If you are 65 years old right now, you have a 70% chance of needing some type of long-term care services and support in your remaining years. Twenty percent of you who are in that 70% will need these services for longer than five years. Women, you are more at risk than men because you tend to live longer. These long-term care services may be provided in your...
Recommendation of the American Geriatrics Society: People with dementia often exhibit aggression, resistance to care and other challenging or disruptive behaviors. In such instances, antipsychotic medicines are often prescribed, but they provide limited and inconsistent benefits, while posing risks, including oversedation, cognitive worsening and increased likelihood of falls, strokes and mortality. Use of these drugs in patients with dementia should be limited to cases where non-pharmacologic measures have failed and patients pose an imminent threat...
Maria Montessori was one of Italy’s first female physicians. In 1907, she designed a new type of school program for challenging students who were thought of as unteachable. Most of these students came from poor backgrounds and lived in disordered, even dangerous environments outside of school. Montessori’s first step was to take them out of that environment and create a safe, secure, and tightly controlled environment that allowed...
October may be a bit early to be thinking about turkey and stuffing and Christmas presents. However, it’s never too early to prepare for a visit to your older loved ones. Learning what to look for that may warrant further inquiry is important. The Alzheimer’s Association advises that “an early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s provides a range of benefits for the individuals who are diagnosed, as well as their...
Many of the following winter safety tips are good advice for anyone during the cold winter months. However, as we grow older our bodies respond differently to the cold weather making us more vulnerable; and living with dementia can further complicate matters. Caregiving is already a demanding job and the winter months can often make it much more difficult. Whether you live with the person you are caring...
Every one of us should have advanced directives as soon as our parents are no longer able to legally make medical decisions for us at the age of 18. Life is fickle and we never know what may happen. Yet, an article in NH Magazine by Karen A. Jamrog entitled, The Importance of Creating an Advanced Directive: If the worst happened, would your loved ones know what you would...
Deciding When It’s Time, Letting Go of Guilt, Downsizing Dementia-related diseases can be exhausting, not only for the person with the disease, but also for their loved ones. As they slowly lose their ability to live independently the decision that it is time for them to move to a more supported living environment needs to be made. And, after that decision is made there is the move to consider....
Many older people are living longer and healthier lives due to advances in medicine and science. However, aging is an unstoppable force, and seniors will eventually feel its effects. If you or your loved one experiences the following signs and symptoms of old age, we encourage you to consider moving to an assisted living and care center that supports and helps with the needs of seniors. Assisted living...
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