This post will be of interest to those dealing with falls and/or dysphagia (swallowing difficulty).
Local support group member Phil Myers and I co-authored a case study on falls and dysphagia in the latest issue of the Association of Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) newsletter. The case study is about “Jackie Riddle” — a composite of my father’s PSP symptoms (confirmed through brain donation) and Phil’s wife Jackie’s PSP symptoms (also autopsy-confirmed). Though “Jackie Riddle” had PSP, since the focus of the case study is on falls and dysphagia, all of our BSN group members, regardless of diagnosis, will find something of value here.
The newsletter is written for healthcare professionals but I’m fairly certain the language is understandable. We assumed that healthcare professionals are completely un-knowledgeable about PSP, fall prevention, and treatment of dysphagia.
There are also sections in the newsletter specifically for healthcare professionals working at care facilities. So if any of you has a loved one in a care facility, those sections may be particularly helpful for staff.
The last two pages of the newsletter are my ideas for practical things that can be done about falls and dysphagia. Again, though it’s titled “in PSP,” these ideas apply to all four disorders in our BSN group.
Check it out; it’s hot off the presses:
www.theaftd.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/PinFTDcare_Newsletter_summer_2015.pdf
Robin