RetirementHomes.com - alzheimer's care

Touch Screen Technologies for Seniors with Dementia

aadmin — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 09:34:07 +0000

Technology is easier to use than ever before. Tablets and touch screen monitors have forever changed the way we interact with technology, making the experience much more accessible and accommodating for new users.

Tablets and touch screens can be used by anyone, including older adults living with dementia, mobility and dexterity issues, and other common disabilities, like vision impairments. Everybody – with guidance, support, and a willingness to learn – can find great value in touch technologies and the Internet.

Tablets are the easiest device for beginners. Older adults without previous computer experience can begin by playing online games, asking Google to find information using a “voice search” command, or zooming in on their home town map - in only a few minutes.

Tablets simplify accessing the Internet with their light weight and intuitive design, opening the gateway to amazing user possibilities. The primary reason tablet computers are so helpful for seniors is due to their user-friendly controls. Unlike a computer or laptop, a tablet’s touchscreen interface only needs one finger for basic control. Even those with shaky grips or limited dexterity can still accurately touch the screen by implementing a stylus pen.

A huge benefit of having access to tablets and the Internet is free entertainment. Many complimentary games are available on tablets to stimulate the player’s mind, including puzzles, word games, memory games, and sports games, like golf. These games are often considered to assist in brain fitness. They push players to think, be creative, solve problems, and complete tasks. Games can be great fun as a viable means of escapism, which we all occasionally need. The look on someone's face driving a virtual race car at a hundred miles an hour is priceless :)

Another popular use for tablets is watching online videos, through“apps” like YouTube. Users can call up videos of anything they want ... from live music concerts and old television shows, to knitting instructions and documentaries about World War II. There are online videos on just about everything for all to enjoy.

It may not be possible for some individuals with dementia to remember all the steps in operating tablets. It’s suggested that someone stay close to act as a technology coach. New learners will feel they are positively progressing, instead of forgetting what to do next, or accidentally tapping on an in-app advertisement, which can happen to the best of us.

Having a guide to answer questions, or set up activities or games, motivates seniors to try new things that could make them uncomfortable on their own. Often, quick reminders of the simple controls helps users with dementia progress and overcome small hurdles in seconds, which positively reinforces their own accomplishments too!

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Everything You Ever Needed to Know About Sundowner's Syndrome

aadmin — Fri, 07 Feb 2014 11:52:53 +0000

When patients experience periods of extreme agitation and confusion between the late afternoon hours and into the evening it is often referred to as 'sundowning' or Sundowners Syndrome. The patient affected will appear confused and agitated, restless. Irritability is often directed towards caregivers or nursing staff. Your patient may also have difficulty sleeping or staying asleep. Scientists are not entirely sure what causes the flare up of symptoms in the evening hours, but since it follows such a predictable pattern, caregivers can take steps to alleviate some of the stress and aggravation connected with this syndrome.

Triggers for Sundowners Episodes

Patients most commonly affected by Sundowners Syndrome are those afflicted with Alzheimer's or dementia, though the symptoms can also appear with other conditions such as degenerative eye conditions. Some medical experts believe Sundowners is closely linked to the natural day and night cycle of the human body and the changing lighting conditions of later afternoon and early evening are often cited as a trigger. Staff shift changes at the nursing home or even simply dinner time can become triggers for an episode during these hours of heightened agitation.

It can be heartbreaking to see your patient suddenly feel the urge to get up and wander, or engage in erratic behavior such as removing all of their clothes in public. Often it is difficult to persuade them from following their course of action. This is when the patient tends to get irritated and at times even violent. Shouting and even lashing out physically is not uncommon in patients afflicted with sundowning. Confusion and memory loss only increase stress on the patient and those that care for them. It is important to remember that unfortunately they seem to have no control over their actions at these times.

