GARY BARG: A very important issue that caregivers are dealing with is age-related macular degeneration as it is the leading cause of blindness in people over 60.  Can you tell me what it is exactly?

DR. PULIAFITO: Macular degeneration is a major public health issue for us now with so many seniors that are out there.  There are two forms of macular degeneration – the dry form and the more serious wet form of AMD.  What happens is the central part of your vision can be affected, the part of vision that you use to read, to recognize faces, to drive a car. And if you have the symptoms of blurry vision or wavy vision and you’re a senior, it may not be a cataract, it may not be glaucoma, it may be new wet AMD. You need to see your ophthalmologist because we have some great new treatments for wet AMD that can preserve or even improve your vision. It’s also very important to have a routine eye examination to know that you have the early signs of AMD and Betty will tell you about the great way to screen yourself.

BETTY WHITE: We’re having a whole campaign – a “My Eye Health Campaign”— for that very reason because so many don’t know what age-related macular degeneration is. They know about glaucoma, they know about other problems, but this is a mystery to them and we’re trying to spread the word that it’s something that’s the leading cause of blindness in people over 65...read more

Take Care

Gary Barg
Editor-in-Chief
gary@caregiver.com

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Guest Column

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Caretips

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Carenotes

My 92-year-old mother recently broke her hip.  She’s also been diagnosed with third stage Alzheimer’s and atrial fibrillation, a long-standing problem.  She is completely noncompliant when it comes to doctors, meds, rehab, etc.  As a result of her condition, I have been granted guardianship of her person through the court in Florida (Palm Beach County).  She is at home now with a 24/7 aide, but the nurses and physicians she saw during her rehabilitation feel that she would be much better in an assisted living situation that also deals with patients with dementia. My plan is to move her to a facility in my state that can cater to her medical and neurological needs. When I mentioned my plans to her, she went ballistic and said she would commit suicide and/or kill me before I ever got her out the door.  She becomes abusive and extremely hostile at the talk of her move and says that she is in complete control of her life and that nobody is going to tell her what to do. This has been her modus operandi for years. I know she’s not the first person with Alzheimer’s to be hostile or to need long-distance transportation. What is the best way to do this and what professional help will I need to get the job done? Richard Answer This Week's CareNote

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