Are You Forgetful? 10 Simple Memory Strategies

Are you forgetful? Here are 10 of my favorite memory strategies. 

 You don’t need to use them all.  Just try a few and see what you like.

1.  Do you have a tendency to misplace your keys or your wallet?  If you’re like most of us, you do!  Try setting up a table, a shelf, or some other “landing place” near your front door. Every time you walk in the house, put your keys, your glasses, your wallet and whatever else you tend to take with you the next day and put them on the table or shelf. You’ll eventually get used to putting your things in one designated place and will do it automatically!  That way you don’t run risk of forgetting where things are when it’s time to go.

2.  Use a day planner that you can take with you. This seems so obvious, but many people don’t utilize this simple and efficient tool.  Update your calendar as you go through the day by adding appointments or writing notes to yourself.  If you don’t like carrying a notebook, learn to use the calendar function on your smart phone.

3.  Focus on one activity at a time.   Doing too many things at once makes it difficult to pay attention to any of it.  Attention is an important step in remembering – if you can’t pay attention to something, you are not going to remember it later.  If you’re working on a large project that can’t be easily finished, try breaking it down into small, manageable steps and finish each one in sequence.  Don’t forget to write the steps down so you can remember where you left off!

4.  Find a wall in the kitchen or the study where you can hang a bulletin board.  Keep a large calendar on the board to keep track of everyone’s appointments, birthdays, etc.  If you have a bill to pay, tack it to the bulletin board. You can write notes to yourself or pin appointment reminders to the board as well.  By keeping important information in one place, you reduce the risk of forgetting something.

If you have trouble remembering the date, cultivate the habit of crossing each date off before you go to bed.

5.  Do you have trouble remembering birthdays and anniversaries?  If so, you might consider buying a perpetual calendar. A perpetual calendar has the months and dates without the days of the week or the year. You don’t use it to keep track of appointments – you use it for events that occur on the same date every year, such as a birthday or anniversary.  This keeps you from having to write every important date into your calendar year after year.

Buy cards and stamps in advance so you always have them on hand and ready to go into the mail.

6.  Keep a list of things you need when you leave the house. This might include keys, your glasses, a wallet or purse, medications, cell phone, etc. Keep the list on your bulletin board or by your front door and check it before you leave the house.  You may also want to keep a tote bag that you take with you routinely.  Keep these items in the bag or close by to help you remember to take them along.

7.  When you put something on the stove or in the oven, set a timer to help you remember it’s there.  This can help prevent kitchen fires and keep you (and your food) safe!

A timer can also help you remember when to start getting ready to leave the house. For instance, if you have a doctor’s appointment at 10 and need to leave the house at 9, set the timer for 8 to remind you when you need to start getting ready.

8.  When you’re writing out your grocery list, group similar items together so you can find them easily in the store. For instance, most of the dairy products are kept in one part of the store, so list milk, cheese, eggs etc. together. Check them off your list as you go through the store so you don’t forget anything.

9.  Use Post-It notes.  When you’ve completed the item on the note, put it in the recycling.  This prevents you from getting confused by a long to do list.  I love Post-It notes and find it most helpful to stick a note to myself on the bathroom mirror where I am not likely to miss it.

10.  Keep it simple.  If your routines are too complicated, you are more likely to forget what you’re doing or where you’ve left something. Simplify your life.  Your brain will be glad you did!

We live in a fast paced society with information being thrown at us from every possible direction. Being forgetful doesn't necessarily mean you have Alzheimer's or dementia. You may be overwhelmed or under a lot of stress. By utilizing memory strategies, you can ease your stress level and simplify your daily routines.  Try it. You just might like it!

Do you have any favorite memory strategies?  If so, I’d like to hear about them.

Can chronic pain shrink your brain?

I see a lot of patients who are referred for a neuropsychological evaluation due to memory complaints who also have chronic pain. Often the medications used to treat pain result in a litany of cognitive complaints so these referrals are not surprising.

The Journal of Neuroscience (May 18, 2011) recently published the results of an interesting study that found treatment of chronic lower back pain actually lead to an improvement in cognition.

According to researchers, chronic pain is often associated with a reduction in the amount of gray matter in the brain, resulting in cognitive problems. Gray matter or "the little gray cells" as Hercule Poirot is fond of saying, are responsible for the transmission of sensory signals in the brain. The more gray matter a person has, the more intelligent they are said to be. A reduction in gray matter, then, leads to a reduction in cognitive ability.

