Years of Birth and Chinese Zodiac

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

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

Years Corresponding to Chinese Zodiac Sign

Rat	1900	1912	1924	1936	1948	1960	1972	1984	1996	2008	2020
Ox	1901	1913	1925	1937	1949	1961	1973	1985	1997	2009	2021
Tiger	1902	1914	1926	1938	1950	1962	1974	1986	1998	2010	2022
Rabbit	1903	1915	1927	1939	1951	1963	1975	1987	1999	2011	2023
Dragon	1904	1916	1928	1940	1952	1964	1976	1988	2000	2012	2024
Snake	1905	1917	1929	1941	1953	1965	1977	1989	2001	2013	2025
Horse	1906	1918	1930	1942	1954	1966	1978	1990	2002	2014	2026
Sheep	1907	1919	1931	1943	1955	1967	1979	1991	2003	2015	2027
Monkey	1908	1920	1932	1944	1956	1968	1980	1992	2004	2016	2028
Rooster	1909	1921	1933	1945	1957	1969	1981	1993	2005	2017	2029
Dog	1910	1922	1934	1946	1958	1970	1982	1994	2006	2018	2030
Boar	1911	1923	1935	1947	1959	1971	1983	1995	2007	2019	2031

Below are the Chinese Zodiac signs, and the characteristics that correspond to each one.

Chinese Zodiac Sign Meanings

Rat:
Element: Water
Partners well with: Dragon and Monkey
Characteristics: Intelligent, adaptable, quick-witted, charming, artistic, sociable. 



Ox:
Element: Earth
Partners well with: Snake and Rooster
Characteristics: Loyal, reliable, thorough, strong, reasonable, steady, determined
Bull Symbolic Meaning here. 



Tiger:
Element: Wood
Partners well with: Horse and Dog
Characteristics: Enthusiastic, courageous, ambitious, leadership, confidence, charismatic
Click here for more Chinese symbolic meanings for Tiger. 



Rabbit:
Element: Wood
Partners well with: Sheep and Boar
Characteristics: Trustworthy, empathic, modest, diplomatic, sincere, sociable, caretakers. More on Rabbit meanings here. 



Dragon:
Element: Earth
Partners well with: Rat and Monkey
Characteristics: Lucky, flexible, eccentric, imaginative, artistic, spiritual, charismatic
More on Chinese Dragon Symbolism here. 


Snake:
Element: Fire
Partners well with: Rooster and Ox
Characteristics: Philosophical, organized, intelligent, intuitive, elegant, attentive, decisive
Symbolism of Snake here. 



Horse:
Element: Fire
Partners well with: Dog and Tiger
Characteristics: Adaptable, loyal, courageous, ambitious, intelligent, adventurous, strong 
(see also Horse symbolic meanings. 



Sheep:
Element: Earth
Partners well with: Boar and Rabbit
Characteristics: Tasteful, crafty, warm, elegant, charming, intuitive, sensitive, calm 



Monkey:
Element: Metal
Partners well with: Dragon and Rat
Characteristics: Quick-witted, charming, lucky, adaptable, bright, versatile, lively, smart. More on Monkey symbolism here. 



Rooster:
Element: Metal
Partners well with: Snake and Ox
Characteristics: Honest, energetic, intelligent, flamboyant, flexible, diverse, confident. For more information onRooster Symbol meanings, click here. 



Dog:
Element: Earth
Partners well with: Tiger and Horse
Characteristics: Loyal, sociable, courageous, diligent, steady, lively, adaptable, smart 



Boar:
Element: Water
Partners well with: Sheep and Rabbit
Characteristics: Honorable, philanthropic, determined, optimistic, sincere, sociable 

Do your part to help cure Alzheimer's

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

Dear Reader:


Congress has proposed the first significant increase in funding for Alzheimer research in five years. The increase would push funding to approximately $662 million and keep pace with medical research inflation.


Unfortunately, Congress may not bring the bill with the proposed increase for Alzheimer research funding to a vote before adjourning for the election in November.


