Aide memoire: For Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

The term Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) emerged in the 1990s in succession to a previous series of diagnostic entities dating back to the 1960’s which has included such terms as Benign Senescent Forgetfulness and Age Associated Memory Impairment.

With the increase of cognitive impairment and dementia, there is increasing interest in the role and scope of memory clinics or memory assessment services in the early assessment, diagnosis and management of all subtypes of dementia.

Memory clinics generally attempt to provide a multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis and treatment of memory impairment and dementia. However, little consensus exists about the profile or complement of staff that would constitute an ideal memory clinic, and services vary widely in terms of their organisation, remit and functioning.

This article is set to outline some useful “aide memoires” to help those living with MCI as either a sufferer, relative or friends of someone with MCI.  I’ve based this solely on my own experiences and anxieties, but you might find some useful resources or ideas.

It is important to understand the different types of memory storage because a person with severe or progressive memory loss may have one kind of memory loss and not another. For example, people with brain damage on their left side (the left hemisphere holds verbal or word memory) may not be able to remember a shopping list. Or they may not be able to remember the words in a conversation. However, they may be able to use their visual skills (the right hemisphere stores nonverbal memories). For example, they may remember the faces of people they meet at the store.

A person with a great deal of damage on the right side of the brain may not be able to remember and follow directions to a friend's house but may be able to remember conversations.

Document your memories

Even before I had my children I documented my memories by pictures, every year I would collate my photos into an album that I still thumb through even now to remember some of the amazing things I have done and achieved.

In my albums, I document holidays I’ve been on – like my holiday to Rome and my honeymoon to New Mexico.

Being a Gladiator in Rome

New Mexico

Since the Blogger Babies came along I document almost daily their achievements, this year alone I’ve taken over 600 pictures.

I don’t own a sophisticated camera I use my phone which is currently an iPhone 5s which is 8 megapixals on the camera (I’m sure that means something to the more technical out there)

Stay Healthy

Keep up your physical health. Eat a balanced diet. Get enough rest and sleep. Be as active as possible but use common sense and stop before you become worn out. General health is important to good memory function.

Daily reminders and Alarms

Daily I use reminders, I have little check sheets and alarms, that help me through the day.  I have my daily routine written down such as what time to start getting breakfast ready, and alarms which tell me to take my medications.  Establish Routines - Set up a routine time for demanding activities, such as paying monthly bills the same days of the month or filing important papers every Thursday. Organise - Keep items that are alike in the same place. For example, keep all keys on one ring.

Repetitive tasking also known as Same time same

The Same Place - Make a list of items that tend to get lost and decide where to keep them. Once you decide where you are going to put items, keep them in the same place. Keep shoes by the side door or in the bed-room closet. Wear your eyeglasses or keep them on your bureau top. If you can afford a second pair of eyeglasses, keep one pair for home use and the other pair in your purse or jacket for outside activities.

The Same Time - Do a particular activity at the same time each day. For example, awaken and get out of bed the same time each morning. Brush or clean your teeth at the same times each day. Take your medicine at the same time each day. Try to set aside a particular day each week for special tasks, like shopping for food on Thursdays.

Attach Meaning

Usually people remember events that are important and meaningful. It helps to think about why an event, person, or object is important and how important it is to remember. For example, going to visit a friend to celebrate the birth of a first child gives more meaning to the activity when you schedule it and you are more likely to remember to attend.

Labels

Word labels or picture labels help people find things. To find items easily in a closet, label the closet doors with a “coat” label high on the door and the "slippers" label near the bottom of the door.  If you open my cupboards in the kitchen behind every door is the label diagram – it tells me what should be in there and where I usually put it.  I also have a diagram of clothes in the Blogger Babies wardrobe so that I can easily find the right top for the right child.

Music

People with memory problems usually remember events that happened long ago. Family heirlooms, old photos or old songs from their teen years may be comforting to them and should be kept handy. I have many memories linked to Prince and Purple Rain and Yazz and The Only Way is up.  When I hear these I can recall memories from my childhood like they happened yesterday.

Sometimes these mementos remind you of fun times and friends. These memories can calm down a restless or angry person. The person becomes caught up in the happy mood of the memento and stays that way for a while. When an old photo or song creates sadness or anger, distract the person immediately with a new activity- go to a different room, get a drink of juice, or go for a walk (indoors or outdoors)

I also have a shopping list chart and monthly menu planner.

And when all else fails I ask people to remind me, I’ll argue it didn’t happen like that or that I never said something but usually people reminding me is really useful.

Mental Capacity Act Conference Newsletter

On the 30 March 2017, The Edith Ellen Foundation with Leigh Day Solicitors held The Mental Capacity Act Conference – What’s Right & What’s Wrong.  A decade after the Mental Capacity Act came into force across the United Kingdom it is very much back in the public domain with open discussions across the Professional span, the conference was a review of the Mental Capacity Act and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

In March 2014, a House of Lords Select Committee published a detailed report concluding that the DoLS were “not fit for purpose” and recommended that they be replaced.  DoLS have been criticised since they were introduced for being overly complex and excessively bureaucratic.

