Susan Berg expert Activities Director shares activity ideas, especially for those with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.The emphasis is on mind stimulating activities. Also discussed are excellent activity resources
"Memory Lane TV" Soothes Anxiety & Agitation in Dementia
Activities directors and other healthcare professionals here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals, Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two
I cannot believe that Memorial Day is almost here Here are some easy, yet fun things to do together 10. Arrange flowers real of fake. You can use red, white and blue flowers to make the bouquet or centerpiece look patriotic. 9. Plan a picnic or a party from beginning to end 8. Have a picnic perhaps using the ideas from your plans. If the person with dementia does not want to go outside, no problem, have the picnic inside. 7. Go to the beach if it is warm enough or the park. Go at off times to avoid the crowd. Again if you fear a negative reaction to going to the beach, bring the beach to your home. Get some sand, sea shells and other beach paraphernalia. 6 Have a small get together at home. Hire or have someone to assist the ADRD person. 5. Draw some patriotic pictures. You can use paints, magic markers or crayons. Fireworks are easy to draw. 4. Read a patriotic story or poem. Create your own story or poem. 3. Discuss a simple recipe. See how many ingredients you can name. Give hints as necessary. Make a simple dish together. 2. Watch a musical patriotic movie. Suggestions are: Yankee Doodle Dandy and Stars and Stripes Forever They may have to be watched in segments depending on the attention span of the dementia person. 1. Make a list of all the patriotic songs you know. Give hints to the impaired person as necessary. A good book for tips on how to do this is Adorable Photographs of Our Baby-Meaningful,Mind-Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged,Their Loved Ones,and Involved Professionals Then listen to and sing these songs. Remember all activities are person appropriate. Therefore knowing their likes and dislikes is helpful. Also you must be flexible. If things do not go as planned, have a backup plan.
Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals, Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two Follow alzheimersideas on twitter
Veterans who suffer from various forms of dementia, including Alzheimer disease, often have very specific care needs. It is important that these veterans are cared for by people who understand their condition and have the appropriate instruction and skills. Therefore encourage family members of veterans to gain the training they need to care for their loved one with dementia.
For those in nursing homes and other institutions, make sure veterans with dementia are visited often. All people, including those with memory loss, need human contact. They need to be hugged. They need to hear your voice. They may not know you but as long as you know who they are, that's all that matters.
Talk to them about their service to our country. Often they will share stories with you because their time in the service made a huge impression on them
Tell them how proud you are of them. Thank them for their service. This is sure to make them feel good. Most likely, it will make them smile
Smile with a veteran. Laughter is wonderful medicine.
Sing patriotic songs with a veteran with dementia. Often they will be able o sing many familiar songs even though, they may not be able to speak.
Read to them. Have them read to you. Large simple statements are best.
Share pictures with them, especially large colorful ones
Activities directors and other healthcare professionals here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals. Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two Follow alzheimersideas on twitter
Marijuana usage among the elderly has become a growing trend, as more and more states decriminalize the use of the substance — creating a delicate situation for many skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and senior living providers.
To date, 29 states, including Washington, D.C., have legalized the medical use of marijuana, and California recently joined a smaller group of states that allow the recreational sale and consumption of the drug.
In terms of the growth in usage among the older adult demographic, findings by researchers from the New York University School of Medicine and Columbia University indicated a 250% relative increase of cannabis usage by adults age 65 and older.
With medical usage on the rise among the elderly — particularly for those who take the drug to manage pain — SNFs and senior living providers must work hard to not only comply with state and federal laws, but to also combat the stigma associated with marijuana, according to Dr. Zachary Palace, chief medical officer at Hebrew Home at Riverdale.
Based in the Bronx, New York, Hebrew Home at Riverdale is a SNF owned and managed by New York-based RiverSpring Health.
“Looking at medical cannabis as a recreational drug can limit people’s objectivity of the real benefits it can have when it’s used as a pharmacological agent [and] to treat specific diagnoses,” Palace told Skilled Nursing News. “The stigma associated with it, due to its … abuse recreationally — we need to try to remove that stigma.”
State and federal laws
Removing the stigma attached to marijuana can be a difficult undertaking, as each state has its own individual laws mandating the medical use of the drug.
In New York, for example, patients must first be certified by a physician to obtain the drug. Afterwards, they must apply with the New York Department of Health to obtain a registry identification card.
At Hebrew Home at Riverdale, the only two formats in which patients can take the drug is either in tincture form — an oil-based solution that is administered under the patient’s tongue — or in oil-filled capsule form, Palace explained.
