Jody Simpson's Page

World Alzheimer's Day is tomorrow (Sept 21), and a lot of what I've been reading about Alzheimer's disease lately has to do with remembering. Many of the wonderful people I've interviewed, especially those with Alzheimer's disease, explain their reason for blogging or keeping a journal. Mostly, it's used as a way to remembering things for later, but a lot of Alzheimer's bloggers are using their blogs as a way of letting family and friends in on the progress of the disease.… Continue

Mark your calendar for World Alzheimer's Day, September 21, 2008. It's all about raising awareness for Alzheimer's disease!

You can visit the Alzheimer's Association website to learn how to make a difference, or keep right on reading!

Here's what you can do to help make a difference in the work place:

Go purple!
Ask your workforce to wear purple on Friday, Sept. 19 or Monday, Sept. 22 to raise awareness.
Why not combine a Go Purple D… Continue

I’ve often wondered how quickly early onset Alzheimer’s disease gets noticed in people in their 40’s and 50’s. Before I began my research into Alzheimer’s disease, I would never have thought about it occurring in anyone under 65 years of age. However, early onset Alzheimer’s disease makes up 10% of the Alzheimer’s disease population.

CBS evening news ran a story about a fifty-three year old man with early onse… Continue

Last night was parent night at my son's new school. Tuesday will be his first day of pre-school and I'm a mess, but not for the reasons you might think. My son has a serious peanut and tree nut allergy. For the last two years I've watched his food intake like a hawk, from checking and rechecking food labels to harassing restaurant staff for information on how certain foods are made. I feel like I've done it all.

As vigilant as I've been in keeping him… Continue

Taking care of a loved one with Alzheimer's disease can be both rewarding and challenging. One challenge can come in the form of independent living. Most people with Alzheimer's disease want to live independently. However, this can be difficult as the disease progresses.

Here are some tips from the Mayo clinic on how to reduce frustration for both caregiver and Alzheimer patient:

Reduce frustrations
A person with Alzheimer's may react with frustration, agitation and even aggression when… Continue