Live Free Home Health Care, LLC. - Bristol, New Hampshire

All posts within: Alzheimer's Disease

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Addressing Alzheimer’s Care& Planning Fun Activities During the Holidays

Holiday activities can be upsetting for a person with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Here are some caregiver tips to help keep seniors with Alzheimer’s/dementia involved in the holiday activities without being overwhelmed or put into a dangerous situation.

· Stretch out the celebration. If opening a lot of presents at once might create a disturbance, then open a few gifts at a time.

· A large noisy party with friends, neighbors, and lots of kids may be too much stimulation for the family member with Alzheimer's. Host small get-together visits instead, stretched out over several days.

· Keep a normal daily routine as much as possible, making the celebrations fit into the daily schedule.

· Create a soothing atmosphere by playing holiday music throughout the day. Mental grooves are deep for these tunes, which makes them especially soothing.

Repetition is often soothing to someone with cognitive impairment and can stoke feelings of accomplishment and pride. Try the following repetitious holiday activities to do together.

String garlands. All that’s needed is a long heavy thread and a darning needle. Try stringing cranberries, popcorn, even O-shaped cereal (Fruit Loops are cheerfully colorful). Using something edible also provides an extended enjoyment if there is a place outside to place the garland to attract birds so the senior can watch that activity as well.

Link paper chains. These require a bit more dexterity: cut strips of paper, curl them around one another and staple. This is a good project to have an older grandchild supervise while the person with dementia helps in whatever way she can. Use construction paper or, for a really festive look, heavy-stock wrapping paper. Double the fun with decorating the area together.

Live Free Home Health Care of Concord, New Hampshire is here to help you determine the best plan of long-term care that will meet your loved one’s needs and maintain your loved one’s quality of life as they age. If you're looking for a partner in care coordination in the Lakes Region or Central New Hampshire, call us today at 603-217-0149, and let us help make your life a little easier.

Sources: Caring.com, Caring for the Aged/Suite 101

Tags:   Alzheimer's Disease, caregiver tips

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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Activities for those with Alzheimer’s disease

Successful activities for those with Alzheimer’s disease support a person’s sense of self—bringing out his/her skills, memories and habits—while minimizing skills that may be compromised due to the disease. Following are a few structured activity ideas that can involve and interest the person with Alzheimer’s, helping to reduce disturbing behaviors associated with the disease such as agitation, anger, frustration, depression, wandering or rummaging.

Motor:

• Take a walk

• Try chair exercises

• Dance (even if it’s sitting down)

Sensory:

• Listen to the person’s favorite music

• Look at picture books without words, especially of nature

• Gentle hand or foot massage or nail polishing

Interactive:

• Hold a tea party with friends or relatives

• Reminisce by looking at scrapbooks or old photos

• Play cards or board games such as checkers

• Plant and tend an indoor garden

At Live Free Home Health Care of Concord, New Hampshire, our talented in-home caregivers have years of experience dealing with Alzheimer’s disease and are happy to design a care plan that is centered around structured activity for your loved one. Contact us today at 603-217-0149 to find out more about our in-home care offerings and learn if home care is a good fit for your situation.

Tags:   Alzheimer's Disease, dementia, home care

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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Frequently asked questions about Alzheimer’s disease

It’s a dreaded moment. As soon as an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis is given, lots of questions emerge in the minds of family and friends. To provide the best care for the diagnosed individual, education about the disease and proper caregiving techniques are essential.

Who is at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease?

• Familial or early-onset Alzheimer’s is caused by a gene mutation that is inherited from a parent, but only occurs in less than five percent of patients and develops between the ages of 30 and 60.

• Late-onset Alzheimer’s typically develops after age 60 and is the most common form of the disease. Currently it is difficult to determine exactly who is at risk for developing late-onset Alzheimer’s, but studies show that increasing age is the most important known risk factor.

• Alzheimer’s disease’s definitive cause is not known and no clear pattern of inheritance has yet been discovered, but scientists have identified genes that may influence the risk of contracting the disease. Researchers are also studying education, diet, and other factors to see if they play a role in developing the disease.

