Alzheimer’s
Innovative Advances in Stroke Recovery Show Early Promise
An innovative new stroke recovery therapy holds promise for restoring mobility.
In an innovative, ongoing trial, deep-brain stimulation – more commonly used for Parkinson’s patients – has recently been tested on stroke survivors. Physicians are hoping that the end result associated with the deep-brain stimulation treatment – which involves implanting an electrode to stimulate a particular portion of the brain – will restore mobility in stroke recovery patients and place an end to the paralysis that so many often experience after a stroke, making the future of home care for stroke patients look much brighter!
To be able to comprehend how a stroke hinders normal brain activity, Laurie Ann Bonkoski, a speech therapist, compares a stroke to a home whose front door has unexpectedly become obstructed by a fallen tree. In her studies, she’s determined to sidestep that … Read More »
Senior Holiday Depression: Tips to Tackle Sadness
Seniors and the holidays: learn why feelings of sadness are not uncommon.
In spite of its reputation for being viewed as the season of joy, the combination of seniors and the holidays can lead to profound feelings of unhappiness for many older adults. Yearning for holidays past, despair over the loss of family and friends, and worrisome changes to health can intensify throughout the holiday season, and it’s important to take the appropriate steps to help older loved ones avoid the downward spiral into senior holiday depression.
If an older adult you love is feeling blue this holiday season, begin by asking yourself these three questions
Could it possibly be normal nostalgia? Wistful feelings of nostalgia, thinking of pre-pandemic holiday get-togethers and celebrations, are normal for all of us. See if the older adult’s sadness is lifted immediately following … Read More »
The Gift of a Homemade Memory Book for Seniors with Dementia
Provide the gift of memories for a loved one with dementia this holiday season.
“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” – Dr. Seuss
Memories are what binds together our past experiences with who we are today; and for a senior with Alzheimer’s, confusion around these memories can have a powerful impact. One of our goals as a home care company in Santa Rosa, CA and surrounding areas in caring for seniors diagnosed with dementia is to help them store and share memories in order to make sense of daily life.
A great way to make this happen is through the creation of a memory book, which includes pictures and short descriptions to refer back to when an older adult has questions regarding his or her identity, relatives, etc. A … Read More »
The Benefits of Laughter in Dementia Care
Incorporating laughter in dementia care can help relieve stress and instill joy.
Caring for someone you love with dementia is definitely nothing to laugh about. Yet studies are increasingly pointing towards the benefits of laughter in dementia care, and adding it may be exactly what the doctor ordered to boost well-being for a senior loved one.
As an example, an Australian study just recently revealed that humor therapy is effective in reducing agitation in individuals with dementia as effectively as antipsychotic medications, without any negative side effects. Shared laughter connects us, and assists people who have cognitive difficulties to feel understood, secure, and at ease. As stated by Lori La Bey, founder of Alzheimer’s Speaks, “When anyone is sick or having a hard time, they still like to laugh. I spend a lot of time teaching people that … Read More »
How Alzheimer’s Impacts Vision
Learn how Alzheimer’s impacts vision and what steps to take to ensure safety.
The intricate steps needed to make it possible for us to see are mind-boggling. Within the blink of an eye, our brains have the capability to take transmitted details from the environment around us, translate that information based upon input from other senses, thoughts, and experiences, and then build an understanding of that information to help make us conscious of what we are seeing.
It’s unsurprising that Alzheimer’s impacts vision, and therefore people with Alzheimer’s can encounter misperceptions and visual deficits, particularly in the aspects of:
Depth and/or color perception
Contrast
Motion recognition
Peripheral vision
What’s more, individuals who have Alzheimer’s can frequently encounter an altered sense of reality in the form of illusions. For instance, someone with Alzheimer’s disease could see a shadow on the ground, and mistake … Read More »
Caregiving 101: How Dementia Impacts Senior Personal Care Needs
Senior personal care needs, like dressing, can become a struggle with dementia.
Being a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or any other kind of dementia requires empathy, creativity, and patience, the capacity to step away from your individual reasoning and logic and realize why a specific behavior is occurring, and then to understand just how to effectively manage it. That is certainly the case with senior personal care needs, such as a loved one who won’t change his/her clothing, in spite of how dirty or unkempt an outfit has become.
There are several reasons why a senior with Alzheimer’s disease may insist upon wearing the same outfit, including:
Memory or judgment problems, including losing track of time or thinking the clothes were recently changed
The comfort and familiarity of a particular piece of clothing
A need to maintain control
Struggles with … Read More »
Tips to Solve Inappropriate Alzheimer’s Behaviors
Inappropriate Alzheimer’s behaviors are common and can be managed compassionately.
Disbelief. Shame. Awkwardness. Discomfort. Many of these types of feelings can cycle through a family caregiver’s heart when a loved one with dementia displays disinhibited behaviors, such as:
Rude or tactless comments
Inappropriate sexual advances or remarks
Removal of clothing at improper times
And other socially unacceptable actions
The complicated changes that occur to the brain in Alzheimer’s disease may cause a complete turnaround in an older adult’s personality and behaviors, such as a formerly genteel grandma suddenly swearing like a sailor. For an individual who is confused, uncomfortable, disoriented, or has simply forgotten social skills and graces, these behaviors are actually quite common, so it’s crucial to learn how to specifically manage them should they arise in someone you love.
Hired Hands Homecare’s Alzheimer’s care experts suggest trying the following tactics … Read More »
Dementia Caregiver Tips for COVID-19
Our team is here to keep you informed with the most useful dementia caregiver tips for COVID-19.
Providing caregiving assistance for your family member with dementia is complicated under the best of conditions; mix in a global pandemic, one that calls for social distancing, masks, and meticulous sterilization of both ourselves and the environment, and the challenge may seem impossible.
Hired Hands Homecare’s team of caregivers offers the following dementia caregiver tips to help reduce anxiousness and irritation for those diagnosed with dementia, while keeping both them and their caregivers safe:
Make self-care a top priority. Now more so than ever, it’s extremely important to assess your own personal degree of stress, and take action to make sure you’re healthy – both physically and emotionally. You can only supply the best help for a senior loved one if your … Read More »
Options for Helping Older Parents Age at Home
Hired Hands Homecare is experienced in helping older parents live comfortably and safely when aging at home.
Ask most older people if they wish to age at home, even if they are struggling with aging-related issues, and the response is in most cases a resounding “yes!” Having to move away from their home, a place with so many memories, can be distressing, even if they admit that it’s getting more difficult to cope. Yet, wishing to continue to be at home and having the ability to stay at home, all alone, are two separate things. So what can you do? Even as a 24/7, around-the-clock family caregiver, you are not able to do it all by yourself. You need help and it could be that in-home care is the solution for aging at home.
The Link Between Senior Nutrition and Dementia: Reduce the Risk with These Tips
Poor senior nutrition may be linked to dementia.
Although there are a variety of age-related issues that can impact senior nutrition, research is now pointing to an even greater reason for ensuring our older loved ones stick to a healthy diet: potential cognitive impairment. And malnutrition in older adults is more common than you may think. According to the National Resource on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Aging, upwards of 35 to 50% of the elderly residents of long-term care facilities are struggling with malnutrition, and as many as 65% of older hospitalized adults are estimated to be malnourished as well.
Malnourished older adults are twice as likely to see the doctor, and three times as likely to be hospitalized. They also encounter lessened muscle strength and poor healing. Not only that, but a recent study points to the … Read More »
