skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Activities directors and other healthcare professionals 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
Here is a Thanksgiving poem. Thank you for all you do
For flowers that bloom about our feet;
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;
For song of bird, and hum of bee;
“Thank God every day when you get up that you have something to do that day which must be done whether you like it or not. Being forced to work and forced to do your best will breed in you temperance and self-control, diligence and strength of will, cheerfulness and content, and a hundred virtues which the idle will never know.”
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee!
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
How to Eat Right, Keep Calm and Enjoy Thanksgiving with Someone Who Has Alzheimer's Disease or a Related Dementia How to Eat Right, Keep Calm and Enjoy Thanksgiving with Someone Who Has Alzheimer's Disease or a Related Dementia
According to the National Institute of Mental Health(NIMH) over 5.5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. Countless others are impacted by their illness. Studies have shown that eating right staves off dementia and slows the decline of someone who already has Alzheimer's disease or another type of dementia.
What can you do as a friend, loved one, or health care professional, to make Thanksgiving enjoyable and healthy.
The first thing is to keep it simple. Do not make elaborate dishes that take lots of time. There are plenty of easy healthy recipes out there. Using South Beach Diet, Zone Diet or Weight Watchers recipes is a good place to start. You can modify the recipes according to the dementia persons' likes and dislikes.
Another tip is to involve persons with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. Ask them about their preferences. If they say that they do not know, help them by telling them about things you like. Say, for example, I like squash. How about you? Then talk about ways to make squash. In this way, you can discuss every item you want to have for Thanksgiving.
Have them help you prepare the food. Give dementia persons simple tasks to do. Of course, you need to know their strengths and weaknesses to choose an appropriate chore. Make sure the assignment is failure free. In other words, there is no right or wrong way to do it. While you are preparing the food, reminisce about past Thanksgivings. Do not ask: Do you remember when...? Rather say That was so much fun when we...
Have a good belly laugh while talking about the good old days. Remember, research indicates that laughter does make someone feel better.
Fill your home with pleasant soothing aromas. Making a soup before or after Thanksgiving is a good way to do this. Cook the soup on a low flame all day long to let those heavenly smells fill the air.
Do not have too many guests at the meal. Make sure to keep it low key.
You may want to have two Thanksgiving meals. One for you and one for them. The one for them need not be on Thanksgiving Day. Pick a day that you and the dementia person can spend the day together enjoying all the happiness has to offer.
Now that you have read about the tips for healthy dementia dining, go have a great day
The book Adorable Photographs of Our Baby makes a great holiday gift for someone with dementia
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
Get your loved one with dementia a perfect gift to enjoy on Thanksgiving or anytime.
Over 5.5 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 persons 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.
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 Hammersteins 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.
A music download 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 Thanksgiving, 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 Thanksgivings 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 friend with dementia this Thanksgiving 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
Activities directors and other healthcare professionals 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
Writely Applied at Thanksgiving
Tags: creative writing, writely applied, writers, writing, alzheimer’s, dementia, dr susan berg, thanksgiving, violette desantis
I have to compliment Dr. Susan Berg at Dementia Today. She has been running a couple of post series at her site dedicated to dementia. The first was Top ways to enjoy Thanksgiving with those who have dementia (ten parts). The second has been Creativity and dementia which has covered a wide range of creative ideas to share with those close to you who suffer from dementia. This is such an important time for families and in many instances a difficult time to celebrate with those suffering..............read Susan's recent posts on this blog
Posts