What changes in the brain happen to people with Alzheimer's disease?

• People with Alzheimer's disease develop abnormal clumps in their brains (called amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of fibers (called neurofibrillary tangles).

• As increasingly more plaques and tangles form, healthy nerve cells begin to lose their ability to communicate with each other and eventually die. As the nerve cells die, brain tissue begins to shrink.

Are there treatments available for Alzheimer’s disease?

• While there is currently no cure for Alzheimer's disease, there are medications that can help to control some symptoms such as depression, aggression or hallucinations. However, some of these medicines can react badly with other Alzheimer’s medicines as well as worsen other symptoms of the disease.

• Keep in mind that many Alzheimer’s symptoms are caused by non-medical “triggers”, which can oftentimes be managed without the use of medications. Modifying the environment to reduce potential stressors plays a large part in helping a person with Alzheimer’s feel calm and safe.

At Live Free Home Health Care of New Hampshire, our talented in-home caregivers have years of experience dealing with Alzheimer’s disease and are happy to answer additional questions. Contact us today at 603-217-0149 to find out more about our in-home care offerings and learn if home care is a good fit for your situation.

Tags:   Alzheimer's Disease, dementia, home health care

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Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Ten tips for talking to loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease

People with dementia have more difficulty expressing thoughts and emotions, as well as more trouble understanding others. And family and friends of Alzheimer’s patients are often unsure how to communicate clearly with their loved ones. Should you correct repetitive speech or stories? Are there other ways to communicate when words are out of reach?

Here are tips to help with communication and understanding:

• Talk slowly and clearly

• Tell the person who you are, even if you are the spouse or child

• Ask one question at a time

• Be careful not to interrupt

• Use short, simple words and sentences

• Avoid quizzing or asking “Do you remember when...?”

• Avoid criticizing, correcting and arguing

When words are not the way to communicate, remember:

• Sometimes the emotions being expressed are more important than what is being said

• If the person uses the wrong word or cannot find a word, try guessing the right one

• If you don’t understand what is being said, ask the person to point or gesture

For further tips on communicating with someone with Alzheimer’s disease, click here.

At Live Free Home Health Care of New Hampshire, our talented in-home caregivers have years of experience dealing with Alzheimer’s disease and are happy to help you and your loved ones learn how to more easily communicate. Contact us today at 603-217-0149 to find out more about our in-home care offerings and learn if home care is a good fit for your situation.

Tags:   Alzheimer's Disease, caregiver tips, communication tips, dementia

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Wednesday, January 26, 2011

A Healthy Heart May Protect Against Alzheimer’s Disease

A recent study published in The Archives of Neurology found that having higher HDL or good cholesterol may lower one’s risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Although doctors don’t agree on just how much a healthy heart can protect against Alzheimer’s disease, most do believe there is a connection between the two. With a staggering one out of every five Americans reporting high bad cholesterol levels, these findings can be significant.

The belief is that excess bad cholesterol in the blood leads to increased bad cholesterol in the brain, and that increased production of cholesterol in the brain promotes production of plaques, which cause Alzheimer’s.

Guidelines for cholesterol recommend that men raise HDL levels that are under 40 mg/dL and that women increase HDL numbers under 50 mg/dL. An HDL of 60 mg/dL or higher with a total cholesterol level of under 200 is optimal.

It is also believed that high blood pressure (above 140/90) increases the risk of Alzheimer's by damaging blood vessels. The blood vessels become stiffer and this may lead to a decrease in the nutrients that can get to the brain and feed cells in the brain.

Medications and lifestyle changes that have been used to promote heart health may protect brain health as well.

Live Free Home Healthcare’s caregivers are well trained in preparing tasty and nutritious meals for someone trying to lower his or her cholesterol level. They can also assist with activity and exercise as well as provide medication reminders. Providing in-home care services in Concord, New Hampshire and the rest of the Lakes region and Central New Hampshire, contact us today to learn how we can assist.

For more heart health tips, click here.

Tags:   Alzheimer's Disease, Heart Disease

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