Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Anoother mind stimulating activity for thse with dementia

Activities directors, other healthcare professionals and caregivers here is a mind stimulating, fun activity brought to you by an
Alzheimer's Activities Expert
read her blogs about limericks.

Here are some more suggestions

There once was a pauper named Meg
Who accidentally broke her _______.
She slipped on the ______.
Not once, but ______
Take no pity on her, I __________.

The artist who's working in wood
Must be certain her handtools are ____
For if those knives be ____
It's certain she'll ____
Over blood spilled for her ______.

Describe a librarian's day?
Peaceful and quiet, you___
There is one thing it ____
Back there in the stacks____
And that thing is more decent ____.

The secret of love is the power
To weather the sweet and the _____
Your joy will not _____
With love as your ______
Through sunshine and through _______.

For dementia information, click here

For more Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here

For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here

For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Kimberly-Clark revamps Depend line for men, women

Activities directors, other healthcare professionals and caregivers, here is a product that should be of interest to you. It is especially useful for those with dementia

Reuters
By Jessica Wohl

CHICAGO, - Kimberly-Clark Corp (KMB.N) is overhauling its Depend line to offer disposable underwear tailored to men and women as it prepares for an influx of aging Americans who need incontinence products.

Depend has been around for nearly 25 years, but this is the first time it is offering separate versions of absorbent underwear for men and women.

The products, which look more like traditional cotton underwear than an adult diaper, will be available in North American stores in March and appear in Europe later in 2009.

While Depend is a smaller business than other Kimberly-Clark products such as Huggies diapers or Kleenex tissues, it expects an aging population will help boost sales.

Baby Boomers, the generation of Americans born between 1946 and 1964, are heading toward retirement with the oldest set to turn 65 in 2011. Many of them are already caring for parents who may use incontinence products.

Underwear currently accounts for about 75 percent of Depend brand sales.

Six unisex versions of Depend underwear will be replaced by six versions for women and two versions for men. The new products have different leg openings and other changes to fit men's and women's bodies. They offer 28 percent better leakage protection than ......read the whole article

For dementia information, click here

For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click
here


For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here

For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here

Monday, March 16, 2009

Another top activity for those with dementia

Alzheimer's Activities Expert
Activities directors, other healthcare professionals, and caregivers....
How do we get folks with dementia or anyone else for that matter interested in square dancing and why would you want to?

Every six months or so I invite a local square dancing group to our nursing home. As you can see by the picture, the members of the group are not young. Yet all are sharp mentally. Why “You ask?”

I have not delved into each person’s background. However I know that when you do activities that stimulate your mind and body at the same time, you go a long way in staving off dementia.

The folks I work with everyday already have dementia. So what do I do?
First let them......read the whole post

For dementia information, click here

For more Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here

For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here

For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here

Thursday, March 12, 2009

The independent resident with dementia

Alzheimer's Activities Expert
Activities Directors, other healthcare professionals and caregivers. What do you do for the resident, client or family mamber who likes to do things independently?

I just found this book which is ideal for those who are even the least bit interested in history. The puzzles are easy enough that people who like to puzzles can achieve success and be challenged at the same time.

There are so many historical events we celebrate throughout the year. It is nice to have a book that highlights them in an......read the whole post and a link to buying the book

For more dementia information, click here

For more Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here

For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here

For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here

Monday, March 9, 2009

A neat trivia activity with a twist

Alzheimer's Activities Expert
Activities Directors,other healthcare professionals and caregivers, here is some valuable information
We know those with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias need mind stimulating activities daily.

We also know that persons with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias love trivia because they know the answers

The trick is to present the information in a new format that gives each person a chance to participate.

One activity that I like to do is called Table Ball Trivia.

This activity uses trivia question or statements of your choice, a ball of 16 to 20 inches in diameter, and a table big enough to accomodate the number of participants in your group.

This activity can be done one on one as well.

You also may have to put...read the whole post

For more dementia information, click here

For more Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here

For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here

For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Having A Parent With Dementia May Affect Memory In Midlife

Activities directors, other healthcare professionals and caregivers, this should interest you

EmaxHealth

Posted under: Brain & Nervous System
People who have parents diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia may be more likely to have memory loss themselves in middle age, according to a study released by the American Academy of Neurology.

For the study, researchers used the Framingham Heart Study to follow three generations of participants to study risk factors of Alzheimer’s and other diseases. A total of 715 people belonging to the second generation of the Framingham Heart Study with an average age of 59 were included in the research. One group of 282 people had one or both parents with diagnosed dementia. The other group of 433 people had parents without dementia. Scientists tested for a gene thought to be a strong risk factor for dementia, called the ApoEe4 gene.

Among people who were carriers of the ApoEe4 gene, those who had parents with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia had......read the rest of the story

For more dementia information, click here

For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here

For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here

For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Activity Program for Persons with Dementia

Elderly Health Service
Department of Health

Carers Corner

Activity Program for Persons with Dementia

Activities are essential for living. Well-planned daily activities that help to provide structure, meaning and achievement have positive effects for the person with dementia.


Benefits of activities for the person with dementia

Enhance physical, mental, social and emotional health;

Develop competence, achieve mastery that promote self esteem and self worth;

To help the person with dementia to realize his/her fullest potential and to help them to rediscover themselves;

Enhance attention and adaptive skills that maximize independence;

Provide opportunities for social interaction, emotional release that helps to delay negative symptoms and promote positive aging;

Experience pleasure, life satisfaction and enhance the quality of life.

Essential elements for appropriate activities

Have specific goal and meaning to the person with dementia;

Able to motivate patient for participation;

Fit the physical and mental capabilities of the person with dementia;

Suitable to the need, interest, age, social & educational background and former life styles of the person with dementia;

Provide opportunities for enjoyment during the process of participation;

Provide opportunities for the sense of control and satisfaction;

Does not pose threat or sense of failure;

The process and content should be flexible and easily adapted to meet various needs of the person with dementia.

Choice of activity programs

1. Self-care activities

A safe and relaxing environment, simplified workflow, and the use of tools or adaptations could help the person with dementia to develop sense of control, competence and maximize independence in self-care activities such as dressing, bathing, grooming and dining etc.

2. Household activities

Participation in familiar household activities encourages continuous life experience. When meal planning, cooking and money management become too demanding for the persons with dementia, simple tasks like folding serviettes, table-setting and sweeping the floor in a safe environment could be considered.

3. Leisure activities

Leisure activities that encourage active participation and social interaction are valuable for the person with dementia. Sing-a-long, listening to radio, playing chess, physical exercise, keeping pets and craft work are common examples of leisure activities that provide opportunity for pleasure and enjoyment.

4. Reminiscence activities

Through a process of....read the whole thing

For more dementia information, click here

For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here

For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here

For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

What are some good games for Elderly people with Dementia ?

Activities Directors, other healthcare professionals and careegivers here are some activity suggestions you may find helpful

As for Games...it would be fun to play

POKER - (and you could round out that $ per. hour income :)
Musical Wheelchairs
Hide and seek ( do this right before break time)
Board game - Concentration
Board Game - Operation ( maybe not:)
lol

In all seriousness here are some suggestions:

NPR has a Great service called :
"Story Corps"- Listening is an Act of Love.
StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit project whose mission is to honor and celebrate one another's lives through listening.
It is to Record the......read the whole post

For more dementia information, click here

For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here

For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here

For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here