Possible Solutions for Sundowners Syndrome

While there is no known cure for Sundowners Syndrome, treating the illness that causes it can go a long way towards alleviating the symptoms. You can observe the patient and find out what will most likely trigger an episode, then work on a solution. If it’s a change in lighting, for example, perhaps an additional lamp will help. If a lot of commotion at certain times of the day, which may occur during a shift change, try to keep it as far from the patient as possible. Since the disorder is linked to sleep disorders as well, a mild sedative may be prescribed to help the patient through these challenging hours. Changes in diet and routine to keep stimulus such as exercise and caffeine intake restricted to the morning hours only can also make a difference.

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How to Navigate through Living Wills and Senior Emergencies

aadmin — Thu, 02 May 2013 15:40:26 +0000

An increasing number of older people prefer a natural death over being kept alive on a ventilator.

Last winter, an AP story was syndicated across North America about an American pathologist who tattooed a No CPR directive on his chest .

Jillian Megee, Marketing Communications Manager of Medic Alert Foundation, offered a less radical concept of advanced directed management.

Advance Directives

“A Do Not Resuscitate - DNR - and a living will are available on site to first responders and physicians through Medic Alert,” said Megee.

Forms for each state are notarized, and then uploaded on Medic Alert’s files for availability to family and personal physicians. “It’s communicating your treatment. How you want to be treated in an emergency," explained Megee.

Seniors usually wear a Medic Alert, in bracelet or pendant, to alert first responders and physicians about pre-existing conditions, like:

. Alzheimer's disease
. Drug allergies
. Diabetes
. Pacemaker
. Use of anticoagulants

Medic Alerts for seniors are engraved with:

. The most relevant health information
. The 800 number of Medic Alert
. The member’s personal ID number

First responders and health professionals can call Medic Alert's 24/7 "live" call center and receive the member’s full medical record. The family and personal physician are notified.

Alzheimer's/Dementia Related Wandering

Medic Alert has developed an Alzheimer's/Dementia Wandering program in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Association and local police to safely return home a person with memory loss.

“We’re in close touch with the family,” said Megee. “Any time there’s an emergency, the family is made aware that their loved one has been found and is informed of their location.”

There is some competition for Medic Alert, the pioneer of medical identification tags, since its beginnings in 1953. Universal Medical Data LLC in Phoenix, AZ, has distinguished itself by adding medical history features like USB devices and QR codes implanted into their bracelets and pendants.

Megee said that Medic Alert experimented with these features but found they weren’t always compatible with emergency responders. Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), like firefighters, didn’t always have computers with them in the field.

The organization has opted for online and mobile apps for first responders who register their smart phones with Medic Alert.

Medic Alert pioneered the space and has built on its impressive non-profit status and infrastructure. There is room for competition, but it may take awhile for others to catch up.

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Music brings back Memories for Alzheimer's Patients

aadmin — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:08:20 +0000

Music has permeated business settings for many years, especially the hospitality industry.

Designed music streams through restaurants and hotels to help clients relax, identify with brands, and reach for their pocket books.

Leanne Flask, from Austin, TX, has been in the vanguard of branded background music for over a decade. Now, her aural role has expanded into Co-founder, Chief Content Officer of Coro Health, where she develops streaming music for healthcare environments.

Under Flask's guidance, Coro Health's programs help stimulate cognition and alleviate depression in Alzheimer's patients. The programs are set up on streaming platforms through computers or recently launched apps for iPhone and iPad.

According to Flask, the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) is the center for music, memories, and emotions. The MPFC is one of the last sections of the brain to degenerate in Alzheimer's and remains accessible to music's therapeutic effect.

Alzheimer's patients can lose familiarity with their families, but a song can facilitate the return of memory. Long-term patients with Alzheimer's will talk during familiar songs and recognize family members.

"Alzheimer's brings on stress and sadness for patient and family members," Flask said. "Interaction with family members becomes meaningful by playing a variety of designed music."

Flask’s initiation into music's healing effects began with studies in classical piano, oboe, and opera. She volunteered for a high school program for children with special needs, practicing her musical theater songs during supervision.

