Diseases and injuries that damage the brain can impact the way we interact with the world and lead to significant and disabling behavioral and psychological symptoms known as neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS). These symptoms include anxiety, depression, agitation, apathy, socially inappropriate behavior, psychosis aggression, sleep disturbances, and more, commonly afflict people living with Alzheimer’s disease. Neuropsychiatric symptoms can be challenging, and often lead to social isolation due to stigma. However, the reality is that neuropsychiatric symptoms often require medical attention and are as much a product of Alzheimer’s disease as changes to memory and cognition.
In an effort to shake the stigma, the Alliance for Aging Research has created a series of films that feature conversations with a clinician, family caregivers, and patient advocates living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Expert Conversations of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms of Alzheimer’s feature:
Carolyn Clevenger, DNP, RN who is a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner and Director of the Integrated Memory Care Clinic at Emory University. In her video, she shares more details on NPS as well as how she regularly talks with families living with Alzheimer’s about NPS.
CEO and Founder of Embodied Labs, Carrie Shaw, who cared for her mother who was living with Alzheimer’s disease which inspired her to create a company dedicated to using technology to help people see the world through the eyes of the people they care for.
Terrie Montgomery, who is an advocate and person living with Alzheimer’s, talked about her lived experience with Alzheimer’s and NPS so that others would feel more comfortable sharing and talking about their symptoms.
Terrie’s daughter, Shon Lowe, who cares for Terrie and shared helpful resources and advice that has resonated with her as a caregiver.
Jay Reinstein, who is an advocate and person living with Alzheimer’s, encouraged people to get help for their NPS, and to remember that they are more than their symptoms.
Watch Expert Conversations of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms of Alzheimer’s to learn more about these stories and how together, we can shake the stigma.
These videos were created with support from Otsuka and Lundbeck.
For more information on NPS, visit www.agingresearch.org/NPS.