Researchers found that treating lower back pain lead to an increase in the thickness in the cortex (outer layer) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) which in turn lead to a improvement in a patient's attentional skills. Since attention is the first step in memory  -- you have to be able to pay sufficient attention to something you want to remember -- an attention deficit can feel like a memory problem.  By increasing the cortical thickness of the DLPFC, clinicians were able to show an improvement in a person's overall brain function.  In addition, patient's also had less pain and physical disability than before the treatment!

Could Your Memory Loss Be Early Alzheimer's?

Pat Summit is usually in the news for being the winningest coach in college basketball history. But she is in the spotlight now because she was recently diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's.  The publicity surrounding her diagnosis has caused many people to wonder whether their forgetfulness is part of normal aging or is a sign of Alzheimer's. The Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) has published the 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s.  These may help you decide whether or not the concerns you have about your own cognitive functioning or that of a loved one may warrant further attention:

1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life.

Alzheimer’s is known to disrupt the hippocampus, a part of the brain that plays an important role in memory. One of the early signs of Alzheimer’s is memory loss, especially loss of memory for recent events or recently learned information. People may forget important dates or event; or ask the same questions over and over again or repeat the same information in conversation many times. People in the early stages of Alzheimer’s may also begin to rely on memory aids such as lists, notes, etc.

What’s normal? Forgetting the occasional name or appointment, but being able to recall the information

later.

2. Difficulty in planning or problem solving.

Family members may notice that a loved one has new difficulty managing a checkbook or

working with numbers in any way. People sometimes develop trouble sequencing – for instance, losing the ability to following a series of steps in a recipe or follow the directions on a new device or gadget. They may also have difficulty with concentration and it may take longer to do things than it did before.

What’s normal? Making errors in the checkbook on occasion or moving more slowly due to arthritis, illness, or fatigue.

3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or during leisure activities.

A person in the early stages of Alzheimer’s may begin to develop difficulty with tasks such as

driving, completing their work, or remembering how a game is played. They may appear

confused and then quickly cover up with humor or a self-deprecating remark.

What’s normal? Needing help learning a new gadget or the rules to an unfamiliar game.

4. Confusion with time or place.

People with Alzheimer’s often begin to lose track of time and cannot remember dates or do not notice the changing seasons or the passage of time. They may also forget where they are going or how they got somewhere.

What’s normal? Many people who are retired don’t pay attention to the date but know the month and year. They may not remember the exact date but can guess within a day or two.

5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships.

Some people may find difficulty with vision to be an early sign of Alzheimer’s. They may have trouble maneuvering the car into the garage or gauging distance when driving or parking. People in the early stages of Alzheimer’s may also find they are having difficulty reading and may not recognize themselves in a mirror.

What’s normal? Older adults sometimes have vision problems related to cataracts or other medical conditions, but they do not forget what they look like or appear surprised when they look in a mirror.

6. New problems with words in speaking or writing.

It is not uncommon for a person in the early stages of Alzheimer’s to withdraw socially because they are having difficulty following a conversation. They may forget what they are saying mid-sentence or may feel self-conscious if they tend to repeat themselves. Word finding or word substitution is also common (“that thingy you put in your mouth” for toothbrush, for instance).

What’s normal? Some word-finding difficulty is common among older adults.

7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps.

Sometimes people with Alzheimer’s “lose” things because they put them in an unfamiliar place. For instance, someone might put their wristwatch in the freezer or their keys in the sugar bowl. It is not uncommon for people with Alzheimer’s to think others are stealing their things because they have so much difficulty finding objects.

What’s normal? We all misplace things occasionally or become absent-minded when we have too much going on.

8. Changes in judgment.

People with Alzheimer’s may begin to have difficulty with judgment or decision-making. They may not be able to resist the impulse to give money to telemarketers and may believe they are going to “win” a large prize if they do. People sometimes begin to neglect their hygiene as well.

What’s normal? We all make bad decisions once in awhile, but for the most part we are able to take care of ourselves and hang up on the telemarketers.