Your lawmakers are home in August and are listening to their constituents. Demand that they vote for the proposed funding increase for Alzheimer research when they return to Washington DC in September!


Take Action:


Email your Senators and Representative. Demand a vote on the Labor/Health & Human Services/ Education Appropriations bill (S 32

Remember to personalize the email by adding a few words on why Alzheimer research matters to yo

THANK YOU

National Cocoa Day is coming

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

Punchbowl

It’s National Cocoa Day! Nothing warms you up better on a cold winter day than a nice cup of hot cocoa! Cocoa (the dried, fully fermented seeds of the cacao tree) is the basis for cocoa powder, which is used to make the hot cocoa beverage we all know and love. Did you know that monkeys were the first creatures to discover that the cacao plant was edible and quite tasty? Over 1500 years ago, monkeys began to consume the pulp of the plant and spit out the beans. Humans soon began to follow the monkey's example and the rest is history.

Cacao trees are grown all over the world, but it is believed that the first cacao trees grew in South America. Cocoa is similar to wine in that its flavor differs depending on the location where it is grown. It's a good thing that cacao trees are plentiful because approximately 300 to 600 cocoa beans are needed to make just two pounds of chocolate!

To celebrate National Cocoa Day, make your favorite type of cocoa to enjoy. For a holiday twist on a traditional cup of cocoa, try adding a candy cane!

Alzheimer's cooking activity with cocoa

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

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

Making a sweet treat with cocoa We are going to talk about making cocoa. However, this is not ordinary cocoa.This is healthy cocoa
Here are the ingredients
2 heaping teaspoons per 5 ounce cup(standard Styrofoam coffee cup)
a little more or less depending on how much the participant likes chocolate.
1 packet of sugar or sugar substitute
5 ounces or less ,hot water*actually, you can use cool water if you prefer
Optional milk substituted for all or some of the hot water.Were you wondering about this 

By adding just a few teaspoons of water or milk, you can make a chocolate sauce.
You can spread the chocolate sauce on a graham cracker for a yummy treat

Directions
Give each participant a Styrofoam or other coffee cup with 2 heaping teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa in it.
Leave the spoon in the cup if this is appropriate
Give each participant a packet of sweetener depending on his/her dietary restrictions.
Have the group members open the sweetener packet and pour the contents into the cup. As always, give help as needed

Here is the next step to making a healthy brain boosting treat for those with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias .

Have each person mix the cocoa and the sweetener with the spoon. Assist those needing help

If you are concerned that someone might get hurt pouring hot water near the group members collect the labeled cups, pour the water into the cups. Allow them to cool and distribute them.

There are many variations
Add a few teaspoons of room temperature water or milk to each cup with mixed cocoa and sweetener.

Have the group member mix the ingredients together.

Of course, this is a good activity for all long term care residents because it is simple, healthy, and easily adaptable to a wide variety of people.

You must mix this well for the cocoa to dissolve. Scoop the mixed chocolate sauce onto a graham cracker, piece of plain cake, plain yogurt  or ice cream.

If someone needs to have thickened liquids,make the cocoa with 5 ounces of water and add thickener to the mixture to get the right consistency.

What I like about this activity is that you can make a cocoa treat for just about anyone unless he/she does not like chocolate. This is also a great activity because unsweetened cocoa is extremely high in antioxidants. As you know, foods and beverages rich in antioxidants combat oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is a key componant to Alzheimer's disease because it can increase the amount of plaque in an Alzheimer's brain. There is much more information to follow

Please join us in a discussion.

By Susan Berg author of Adorable Photographs of Our Baby-Meaningful Mind Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, Their Loved Ones and Involved Professionals, a book for those with dementia and an excellent resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals.

Dementia friendship visit

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

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

Tips for making the most of your friendship visit

visit

• Be relaxed, be yourself and avoid forced cheerfulness. 

• Have a flexible attitude – things may not go to plan. 

• Accept that you may have to initiate conversation and things to do. 

• Take something with you to share.

