By Professor Asseff Definitions and Broader Impact on Older Adults Profound adverse health and mental health challenges stemming from the COVID19 pandemic are still a daily reality for many people living in the U.S. and globally. Large studies of the general population during the pandemic showed that many people experienced uncontrolled fears related to infection, pervasive anxiety, frustration, boredom, disabling loneliness, and depression [1, 2]. While social distancing measures were essential for controlling the infection rate and keeping vulnerable groups safe, the impact of prolonged so ..read more

Taken From: http://www.alzheimersweekly.com/2013/10/dont-take-it-so-hard-for-your-brains.html The Study Women who suffer from a lot of stress in middle age may increase their risk of developing dementia. This is according to research published in the online journal BMJ Open. The researchers say that the response to common life events – such as divorce or serious illness or death of a close family member – may trigger long lasting physiological changes in the brain. The study looked at 800 Swedish women whose mental health and wellbeing was tracked over a period of almost 40 years as part of t ..read more

Taken From: a Pacific Medical Training article written by Sarah Gehrke, MSN, RN Recognize Alzheimer’s Disease Providing first aid for people with Alzheimer’s can be a challenge, and it’s crucial to remember that no two people are the same. The following tips will help you identify someone with dementia. The person may: Appear disoriented and confused. Appear fearful, agitated, frustrated, angry, or is crying. Have a facial expression that is inappropriate in relation to the circumstances or have a flat affect. Have difficulty with gait and balance, which may be mistaken for intoxication. Repl ..read more

The holidays can be a stressful time for us all, but those caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s face an added set of challenges, both practical and emotional.  Dealing with grief during this cheery season, whether you’re grieving a deceased loved one or grieving the many daily losses of dementia, is very difficult.  Furthermore, attending to holiday shopping, hosting family, and keeping a calm environment and stable routine for your loved one with dementia can be a real challenge!  Read on to learn some strategies for getting through the holiday season as an Alzheimer’s careg ..read more

Thanksgiving Day is a time of togetherness, celebrated with relatives and friends. People with a dementia such as Alzheimer’s need a special touch. Here are four insights holiday tips. “Family members may be unsure of how to approach a loved one who experiences memory loss, repeats conversations, forgets members of the family, and is confused,” notes Dr. Stephen Moelter, associate professor of psychology at University of the Sciences. “This can cause family members to feel uncomfortable”. Dr. Moelter believes that adults and children alike can arm themselves with ways to engage people with mem ..read more

Home Design: Use this safety Checklist for living at home with dementia. It can alert you to potential hazards. Your home is a personal and precious environment. As you go through this checklist, make adaptations that modify and simplify without severely disrupting the home. You may want to consider setting aside a special area for yourself, a space off-limits to anyone else and arranges exactly as you like. Everyone needs private, quiet time. A safe home can be a less stressful home for a person with a dementia such as Alzheimer’s, the caregiver, and family members. You don’t have to make the ..read more

Reminiscence is a way of reviewing past events that is usually a very positive and rewarding activity. Even if the person with dementia cannot participate verbally it can still give them pleasure to be involved in reflections on their past. It can also be a means of distraction if the person becomes upset. While reviewing past events can provide a sense of peace and happiness, it can also stir up painful and sad memories. It is important to be sensitive to the person’s reactions if this happens. If their distress seems overwhelming then it is better to use another form of distraction to reduce ..read more

EMERGENCY BAG CHECKLIST: People with Alzheimer’s need to be prepared for an emergency. Simple planning now will make future hospital trips a lot less stressful. Ease visits by preparing today for emergencies, as well as routine stays. Check out these tips. The post Emergency Rooms and Alzheimer’s Patients appeared first on Alzheimer's Texas ..read more

Plan Ahead with these tips to make outings fun People with mild Alzheimer’s often enjoy places they enjoyed in the past – a favorite restaurant, parade, park, shopping mall, swimming pool, museum, or theater. Plan outings for the time of day when the person with Alzheimer’s is at his or her best. Keep outings from becoming too long. Take note of how tired the person gets after a certain amount of time. Bring the person home before he or she becomes overtired. Use a business-size card to tell others about the person’s disease. Sharing this information with store clerks or restaurant staff can m ..read more

If you couldn’t see your mashed potatoes, you probably wouldn’t eat them. That’s why what “The Red Plate Study” found was astonishing! Alzheimer’s patients eating from red plates consumed 25 percent more food than those eating from white plates. Boston University Biopsychologist Alice Cronin-Golomb and her research partners designed the “red plate study.” Their idea was to see whether seniors with advanced Alzheimer’s would eat more food from red plates than they did from white ones. The researchers in the Vision & Cognition Lab of the Center for Clinical Biopsychology, which Cro ..read more