9. Withdrawal from work or social activities.

It is not uncommon for people with Alzheimer’s to begin to withdraw from interactions at work or social events for several reasons. They may have difficulty following a conversation or may be trying to cover up difficulty performing familiar tasks. Many people in the early stages know something is amiss and are trying to keep this information hidden from other people.

What’s normal? We all go through periods when we are less interactive and need time to ourselves.

10. Changes in mood or personality.

One of the early signs of Alzheimer’s is a change in a person’s mood or personality, They may become paranoid, confused, fearful, depressed, or anxious. They may become easily distressed in unfamiliar environments.

What’s normal? Being unhappy when a familiar routine is disrupted.

If you notice any of these signs in yourself or someone you love, consult your physician and

request a full medical workup along with a neuropsychological evaluation. A good

neuropsychologist can determine whether or not your pattern of test scores is

consistent with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or other dementia.

Wonder What the Brain Looks Like?

If you've been wondering what the brain looks like or where the parts of the brain are and what they do, you might enjoy this new app from the Florida Institute for Neurologic Rehabilitation.  The FINR Brain Atlas allows you to explore the anatomy of the brain and common brain injuries in 3-D. Very cool! I downloaded it onto my iPad and my iPhone and use it to help my patients understand where there injuries are and how this might affect their functioning. And it's only $1.99.

If you're interested in seeing what part of the brain is involved in Alzheimer's or other types of dementia, this brain atlas can quickly show you.  Patients with TBI or strokes also benefit from seeing the location of damage and the atlas helps them to understand how the injury affects other parts of the brain.

(In the interest of full disclosure, I do not have any affiliation with FINR and do not receive any kickback or other benefit from recommending this app. I just really really like it.)

The Huge Cost of Caregiving

From NPR:

AARP Finds Toll On Family Caregivers Is 'Huge'

by JENNIFER LUDDEN

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July 18, 2011

A new study by the AARP estimates that for the more than 40 million Americans caring for an elderly or disabled loved one, the value of their work is $450 billion a year.

That's a good deal for society. But for the family members doing the work, the study finds they need a lot more help.

To read more: http://tinyurl.com/6eqfffe

Do You Have a MediGap Policy? Read this

FAQ: Seniors May See Changes in Medigap Policies

By Julie Appleby

KHN Staff Writer

JUL 15, 2011

As debt limit talks drag on, lawmakers are eying possible changes in Medicare supplemental plans - moves that could increase seniors’ out-of-pocket costs.

Photo by toastbrot81 via Flickr

Traditional Medicare, the federal health program for the elderly and disabled, requires beneficiaries to pay hospital deductibles and a portion of the cost of tests and doctor visits.  To protect themselves from those out-of-pocket costs, about 17 percent of beneficiaries buy Medigap plans.   Another 34 percent get such coverage through a former employer.

But some health policy experts say such “first-dollar protection” drives up demand for Medicare services, costing the government money for what may be unnecessary care. One proposal would bar supplemental insurance from completely eliminating out-of-pocket costs – or charge enrollees a $530 a year extra if they want to keep such protection. That change could save up to $53 billion over 10 years, according to a chart used during the bipartisan talks led by Vice President Joe Biden.

To read more: http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2011/July/15/medigap-medicare-supplemental-faq.aspx

Help For Adults With Heat Related Illnesses

This press release is from the National Institute on Health:

NIH tips for older adults to combat heat-related illnesses

Risk of heat-related problems increases with age

Older people can face risks related to hot weather. As people age, their bodies lose some ability to adapt to heat. They may have medical conditions that are worsened by heat. And their medications could reduce their ability to respond to heat.

The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, has some advice for helping older people avoid heat-related illnesses, known collectively as hyperthermia.

Hyperthermia occurs when the body overheats. Conditions involving hyperthermia have different names, including heat stroke, heat fatigue, heat syncope (lightheadedness or fainting in the heat), heat cramps and heat exhaustion.

Health-related factors that may increase the risk of hyperthermia include:

• Pre-existing diseases such as congestive heart failure, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Decreased ability to move around
• Dementia or cognitive impairment
• Certain medications that may cause dehydration or that may affect the responses to heat by the heart, blood vessels or sweat glands.
• Being substantially overweight
• Drinking alcoholic beverages
• Being dehydrated
• Age-related changes in the skin, such as decreased functioning of small blood vessels and sweat glands

To read more: http://www.nih.gov/news/health/jul2011/nia-18.htm