KATYA’S BLOG

THE SUGAR RUSH

The sense of taste is commonly altered or lost during dementia progression. Interestingly only the taste of sweetness seems to remain even in later stages. It creates a craving, and often caregivers and care facilities seek to placate the person and give them too many sugary “treats.” It is essential to be aware of how excess sugar negatively affects the body and how many of the challenges

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LIVING WITH A STRANGER

Family caregivers of those with dementia commonly say, “Mom has changed, I don’t recognize her anymore, this isn’t the man I married or Dad was such a quiet, sweet person, and now he’s angry all the time.” “I feel like I’m living with a stranger.” Personality changes are one of the most common dementia symptoms and usually the most significant cause of families emotionally distancing themselves from

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CONSCIOUS AWARENESS DURING DEMENTIA

Our brain is a very complicated piece of physical machinery, but is it the source of our consciousness? Yes, we think, reason, and analyze, but is this all there is to consciousness. Science states we consciously use less than 5% of our brain; the other subconscious 95% controls automatic bodily functions, emotional programming and processing of our perceptions, and more that’s still not understand. Our subconscious is

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Dementia in Costa Rica

Many people believe there is a lower incidence of Alzheimer’s and dementia in Costa Rica. However, Costa Rica is seeing an increase in the percentage of cases of dementia which equivalent to more developed countries. According to the Raul Blanco Cervantes Geriatric Hospital, there are presently an estimated 30,000 people in the country living with dementia, and, it is predicted that the number will quadruple by 2050..

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INTUITION & DEMENTIA

Everyone has intuitive abilities; some people are more skilled than others. Intuition is an instinctive feeling rather than conscious reasoning; it is an inner knowing. It’s not a thought until we begin to question it and consider other possibilities. Often following our counterintuitive decisions, we end up saying to ourselves, “I knew I should have listened to my gut!” As dementia progresses, the individual experiences the inability

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OLDER & WISER IN COSTA RICA

My life in Costa Rica has always been a remarkable and unique experience, however, never did I suspect when moving to Costa Rica in 1980 how different the next forty years of my life would be. I didn’t expect paradise as some do; I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. But I also knew living in a foreign country would stretch my horizons and reshape me.

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LIFE SENTENCE TO A NURSING HOME

Once admitted into an eldercare facility, it’s usually for life. A criminal who has committed a heinous crime gets a life sentence locked away from society, and a person with dementia who no longer fits into society or family life also gets a life sentence in lockdown. The challenges the family face and the guilt and emotional pain that comes with the necessity of admitting your loved

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