Senior Health

How to Talk About Making a Move: Tips for Discussing a Caregiving Plan with Your Parent  In a perfect world, dementia wouldn’t exist and we’d never have to face tough decisions about leaving a beloved home. But with so many aging adults being diagnosed with cognitive diseases each year, some of us will have to address an inevitable caregiving need for a parent. It isn’t easy to bring up alternative living arrangements with Mom or Dad because most people’s dream is to live out their lives at their family house or condo—a place full of memories and heirlooms, a gathering hub for kids and grandkids to visit, a space they’ve invested in and put their heart into making a home. It’s emotional to give up these comforts and consider a big unknown, which is why it takes thoughtfulness and empathy when talking about making a move. There are many low-key ways to start the conversation with your parent. However you approach it, put yourself in their position, and proceed with gentleness and respect.   Include All of the Siblings and Don’t Go Rogue Before you even mention your concerns to your parent, gather your siblings to share your thoughts and get their perspective. See if they see similar behaviors or issues and get their ideas on next steps. There will probably be disagreements and differing opinions, but try to overcome any sibling rivalry for the greater good—your parent(s). Even if you spend more time with your parent and think you know best, it’s a show of respect to your brothers and sisters that you value their input and help. Try to agree on a plan together and keep each other in the loop with major [...]

Noticing the early signs in your parents. Over the past few years, families have had to forgo a lot of together time due to COVID restrictions, so it’s no surprise that many of us can go months without being in the same room as our aging parents. If you’ve been communicating with your mom or dad primarily by phone or FaceTime, you might notice some worrisome changes when you’re finally in the same room together. With more families finally getting to gather for the holidays, catching up with each other might evolve into getting caught up on mom or dad’s wellbeing. We all want our parents to stay vibrant and healthy, but disease can slowly and unfairly creep in. It can be unsettling to witness a significant change after long periods—and even more perplexing as to what to do. And while the most active parent will naturally slow down a bit over time, some signs warrant further investigation. If something feels wrong, know the symptoms and trust your intuition: Repeating the same question or story. Everyone has moments when they forget they've told an account already, but if you notice your mom asking you the same question repeatedly or that your dad is telling you about the neighbors for the third time in an hour, they could be struggling with short term memory. It might also present in the form of forgetting how to do simple tasks, like dialing a number or using a fork. Confusion about how much time has passed, problems with time management. Alzheimer’s disease damages the part of the brain responsible for processing the passage of time, so your parent might think you’ve been gone hours when it’s only been a [...]

Seasons can play a huge factor in most anyone’s mood. Rain, snow and sunshine can alter your day in a good or bad way. A recent study showed that those who suffer from cognitive deficits, such as dementia and Alzheimer’s can be greatly affected by the time of year. A 2018 research study done on over 3,300 Alzheimer’s patients in the U.S., Canada and France found that their cognitive ability -or their thinking ability- changes based on the season. Cognition was higher in the fall and summer and lower in the spring and winter. The study also found that there was a 30% higher chance of being diagnosed with a condition called mild cognitive impairment, which can often turn into dementia, in the spring and winter. So why is this? Daylight plays a huge role in why this happens. When daylight savings ends in November that means shorter days and longer nights. This can make what’s called sundowning worse for Alzheimer’s patients. Sundowning includes an assortment of symptoms such as anger, aggression and irritation that happen at the end of the day when the sun goes down. So when the sun’s going down earlier, these symptoms arise earlier and can last longer. Less daylight and changes in weather can sometimes lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also known as seasonal depression. Winter brings snow and spring brings rain so gloomy cold days mixed with less sunlight can cause anyone to feel down. Alzheimer patients are even more at risk for this because of the nature of the disease. Other reasons why weather and the time of year can affect Alzheimer patients include altering their sleep schedules. Shorter days can cause Alzheimer’s patients to become confused [...]

At a time when most of us are stringing lights, trimming trees and jingling the bells, our friends and family diagnosed with dementia may be struggling to understand it all.  December can be an exceptionally stressful month for people living with dementia, even in typical years. Adding the social isolation required to avoid a virus running rampant in the land adds another element to the weirdness and can make the holidays even more difficult. Not surprisingly, how to help people with dementia enjoy (or at least best tolerate) holiday celebrations is a common topic. So, we decided to conduct an informal survey of the advice experts give for helping people with dementia and their caregivers during the holidays. The results are a list of the greatest hits, best-of-the-best, top-ten dementia care tips and advice for the holidays. And, of course, since it’s still the time of COVID, we’ve also summarized some tips for celebrating during a pandemic. We surveyed advice from the Mayo Clinic, the Alzheimer’s Association, the National Institutes of Health, and several independent expert organizations. Top 10 Holiday Dementia Care Tips Plan and Prepare - Every organization and expert had a lot to say about the benefits of being prepared. Involve the person with dementia in preparation, or just let them be present while you prepare. Whether or not they participate, they will feel more a part of the celebration and be able to anticipate and reminisce. Focus on the activity, not the outcome. Create a safe and calming space for everyone to celebrate in. Decorate using simple decorations with no flashing lights or gaudy displays. Avoid clutter or rearranging furniture. Avoid lighted candles, fragile decorations, or any other hazardous decorations. Set up [...]

You’re probably thinking “what a strange question.” We all know that dementia presents daunting challenges for both caregivers and for people living with dementia. According to a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health, family caregivers of people with dementia have more anxiety, stress, and depression than non-caregivers, and caring for someone with dementia has more negative impacts than caring for other disorders. True. Though there is proof of a way to positively influence the experience. Good Experiences of Caregivers A huge body of research agrees that caring for people with dementia gets more and more difficult as the disease progresses. However, people who report better, more positive experiences and outcomes start with a different attitude and perception of what it is to care for people with dementia. Generally, caregivers who take a less traditional view of their role and the desired outcomes of their efforts reported a higher quality of life than other caregivers. In fact, 90% of them were more likely to report positive aspects of caregiving for those with dementia. Researcher and author Geofrey Tremont compared 41 of the most meaningful cases from a 1,000 case studies and found that “Most caregivers report some degree of satisfaction with providing care, including feeling needed and useful, feeling good about oneself, learning new skills, developing a positive attitude and appreciation for life, and strengthening relationships with others.” Good experiences of people with dementia. Life changes with dementia but can continue on in meaningful and sometimes surprising ways. One former musician who now has dementia recently became famous for improvising a beautiful composition on four notes that was later arranged for the London Philharmonic Orchestra. An interesting note: the part of the brain that [...]