HELOISE These 10 behaviors could be sign of Alzheimer's

Dear Heloise: For 11 years, I begged my obstinate, elderly father to allow a caregiver to help him with my ailing mother, but he adamantly insisted on taking care of her himself. Every caregiver I hired lamented: "Jacqueline, I just can't work with your father -- his temper is impossible. I don't think he'll accept help until he's on his knees himself."
My father had always been 90 percent wonderful, but that raging temper was a doozy. He'd never turned on me before, but I'd never gone against his wishes, either. When my mother nearly died from his inability to care for her, I had to step in and risk his wrath.
I spent months nursing my mother back to health, while my father got upset about the most ridiculous things and repeatedly threw me out of the house. It was so heart-wrenching to have my once-adoring father turn against me. Yet when I'd take him to the doctor, he could act completely normal when he needed to.
I couldn't get the doctors to help me because he was always so normal and competent in front of them. I couldn't get medication to calm him, and even when I did, he refused to take it. I couldn't get him to accept a caregiver, and no one would stay anyway. I became trapped at their home for a year trying to solve the crisis.
Finally, I stumbled upon a compassionate geriatric-dementia specialist, who performed a battery of tests and then diagnosed stage one Alzheimer's in both of my parents -- something that all their other doctors missed entirely.
What I'd been coping with was the beginning of dementia, which is intermittent. I also learned that "demented" does not mean stupid -- at all!
There's no cure for Alzheimer's; identified early, there are medications that can slow its progression. Keeping a person in stage one longer delays full-time care. Had I simply been shown the "10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's," I would have realized what was happening to my parents and been able to help them much sooner.
If any of these signs rings true about someone you love, I urge you to reach out for help sooner rather than later.
Ten Warning Signsof Alzheimer's
URecent memory loss that affects job skills.
UDifficulty performing familiar tasks.
UProblems with language.
UDisorientation of time and place.
UPoor or decreased judgment.
UProblems with abstract thinking.
UMisplacing things.
UChanges in mood or behavior.
UChanges in personality.
ULoss of initiative.
Jacqueline Marcell, via e-mail
Jacqueline, you have been on my radio show a few times, and each time I learn something new from you. Getting help from a professional in the medical field who either specializes in geriatric care or has experience and knowledge in this area is most important. Folks, visit Jacqueline's Web site, www.elderrage.com, for more help. Heloise
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate