Tag Archives: dementia

Despite Alzheimer's, Couple Holds Tight To Old Memories

June 30, 2013   Alzheimer’s, Carers, dementia

One day at a time

by Ina Jaffe

Pansy Greene, 73, is one of 5 million Americans with Alzheimer’s disease. She and her husband, Winston, say that their daily lives have changed little despite the diagnosis.

 

Right now, 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. One of them is 73-year-old Pansy Greene. She’s in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, and she and her husband, Winston, want people to know that so far, their daily lives have changed little despite the diagnosis.

They sit side by side on a loveseat in their den, each with a dog in his or her lap to cut down on the barking. That makes it easier for the Greenes to talk about what they call their “journey,” a term that refers to much more than Pansy’s struggle with Alzheimer’s; it describes the partnership that began when they met at a party as teenagers.

“He didn’t let go of me the whole night,” recalls Pansy. “He wouldn’t let anybody else dance with me.” He asked for her phone number. “I guess I gave it to him,” she says with a laugh.

Pansy and Winston Greene got married when she was 16 and he was 18. They raised three daughters and spent their entire careers in the aerospace industry. Winston worked on the B-1 bomber; Pansy worked on the space shuttle. They now have the kind of retirement people dream of: a comfortable suburban home with a view of the hills north of Los Angeles. It’s close to two of their daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

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“Five minutes is enough.” says Dundee United legend's wife

June 29, 2013   Alzheimer’s, Carers, dementia, Scotland, ukcuts
Dundee United legend’s wife takes dementia campaign to Holyrood
By Jenny Thomson, 28 June 2013 8.03am.
  • Frank and Amanda Kopel.

The woman leading a campaign to get free personal care for people with early onset dementia is to make her case at the Scottish Parliament.

Amanda Kopel, from Kirriemuir, started her campaign after her husband, former Dundee United star Frank Kopel, 64, was diagnosed with the disease in 2009.

As he is under 65 his care is paid for by his family, at a cost of £400 a week, but Amanda wants a change in the law to see all those with the disease receive the same benefits.

She started a petition calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to raise awareness of the daily issues suffered by people with Alzheimer’s and dementia and to ensure that free personal care is made available for all sufferers regardless of age.

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Robot seal 'aids dementia patients'

June 24, 2013   Alzheimer’s, Carers, dementia

A robotic seal has helped to improve the quality of life of dementia sufferers, a study has found.

Professor Glenda Cook of Northumbria University with the robotic harp seal

24 June 2013

Researchers have claimed that interacting with a therapeutic robot companion made people with mid to late-stage dementia less anxious and also had a positive influence on their lives.

Academics from the UK, Australia and Germany have been investigating the effect that PARO the robotic harp seal has on dementia patients.

PARO is fitted with artificial intelligence software and tactile sensors that allow it to respond to touch and sound as well as show emotions such as surprise, happiness and anger.

It can also learn its own name and learns to respond to words that its owner uses frequently.

The pilot, on 18 participants in Australia, showed that the robots had a clinically meaningful influence including increased levels of pleasure and also reduced anxiety.

Professor Glenda Cook, Professor of Nursing at Northumbria University, said: “Our study provides important preliminary support for the idea that robots may present a supplement to activities currently in use and could enhance the life of older adults as therapeutic companions and, in particular, for those with moderate or severe cognitive impairment.

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