The Common Dementia Condition You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

Martha T.S. Laham

When you think back on the life of the late Robin Williams, you may remember him as being a brilliant comic, versatile actor, and generous humanitarian. You probably wouldn’t think of Williams, who tragically died at the age of 63 from an apparent suicide, as a dementia sufferer. Williams was struggling with a neurological condition known as Lewy body dementia (LBD), also called dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), according to a coroner’s report.

As we age, dementia can cast a dark shadow on our lives. The reality is that dementia will somehow touch us all: You’ve probably met someone with dementia or have a family member who may be a dementia sufferer. A loved one may start having difficulty with short-term memory, losing things, forgetting to pay bills, refusing to bathe, forgetting to eat, getting easily agitated or confused, or developing faulty perceptions, all of which are common signs of dementia.

First, let’s describe dementia, and then take a look at LBD.

What Is Dementia?

Dementia is not a specific disease. Rather, dementia is “the name for a group of symptoms caused by disorders that affect the brain,” says the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Various diseases, infections, strokes, head injuries, drugs, and nutritional deficiencies are frequently cited as primary causes of dementia.

About 47.5 million people worldwide are currently living with dementia. This figure is expected to double every 20 years, climbing to 74.7 million in 2030 and 131.5 million in 2050, according to an Alzheimer’s Disease International report. Startlingly, every four seconds a new case of dementia is diagnosed.

Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Vascular dementia is commonly thought of as the second most frequent type of dementia, followed by LBD. As a degenerative disease, dementia in most of its forms is irreversible, although prescription drugs on the market can slow its progression or minimize its symptoms.

What Is Lewy Body Dementia?

As a general term, LBD can be divided into two related forms: Parkinson’s disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies. Whereas early symptoms of these two conditions differ, the fundamental brain changes are the same. “Over time, people with both diagnoses will develop very similar cognitive, physical, sleep, and behavioral symptoms,” says the Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA).

Lewy bodies are abnormal deposits or clumps of protein that develop inside neurons (nerve cells) in specific regions of the brain. When deposits build up, they damage and eventually destroy brain cells, which can lead to problems with thinking, movement, behavior, and mood.

How Is Lewy Body Dementia Diagnosed?

About 1.4 million Americans are afflicted with LBD, representing 10 to 25 percent of all dementia cases. Despite its prevalence, LBD is the most misdiagnosed dementia, often missed entirely.

As with other types of dementia, no conclusive laboratory test for LBD exists. Currently a clinical diagnosis of LBD is made chiefly through a full dementia evaluation. Only a brain autopsy can confirm a diagnosis of LBD.

Robin Williams’ autopsy report showed the presence of diffuse Lewy body disease. An ABC News article stated: “Robin Williams had a common but difficult to diagnose condition known as Lewy Body Dementia and this may have contributed to his decision to commit suicide last August [2014], according to documents included in his autopsy report.”

What Are the Symptoms of Lewy Body Dementia?

LBD is characterized by a progressive decline in a person’s mental abilities. Mayo Clinic provides a comprehensive list of signs and symptoms of LBD, including visual hallucinations; cognitive issues, such as problems with confusion, alertness, thinking, and memory; movement problems, such as slowed movement, tremors, a shuffling walk, or falls; and depression, anxiety, and apathy.

In an ABC News interview, Susan Williams, Robin Williams’ widow, spoke movingly about her husband’s struggle with the devastating symptoms of LBD. Susan also talked about the difficulty and slowness in getting an accurate diagnosis of the disease. “Lewy body dementia is what killed Robin,” she said in the interview. “It’s what took his life, and that’s what I spent the last year trying to get to the bottom of, what took my husband’s life.”

What Are the Risk Factors for Lewy Body Dementia?

Known risk factors for LBD are gender (male) and advanced age, while a potential risk factor is a family history of dementia.

Research studies provide fresh insights into risk factors for LBD. In one study, researchers found that the interaction between genes and environmental factors may increase susceptibility to developing Lewy body pathology. Also, a case-control study concluded that depression and low caffeine intake may increase a person’s risk of developing dementia with Lewy bodies, among other factors.

Why Is It Important to Learn About Lewy Body Dementia?

As we’ve discovered, LBD is a common neurological condition, often misunderstood and misdiagnosed. LBD can have a significant impact not only on people with LBD but also on family members and caregivers, who often shoulder the burden of caring for LBD sufferers.

In a People story titled “Robin Williams and the Brain Disorder That Drove Him to Suicide: What Is Lewy Body Dementia?” Dr. Alexander Y. Pantelyat, assistant professor of neurology and director of Atypical Parkinsonism Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine, remarks on the insidiousness of this illness:

“It affects your core, it affects who you are as a person. In the case of DLB and some of these other related disorders it tends to a great extent [to] affect the frontal lobe, which is really what makes us human. It’s really unbelievably devastating.”

