VIDEO:
There’s not much research about the power of touch in Alzheimer’s. Notwithstanding, one nursing home’s staff say Sol & Rita are all the proof they need. “After an hour’s time, she became a new woman,” said Sol. “She started talking. She knew who I was. The doctor said I discovered a medical miracle.”
This site was inspired by my Mom’s autoimmune dementia.
It is a place where we separate out the wheat from the chafe, the important articles & videos from each week’s river of news. Google gets a new post on Alzheimer’s or dementia every 7 minutes. That can overwhelm anyone looking for help. This site filters out, focuses on and offers only the best information. it has helped hundreds of thousands of people since it debuted in 2007. Thanks to our many subscribers for your supportive feedback.
The site is dedicated to all those preserving the dignity of the community of people living with dementia.
Peter Berger, Editor
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Alzheimer’s & Dementia Weekly was inspired by my mother’s journey with autoimmune dementia and my dad’s with Parkinson’s dementia.
Walking beside them opened my eyes to the confusion, the courage, and the deep humanity found in families and professionals caring for someone they love.
Since its debut in 2007, this site has had one clear mission:
to separate the wheat from the chaff — to highlight only the most essential articles, studies, tools, and videos from the overwhelming river of dementia-related information.
(At last count, Google receives a new post on Alzheimer’s or dementia every seven minutes.) For anyone seeking clarity or support, that constant flow can be exhausting and discouraging.
Alzheimer’s Weekly filters, translates, and explains what matters most, helping hundreds of thousands of families, clinicians, and care teams around the world make sense of the latest research and best practices.
This site is dedicated to everyone who works—often quietly and tirelessly—to preserve dignity in the community of people living with dementia.
With experience in dementia caregiving, public education, and Alzheimer’s-focused writing—and a professional research background shaped in what many consider one of the world’s top laboratories—I work to make complex findings clear, practical, and genuinely helpful for both families and professionals providing care.
My goal is simple:
Translate the best science into guidance that lightens the load, strengthens understanding, and helps every person with dementia live with dignity.
Peter Berger
Editor, Alzheimer’s Weekly
That's so lovely. I have just lost my Mum and she had alzheimers. The days that I cared for her I would hold her hand and hug her and play her songs that were her favourite. We even danced sometimes! She really did enjoy it. I miss her so much.
Mom and I were watching tv and I grabbed onto her hand in an effort to maintain contact with her. A few minutes later she smiled and said , "I like it when you hold my hand. "
I saw this on HBO a few years ago. My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and she was having trouble with depression and was not able to communicate. I decided to try this, even though we were never a family that showed a lot of affection. I began to ask her to give me a big hug before she got into bed at night. She began to cheer up and became less depressed and much more cooperative almost immediately. I've been doing this ever since and I feel it has kept her from declining faster than she would have otherwise. As her caregiver I also have to admit it makes me feel good too. It makes sense since physical contact can raise the levels of serotonin in the brain which I think helps with dementia. To put that simply it just feels good. 🙂
That's amazing. My mother has another form of Dementia. I put lotion on her back and legs. I caress her face. It does keep them from slipping into an abyss of darkness. She continues to make eye contact and started reaching out for me when I'm sitting next to her. She doesn't walk or talk but she communicates in this way. I believe physical touch is keeping her in touch with reality.
Try rubbing lotion on your mother's back, arms and legs. It's very stimulating.