We are told frequently that managing our health, preventing chronic disease and reducing our potential risk factors can help us age more successfully. Nutrition is one area where lifestyle changes can and have been proven to benefit us, especially combating chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Improved nutrition in those already afflicted with… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Alzheimer’s
Talking Dogs as Companions for Seniors: Great Idea from GeriJoy
Dogs can be great companions for our senior loved ones who are aging in place, as we discussed in a recent post, especially those who are living alone. Caring for the needs of a dog can be a challenge for some seniors, some of whom are the recipients of care themselves. Companions with whom they… Continue Reading
Alzheimer’s Family Caregivers Making End of Life Decisions
End of life care decisions are among the toughest of the many difficult decisions caregivers face along their journey caring for senior loved ones. When caring for someone with dementia, especially Alzheimer’s dementia, these decisions can be even more difficult, but planning ahead can help you tread these waters at least a bit more easily.… Continue Reading
Overcoming the Senior Loneliness That Can Lead to Dementia
Is your senior loved one changing before your eyes – – in a way that worries you? Many caregivers become concerned about their family members as they age. We can all see how our seniors’ lives change as they get older. They may have to move into a different home, lost loved ones, such as… Continue Reading
Giving Thanks for Family Caregivers
Family caregivers are special people whose contributions often go unrecognized but for whom we are most thankful. Giving of themselves to make better the lives of loved ones is often not easy, especially when challenged by Alzheimer’s Disease or other life-altering affliction. We want family caregivers to understand how special they and what they do… Continue Reading
Communicating with Alzheimer’s Patients: Tips for Family Caregivers
We know that there are nearly 5.4 million people in the United States currently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease which is now the sixth leading cause of death with many more new sufferers to follow as the population ages. We also know that Alzheimer’s is a disease marked by a disruption in memory that leads to… Continue Reading
Feeding Tube: What Does It Do, Is It Time and How Will You Decide?
Many caregivers will be faced with these questions as they care for aging parents and other senior loved ones. What will you answer? Unfortunately, this is a very personal decision that family caregivers may be faced with answering. Hopefully, you have been able to discuss this possibility and your senior’s desire for this course of… Continue Reading
Exercising Brain Power Essential for Seniors
Seniors need to exercise their brains to keep them functioning at optimal levels. This is true for all of us, but is even more critical as we age. Our minds are like our other muscles and need to be stretched regularly to maintain their fitness and to help keep us sharp. We now know that… Continue Reading
Struggles of Family Caregivers as Told in One’s Moving Story
Being a family caregiver, especially to aging senior loved ones (or even not loved ones), is often described as rewarding and exhausting, confusing and frustrating, a joy and a burden. The National Family Caregivers Association, AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving report there are more than 65 million people in the US, which accounts… Continue Reading
Alzheimer’s Genetic Testing and YOU – Survey Results are In!
Would you want to know? Recently we came across a research endeavor that followed family members with a genetic link to Alzheimer’s. Many in the study were afraid to join, they didn’t want to know what was coming after watching several family members deal with the currently untreatable disease and eventually lose them to the… Continue Reading
Dignity for Alzheimer’s Sufferers: How a Family Caregiver Can Help
For those newly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, fear of an unknown future battling this degenerative disease will now need to be faced. Caregivers will begin to plan for how they will manage their role, both supporting a loved one and dealing with the pain both experience as the disease progresses. We have found a very… Continue Reading
8 Memory Improvement Tips for Seniors (and Their Family Caregivers)
Memory impairment with aging is a fact of life for many of us. Oftentimes we see it happening in our seniors, even though (admit it) it happens to us too. Researchers report that the brain function decline of aging can begin when we are only age 45 and that by age 80 normal people have lost… Continue Reading
Senior Care Corner Survey: Is Alzheimer’s Genetic Testing for You?
The subject of Alzheimer’s genetic testing in a recent post triggered quite a bit of feedback to us through social media and email. It seems many people have thoughts about whether or not they would choose to get tested for genetic characteristics related to Alzheimer’s Disease. The buzz created by the post has us curious… Continue Reading
Alzheimer’s Genetics: Would You Want to Know?
Alzheimer’s disease is a scary diagnosis, both for the patient and their loved ones. There is almost no one in America who is currently unaffected by this disease either with a loved one, friend or possibly themselves. What if you were told you have the “gene” for Alzheimer’s? Would you want to be tested or… Continue Reading
Family Caregivers – Care Tips for a Parent Suffering from Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s disease afflicts someone in the United States every 68 seconds. Many aging adults who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease are being cared for at home by someone in the family. That someone may be you. Caring for a senior loved one whose loss of cognition and functional abilities is rapidly progressing can be… Continue Reading
Dementia Knowledge To Empower Family Caregivers of Seniors
As the population ages, we are faced with an increase in cognitive impairment diagnoses. Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are not a normal part of aging; therefore caregivers should be alert to symptoms that can be treated. Unfortunately, statistics reveal virtually all of us will eventually be affected, either directly or indirectly. Learning more about the… Continue Reading
Benefits of Reminiscing with Seniors Plus Some Story Starters
We all love to talk about “the good old days” and so do our senior loved ones. Of course, we can also argue about whose good old days were better. Reminiscing is a great way for all seniors, especially those affected by Alzheimer’s disease, to recall memories from their distant past. You can reminisce in an informal… Continue Reading
Alzheimer’s Research: Current & Future Seniors Need Our Advocacy
A progressive, incurable disease of aging, Alzheimer’s is plaguing the U.S. Currently, 5 million Americans are diagnosed with the disease. Estimates for medical care expenditures for Alzheimer’s this year are $200 billion. The numbers of those with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s grows daily, actually every 68 seconds. The prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease doubles in every… Continue Reading
Time to Play in the Dirt with Senior Loved Ones
Seniors getting dirty – really? Yes, really! Many have lived their lives tending gardens for themselves, their parents or their communities or grew up on a family farm. Playing in the dirt can bring back memories, stimulate brains, provide physical activity, and provide engaging activities for caregivers and seniors. The time is perfect to get… Continue Reading
Fight Brain Decline in Senior Loved Ones with Dakim BrainFitness
Alzheimer’s Disease is a diagnosis no family member wants to hear applied to a senior loved one. Many of us have either seen firsthand what Alzheimer’s does when it affects a loved one or have heard the stories from a friend who has lived it through a family member. We are among those. 1 in… Continue Reading
