Saturday, September 29, 2018

How music can help those with 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

Huffington Post
Leann Reynolds

Celia shares a picture of herself as a 7-year-old girl. Her young mother is leading her in a dance. Then she pulls out a second photograph, taken one week before her mother passed away from Alzheimer's at the age of 78. In this image, they are dancing again. This time, Celia is leading.

"As soon as I felt her lose herself to Alzheimer's, I would bring in my iTunes and play Spanish music for her," said Mrs. Pomerantz. "Then I could convince her to do anything -- we would dance over to the shower or out to get a meal."

Mrs. Pomerantz intuitively found what experts say is useful tool in helping people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

"Music speaks to a person's feelings, so it is a sensory and not intellectual experience," said Martha Tierney of the Alzheimer's Association. "That is partly why it works -- there is no pressure to understand it and they can just experience it."

Tapping into her mother's lifelong love of salsa music by world-renowned musicians such as Tito Puente, Celia Cruz and Pancho Sanchez, from her native Puerto Rico, Mrs. Pomerantz found a way to interact with her mother even after her mother lost her ability to talk.

"When my mother would hear music, she would give life to the music," she said, adding that her mother became known as the "dancing queen" at her final nursing home. "It brought her back to happy moments of maybe dancing with her own mother, or even her grandmother. It gave her a confidence, peace and serenity." Mrs. Pomerantz chronicled her mother's Alzheimer's in a Kindle book, "Alzheimer's: A Mother Daughter Journey."
While not everyone can rely on a history of family dancing and cultural music, it is important to find out what type of music your loved likes and keep playing it for them.

"I had a client who attacked his wife while they were driving," said Nataly Rubenstein of Alzheimer's Care Consultants in Miami Beach, Florida, explaining that the patient's dementia led him to feel agitated in a car. "It turns out his favorite music was the Bee Gees, and now he sits in the car holding the CD case while listening that music."
After her own mother was diagnosed with Tick's Disease (a form of dementia), Ms. Rubenstein was her primary caregiver for 16 years. She recalled that one day when her mother was in a particularly "nasty" mood, the sound of Tom Jones' "What's Up Pussycat?" on the radio calmed her down.

Despite being an expert in dementia care, Ms. Rubenstein stumbled into this soothing tool to help her mother's combative and belligerent nature, which she said is very pronounced with Tick's disease. However, she cautions caregivers to be extremely sensitive to finding music that their loved one will feel a connection to and not just randomly turn on the radio.

"If it wasn't familiar music to them, then it could aggravate them," she said. (She added half-jokingly: "If I ever get dementia, please dear God, I hope my caregivers don't play rap!")

Alzheimer's robs people of their short-term memory, explained Ms. Tierney, but their long-term memory can remain largely intact. "They maintain vivid memories of the past," she said. "A woman may look at her elderly husband and not recognize him as her husband because he does not look 35 years old anymore. So if you were to play music from that time period it would speak to her current reality."

In addition to finding the right music to soothe a loved one with Alzheimer's, a caregiver needs to also be aware of minimizing other sensory stimulation. "A radio can be too distracting with ads," Ms. Tierney said. "And headphones may work for some, but not others. There should not be a TV on in the same room, or other distracting noise."

That said, many people have found that live music can be particularly welcome for many Alzheimer's patients. This can be in the form of someone singing old camp songs, Christmas carols, church hymns, small symphonies and more.

Find out more about how therapeutic music can be for loved ones with Alzheimer's and other illnesses at the American Music Therapy Association's website, www.musictherapy.org.
"A person with Alzheimer's feels like everything is unfamiliar all of the time," Ms. Tierney said. "Allowing them to spend time with music that they recognize and retain memories of gives them the sense of familiarity in a world that is otherwise extremely confusing."

To learn more about treatment options visit Homewatch CareGivers'
Pathways to Memory page. Pathways to Memory is a program offered exclusively by Homewatch CareGivers and is comprised of two distinct service options: Specialized Dementia Care and Focused Memory Training.
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Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Prevent dementia apathy

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
The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]

Apathy strikes 90% of people with dementia, sooner or later. Faster decline and care problems result. Proper stimulation makes all the difference. Learn why. 



People with dementia are less likely to be apathetic if they live in an appropriately stimulating environment, according to nursing researchers.

