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This week, Rayna Neises, your host, speaks with Elizabeth Landsverk, MD.  Dr. Liz trained at Harvard and has been a geriatrician for over 20 years.  She served as Assistant Professor of Medicine at USC and was a consultant to the Elder Abuse Forensic Center in San Francisco. She shares her experiences in a newly released book, ‘Living in the Moment: A Guide to Overcoming Challenges and Finding Moments of Joy in Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias’.  Dr. Liz shares the following insights:

• (2:00) First challenges are when someone’s behaviors start to change regardless of their age.
• (3:04) Quick tests to determine if more evaluation is needed: 
  • Draw a clock showing 10 minutes after 11:00
  • Calculate 25% of $22.50
• (4:15) Every county will have a Division on Aging and can direct you to resources.
• (8:00) Find a place where the staff is doing activities with them and they look like they enjoy being there.
• (9:16) You should not use medication for someone bored or not sleeping, but there are cases when it is needed to take the angry edge off.
• (11:05) The top two treatments for agitation are Tylenol and ice cream.
• (14:53) To find a geriatric doctor, look for medical schools with memory/geriatrics clinic or the VA.
• (17:08) Liz’s book provides a step-by-step guide from diagnosis to the end and is available on Amazon.com.
• (19:10) We need to help families figure out how they are going to pay for support.