But in addition to complying with state laws, Hebrew Home at Riverdale must also navigate through strict federal laws.
“As a SNF, we are required to follow federal guidelines in order to be able to accept Medicare and Medicaid funds for providing services for our patients, so we are held to the federal guidelines for which cannabis is a Schedule-I substance,” Palace said. “As such, having a Schedule-I [substance] in our facility’s possession would be in violation of the federal law, as well as the facility administering medicinal cannabis.”
To circumvent these federal concerns, the facility had to address how the substance was stored, and how it was administered, Palace explained.
“Our policies and procedures provide that for patients who qualify for medicinal cannabis, that they are required to maintain it in an area that is deemed to be their own personal property,” Palace said.
These patients are provided with a lockbox in their room to which only they have the key, making the storage unit their own personal possession.
With respect to administering the controlled substance, the facility requires that the patient self-administer the medical cannabis.
“If they’re not capable of self-administering the medical cannabis, then they are, by New York State law, allowed to designate up to two caregivers who would administer it for them,” Palace said.
These designated caregivers can be a family member or friend, who must also register with the New York Department of Health.
Managing and tracking
Because patients at Hebrew Home at Riverdale are self-administering the drug, the facility does not monitor the patient as they consume the controlled substance. However, staff are trained to make assessments, according to Palace.
“We do follow-up with the patient in terms of how they perceive they’re doing, if they feel a benefit from it, whether they want to continue with it or not, and their own subject to feeling of medicinal benefit,” he said.
To prevent abuse, staff are also trained to spot unusual behavior among patients who use the drug.
“If nurses observe anything out of the ordinary … that would be reported to the physician on the floor,” Palace said.
At Balfour Senior Living, medical marijuana is administered by nursing staff following a doctor’s order for the treatment.
There, staffers track usage through medication administration records (MAR), and the substance is stored and locked in medical carts at nurses’ stations, according to Eric Meyer.
Meyer serves as the executive director for the Louisville, Colo.-based operator of continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs).
“The MAR indicates how to administer [and] how much to administer to that resident,” Meyer told SNN. “The nurse administers [the substance] and then documents how much is given to the resident, so it’s pretty much measured out.”
Providing tools similar to MARs is one of the services PDI Medical provides to patients and nursing staff. The Buffalo Grove, Ill.-based medical marijuana dispensary has become a supplier for senior care providers, and continues to make partnerships within the industry.
“I have a medication flow sheet that gets filled out and orders for products … how it’s given, and how often it’s dosed for the nurses to adhere to — very similar to a medication flow sheet for any kind of medication that gets administered,” Joseph Friedman, chief operations officer at PDI Medical, told SNN. “We do that and then we also have all of the necessary processes in place for patients and caregivers to become registered with the state.”
A furious outcry
For Friedman, education is key to combatting the stigma that persists with the usage of marijuana in the medical setting. This is especially true as U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has doubled down on the Trump administration’s opposition to recreational use of the drug, and as the Rohrbacher-Blumenauer Amendment — a provision protecting medical marijuana programs in states from federal interference — is set to expire on January 19.
“If [the government] rescinds [the amendment] and removes protections for these 70-year-old ladies that are walking into my dispensary, or moms that have these kids whose seizures are being controlled with medical cannabis, I think that’s going to create a great, furious outcry from [those who] are getting a benefit,” Friedman said.
However, the medical and long-term care industries realize the medicinal benefits of the drug, as a study published in the Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine suggests that legal access to cannabis may reduce the use of multiple classes of dangerous prescription medications.
“I think there’s a lot of validity to the use of medical cannabis for its indicated diagnoses,” Palace said. “Any medication can be abused, and medical cannabis is clearly no different. But when it’s prescribed for its approved indication, it can be a very effective alternative.”
