TTAP Method Q & A cont'd

12.      What happens to us with age, that our ability to unlock our most precious memory wanes? 


Our long-term memory stays with us for most of our lives. It is our short-term memory that is primarily effected by age and cognitive decline. You might forget where you ate dinner last week, but you will remember your kindergarten teacher forever.
 

13.      What are the symptoms of Alzheimer’s? 


In order to identify the symptoms of AD, you must first understand the disease.  AD is caused by the deterioration of brain cells. A characteristic collection of protein-based plaques and tangles accumulates around these cells. The disorder typically progresses through four stages: mild, moderate, severe, and terminal. In the first stage—mild—one experiences mild memory loss, inability to remember short-term events, and difficulty with engaging in prolonged and detailed verbal conversations. In the second stage—moderate—the individual shows signs of continued social withdrawal and significant cognitive impairment; the person moves from independence to dependence with daily living tasks such as dressing, bathing, eating, and shopping for one’s needs. By the end of the disease—severe—there may be incontinence, the inability to walk, very serious confusion, loss of speech, and complete loss of all skills to engage in activities of daily living.
 

14.      You take a holistic approach to managing the symptoms of AD, without the use of medication, aren’t drugs necessary too? 


Early use of drugs has been proven to have a positive effect on cognition, and that said, I do hope a miracle drug is found tomorrow. But even if this were to happen, there still would be five million people who have the disease and are slowly self-isolating if not in daily creative arts programming.



 
15.      How does the Phototherapy Activity Kit work on the TTAP Method website? 


The interactive phototherapy kit comes with 25 pictures on a chosen theme of either sea scapes, gardens, boats, cars flowers, etc. The kit also comes with a CD which covers basic information on why keeping up verbally, and interacting by speaking about an image is essential for good cognitive stimulation. The kit comes with therapeutic questions that one person can ask of the viewer to stimulate conversation. Additionally, the kit comes with a photobook to make your own book of memories from family photos taken over a lifetime.