You can learn more about Lewy body dementia by visiting the Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA), the National Institute on Aging (NIA), and the Alzheimer’s Association.

Full Article & Source:
The Common Dementia Condition You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

See Also:
The Con Game - A Failure of Trust

The Power Of The Past: Boomers Catch Nostalgia Fever

Martha T.S. Laham

Do you remember watching the original airing of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Leave It to Beaver, or I Love Lucy? If you're nodding your head, smiling, and wistfully thinking back on the playful charm of these television shows from the 1950s and 1960s, you're probably like many boomers who wax nostalgic about an earlier time, when life was simpler, more streamlined, and less dependent on the Internet for everything.

Many boomers have been bitten by the nostalgia bug. In response, many marketers are using nostalgia to sell everything from whiskey to perfume and cars to sneakers. Let's take a closer look at the concept of nostalgia, and learn how the power of the past can spell good business in the present.

The word "nostalgia" has Greek roots. 
 Nostalgia is believed to have been derived from Homer's The Odyssey (about 675-725 BCE). The word was created by combining the Greek words for "homecoming" and "pain, ache."

In its modern usage, nostalgia is defined as "pleasure and sadness that is caused by remembering something from the past and wishing that you could experience it again." Today, the word has gained tremendous popularity. In fact, nostalgia landed on Merriam-Webster's 2014 Words of the Year list.

Nostalgia is a domain of the brain.
In the realm of psychoanalysis, nostalgia is a longing to return to an idealized past, specifically a scrubbed narrative of the past. This is known as a screen memory, a mash-up of entangled memories minus negative emotions.

When you hear, smell, or taste something that takes you back to the past, you're experiencing screen memories, according to an article entitled "The Nature of Nostalgia." Of the five senses, smell is closely linked to a part of the brain that processes emotions, called the olfactory bulb, which is a component of the limbic system, the brain's emotional hub. So, when you catch a whiff of a gardenia, you may think back to your prom night when your prom date presented you with a gardenia corsage--the sweet scent of nasal nostalgia.

Hard times can foster nostalgia.
During tough economic times, people tend to view the past through rose-colored glasses, according to a Euromonitor International industry report. A shaky economy or an uncertain political environment can stoke the fire of nostalgia, as people are apt to hold on to something familiar and makes them feel good.

Retro brands are staging a comeback.
Consumers often seek products and services that help them reanimate the warm and fuzzy feelings that they felt during happier days. These retro brands are repurposed versions of brands from a prior era.

To market retro brands, companies frequently use nostalgia with the intent of triggering an emotional response from the consumer. This practice is known as retro marketing, also known as flashback branding. According to an article entitled "Nostalgia Products: Making a Tasty Comeback," advertisers add a "mix of retro-cool to their advertising campaigns."

Take Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer 9. Microsoft blasted consumers back to the past in a video titled "Child of the '90s." The video featured fad products like the yoyo, troll doll, fanny pack, pumpable sneaker, and Hungry Hungry Hippos. When the video went viral, both Microsoft and Microsoft Windows enjoyed a boost in their brand power, according to Adweek.

Boomer brands sing a nostalgic tune.
In an earlier blog post entitled "Here Comes the Boom: 15 Things You Should Know About the Next Wave of Seniors," boomer brands were presented, including Harley-Davidson, Volkswagen, Noxzema, the Beatles, Pepsi, Absolut Vodka, Saturday Night Live, Facebook, Coach, Levi's, Club Med, L'eggs, Frye Boots, and Clairol.

Consider the Beatles. To grab baby boomer eyeballs and ears, Beatles' songs have cropped up in a variety of advertising campaigns. For example, in 1987, Nike launched Nike Air Max with a commercial featuring tennis sensation John McEnroe, basketball great Michael Jordan, and The Fab Four's song "Revolution."

The fashion industry recycles retro.
Fashion trends are historically cyclical. According to an article in Vogue, fashion designers, including Tom Ford, Prada, Pucci, and Gucci, have revived retro-style garments from the 1970s for their spring/summer 2015 collections. So, if you stored away your crop tops, fringed suede jackets, paisley shirts, go-go boots, and bell-bottoms, it's time to bring them out of mothballs.

But an outfit isn't complete without accessories, including jewelry. Jewelry designer Deborah Porterfield of A Touch of Class Jewelers explains that jewelry trends evolve too. "During the '70s, we saw layered chains, leather wristbands, bulky jewelry, long earrings, and the peace sign used in everything from earrings to bracelets to rings. It's a trend in jewelry we're seeing again today." Porterfield compared ever-changing fashion trends to "a revolving door."

Dead celebrities are brought back to life to pitch products.
Audrey Hepburn makes a virtual appearance in a Galaxy Chocolate commercial. Gene Kelly raps and break dances to a club mix of "Singin' in the Rain" in a VW Gold GTI spot. Bruce Lee makes his CGI debut in a Johnnie Walker Blue Label ad. Marilyn Monroe co-stars with Grace Kelly, Marlene Dietrich, and a very alive Charlize Theron in a splashy fragrance commercial for J'Adore by Dior.