Activities directors and other healthcare professionals here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals, Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two Get your subscription to http://goldencarers.com Activities directors, other healthcare professionals and caregivers, here is a Mother's Day devotional from Faithful Friends
Nursing Home Ministry Half of what I think I know about mothers comes from having one. The other half comes from being married to one. In fact, I probably know more about my mother from being married to my sons' mother for twenty-two years. Here are the key things I've learned: Mothers are the people who take Jesus at His word when He says to forgive each other "seventy times seven." Mothers are the ones who still believe in you when everyone else begins to doubt. Never get between a mother and her cubs. Even if you are the father, you lose. The best gift you can give your children is to love their mother. A mother's prayers are more powerful than any force on earth or in heaven. A father may know best, but a mother cares best, and children will pick caring over knowing every time. We may pray to "Our Father," but the face of God we see, the hand of God we clutch, and the heart of God we trust, belongs to our mothers. Lord, thanks for giving us mothers so that we can see, hold, and hear You more clearly. By Eric Fellman - Devotional From Daily Guideposts -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Her children rise up and call her blessed. . . . Proverbs 31:28 (RSV)
Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals, Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two
Choosing the right present for someone with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia is certain to give him/her joyful times independently or with a loved one. Here are some tips on how to pick a perfect gift. You can give a gift anytime, but Mother's Day is coming soon which is a perfect opportunity to give that special someone a special gift. Over 5.3 million Americans are living with dementia. Is one of them someone you know or a client of yours? Get him/her or anyone with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia, a gift that will keep on giving. Of course, person appropriate offerings are the best. This means matching a gift to a person's interests and abilities, However, there are some presents that will make them smile no matter what. One such gift is a book by Susan Berg called Adorable Photographs of Our Baby -- Meaningful, Mind-Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, Their Loved Ones and Involved Professionals, This book features baby photographs that seniors with dementia love. This book shares a plethora of ideas and resources for you. Mothers especially love babies Another gift dementia persons will fancy is a classic musical video or DVD especially a musical love story. A classic movie of this type is Rogers and Hammerstein’s movie, Carousel (1945) or South Pacific (1949) Any Roger's and Hammerstein movie is a good choice, However matching their interests and favorite actors and actresses should simplify the gift giving process. You can even discuss some of the movies to get a better feel for the one they might like the best. A video sing along is great for persons who has Alzheimers disease or another dementia. Even if they were not music lovers in the past, music is extremely therapeutic for them. Often non-verbal folks with dementia will sing along to a song that is familiar to them. Russ Carlton has a series of videos that will enchant a person with dementia. An audio cassette or CD is another good choice. Just as with the movies, talking about songs often brings to light a good musical selection. There are some by Mitch Miller that are favorites of many. Also Broadway tunes are a preference of those with Alzheimers disease or a related dementia. Especially for a lower functioning person with dementia is the gift of hand or body lotion. Any kind will do. Just be aware of any allergies or pain issues he/she might have. If he/she can tolerate it, those with a pleasant scent work well. Give him/her a relaxing hand massage talking about how good the hand massage feels and how much you love this person, If you cannot afford or do not have time to get these gifts before Mother's day, give the gift of yourself. No matter how hard it is for you to visit a dementia person, he/she will appreciate your company even though he/she may not be able to express it. Take him/her for a walk, sing some of your favorite songs together, or share some messages of love. Just spend some quality time with a dementia person. Both of you will feel better. Do remember to be upbeat animated and excited about visiting. A phone call or a Mother's day card will do if there is no way you can visit in person. At least they will know you are thinking of them. Then visit on another day. So no matter what you do, do not forget your favorite lady friend with dementia this Mother's day because it will make you and her feel good. What could be better than that? Order most of the products mentioned in the article at Amazon.com or from the artists directly
Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two Follow alzheimersideas on twitter
The next step in making leis is to place the paper strips lenghtwise through the needle in an accordian like fashion. A less able resident can help push the paper down to the knot, Keep adding strips of paper in the same way until the yarn is almost all covered. Knot the yarn at the needle end. Cut the yarn between the knot just made and the needle. Tie the two ends of the almost completed lei together It should now be ready to use. My suggestion is to make some leis and buy the rest. As I said before, I like to give each resident a lei. Thus if you do that, you will need quite a few
Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two Follow alzheimersideas on twitter
Tearing strips of paper is a good part of the lei making process for lower functioning group members. If group members have trouble making the strips then you or a higher functioning resident can tear the strips as the less able resident holds the paper. Use yarn as the holder for the paper strips. Use a plastic craft needle. Thread the yarn into the needle. A double strand of yarn is best. The double stranded yarn should be at least 30 inches long Make sure to make a knot at the end of the yarn. Next start putting the paper through the needle in an….. Come back again to find out this and more
Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals, Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be I bet this title got your attention. Well May 1 is May Day but in Hawaii it is Lei Day. Lei Day has an easy to do craft for those with dementia. The craft is making leis. There is something for someone with almost every level of dementia, to do. First you need to have strips of approximately 1×10 inches of paper. However the demensions are far from exact. I like to use tissue paper, but any thin paper or material will do. Therefore, you can have one group making long strips of paper. This is a good activity for a lower functioning group. If group members have trouble making the strips then….. Come back again to find out this and more
Activities directors, other healthcare professionals and caregivers May 1 is May Day but in Hawaii it is Lei Day. Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals, Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire
Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two Follow alzheimersideas on twitter
Lei day is May 1st and is celebrated in Hawaii. It is so much fun to celebrate that yoou can celebrate it too by making leis
Lei Day has an easy to do craft for those with dementia. The craft is making leis.