Below is The Edith Ellen Foundation Newsletter from the day, please feel free to download and share across your network of colleagues, friends & families

Travelling with Twins the Mummy Dementia Guide

As I start thinking about this blog I’m somewhere high up, over French airspace with Daddy, Grumpy and the Blogger Babies, the pilot said something about feet but I forgot by the time I’m got my pen out.  And so, fair we made it through a 2½ hour car journey, 3 hours in the airport and 2 hours in the sky without

1. Trying to quietly smother ourselves with a rather expensive but very comfortable travel pillow and

2. Without losing a Blogger Baby or anyone else, though it was touch and go when Grumpy nipped to the loo via the ill placed bar.  Better still I’ve only had one small mini melt down because I couldn’t remember the gate number even though I’d just read it for the 10^th time.

We left home at 2pm this afternoon and it’s now 8:30 at night we don’t land until nearly 11pm local time, it’s already been a long day and we still have to get to our destination.

Daddy and I aren’t new to traveling with Blogger Babies, however, each time we learn a little more about the best way to reduce stress and cognitive confusion.  The problem we have is that unless I write it down I don’t remember and every time we travel the Blogger Babies are that little bit older which changes the game from the get-go.

So, I thought using the Blog to help would be a useful tool for me to remember but also help others with either MCI or twins (or both) travel in the future.

What we have learnt so far:

1.   Arrive in good time – There is nothing worse than arriving late and in a panic.

2.   Plan your trip – Are there road works? Do you have enough petrol? Fill up the day before if you’re on the early flight and you want that extra 10 mins in bed!  We prefer to travel at night time so we filled up in the morning.

3.   Bring activities for the little ones! – Our twins are 2, I look forward to the time that I can let them pack their hand luggage themselves. So, in their hand luggage I packed snacks, their favourite juice bottle (which was empty as liquids are frowned upon by airport security), their favourite teddy.  I also packed a story book each and their favourite colouring books and pencils.  I also make sure they have their favourite comfort be that a teddy, a dummy for smaller ones or a blanket (blanket is called Mia and is basically the only way our boys sleep).

4.   Charge those Electronic nannies – There is nothing worse than getting to the airport or layover and finding out your DVD player has no battery and you’re stranded in an Airport with nothing to do.

5.  Toilet stops – While Daddy cued with the suitcases, Grumpy & I took Blogger Babies off to the toilet even if they say they don’t need it right then I tend to bribe them with a colouring pencils/stickers/Grumpy if it means I’m not halfway through security with “mummy I need a wee, Mummy wee, Sorry Mummy derwandwans all wet” in my ear. Derwandwans is Blogger Babies word for trousers, I know we shouldn’t encourage this use of a non-word but I like it and it sounds cute.

6.   This year we bought Blogger Babies their own hand luggage, this way Daddy and I didn’t end up carrying a thousand bags and the Blogger Babies got to pretend they were all grown up like Mummy, Daddy and Grumpy.

7.   OMG, if I’d known before I would have bought “airport Shoes”, the one thing Blogger Babies hate is having their shoes taken off and silly Mummy bought them a pair each which light up – this means there is a battery in the sole, which means they have to come off to be scanned at security, what ensued next was a mini melt down by two Blogger Babies and Mummy falling into a dark panic and blind brain block.  REMOVE SHOES, COATS etc before security and try to remember to bring shoes which don’t have flashing lights on.

8. We learnt the first time we flew with the Blogger Babies to Fold the pushchair (remove any babies beforehand) as the pushchair also needs to be scanned – our first time this meant one of us balanced the two babies and our scanned bags while the other emptied the double buggy of coats, bottles of milk, toys and blankets to fold the pushchair.  Once through security you can unfold it and take the pushchair up to the aircraft door (you’ll need to check your own airline if unsure of this), but remember this doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll meet you at the other end as we found out last year…

9.   Next time I am booking the posh lounge area we walked right by, from speaking with Daddy we could have booked this with the car parking – I don’t care all I know is next time I’m booking it they had a big sign saying complimentary WiFi and looked like a place of safety and less crowds.

10. Pack Snacks – I packed a few into the Blogger Babies hand luggage for them, I admit I forgot all about our snacks and we ended up re-mortgaging to buy 3 drinks and 3 packs of crisps – airport prices are far from reasonable.

11.Make sure the adults in your group have all been to the toilet too, there is nothing worse than trying to seat a 2-year-old into an airplane seat that doesn’t hold them whilst trying to hold your ever-expanding bladder and not wet yourself…

12.If traveling with children under a certain age you get to jump the que at the departure gate so don’t rush there, plus being on the plane first doesn’t mean you’ll take off any quicker it just means everyone gets bored and a bit narky and chances are one of the kids will need a wee wee and you’ll have to force your way through the horde of passengers trying to get to their seats.

I’ll upload pictures when I’m back on home territory but right now I’m already thinking about going to the pool with a glass of sangria and my next article – “In Flight with Twins” or even writing an actual book entitled “How to Survive Plane Travel with Toddlers”!

That’s all from Mummy for now, we’re off to the pool to get a healthy dose of vitamin D. x