Meaningful Days

A meaningful day is a day filled with activities that create a sense of belonging and well-being, and the person with Alzheimer’s disease can participate in easily.  Here are some strategies to create a meaningful day for you and your family.

• *Enjoy reminiscing with your family member.  Short-term memory may be damaged, but long-term memory often remains.  When reminiscing it is helpful to talk about subjects such as winter snowstorms or making holiday dinners rather than a specific memory or event from the past.
• *Recognize the special abilities that often remain and enjoy them together.
• *All people, with or without Alzheimer’s disease enjoy the same things:  a good meal, animals, babies, or favorite music.
• *People with Alzheimer’s disease enjoy other forms of affection.  Sit close and look at pictures.
• *Look for activities that will be interesting to the person.  In seeking activities the individual would enjoy, it helps  to think about past work experiences and past and present interest.

For more information 317-218-5111 or www.behomelivelife.com.

Tips for Summer Fun and Safety

Summer Safety Tips

            Summer provides wonderful opportunities for families to create meaningful moments with loved ones diagnosed with dementia.  Enjoying gardens, family cookouts, or holiday celebrations are fantastic ways to reminisce with your loved one.

            There are a few safety tips to remember.

1. Be sure to use sun block.  As a person ages, their skin becomes thinner and will burn more easily.  Also many medications can cause a person to burn more easily the longer they are in the sun. 
2. Provide plenty of beverages.  Dehydration can be a serious issue for aging seniors.  Someone with dementia may not realize they are thirsty or overheating. 
3. Sit under a shaded area.  This will also help prevent sunburn or over exposure to the sun.
4.  Avoid areas where the side walk is uneven or has broken concrete.  A person with an unsteady gait may be more likely to fall if the pavement is not smooth. 
5. Utilize courtyards or fenced in yards to avoid wandering.  Wandering can become a serious problem in the heat of summer. 

Remember, spending time outdoors is an important part of an aging persons daily routine.  Practicing good safety tips will ensure that everyone has a great time without stress.

 For more information call 317-218-5111 or www.behomelivelife.com.

Elder Abuse

Providing care for someone with Alzheimer’s or another related dementia can be one of the most stressful events in a person’s life.  Often, caregivers are the children of elderly parents requiring 24 hour care.  These adult children are not medical professionals nor do they have prior experience providing medical care.  The typical caregiver often has a job during the day and is “sandwiched” between raising a family and caring for their parents.

            According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, “between 1 and 2 million people have been injured, exploited or mistreated by someone on whom they depended for care or protection.”  It is also estimated that only 1 in 14 cases of abuse are reported for investigation.  Nearly everyone would assume that caregivers described in the previous statistics are paid caregivers.  This is not always the case.  It is estimated that nearly 50% of all abuse reported is perpetrated by an unpaid caregiver, typically a family member.

            There are a variety of reasons caregivers become abusive to the aging senior for whom they are caring, especially if the individual has a diagnosis of dementia.  Often people with dementia experience personality changes.  A common statement professionals hear when interviewing a family caregiver is, “My dad was never like this before.”  The person with dementia may refuse to bathe, eat, sleep, or even participate in activities he once enjoyed. Another common complaint is, “My mom asks me the same questions over and over.”  Those repetitive statements and questions can be overwhelming to caregivers already burdened with tremendous responsibilities. 

Many times caregivers will say, “I don’t know who I am anymore.  All I do, day in and day out, is take care of someone else.”  Caregivers forget to take time out to care for themselves.  Often they don’t know where to turn for help, or refuse to ask for help from anyone.

How does a caregiver avoid becoming abusive?  First, the caregiver must have a good support system.  Attending routine supports groups can provide opportunities to vent, ask questions, and receive advice.  It’s important to realize that no one has to go through this alone.

Next, the caregiver cannot be afraid to ask for help.  Relying on other family members, friends, members of their church, and community outreach programs may provide support to give the caregiver respite.  Taking a break to care for one’s self is vital to being fresh and alert in order to provide for needs of their aging senior.

Caregivers should take every opportunity to learn as much as possible about the needs of their aging senior.  For example, if a daughter is taking care of her father with Alzheimer’s, she should attend sessions and seminars which provide education, information and insight for the “just right” care he needs.

Caregivers also need to take credit for the care they are providing.  Being “sandwiched” is not an easy task, but can be accomplished, and good quality of life can be maintained.

For more information contact Sollievo at 317-218-5111 or www.behomelivelife.com. 

Tips for managing vascular dementia

Although there is no proof that normal function can be restored once damage has been done to brain tissue, there are ways to prevent further damage.   Coping with memory loss can be challenging, but here are some practical ways to manage with those deficits:

*Keep a journal to record names of people you meet and thoughts about your daily activities.

*Use a calendar to track appointments and other important dates.

*Keep people in your life informed of changes in your health and memory.  Employers, family, and friends will now what to expect and be able to provide assistance.

*Exercise your mind by reading, working puzzles, learning new things, and talking about current events.

*Socialize with family and friends.  Socialization is one of the most important things that you can do for your memory.

*Take time to complete each task.  You may need to break each task into simple one step instructions.

*Accept help.

*Don’t smoke.

*Eat a healthy diet.

*Exercise daily.

*Set reasonable expectations.  If you set your expectations too high and don’t give yourself credit, then you may    become angry and that will cause a barrier to remembering.

Vascular Dementia