Alzheimer’s

During holiday visits with seniors, keep an eye out for these signs of dementia.

From the second the door swings open and your elderly loved one wraps you in a warm embrace, through the joyous holiday meal and each timeless family custom, possibilities abound for not simply quality time together, but also to assess how your parent is really doing and if any warning signs of dementia are noted. 

There are specific indicators which can suggest cognitive issues, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Because Alzheimer’s is now more and more common in seniors, and because early diagnosis and treatment are fundamental, the dementia care team at Hired Hands Homecare recommends monitoring for any of the following common signs and symptoms of early onset Alzheimer’s disease throughout your holiday visit this year:

Social differences. According to John Ramsay, CEO of Shift … Read More »

Researchers are gleaning information from elephants to help us better understand Alzheimer’s disease.

The old adage is true: elephants truly do have amazing memories, even into their later years. To illustrate, they’re able to recollect and go back to highly specific locations decades after visiting them, irrespective of age. Exactly what can we glean from elephants that may result in helping us better understand Alzheimer’s disease and to maximize our own cognitive performance later in life?

Remarkably, older elephants’ brains show no buildup of the amyloid plaques some researchers are linking to Alzheimer’s. Even though other health professionals tout the need for sufficient sleep to permit the mind the chance to clean away plaques, elephants are tromping over that theory, sleeping as little as 2 hours daily.

But one factor rises above the rest which may be the main key: socialization. … Read More »

Family dynamics can make it challenging to provide care for a loved one with whom you have a difficult relationship.

When it comes to caring for a family member, family dynamics can play a big part in the caregiver’s outlook. For those who have been brought up by loving parents who provided for all their needs, providing the same standard of care may simply be second nature. But what if you’ve been scarred by childhood experiences, determined to keep your distance from difficult family members later in life, simply to end up going back to provide assistance for them in a period of need? 

AARP offers some helpful tips for family members who want to conquer old wounds in the interests of providing care:

Set emotional boundaries. It’s possible to give compassionate home care while staying emotionally detached. Just … Read More »

When a friend or loved one is facing a health concern, it’s important to know what not to say.

Have you ever walked in to the office or a get-together with friends or family and had a person say to you with great concern, “You really look tired today!” Although you may have been feeling pretty perky before that interaction, without warning you may suddenly actually feel exhausted and rundown. The words we use with each other and the manner by which we interpret them are meaningful. And when speaking with people who have a long-term health concern, it’s very important to thoughtfully think about what to express, and maybe more importantly, what NOT to say, that can help the person feel his or her best.

While we are surely well meaning, there are specific comments which are … Read More »

An innovative new stroke recovery therapy holds promise for restoring mobility.

In an innovative, ongoing trial, deep-brain stimulation – more commonly used for Parkinson’s patients – has recently been tested on stroke survivors. Physicians are hoping that the end result associated with the deep-brain stimulation treatment – which involves implanting an electrode to stimulate a particular portion of the brain – will restore mobility in stroke recovery patients and place an end to the paralysis that so many often experience after a stroke, making the future of home care for stroke patients look much brighter!

To be able to comprehend how a stroke hinders normal brain activity, Laurie Ann Bonkoski, a speech therapist, compares a stroke to a home whose front door has unexpectedly become obstructed by a fallen tree. In her studies, she’s determined to sidestep that … Read More »

Seniors and the holidays: learn why feelings of sadness are not uncommon.

In spite of its reputation for being viewed as the season of joy, the combination of seniors and the holidays can lead to profound feelings of unhappiness for many older adults. Yearning for holidays past, despair over the loss of family and friends, and worrisome changes to health can intensify throughout the holiday season, and it’s important to take the appropriate steps to help older loved ones avoid the downward spiral into senior holiday depression.

If an older adult you love is feeling blue this holiday season, begin by asking yourself these three questions

Could it possibly be normal nostalgia? Wistful feelings of nostalgia, thinking of pre-pandemic holiday get-togethers and celebrations, are normal for all of us. See if the older adult’s sadness is lifted immediately following … Read More »

Provide the gift of memories for a loved one with dementia this holiday season.

 “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” – Dr. Seuss

Memories are what binds together our past experiences with who we are today; and for a senior with Alzheimer’s, confusion around these memories can have a powerful impact. One of our goals as a home care company in Santa Rosa, CA and surrounding areas in caring for seniors diagnosed with dementia is to help them store and share memories in order to make sense of daily life.

A great way to make this happen is through the creation of a memory book, which includes pictures and short descriptions to refer back to when an older adult has questions regarding his or her identity, relatives, etc. A … Read More »

Incorporating laughter in dementia care can help relieve stress and instill joy.

Caring for someone you love with dementia is definitely nothing to laugh about. Yet studies are increasingly pointing towards the benefits of laughter in dementia care, and adding it may be exactly what the doctor ordered to boost well-being for a senior loved one.

As an example, an Australian study just recently revealed that humor therapy is effective in reducing agitation in individuals with dementia as effectively as antipsychotic medications, without any negative side effects. Shared laughter connects us, and assists people who have cognitive difficulties to feel understood, secure, and at ease. As stated by Lori La Bey, founder of Alzheimer’s Speaks, “When anyone is sick or having a hard time, they still like to laugh. I spend a lot of time teaching people that … Read More »

Learn how Alzheimer’s impacts vision and what steps to take to ensure safety.

The intricate steps needed to make it possible for us to see are mind-boggling. Within the blink of an eye, our brains have the capability to take transmitted details from the environment around us, translate that information based upon input from other senses, thoughts, and experiences, and then build an understanding of that information to help make us conscious of what we are seeing.

It’s unsurprising that Alzheimer’s impacts vision, and therefore people with Alzheimer’s can encounter misperceptions and visual deficits, particularly in the aspects of:

Depth and/or color perception
Contrast
Motion recognition
Peripheral vision

What’s more, individuals who have Alzheimer’s can frequently encounter an altered sense of reality in the form of illusions. For instance, someone with Alzheimer’s disease could see a shadow on the ground, and mistake … Read More »

Senior personal care needs, like dressing, can become a struggle with dementia.

Being a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or any other kind of dementia requires empathy, creativity, and patience, the capacity to step away from your individual reasoning and logic and realize why a specific behavior is occurring, and then to understand just how to effectively manage it. That is certainly the case with senior personal care needs, such as a loved one who won’t change his/her clothing, in spite of how dirty or unkempt an outfit has become.

There are several reasons why a senior with Alzheimer’s disease may insist upon wearing the same outfit, including:

Memory or judgment problems, including losing track of time or thinking the clothes were recently changed
The comfort and familiarity of a particular piece of clothing
A need to maintain control
Struggles with … Read More »