While sitting on the floor and singing, a non-communicative autistic boy approached her and crawled up on her lap, put his hands on her throat, and began humming with her. She realized that music was much more powerful than she’d thought.

"It plays in space, and makes us react on many levels."

As a business woman, she branched into branding and music and gained success in music design. But she returned home to Kansas to visit her mother who'd suffered an aneurysm.

“She used to play for me when I sang opera, so I sang for her,” said Flask. "She didn’t recognize anyone else but she recognized me and sang with me.”

Flask predicts that Coro Health's concept will gain wider acceptance in the aging community. “The technology of therapeutic music will evolve,” she said. “All that’s needed is a cell phone or a computer or a tablet.”

Creation of meaningfully designed music gives hope to people with Alzheimer's and their families.

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Legacy Gift Launches Ohio Memory Care Pavilion

aadmin — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 19:14:29 +0000

A $2 million “legacy gift” will help create a new assisted living memory care pavilion for Montefiore, a nursing facility for senior citizens in Beachwood, OH.

The gift comes courtesy of Steve Willensky and his wife, Judy Klein Willensky, members of The Park Synagogue. “I decided Montefiore was a great fit for me as I’m interested in senior aging issues,” Steve Willensky told Cleveland.com. “I felt Montefiore represented the best of what our community offers.”

The Willenskys, of Gates Mills, OH, said they felt attached to Montefiore from both an advisory and emotional standpoint. The new assisted living memory care pavilion has been named The Willensky Residence.

The Willenskys’ legacy gift positions Montefiore as a leader in senior health care and wellness services in Northeast Ohio, setting it apart with a greatly-needed service to continuum of care.

The pavilion includes specialized studio rooms and two suites with private bathroom and shower. Willensky said he and his wife were very much involved in the planning of the memory care pavilion.

The Willensky Residence comes equipped with a living room with bookshelves and a fireplace, a multi-sensory room for stimulation of the five senses, a beauty salon, a barber shop and a fully equipped laundry room. Outside and easily accessible, is a secure courtyard garden with a walking path and seating areas.

The Willensky Residence has set the benchmark for memory care in Assisted Living and Continuing Care across the USA.

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11th Mild Cognitive Impairment Symposium

aadmin — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 18:04:36 +0000

The 11th Mild Cognitive Impairment Symposium will be held at The Wien Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, Miami Florida, from January 19 to 20, 2013.

The 2nd Early Alzheimer's Diagnostic and Treatment Workshop and the 1st Early Alzheimer’s Public Educational Forum will be held during the Symposium.

The schedule is as follows:

11th Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) Symposium (Saturday, January 19)
2nd Early Alzheimer’s Diagnostic and Treatment Workshop (Sunday morning, January 20)
1st Mount Sinai of Florida's Early Alzheimer's Public Educational Forum (Sunday afternoon, January 20)

The symposium's theme will be centered on the progression rates from normal to mild cognitive impairment and then to dementia.

SPEAKERS

1. David A. Bennett, MD is the Robert C. Borwell Professor of Neurological Sciences and director of the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center.

2. Tammie Benzinger, MD, PhD focuses her research on translating advanced neuromagnetic resonance imaging techniques from small animal research in the Department of Radiology, to translational research in the Center for Clinical Imaging Research (CCIR), and into clinical practice.

3. Maria Carrillo, PhD, the Vice President, Medical and Scientific Affairs, at the Alzheimer's Association.

Many more clinical experts from across the USA will present at the conference.

There will be an ongoing poster session reviewed by the Program Committee.

As in 2012, this event will be held back to back with the 7th Human Amyloid Imaging (HAI) Conference, presented at the same venue between January 16-18, 2013.

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Is Safety for Seniors a Top Priority?

aadmin — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:07:09 +0000

On January 1, California will enact the the Silver Alert program., according to The Sacramento Bee. If a person age 65 or older with dementia or Alzheimer's disease is reported missing, local police can request the California Highway Patrol to issue a bulletin asking for public, news media and law enforcement departments to search for the person. An estimated 30 states already have Silver Alert programs in place.