According to a report by The Centers for Disease Control, about half the people in nursing homes have dementia. 90% of them experience apathy at some point, one of the most common neurobehavioral symptoms in dementia. Those with mild dementia will decline more quickly into severe dementia if they also suffer from apathy. 

A stimulating environment made all the difference in this revealing study of 5 factors. Specifically, moderate stimulation did the most to lift people out of their apathy, while none or too much made it worse.

Help Them Stay Engaged

Ying-Ling Jao, assistant professor of nursing, Penn State, identified 4 negative consequences of apathy in dementia:
  1. Persons with dementia who are also apathetic won't be curious about the world around them;
  2. They are not motivated to carry out activity nor engage with those around them, in either a positive or a negative way.
  3. The individuals' cognitive function will likely decline faster.
  4. Caregivers will have more difficulty with their caregiving and are more likely to become depressed.
Jao observed 40 nursing home residents with dementia. She watched videos of each taken throughout a typical day. Three videos were chosen for each resident from recordings made during a previous study:
  • One taken at a mealtime,
  • One during a direct interaction between the resident and staff
  • One that was randomly selected.
Jao reports her results in The Gerontologist. She said,
'The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between environmental characteristics and apathy in long-term care residents with dementia. My interest in apathy was mainly driven by my clinical observations in nursing homes when I was a nurse practitioner student. I remember that no matter which nursing home I visited, I often saw a crowd of residents sitting in the living room or hallway with no interest in the surroundings and no emotional expression.'

5 Influences on Apathy in Dementia

Jao zoomed in on five key characteristics that affect the quality of life in nursing homes:
  1. Environmental stimulation
  2. Ambiance
  3. Crowding
  4. Staff familiarity
  5. Light and sounds.
Of the five, clear and strong environmental stimulation associated most strongly with lower apathy in residents. This means an environment without competing background noise, and with a single straightforward stimulus. A good example is music therapy in a quiet room. A strong stimulus is intense, persistent, interesting and out of the ordinary. Even routine activities, such as a regular conversation or meal, count as moderate stimulation. A birthday party is considered strong simulation. 

Strong Stimulation, No Stimulation, Overwhelming Stimulation

Assistant Professor Jao said, 
'Interestingly, our results showed that clear and , dementia viewsstrong environmental stimulation is related to lower apathy, while no stimulation or an overwhelming environment with no single clear stimulation is related to higher apathy.'

'One of the innovative features of this study is that we used the Person-Environment Apathy Rating scale to measure environmental stimulation at an individual level. I believe that the same stimulation may be perceived differently or bring about different responses for different individuals in the same environment based on the individual's characteristics, interests and relevance to the stimulation. In fact, a stimulus may be clear to one person but unclear to another because of differences in hearing or visual abilities, especially in older adults.'

'One of the most important implications of these findings is that they will guide us in designing appropriate physical and social environments for dementia care that helps prevent or decrease apathy. We need more people to care about apathy for older adults with dementia.'
Jao plans to continue this research by replicating the study with a larger sample size and by looking more closely at the quality of interaction and communication between nursing home residents and their caregivers. 

Source:
Reference:
  1. Y.-L. Jao, D. L. Algase, J. K. Specht, K. Williams. The Association Between Characteristics of Care Environments and Apathy in Residents With Dementia in Long-term Care Facilities. The Gerontologist, 2015; 
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Friday, September 21, 2018

More about Columbus Day and 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


Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]


Activities Directors, caregivers, and others resposible for activities

 Here’s some history trivia to share with your residents:

 Italian mariner Cristoforo Colombo is called Cristobal Colon in Spanish, Cristovio Colombo in Portuguese and Christopher Columbus in English.
Columbus did not set out to discover a New World. He was obsessed with finding a westward route to Asia.

In January 1492, Columbus obtained the support of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain.
Columbus’ fleet included the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. On his first voyage to the New World, Columbus commandeered the Santa Maria.

The Santa Maria was shipwrecked off the coast of what is now Haiti.
Columbus declared himself the governor of the island of Hispaniola.
Columbus made a total of four voyages to the New World, specifically the West Indies.

During his third voyage, Columbus was returned to Spain in shackles.
The first recorded celebration of the discovery of America took place in New York City on October 12, 1792 — exactly 300 years after Columbus landed in the New World.
One hundred years later, President Harrison encouraged citizens to participate in the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ voyage.

On this day, the Pledge of Allegiance, written by Francis Bellamy, was recited publicly for the first time.

In 1937, President Roosevelt proclaimed October 12 as Columbus Day.