There is something for someone with almost every level of dementia, to do. First you need to have strips of approximately 1×10 inches of paper. However the demensions are far from exact. I like to use tissue paper, but any thin paper or material will do. Therefore, you can have one group making long strips of paper. This is a good activity for a lower functioning group. If group members have trouble making the strips then…..
Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, here is an article of interest in MedicalNews Today A report published revealed the social care workforce is unfit to deliver quality care for people with dementia. 'Prepared to Care' a report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Dementia found large variation in the dementia skills of the social care workforce. Barriers to delivering good care included low levels of training, ineffective regulation, lack of accreditation for trainers and a limited understanding of dementia by commissioners. During a four month long inquiry, families told MPs how a lack of skills led to poor care for loved ones. Experts reported less than half of staff providing home care had any dementia training and many were given just 15 minutes to deliver good care. In other evidence, high quality care reinforced that the right skills make a huge difference to people's lives. The report recommends that workforce development plans outlined in the National Dementia Strategy for England be quickly implemented. Jeremy Wright MP, Chair of All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia says, 'It is deeply disturbing that the UK is not equipped to deliver high quality dementia care. One in three people over 65 die with dementia. This report identifies significant barriers to good care but it also presents unique opportunities to put things right. Organisations who deliver good care show us that ongoing training, support and the opportunity to practice person-centred care transform people's lives. We must improve training and support across the UK and give staff recognition for the difficult and important role they undertake.' Neil Hunt, Chief Executive of Alzheimer's Society says, 'As the number of people with dementia reaches more than a million in less than 20 years, the entire social care workforce must be geared up to deliver good dementia care. Dementia care is a highly skilled profession. Social care staff must given the right support and training and the Department of Health must show leadership to deliver workforce development commitments in the National Dementia Strategy. Since the 1950's improvements in cancer care have given millions of people a better quality of life. The same must now be done for people with dementia.' Elsewhere the report recommends that the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) could be used to develop career pathways for dementia care that could attract new staff and government funding for training. MPs also advocate that the Short Observational Framework tool (SOFI) could be used to inspect services for people with dementia and that an accreditation programme for trainers must be developed. All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia (APPG) raises awareness dementia amongst parliamentarians and aims to influence legislation and policy making to improve the lives of people with dementia and their carers. the APPG on Dementia report, 'Always a last resort' found that up to.....read all of Workforce Not Ready To Deliver Dementia Care Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals, Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals, Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two
Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information
Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,
Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two Follow alzheimersideas on twitter
Listen my children and you shall hear Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five; Hardly a man is now alive Who remembers that famous day and year.
He said to his friend, "If the British march By land or sea from the town to-night, Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch Of the North Church tower as a signal light,– One if by land, and two if by sea; And I on the opposite shore will be, Ready to ride and spread the alarm Through every Middlesex village and farm, For the country folk to be up and to arm."
Then he said "Good-night!" and with muffled oar Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore, Just as the moon rose over the bay, Where swinging wide at her moorings lay The Somerset, British man-of-war; A phantom ship, with each mast and spar Across the moon like a prison bar, And a huge black hulk, that was magnified By its own reflection in the tide.
Meanwhile, his friend through alley and street Wanders and watches, with eager ears, Till in the silence around him he hears The muster of men at the barrack door, The sound of arms, and the tramp of feet, And the measured tread of the grenadiers, Marching down to their boats on the shore.
Then he climbed the tower of the Old North Church, By the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread, To the belfry chamber overhead, And startled the pigeons from their perch On the sombre rafters, that round him made Masses and moving shapes of shade,– By the trembling ladder, steep and tall, To the highest window in the wall, Where he paused to listen and look down A moment on the roofs of the town And the moonlight flowing over all.
Beneath, in the churchyard, lay the dead, In their night encampment on the hill, Wrapped in silence so deep and still That he could hear, like a sentinel’s tread, The watchful night-wind, as it went Creeping along from tent to tent, And seeming to whisper, "All is well!" A moment only he feels the spell Of the place and the hour, and the secret dread Of the lonely belfry and the dead; For suddenly all his thoughts are bent On a shadowy something far away, Where the river widens to meet the bay,– A line of black that bends and floats On the rising tide like a bridge of boats
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