLY
New studies presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Copenhagen on July 15 showed that the incidence rate of the disease has been declining in the U.S. as well as in other developed countries, in recent decades. One of the studies found that the number of individuals who…
Article: Books
Grandma's Box of Memories
by SUSAN GRIMBLY
A reader from the United Kingdom writes to tell us of a helpful book for families who want to have something with which to interact with, such as a grandma or other person with dementia. "I recently got a book "Grandma's Box of Memories: Helping Grandma to Remember," written by a friend Jean Demetris…
Article: Body Science
Genetic testing: Genie in a Bottle
by SUSAN GRIMBLY
If you could find out if you and your children were genetically predisposed to developing Alzheimer’s or dementia, would you want to know? What would you do with that information?” The U.S.-based company 23andme has been up and down on the popularity charts. YAY! They've offering genetic testing.…
Article: Community
Canada: Memory Cafes Take the Stigma Away
by SUSAN GRIMBLY
And foster socialization. Welcome to a cafe-style environment geared towards people diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s disease and/or related dementias, their care partners as well as those who worry about memory problems. The cafes provide a friendly atmosphere where people can socialize and share…
Article: Caregiving
Tips: The art of long-distance caregiving
by SUSAN GRIMBLY
Caregiving for someone in your own city or home who lives with Alzheimer's is challenging enough; however does one manage long-distance caregiving? It's extraordinarily complicated. You feel guilty. How can the personal support workers who come in to toilet, dress, bathe and feed your parent possibly…
Article: Doctor
How do we define dementia?
by SUSAN GRIMBLY
Dementia is a symptom, not a specific disease. Leanne I. Hoppe, LSW, of CaregivingCompanion.com in Bloomington, MN, has posted a great, simple explanation: Imagine going to a doctor with a nagging cough. The doctor asks you some questions, runs some blood tests, and then she sits you down and says,…
Article: Nutrition
Pom wonderful
by SUSAN GRIMBLY
A lot of products (coconut oil, anyone?) have been proposed as natural health miracles for those living with Alzheimer's. Pomegranates appear to be the real deal. There's strong scientific evidence that pomegranates are good for you, for general health reasons. Now a new two-year study has specifically…
Article: Money
Customize Prepaid Visa card to block charges
by SUSAN GRIMBLY
True Link offers a prepaid Visa card that can be customized to control over-the-phone purchases and other unwanted charges that can mount up when a card owner has dementia. We’ve all heard the horror stories. A new friend requests a $100 check “just this once” every day for months; mom suffers…
Article: Body
Hospitals, emergency and the dementia patient
by SUSAN GRIMBLY
"The different environment can be a trigger for delirium." At some point on the dementia journey, you will inevitably end up, panicky, at the emergency department. The Alzheimer’s tide is rising, and with end-stage dementia, your loved one will inevitably experience a fall (and broken bone) or a…
Article: United States
Insight Memory Care Center an invaluable resource
by SUSAN GRIMBLY
Put on speed dial, caregivers: Still the only adult day health center in Northern Virginia with programs for people in the later stages of a Alzheimer's, this place is also a good place to begin your journey. Insight Memory Care Center (IMCC), formerly Alzheimer's Family Day Center, is a nonprofit adult…
Article: Happiness
A powerful duet by the Stella sisters
by SUSAN GRIMBLY
Having a bad day? Or even a good one. This sweet amiable song from Lennon & Maisy Stella (of Nashville fame) will make your heart soar. Watch this charming video of the Stellas' powerful cover of "That's What's Up" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. #8230;
Article: Nutrition
Are you severely Vitamin D-ficient?
by SUSAN GRIMBLY
Have you taken your Vitamin D today, or stepped out into the sunshine for 15 minutes? If dementia worries you, you possibly should. A robust study out of University of Exeter Medical School found that study participants who were severely Vitamin D deficient were more than twice as likely to develop…
Article: Books
11 Best Alzheimer's Books this year!
by SUSAN GRIMBLY
It's been a bumper year for Alzheimer's literature, which makes it hard (and sometimes boring) to decide what's worth reading and what isn't. So we've done the work of trolling the bookstore shelves for you. Whether you’re looking for inspiration, camaraderie or practical tips, these reads have…
Article: Advice
Check out the Auntie-Ji of dementia websites
by SUSAN GRIMBLY
Swapna Kishore is on a mission to bring caregiving help and advice to the country of India, where as she says on her website, Dementia Care Notes®, "Awareness of dementia is poor, and acceptance of a caregiver's role is poorer." If you're an ex-pat worrying about loved ones in India, there is invaluable…
Article: Entertainment
Too Late to Worry, Too Blue to Cry
by SUSAN GRIMBLY
As Larry Rohter writes: From the very first scene, “I’ll Be Me” signals that it is not going to be a conventional documentary about a celebrity, in this case the country-pop singer and guitarist Glen Campbell. As Mr. Campbell sits in a darkened room watching home movies of his younger self,…
Article: Entertainment
Dial In, Sit Back, and Just Listen
by SUSAN GRIMBLY
Forget TV, radio could save your sanity. If you can’t get out of the house, and your help has bailed, but you find yourself with half an hour while your loved one is napping, tune in to these radio shows and sail away. And the beauty of radio, in this modern age, is that you don't need to tune in…
Article: Caregiving
Suggestion box: leave one, take one
by SUSAN GRIMBLY
Kay Church writes: Yes, I have learned by trial and error that my tone, speaking more slower, turning the TV off when needing to get my husband's attention and allowing much longer to complete a task have helped me be a better caregiver to Bob with Alzheimer's Disease, Also by going into Bob's Alzheimer's…
Article: Travel
Fly the dementia-friendly skies of easyjet
by SUSAN GRIMBLY
easyJet, the short-haul budget British airline carrier with the long orange type, is the first airline to step in line with the dementia challenge issued by British Prime Minister David Cameron in 2012. Flying with dementia is a growing challenge in the aviation industry. As Roberto Castiglioni, at ReducedMobility.eu,…