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I thought that the information provided on Alzhiemer's UK site regarding Frontotemporal dementia was interesting as it makes a direct link between what we learnt in class. Damage to the frontal lobes can lead to changes in personality and the loss of inhibitions whilst damage to temporal lobe creates issues w language production. This is often caused to do the build of proteins such as Tau in the nerve cells. I find it interesting that this lesser known form of dementia affects individuals under the age of 65 and I wonder why there are certain types of dementia/groups of symptoms that are displayed in different types of age groups. Its interesting that this type of dementia is unique in having a strong hereditary link, though the exact genes responsible for this have yet to be determined

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This lecture reminded me of something I read about some time ago called the Wayback VR Experience. It’s a virtual reality film that recreates a street party celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 coronation – the producers did as much research as possible to ensure authenticity of costumes, clothes, hair, food, etc. The event was selected to evoke happy memories for older people with Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease who lived in Britain at the time, many of whom may have attended or observed such parties. The use of VR in particular enables viewers to be completely immersed in the environment.

Link: https://www.lbbonline.com/news/the-wayback-vr-experience-triggers-beautiful-memories-in-alzheimers-sufferers

https://thewaybackvr.com/

A YouTube preview of the experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNSx_b8B37I

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until looking at the Alzheimers uk website I hadn't considered how stressful covid must have been for those suffering from dementia. For someone who is experiencing time-shifting suddenly seeing everyone wearing face masks and being on lockdown must have been extremely confusing. However, the effect of distressing news such as this can be lessened by limiting the news intake so as not to overwhelm the patient and also having a caregiver who is willing to allow a patient to talk and explain what they're experiencing and how they feel.

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Having strict sleeping routine and limiting naps

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Having strict sleeping routine and limiting naps

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My grandad used to have a moderate AD before he passed away. Once his condition started getting worse, anytime he would nap, he would become disoriented. Therefore, it was important for him to have a good sleeping schedule to reduce the chances of wanting to nap.

To answer the question, making sure people with AD don't nap (even if their body feels like doing so) has to be extremely challenging. I can't even begin to imagine how you would control it at most of the times with a group of people. Also, making sure that people with AD get enough sleep has to be essential to the problem as well.

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The Age UK website has tips for making changes in the home that give people with dementia more independence and safety when home alone. This is something carers could do for them. Some of the tips that I wouldn't have thought of included putting step markers on stairs so people can judge how far they need to step, and also a flood-safe bath plug, which releases when the bath gets too full. This means if someone forgets they're running a bath, it won't flood their bathroom.

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Taking care of a family member with AD can be difficult, and could lead to the caregiver feeling overwhelmed or frustrated. But because the carers can't speak to the patient with AD about their frustration, the carer may be in the risk of developing depression or other mental illnesses. Therefore, it might be a good idea for the carers to make connections with other carers who may understand the problems they are facing. And furthermore, it might be a good idea for both the patient with AD and the carer to go to a memory cafe to talk in confidence

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Patients with AD find it hard to name objects and take a long time to find a word for something. Maybe the carers can keep talking to them like talking to children. For example, describing the scene in front of them. Instead of saying "I found this", they can say "I found a candle with elderflower scent" Be specific with the objects

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The Age UK website has an article with a lot of interesting tips on how to make your home more dementia friendly. It mentions listening to music or the radio instead of watching TV as watching the TV may be difficult for people with dementia as they may struggle keeping up with the storylines. It also mentions labelling photos of families and friends so that you are reminded of your relationships with them and happy memories. Technology could be used to help with this- many photo apps already have built in facial recognition in which the app can group photos of the same person together and you can manually enter in the people's names so when you see a photo you will also be able to see who is in the photo with you.

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Aiding retrospective and prospective memory

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Aiding retrospective and prospective memory

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To help with retrospective and prospective memory, AD patients could make use of post-it notes. For instance, labels can be placed around the house in order to remember what each cupboard or drawer is for. Similarly, writing down future appointments of events can help compensate for deficits in the functioning of prospective memory.

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As Freya told us in the lecture, people with AD may find it difficult to remember names and places.
The Alzheimer's society suggests many strategies to aid specific memories.
For example, using alliteration with name such as "Pretty Penny" or rhyming words like "Jolly Molly".
OR using mental pictures, for example, remembering a friend called "Natasha Singh" who loves to sing.

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Looking after AD patients can be a 24-hour a day job, and may be both physically and mentally demanding. It can be difficult to prioritise the carer's needs, as well as make the most of the time spent with the AD patient, and maintain good relationships with other friends and family members. They might also feel a guilt whenever they are tired or simply not able to be with the AD patient every minute, day and night, that can bring intense stress to the caregiver and affect mental health.

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we can use assistive technology products like electronic reminders and calendar clocks to support AD patients and remind them of important info

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So I am not entirely sure whether this applies to patients suffering from Alzheimer's (probably only those with mild symptoms) but walking the same path with a patient could be preventive of danger to the patient when the patient spontaneously walks off. That is, patients with Alzheimer's are likely to go for a stroll outside the house or spontaneously walk off which the caregiver might not realise. This, of course, puts the patient at risk due to cars or forgetting the way home. However, walking the same path should foster procedural memory as eventually this process will become habitual (a process localised in the basal ganglia which I am not sure whether and to what extent they are affected in Alzheimer's patients). By routinely walking a path that is safe and leads back home perhaps the risk of a patient walking off can be mitigated. See patient E.P. (Eugene Pauly) for reference.