Whether you like or dislike the practice of bringing a celebrity back from the dead to pitch products, this creative strategy can strike a chord with baby boomers. According to a Time's article entitled "Digital Necromancy: Advertising with Reanimated Celebrities," the use of "delebs" in ads is driven by nostalgic baby boomers.

You'll probably be able to find updated versions of once-popular products from the good old days as long as nostalgia resonates with consumers. After all, the almost defunct Hostess Twinkie was partly saved by what else: public nostalgia.

Full Article & Source:
The Power Of The Past: Boomers Catch Nostalgia Fever

See Also:
The Con Game - Failure of Trust

Betrayal of Trust: Part Two - Section 2

'It's about making money'

Thieves are everywhere

In the U.S., scamming the elderly is a nearly $3 billion-a-year-business.

Its growth potential is off the charts.

America is getting grayer by the day. By 2050, the 65 and older population is expected to hit 80 million, almost double what it is now.

Within 12 years, seniors will comprise 20 percent of New Jersey's population, up from 14 percent in 2012.

The scams run the gamut. Becoming a guardian in order to exploit someone is one of the most effective tricks, because it gives a predator total control over someone's life and assets, usually with little or no court oversight.

In the only two states that track the amount of assets under guardians' control, Minnesota and Idaho, the combined total comes to more than $1 billion, says Brenda K. Uekert, a leading guardianship expert.

"I don't think people understand the amount of money we're talking about," says Uekert, principal court research consultant with the National Center for State Courts, in Williamsburg, Virginia.

"You're talking about billions of dollars under the courts' watch."

Alternatives to guardianship. Click to open and close.

(Photo: Staff graphic by Jeff Colson)

An even easier way than guardianship to gain access to that money is to get an elderly person to sign over a power of attorney.

The document gives whoever the elderly person designates the authority to act on his or her behalf in legal and financial affairs.

With guardianships, there's at least the potential for checks and balances. Judges, attorneys and county surrogates all play an oversight role. At least, they're supposed to.

In New Jersey, as in other states, guardians are required to file periodic reports updating the court on their wards' care and finances.

With powers of attorney, there's no such paper trail.

It's little surprise, then, that the majority of Lieberman's 16 victims involved powers of attorney. Three others were guardianship cases.

"Only in three cases did she (Lieberman) have to file accountings with the court. That left 13 cases where there were no prying eyes," says Martha Laham, a California business professor and author of "The Con Game: A Failure of Trust." The book covers guardianship abuse and other scams targeting the elderly.

A prominent elder law attorney in Atlantic County, Lieberman, 63, had a team of accomplices to help her scoop up victims, authorities say. To date, a grand jury has charged five co-defendants. They are all presumed innocent and all but one are still awaiting trial.

Lieberman was the quarterback of the group, a judge has said.

The group zeroed in on seniors in their eighties and nineties.

Many lived lonely lives. Most had no children or close relatives to watch over them in their twilight years.

Irma Schwarzberg was a prime candidate.

She was 87. Alone. And vulnerable.

(Continue to Section 3)

Full Article & Source:
Betrayal of trust: Part Two

The Con Game: A Failure of Trust

The Con Game: A Failure of Trust is a riveting investigation into the silent epidemic of elder abuse in the U.S.

This helpful book looks at the myths and realities of aging in America and offers tips for recognizing warning signs and symptoms of elder abuse, effective prevention strategies, information about conservatorships, and advance planning resources.

'This book is an asset for anyone involved with or interested in elder mistreatment, or the practical legal resources and solutions available to assist and protect the elder.' -Susan A. Katzen, Elder Law/Estate Planning Attorney

'A compassionate and true-life story that provides perspectives of an aging America and presents the formalities of estate planning and conservatorships.' -Tim Murphy, CPA/Attorney/Professor

'Anyone who has an interest professionally or personally with the complexities of senior abuse and issues will find this book to be a great resource.' -Cliff H. Oilar, President, Back Home Senior Care

'The Con Game artfully mixes conservatorship law with personal experience of the darker side of conservatorship.  T. S. Laham's investigation is thorough, and her report is timely. Families caring for a vulnerable loved one will find the content unsettling but invaluable.  This book shows conservatorships for The Con Game that it so often becomes.' - Linda Kincaid, MPH, Coalition for Elder & Dependent Adult Rights

'T.S. Laham gives us a powerful step-by-step examination of conservatorship. Thoroughly documented, the process of establishing conservatorship is well defined and gives an insightful look into the role of a conservator model and the resulting aftermath left in its wake.' - Gwen Booze and Karen Anderson, Congress of California Seniors

Available from Amazon