Sensational ideas for those with dementia and other nursing home residents(part3)

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

USA Today

The truth is, when it comes to our senses, we have no sense. We bolt our food, blast our iPods, freeze our feet, have to be reminded to breathe, and generally can't see the forest for the trees. Add environmental and age-related factors, and it's no wonder that "differentiating and distinguishing sounds, sights, flavors, tastes, and touches becomes more challenging every day," says Robert Butler, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of the International Longevity Center-USA. It's time to change all that with our sense-stimulating tricks and treats. Here's how to celebrate your senses -- and be healthier for it.
Sound
A friend laughing. Water lapping against the shore. The mellifluous harp notes in perfect sync with your sister's steps down the aisle. You can hear all those lovely sounds (and the less-pleasant -- but helpful -- screech of a car tire or rumble of thunder) thanks to a bunch of little hair cells in your inner ear. Each ear has about 15,000 of them, and they're responsible for transmitting sounds to your brain to be processed. But thanks to age and exposure to loud noise (yes, we're talking to you, the person whose iPod is so loud we can hear it from here), you're losing your (ear) hair. And that could be the precursor to hearing loss.
"As we get older, those disappearing hair cells affect our ability to distinguish high-pitched sounds, including consonants such as s, t, and f," says Marjorie R. Leek, Ph.D., of the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research in Portland, Oregon. In fact, about 30 percent of baby boomers have already suffered hearing loss. But you don't have to be one of them. Here's how.
Train your ears. You can exercise and stimulate your hearing by listening to different kinds of music. Add jazz or blues to your classical repertoire. Concentrate on what you're hearing and try to identify the different melodies or single out the different instruments.
Turn it down. Normal conversation is about 60 decibels. A portable music player with the volume at one-quarter is 85 decibels; at full volume it's 120 decibels. Enough said.
Muffle it. When you can't avoid noise exceeding 85 decibels (a subway train is 90 decibels, for example), wear earplugs or earmuffs (which can cut 15 to 30 decibels). In a pinch, donning a hat or sticking your fingers in your ears is better than nothing.

Come back soon for more