When things get plugged up

When things get plugged up

One of the most common problems I encounter doing my rounds of geriatric house calls is that elders’ bowels do not always move regularly. This may not sound very serious, but it is. Constipation may lead to an impacted bowel, a condition in which everything is so...

What About Money? Don’t Avoid the Topic

Money poses one of the most difficult issues for patients with dementia and the people who love them. I’ve met families in which one person has helped manage the elder’s finances for a reasonable fee. In other cases, families hire a “fiduciary,” a licensed...

My elder feels dizzy all the time. What should we do?

As I drive around the San Francisco Bay Area doing house calls, I often see patients who are complaining of dizziness. It’s important to remember that that people with dementia often have a decreased sense of thirst or hunger. Dehydration from lack of fluids may cause...