In the next 20 years, the giant Baby Boomer generation will increase California's 65-plus population from 4.5 million to 9 million. Silver Alerts will sound when older people wander or drive away from their homes or nursing facilities – a common event among people with moderate to severe dementia.

Wandering elders can walk or drive for hours, even if they are feeble. They may not eat, may not be dressed for difficult weather conditions, and often fail to ask for help. Add on a need for medications and the situation could be dangerous. to the point of serious injury or death, according to the state legislative assembly.

Safety for Seniors

Ruth Gay of the Alzheimer's Association of Northern California was quoted: "When we think of the number of baby boomers out there, it is a train wreck in the making if we don't figure out ways to protect our seniors."

Sacramento city police officials stated that calls about missing adults are routinely solved in a timely manner, and are frequently based on miscommunication. City Police Detective Chris Bernacchi told the Bee: "Anything that will get more information to the public to assist us in locating a missing person is great."

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Healthy diet may prevent Alzheimer's Disease

aadmin — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 06:04:12 +0000

It looks like maintaining a healthy diet may be beneficial for one's mental health as well as physical.

According to a recent study conducted by researchers at the Temple University School of Medicine, certain foods may prevent the onset of Alzheimer's Disease.

The scientists' data was collected after feeding a group of mice a diet rich in Methionine, a sulfur-based amino acid that is found in eggs, red meat and seeds.

After switching the rodents to healthier eating patterns, the team discovered that their cognitive impairment was reversed.

"What it tells us is that the brain has this plasticity to reverse a lot of the bad things that have occurred - the ability to recoup a lot of things such as memory that were apparently lost, but obviously not totally lost," Domenico Praticò, lead researcher of the study, told the news outlet.

Seniors who believe they may be in need of Alzheimer's care should make sure to check in with their primary care physician. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of the illness include memory loss, problems with abstract thinking and personality changes.

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Divorce during retirement living years can be painful and a relief

aadmin — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:04:10 +0000

While most of the general public was shocked to hear Al and Tipper Gore announce the end of their marriage, other curent singletons can relate to their struggle.

According to the Boston Globe, divorce during one's retirement living is often wrought with both happy and sad emotions.

The news source spoke with Gerald Garnick, who split with his wife of almost four decades.

"To come home to a person you've been married to for 38 years and you don't want to be there, that's really the bottom line," he told the news outlet.

And while building a life and becoming grandparents should keep a couple together, seniors contemplating a separation often site their "growing apart" as the reason for their estrangement.

"The kids are going off to college and they spent so much attention on them that some people look at each other and wonder who the other one is," Sue Hallowell, a family therapist in Cambridge, Massachusetts, told the news outlet.

According to the United States census, most divorces take place during the first eight years of marriage.

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Flowers can encourage happiness among seniors

aadmin — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:04:10 +0000

There's no denying that a fresh bouquet of roses or a handful of vibrant lilies brighten a room. Still, a new study has shown that flowers can be immensely beneficial for senior citizens.

Researchers at Rutgers University have proven that beautiful buds can alleviate depression, encourage social interaction and foster memory skills during one's golden years.

"The results are significant because as our nation grows older and life becomes more stressful, we look for easy and natural ways to enhance our lives," said Dr Jeannette Haviland-Jones of the Human Development Lab at Rutgers.

The study followed willing participants over the course of six months. Afterwards, 81 percent reported a reduction in depression, while 72 percent scored higher on memory tests than those who did not receive a regular bouquet of blooms.

Experts believe that depression for retirement living seniors are caused by several different factors, such as boredom, health issues and the loss of a spouse.

Luckily, it looks like a quick, low-cost treatment may be readily available for seniors looking for help, according to Haviland-Jones.

"Now, one simple answer is right under our noses," she said.

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