Explaining the brain
First, the good news. We don’t use the word “senile” anymore. Next, the bad news. Cognitive impairment will happen to many of us as we age—but not all of us. UMRA member Paul Schanfield, MD, a retired neurologist who remains active as a clinical professor at the University of Minnesota, shared definitions, symptoms, and solutions for cognitive changes related to aging during UMRA’s March 19 Living Well Workshop.
For example, instead of “senility” the term “dementia” is used today to describe the impairment of cognition that interferes with daily living. Often, relatives and friends observe the signs before the patient. Early signs include attention span loss, decline of executive function, diminished judgment, lack of spatial orientation, and lack of insight. There are multiple types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
Schanfield emphasized the importance of a healthy diet, good hearing, and sufficient sleep to postponing cognitive decline. Maintaining relationships, lifelong curiosity, education, and hobbies are also important. Schanfield noted that UMRA membership is a great way to remain active.
There are treatable causes of cognitive impairment, including vitamin deficiencies and low thyroid function. And there are Alzheimer’s disease medications, although some drugs have possible side effects and/or provide only temporary improvements. There are no cures—yet.
Caregivers need support
If you have a family member with dementia, Schanfield recommended that caregivers avoid arguing or identifying mistakes. Don’t ask if the patient remembers an event, or that a loved has died. Caregivers also need support and respite, so take care of yourself, too. There are many levels of housing and medical assistance for both patient and caregivers. Organizations including the Alzheimer’s Foundation, Elder Voice Family Advocates, and Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis can provide guidance and help.
Schanfield’s presentation, like his book, A Migraine in Room 3, a Stroke in Room 4, included heartwarming and amusing quotes from his patients. As one patient said, “I’m not so bad off, so I probably have Half-zheimer’s disease, not All-zheimer’s.”
Humor is valuable in dealing with all of the challenges of aging.
—Julie Sweitzer, UMRA president-elect and Program Committee chair
Alzheimer’s, dementia, and the brain explained
Tue, March 19 2024, 11am
Paul Schanfield, MD
Neurologist and physician educator
University of Minnesota
Event to be held via Zoom.
Do you ever wonder whether forgetting names is a sign of impending Alzheimer’s? Or whether it is OK to forget names and nouns but not verbs? All sorts of tales are floating around regarding dementia. So, for the UMRA Living Well Workshop on March 19, we thought we’d go to an expert for some answers.
UMRA member Paul Schanfield, MD, a “neurologist, physician educator, father, grandfather, and author” as he describes himself, will explain how our brains work and how dementia develops in some people. These are complicated topics, but Schanfield has spent his professional career learning how to share difficult diagnoses with patients and families. He teaches medical students and residents how to do the same. Schanfield has also taught and offered practical medical advice about the brain to older adults through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. During the UMRA workshop, he will simplify common neurological conditions related to dementia, including Alzheimer’s, and guide us through identifying symptoms, prevention, treatment, and acceptance.
Schanfield retired from private practice in 2015, after 40 years, but continues to teach medical students and residents, primarily as a clinical professor of neurology at the University of Minnesota, where he also serves on the Medical School Admissions Committee. He also teaches at United Family Physicians in St. Paul.
He has received numerous honors, including the first-ever University of Minnesota Neurology Community Educator of the Month Award in July 2017, and teaching awards from the University family practice residencies at the M Health Fairview Bethesda and Phalen Village Clinics in St. Paul. In 2018, Schanfield was recognized as the Community Teacher of the Year by the United Family Medicine Residency Program.
Schanfield’s book, A Migraine in Room 3, A Stroke in Room 4: A Physician Examines His Profession, was released in 2019.
Please register for this workshop and join us via Zoom at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 19.
If you have preliminary questions for our guest speaker, please email them to Wendy Lougee at [email protected]. She will be moderating the question and answer session during the workshop.
—Julie Sweitzer, president-elect and Program Committee chair
Upcoming Events
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.