It’s beneficial for any older adult to stay active as they age, but especially for those with Parkinson’s, exercise could have a great impact on managing Parkinson’s symptoms. Several studies are uncovering direct links between physical exercise and Parkinson’s symptom management. In the largest clinical study to date, patients who exercised no less than 2½ hours per week gained a greater total wellbeing compared to those who refrained from physical…
Alzheimer’s Care: Balancing the Responsibilities of Caregiving
Being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s is life-changing both for the person receiving the diagnosis and anyone who loves them. It is important for family caregivers to allow themselves ample time to prepare for the changes to come with the new responsibilities of caregiving and to discover a healthy way to sort out the assorted emotions that manifest.
Dementia Caregiving: Unexpected Factors to Watch
If you’re the caregiver for someone with Alzheimer’s, then you know how much patience, flexibility, and willingness to expect the unexpected that dementia caregiving takes. On any given day, the person may experience a broad array of emotions: calm, angry, agitated, fearful, giddy, melancholy. As you modify your care strategy to correspond to the person’s demeanor, you also need to juggle management of a host of challenging symptoms: wandering, repetitive…
The Surprising Benefits of Laughter in Alzheimer’s Care
Alzheimer’s disease is definitely nothing to laugh about. However, studies are increasingly indicating the benefits of laughter in Alzheimer’s care, and adding humor may be just what the doctor ordered to improve quality of life for a senior you love. For example, an Australian study revealed that humor therapy is as effective in decreasing agitation in individuals with dementia as antipsychotic medications, with no negative side effects. Sharing laughter connects…
Understanding Dementia-Related Vision Problems
The many complicated steps required to allow us to see are almost unfathomable. In the blink of an eye, our brains can take transmitted information from the environment around us, translate those details in conjunction with input from our other senses, thoughts, and experiences, and then produce an understanding of that information to help us comprehend exactly what we are seeing. It’s easy to see how someone with Alzheimer’s disease…
Top Tips to Prevent Alzheimer’s Wandering
Innovative Approaches to Communicating With Someone With Alzheimer’s
Communicating with a senior loved one struggling with all the challenges of Alzheimer’s, particularly in the middle and later stages, is often frustrating – both for you personally as well as for the person with Alzheimer’s. Brain changes impact the ability to listen, process, and respond to conversations, and it’s up to us to implement different approaches to communicating with someone with Alzheimer’s to more successfully connect with them.
Top Tips for Minimizing Family Caregiver Stress
Family caregiver stress is unavoidable, and in reality, not always a bad thing. Basically, as they say, “A diamond is just a piece of charcoal that handled stress exceptionally well.” But particularly for family caregivers, the level of stress can quickly intensify and become overwhelming, and if not handled properly, bring on serious health concerns.
Know the Warning Signs of Senior Depression
Everyone goes through times when they just want to be by themselves for a bit with their thoughts, to work through issues in their lives without distractions, or simply to experience some downtime. For seniors, however, being isolated for an extended period of time may be indicative of a more serious condition: depression.
Know the Difference Between Dementia and Depression in Seniors
A visit with Mom recently revealed a number of unsettling signs. Even though she’s always been up at the crack of dawn, now it is hard to wake her before lunchtime. Rather than fixing an elaborate home-cooked meal, she prefers to simply warm up a can of soup; and can barely finish a small bowlful. Not only that, but she’s lost interest in spending time with her beloved friends from…