In 1971, President Nixon made the second Monday of October a national holiday.
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Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Make a family tree


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 Activity Director Today's e magazine

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Monday, September 17, 2018

Mind Building Games for Seniors



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

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]



 eHow

 Memory is one of the most difficult problems associated with aging. Seniors are more susceptible to degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and related dementias. One way to lower your risk of developing one of these mind-robbing diseases is to engage in mind-building games that force you to solve problems in a fun way. Find challenging games (like the ones listed below) that keep the brain active.

Computer Games

 Technology allows us to use our brain in more ways than ever before. We can advance skill levels, save our results and refer back to them to follow our progress. Below are two computer games that are mind-building for seniors.

 Posit Science -- Brain Fitness Program 2.0: This program ($395) has shown improvement in the memory of those who used it in the prescribed way.

MindFit: This game provides an Individualized system of mind-building games.
According to a March 2009 study at the International Alzheimer's conference in Salzburg, Austria, this game provides short-term memory improvement of 18 percent among participants age 50 and over. The price of this game ranges from $129 to $149.

Online Games

 Just the act of surfing the Internet is good for seniors looking to keep their minds active. According to an article in the October 19, 2009 issue of Science Daily, "First-time Internet users find an increase in brain building after just one week."
A good online resource is Brain Games, which is a program created by Prevention Magazine (see References). The site includes links to a variety of mind-building games for seniors.

Board and Card Games

 Board and card games that use strategy are also a great tool to help build the mind. Not only do the games....read all of Mind Building Games for Seniors
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Saturday, September 15, 2018

How to celebrate Columbus Day with those who have dementia

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

 Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two


Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

 In early October we celebrate Columbus Day. Most people with dementia remember learning about Columbus in school. You can design a trivia game using simple facts. First you can tell the story of Columbus sailing to
America to your audience of one or more.

 Then you can have a discussion about Columbus Day.
After the discussion, you can make up your own trivia game using facts in the story as well as any information the group member(s) want to include.

 Here are some sample trivia questions:
The person who discovered
America was______________(Columbus)
The year Columbus discovered
America was___________(1492)
The ship that starts with the letter N that was in the Columbus fleet was the ________________(Nina)
Design as many questions as you can think of.
A little while later, see how many questions the person with dementia can answer.

Then you can sing some patriotic songs.

Finally you can discuss what most Americans do on Columbus Day.

Hopefully you have the day off and can have a nice relaxing day with your friend with dementia.

 Remember to leave your comments and questions

 A good book to share with those who have dementia

 Adorable Photographs of Our Baby-Meaningful Mind Stimulating Activities
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Tuesday, September 11, 2018

National golf day



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

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]


Here is how the scoring goes in golf for a hole that is a par 4
1= a hole in one
2=an eagle
3= a birdie
4= par
5= bogie
6= double bogie This is related to an activity written about in the Alzheimer's Care Guide Magazine

 Holiday Insights

National Golf Day is October 4th

National Golf Day is a major charitable event, sponsored annually since 1952 by the PGA.

On National Golf Day, all of the over 4,300 professional members  the PGA are encouraged to play golf with contributors. The entry fees of contributors goes towards a wide range of charitable causes. Each year, a top ranked golfer is made chairman of this event. This is a truly admirable and worthy event. Many golf course hold their own events, with the proceeds going to charities.

 When is the date?
Calendar companies, and Ecard websites have this day documented on October 4th.

 Origin of National Golf Day:

The Professional Golfer's Association (PGA) created and sponsors National Golf Day. It has been held every year since its inception in 1952. The first event was held at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club, in Lemont, Il. The first event raised $80,000 for charities.


Did You Know? At the very first National Golf Day event, celebrities Bob Hope, Dean Martin, and Jerry Lewis were in attendance.


We did not find any documentation confirming this to be a "National" day. We found no congressional records or presidential proclamation. However, the contributions of this day to charitable groups, would make this day worthy of national recognition.


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Sunday, September 9, 2018

Residents' rights month 2018

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

National Consumer Voice


Residents' Rights Month 2018



October 01, 2018 - October 31, 2018        
October is “Residents’ Rights Month,” an annual event designated by Consumer Voice to honor residents living in all long-term care facilities. It is an opportunity to focus on and celebrate awareness of dignity, respect and the rights of each resident. The federal Nursing Home Reform Law guarantees residents’ rights and places a strong emphasis on individual dignity, choice, and self-determination.  The law also requires nursing homes to “promote and protect the rights of each resident”. Residents’ Rights Month is a time to raise awareness of these rights and celebrate residents.
This year's theme is “Speak Up: Know Your Rights and How to Use Them.”  The theme emphasizes the importance of residents being informed about their rights; being engaged partners in achieving quality care and quality of life; and feeling confident in speaking up about what is important to them.

