Asked and Answered

Assessing pain in a person with Alzheimer disease can be difficult. Pain assessment is usually based on the individual’s ability to verbally report his or her pain, but many people with Alzheimer disease have difficulty communicating. Some people are able to answer “yes” or “no” when asked if they have pain, and some can point to where it... 

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive disease that affects the nervous system. The disease eventually affects someone’s mobility, independent functioning, communication, swallowing and breathing. Generally, care for people with ALS includes these considerations: the illness itself; the... 

The progression of cerebral palsy varies a great deal. In general, however, people with cerebral palsy have some common experiences in the final weeks or months: Decreasing strength and energy This causes decreasing mobility, communication, alertness and ability to breath and cough. Usually it’s not a cause of physical distress. Rather it’s... 

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive disease of the nervous system. It can cause a wide variety of symptoms, which may continue or worsen as the disease progresses. The most common symptoms include fatigue , walking difficulties, bowel and bladder disturbances, vision problems, changes in brain function, changes in sexual function, pain... 

It can be very difficult to predict the course of chronic illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or congestive heart failure (CHF). Chronic illnesses place energy demands on the body that slowly deplete a person's energy reserve. In the later stages of illness, energy reserve is low, and seemingly small problems like... 

Alzheimer disease is a progressive disease of the brain. It’s characterized by loss of memory, judgment and reasoning, changes in mood and behaviour, and eventually a reduced ability to perform the activities of daily living, such as eating, dressing, bathing and toileting. In end-stage Alzheimer disease, the brain is no longer able to tell...