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

All posts within: dementia

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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Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Repetitive Seasonal Activities for Family Members with Alzheimer’s

Repetition, while tedious for most of us, can be soothing to those with cognitive impairments and can often invoke feelings of accomplishment and pride. Around the holidays, find some repetitive seasonal activities that seniors with Alzheimer’s can enjoy. Here are a few activities for inspiration.

• String garlands. With some heavy thread and a darning needle, seniors and kids alike will enjoy creating colorful holiday garlands. Try stringing popcorn, cranberries or other edibles and hang the garland outside to attract birds, allowing for fun bird-watching for you and the senior.

• Create paper chains. Cut strips of paper, curl them around one another and glue or staple them together. Older grandchildren can help supervise this activity, while the senior helps in any way she can. Use the paper chain to decorate the tree, mantle or banister when finished.

• Make pomanders. Pomanders are oranges studded with cloves. Help seniors arrange the cloves in the orange in a decorative way to create beautiful scented holiday decorations.

• Crack nuts. Give the senior the task of cracking nuts during a holiday gathering. Use an old-fashioned nutcracker, some walnuts, pecans or Brazil nuts and provide a place to toss the shells.

Use the holidays as a time to slow down and enjoy your elderly relatives and friends. Match their pace this season instead of buying into all the hustle and bustle, and help them enjoy the celebration as well.

Contact Live Free Home Healthcare (http://livefreehomehealthcare.com/contact/contact-us/) in the Concord area for more information on how to assist frail seniors during the holiday season.

Besides Concord, New Hampshire, we also service the rest of the Lakes region and central New Hampshire. Call us today at 603-217-0149.

Tags:   Alzheimer's Disease, dementia, eldercare, private duty agencies

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Tuesday, October 12, 2010

“Mom’s Just a Little Forgetful. She’s Fine….Right?”

Oftentimes, it is easier to deny the fact that our frail aging parents may need extra eldercare assistance than it is to admit their health may be declining. If you live at a distance, it becomes that much more important to have a plan in place for emergencies and eldercare.

Below are some helpful tips to assist in this endeavor.

Discuss possible eldercare scenarios with family members before eldercare is needed:

-What if mom broke a hip? Where would she prefer rehab care? At home or elsewhere?

-How will you know when it is time to make a change and involve care partners?

-How will the care be paid for?

Collect useful information along the way such as:

-A HIPAA release of information form at each of your loved one’s doctors’ offices so you can freely discuss care.

-A list of local people for care support in an emergency, such as neighbors or friends.

-Take your elders out while visiting to see how they function in the community and with others.

Emergency Travel

-Ask yourself if the trip is really necessary. Are there neighbors or friends that could help just as well?

-Set extra money aside in case of emergency travel needs.

-Be sure to have an extra set of house keys with you as well as at a reliable neighbor’s house.

Consider using the services of a professional home health care agency such as Live Free Home Health Care. We can assess the situation, monitor and identify problems, coordinate with financial, legal and medical providers and serve as your overall eldercare liaison.

Servicing Concord, New Hampshire, the rest of the Lakes region and central New Hampshire, we also provide consulting and expertise to help people with eldercare needs make the best care choices for their situation. Call us today at 603-217-0149.

Tags:   Alzheimer's Disease, dementia

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