Resources & Materials

Each year, the Consumer Voice develops a packet to help you plan your Residents’ Rights events. The packet is completely downloadable and features ready-to-use items, including promotional materials, activities to celebrate Residents' Rights Month, training tools and resources.

Resident's Voice Challenge


Click the example to the left to see this year's entries.
Long-term care consumers are encouraged to pick up their pens, dust off their type writers or use a computer to display their writing or artistic skills by submitting essays, poems, artwork, drawings, or videos related to the theme for Residents' Rights Month "Speak Up: Know Your Rights and How to Use Them." 
  • Find more information by reading the Residents' Voice guidelines here. 
  • Spread the word about the Resident's Voice Challenge with this flyer. 
  • We especially love videos! No need for fancy equipment; cell phone video will work great! 
  • Each participant featured in a photo or video must fill out a release form. 


Residents' Rights Month Products

2018 Residents' Rights Month Buttons
Perfect to give to volunteers, residents or other advocates!
Available in packs of 20, 50 and 100.




Residents' Rights Bookmarks    
Easy-to-read, laminated bookmarks - a tangible reminder of these important rights
Available in packs of 10 or 25.



  
Residents' Rights Poster Series
The set includes five 11"x17" poster each featuring a different essential residents' right and a quote from a resident illuminating the importance of the right.  The poster series are a useful visual reminder of residents' rights.  See all five posters here.

Residents' Rights Month Activities

Residents' Rights Month is a time to offer residents an opportunity to participate in engaging activities.  Use the activities below to involve residents and staff members in sharing with the community.
Activities for Residents with staff and ombudsmen:
Activities for Staff and Ombudsmen:

News and Events

Have something planned for Residents' Rights Month?  Was Residents' Rights Month featured by local media or government?  Send details and photos to info@theconsumervoice.org.
  • A Residents' Rights Gala will be held on October 24, 2018 in Midland, Texas.  The event will feature expert speakers and will be attended by residents and staff.
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Friday, September 7, 2018

World Alzheimer's Day is September 21. Be part of it.

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

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]

Author and Activities Director, Susan Berg, says "It is everyone’s duty to embrace this day because there is no time to lose when fighting the battle of preventing this terrible disease." Here are some simple things you can do

 What do you know about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias?

 How can you decrease your chances of getting these disease?

 How can you help someone with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia?

 This year’s theme is "No time to lose" with a focus this year on caregivers by emphasising and celebrating the contribution they make to society and giving them the recognition they deserve!

 Yes, there is an urgency for all to learn about these diseases and do what they can to prevent them in themselves. Also legislators need to be contacted so more funds can be allocated for research. World Alzheimer’s day, on Sept 21, is the perfect time to do this.

 Approximately twenty five million people worldwide already have Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. The number will continue to grow as the baby boomers reach the age of retirement.

 What can you do right now to lessen your chances of getting these diseases?

 1. Stop smoking! There is nothing positive about smoking. Studies have shown that smoking not only raises your chances of developing dementia, but it also increases your chances of getting other diseases.

2. Eat a healthy diet. Research suggests that the Mediterranean diet staves off the onset of dementia

3. Keep mentally active. Again studies have shown this, to be a way to delay the onset of dementia.

4. Keep physically active. Research indicates that moderate exercise at least a half an hour three times a week is another way to keep dementia from affecting you.

How can you help others?

Donate to the Alzheimer’s Association. Give your time and/ or money. Help with special events. Organize fund raisers.

Susan Berg has written a book called, Adorable Photographs of Our Baby, for those with dementia, their caregivers, and interested professionals.
She is donating money to the Alzheimer’s Association for each book she sells. She is passionate about educating others on these diseases. Visit her blog at http://dementiaviews.blogspot.com.

You or someone you know could develop symptoms tomorrow. The cost of caring for those with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia is expensive monetarily, physically, emotionally, and psychologically.


So please acknowledge World Alzheimer’s Day, September 21

 World Alzheimer's Month
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