• Establish a visiting routine: say hello and introduce yourself.

 • As you leave ask if you may visit again, smile and wave. 

• Don’t rush things. Your friend may need time to register who you are and why you are there. 

• Remember that silence is not necessarily a negative thing. 

• Choose a quiet, familiar location and introduce one thing at a time. 

• If possible, and desirable, visit with some regularity, even for a brief time. 

• While your last visit may not be remembered, it was enjoyed at the time. 

• Be kind to yourself; it’s possible some visits may leave you feeling sad. 

For more information go to  dementia friendship

Dementia and friendship

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

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

PubMed

 Friendships are an integral part of the human experience. Yet, dementia often takes a toll on social relationships, and many friends withdraw. This research, however, focuses on friendships that remain, despite a diagnosis of dementia. It examines the quality of the friendships of people with dementia and long-term friendships. Data were collected through focus group interviews with people with early stage dementia and their care partners, and through interviews with designated friends. The findings show that people with dementia do have friends that remain and they have a wide variety of friendships, from those based on one shared activity to those of multifaceted deep relationships. The long-term friendships, which last across the various stages of dementia, appear to fall into two types: one, where the person with dementia has become more like a family member than a friend (suffusion); and the other where the diagnosis of dementia was the impetus for the relationship to become closer (progressive friendship).

Alzheimer's Therapeutic Activities

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

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

Alzorginfo.com

How can therapeutic activities help manage the symptoms of Alzheimer's?

Planning structured, individualized activities that involve and interest the person with Alzheimer's may reduce many of the more disturbing behavioral symptoms of AD, such as agitation, anger, frustration, depression, wandering or rummaging. Health professionals who work with Alzheimer's patients say therapeutic activities should focus on the person's previous interests, cue the person to old and recent memories and take advantage of the person's remaining skills while minimizing the impact of skills that may be compromised.

What kinds of therapeutic activities are best?

Successful activities support a person's sense of self - bringing out their skills, memories and habits - and reinforce the person's sense of being in a group, which can provide friendship, mutual support and spiritual connectedness.

Any number of activities may be beneficial depending on the individual, and different activities may affect certain symptoms but not others. (For example, music therapy may improve eating in some people but not others.) Any former hobby or interest of the person is a candidate, from gardening, cooking, painting and drawing, to singing, playing musical instruments or listening to music, etc. Routine is essential: Activities that are done regularly, perhaps even at the same time every day if possible, may help establish routine and increase the person's sense of stability.

Some of the therapeutic activities that have been shown in rigorous research studies to reduce certain problem behaviors in people with Alzheimer's are:

•playing music of the person's choosing;
•one-on-one interaction;
•playing videotapes of family members;
•walking and light exercise;
•pet therapy.
Several programs that combine various therapeutic activities have also shown favorable results in people with Alzheimer's. These include a multifaceted program of music, exercise, crafts and relaxation, and structured sessions combining meditation, relaxation, sensory awareness and guided imagery, so-called mind-over-body techniques designed to calm and soothe.

Where can I learn more about beneficial activities?
Your doctor, nursing staff or social worker should be able to help you determine what types of activities might be best and direct you to community resources that can help. Medical centers or healthcare service providers that serve Alzheimer's patients, such as adult care centers or home healthcare networks, may sponsor programs or know about programs in your area.

A baby brings much comfort to those with dementia. All people are hard wired to love babies. It is almost instinctive.

What else can you offer a lower functioning late stage dementia person?

As I stated before taping into the senses of these dementia persons seem to work well. We talked about visually stimulating activities.

Actually a sensory activity should tap into all a person's senses. You should individualize the activity by focusing on a person's strongest sense. If you are doing this in a group, you will have to change the emphasis for each person. It is almost like doing one to one encounters within a group. This is fine. You can have certain parts of the group that touch everyone and tie everything together.

More ideas soon

By Susan Berg author of Adorable Photographs of Our Baby-Meaningful Mind Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, Their Loved Ones and Involved Professionals a book for those with dementia and an excellent resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals.