Family members who has an elder or loved one living with Alzheimer’s, one of the biggest issues to be aware of is wandering! It’s common for those dealing with any form of dementia. It’s alarming to hear on the news of an elder in our community has wandered away from his or her home and unable to remember their way back.

There are days, when driving to work, I view the Amber alert highway warning signs blinking bright letters that read Elderly Missing… Driving a Tan Colored Sedan. How many loved one’s end up in another state, not knowing where they are or where they are going?

The Alz.org gives us some useful tips on elderly wandering - they often have a purpose or goal in mind when wandering. They may be trying to fulfill a former job task or searching for something that is lost.

Here are some tips to reduce wandering from Alz.org:

• Encourage your elder to move and exercise - this helps reduce anxiety, agitation and restlessness
• Make sure their basic needs are met like nutrition, thrist, and toileting
• Have them participate in activites such as folding laundry or preparing dinner
• Camouflage doorknobs by putting cloth napkins over them
• Redirect them when they begin to pace or become restless
• By placing a mirror near doorways, stop them from leaving or exiting
• Always reassure the person if they feel lost or abandoned - leading by the hand, guiding them to their room helps them feel less anxious
   

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas can assist in evaluating your loved one who may possibly exhibit these behaviors and symptoms. Call us at 972-239-3934.

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Alzheimer’s Home Care Dallas - Please call 972-239-3934. 

Gene/Stress Interaction Increases Cognitive Decline in Elderly

The negative effects of stress on cognitive functioning appear to be amplified by a genetic variation associated with Alzheimer’s disease, a new federally-funded study has found. The genetic variation may, in effect, accelerate the development of age-related cognitive decline by as much as eight years.

Researchers from the Baltimore Memory Study reported in The American Journal of Psychiatry that a high level of the stress hormone cortisol in study participants, ages 50 to 70 years, was associated with worsened cognitive abilities. Researchers also found that the effect was greater among those with a common form of the gene for apolipoprotein E (APOE), which has been shown to increase the risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

The effect appears to increase as the number of copies of a specific APOE gene in the individual increases. Everyone inherits two versions of the APOE gene, known as alleles – one from each parent. Having at least one epsilon-4 allele increases a person’s risk for late-onset Alzheimer’s. Individuals with two copies of the epsilon-4 version of the gene are particularly susceptible to the damaging effects of cortisol in the brain, the researchers found.

Call Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - when caring for a loved one living with Alzheimer’s. We provide home care in Dallas - Please call 972-239-3934.

By Nancy Oppenheimer-Marks from the Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - convalesce at home in Dallas. 

Q. I’m an 84 year old widow who has bad hips and my doctor wants to replace them.  I feel as though I’m too old for this, though, and I live alone, with no help.  What do you suggest?

Listening to the doctor is always your best bet.  But here’s additional information that could help.  According to researchers at Duke University, there is no age limit to the benefits of total hip replacement.  What’s more, those with osteoarthritis who undergo such a surgery are twice as likely as those who do not to show improvements in physical functioning and increased ability to care for themselves.

“We found that total hip arthroplasty improves everyday life for patients and is as beneficial to people in their 80s or 90s as it is for someone in their 60s,” said Linda George, Ph.D., professor of Sociology and associate director of the Duke Center for the Study of Aging. “We know that hip replacements are relatively safe and reports have shown a very high rate of patient satisfaction due to reduced pain and increased range of motion,” she added.

What’s more, research even revealed a cost savings to the health-care system because reimbursement for the procedure estimated to be $4,000 to $6,000 is less costly than the long-term cost of health care for the disabled. 

Health economists estimate savings associated with a year of a disability free life at approximately $50,000, including all related healthcare costs incurred by disabled patients such as hospital stays, nursing homes and home health care.

Your own reluctance to undergo the procedure, however, is common.  Even though there has been an increase in the number of such surgeries in the past 10 years, fewer than 25 percent of patients who could benefit from the procedure elect to receive it. 

If you do decide to have the surgery, please ask your doctor about your rehabilitation options.  There should be places in your area where you can go to convalesce until you are able to be at home on your own. 

Or consider calling a home care company such as Home Instead Senior Care Dallas.  Our company, which provides CAREGivers to the homes of seniors to help with such tasks as meal preparation, medication reminders, errands and shopping, could provide additional assistance as you convalesce at home in Dallas. 

For more information about Home Instead Senior Care, contact Nancy Oppenheimer- Marks at  972-239-3934 or visit Home Instead Senior Care Dallas.  For additional information, log on to http://www.arthritis.org/hip-replacement-any-age.php

The incidence of Alzheimer’s increases from 3 percent at age 65 to nearly 50 percent after the age of 85, it’s easy to see why an additional 13-16 million people in the U.S. are expected to develop Alzheimer’s.

If your aging relative lives with memory loss in Dallas and needs help staying home, call Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - 972-239-3934.

I’m with Home Instead Senior Care Dallas, a company that provides CAREGivers who go into seniors’ homes to help them with their personal, homemaker, and non-medical tasks such as cooking, cleaning, shopping, errands – or just providing companionship.

In addition to these services, our CAREGivers offers to Dallas Seniors living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias in Dallas more important services such as security and supervision.  The mission of our local Dallas office is to help seniors remain safely and comfortably in their homes.  We have a special partnership with an Alzheimer’s organization, The George G. Glenner Alzheimer’s Family Centers in San Diego, CA, helps those with the disease stay home longer.

Home Instead Senior Care has teamed up with this organization to develop the first training program of its kind for non-medical caregivers.  Our training and manual provides CAREGivers with comprehensive, practical training in caring for Alzheimer’s clients at home.  The training covers these topics:

• The pathology and symptoms of the disease;
• Understanding other diseases similar to Alzheimer’s;
• Building a relationship with a client who has Alzheimer’s;
• Working within the person’s physical surroundings;
• Managing his or her difficult behaviors; and,
• Helping the client remain independent for as long as possible.          

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas also uses the “train-the-trainer” approach to administer this program.   This means that we appoint one person to be the designated local program administrator.  After that, the administrator trains our Dallas CAREGivers in Alzheimer’s care.

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - 972-239-3934.

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas CAREGivers offers specialized Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care at home. Call us at 972-239-3934. If you are interested in becoming a CAREGiver, please call us.

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas works and cares for Dallas seniors and elders living with Alzheimer’s disease. We are thrilled with the results of our program here in Dallas. One of our CAREGivers eloquently explains what it is like to work with someone living with disease, “For these patients, any waking moment can bring fear and confusion.  Because of what Home Instead Senior Care has taught us, we’re really making life a lot better for the people we work with,” she said.  “We’re up close and personal with our clients.  Helping them to have a better day – that’s what I enjoy.”

So you can see that our Home Instead Dallas CAREGivers know the value of patience and helping Alzheimer’s clients do what they can on their own.  This often involves maintaining a regular routine, and using a series of easily understood cues and prompts.  The Home Instead Senior Care approach is to encourage ongoing communication between CAREGiver and client – for instance, emphasizing short, simple sentences; regular eye contact; and appropriate body language.

CAREGivers are even trained to help clients with Alzheimer’s disease when these individuals are moved to nursing facilities or to Alzheimer’s special-care units.  A CAREGiver helps add structure to an Alzheimer’s resident’s day and helps minimize the time this individual will spend alone.  More importantly, a CAREGiver’s presence can help reduce wandering and creates a safer environment for the person.  In addition, CAREGivers recognize when clients have had too much stimulation and may be about to have what we refer to as “catastrophic reactions.”  They can then adjust their approaches to help calm and reassure these clients.

But the best part of the Home Instead Senior Care Alzheimer’s CAREGiver training program is that the CAREGivers learn how to build solid relationships with their clients – relationships that allow them to adapt their care to meet individual client needs.

And, by helping those who are dealing with this disease, Home Instead Senior Care also serves as a resource and respite provider for family members and friends.  In particular, families often serve as the main caregivers for their loved ones at home – a job that leaves many of those providing care exhausted and even depressed.  So, along with helping Alzheimer’s clients live fuller lives, Home Instead Senior Care Dallas is also helping these family members enjoy their loved ones more fully.

Home Instead Senior Care has helped those with Alzheimer’s do the things they’ve always enjoyed doing – and in the comfort of their own homes.  As a result, Home Instead Senior Care Dallas is justifiably proud of its groundbreaking Alzheimer’s CAREGiver training program. Call us at 972-239-3934.

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas CAREGivers offers specialized Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.

If you are interested in becoming a CAREGiver, please call us.

Women over 90 are significantly more likely to have dementia than men of the same age, according to University of California at Irvine researchers involved with the “90+ Study,” one of the nation’s largest studies of dementia and other health factors in this age group.

This study provides further validation that the need for services Home Instead Senior Care provides will continue to increase as the population ages. “Our findings show that more will need to be done to provide adequate resources to care for the increasing number of very old people with dementia,” said Maria Corrada, a UC-Irvine epidemiologist and study corresponding author.

The study found signs of dementia in 45 percent of women and 28 percent of men age 90 and older from a southern California retirement community. Researchers found no clear reason for the discrepancy, but noted that women with higher levels of education were less likely to show signs of senility.

Dementia, a progressive brain dysfunction, leads to a gradually increasing restriction of daily activities. The most well-known type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Symptoms of dementia include memory loss, cognitive disorientation and behavioral changes. Dementia affects not only patients but also those surrounding them, as most patients require long-term care.

The 90-plus age group, or the “oldest old,” is the fastest growing segment of the population, according to the U.S. Census. While there are currently nearly 2 million nonagenarians in the U.S. alone, that number is projected to increase to 10 to 12 million by the middle of the century. Read full story click here. The study appears in the July 2 online issue of Neurology. For more information, see the press release on the UCI Web site.

Become a CAREGiver, please call us.

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas CAREGivers offers specialized Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - helps elders living with Alzheimer’s stay home longer. Please call 972-239-3934.

Yesterday we talked about how Azheimer’s care requires good communication to smooth the process of caring for both the family and the loved one living with the disease. Today Home Instead Senior Care Dallas offers additional communication tips for family caregivers needing help to lessen the hardship:

• Keep your frustration down and your loved one’s confusion at bay - Avoid distractions and noise.
• Keep it simple by using short sentences and plain words.
• Offer suggestions - Avoid questions.
• Patient is your savior - try your very best to not interrupt when your loved one is expressing him or herself.
• Get best cooperation by staying near your loved one, they know someone is listening and trying to understand - maintain eye contact and show interest.
• As hurtful as it is, you need to remember it is the disease talking, not your loved one - do not take what they personally.
• Try using props and cues to help them recognize an instruction or task to complete; when taking your loved one to the bathroom, you can point to the toilet and ask, “Do you need to go to the bathroom?”
• By using a normal and relaxed voice keeps the atmosphere calm. Patience pays off with a smoother day.

Families know very about Alzheimer’s disease. And less on coping with it. Home Instead Senior Care Dallas  found that family caregivers are better equipped when you have some practical information. It’s also better when you have easy to apply techniques. You can then effectively care for the loved one and reduce your level of stress.  We offer you a copy of a  booklet called Helping Families Cope - practical tips and resources to family caregivers struggling to care for their loved ones in Dallas, Texas.

Call us today!  972-239-3934

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - helps elders living with Alzheimer’s stay home longer. Please call 972-239-3934.

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias can cause a person to act in different and unpredictable ways. Some individuals with Alzheimer’s become anxious or aggressive; often repeating questions and sometimes repeating gestures. Many mis-interpret what they see or hear.

The effects Alzheimer’s disease can be serious threats to a family caregiver’s welfare, especially as stress and pressures mount. It especially can create physical, emotional and financial turmoil. If you need help or assistance with your loved one living with Alzheimer’s in Dallas please call us at 972 .

Alzheimer’s disease damages a person’s brain and can make it difficult to recall or to understand words. When they attempt to remember a word when speaking - or decipher words in conversation, can be overwhelming and result in frustration. He or she may repeat one word or a question over and over or become agitated. This can be a test of your patience and understanding.

Elders or seniors living with Alzheimer’s disease - related dementia:

• Have a tendency to lose their train of thought.
• They need more time to comprehend what is being said.
• Curse or use abusive or offensive language.

Visit us tomorrow - we’ll give you tips and techniques on communicating with someone living with Alzheimer’s.

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas  - call us today at 972-239-3934.

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas offers quality in-home and personal care for Dallas Seniors living with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other forms of memory loss. Please call us today at 972-239-3934.

Treatments with dramatic results for Alzheimer’s disease may still be several years away.  But there are certain prescription medications that are proven successful in controlling the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.  In addition, anti-inflammatory drugs; diets rich in antioxidants; regular physical exercise; and daily mental stimulation are considered reliable mechanisms for reducing a person’s risk of Alzheimer’s, or at least slowing down its progression. 

By the year 2050 there will be nearly 87 million people in the U.S. over age 65. And because the incidence of Alzheimer’s increases from 3 percent at age 65 to nearly 50 percent after the age of 85, it’s easy to see why an additional 13 to16 million people in the U.S. are expected to develop Alzheimer’s.

But the good news is - much progress has been made in the area of caring for people with Alzheimer’s disease. As you know, I’m with Home Instead Senior Care Dallas, a company that provides CAREGivers who go into seniors’ homes to help them with their non-medical tasks such as cooking, cleaning, shopping, errands – or just providing companionship.

The supervision and security that Home Instead’s CAREGivers offer to those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias is even more important to you the family member.  It’s our mission to help seniors remain safely and comfortably in their homes.  And, thanks to a special partnership Home Instead Senior Care has with a renowned Alzheimer’s organization, the company is also helping those with the disease stay home longer than ever before.

If you need help caring for an aging relative living with dementia, please call Home Instead Senior Care Dallas at 972-239-3934.

Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - helping elders when families cannot be there - 972-239-3934.

Why is the night time so frightening for seniors?

Home Instead Senior CAREGivers in Dallas have experienced the phenomenon called “night fright,” when seniors can’t sleep, or they become uneasy at night.  Maybe you’ve struggled with how to help your aging relative when finding them in this predicament.  

One of our Dallas Home Instead CAREGivers witnessed this condition several times and she reports, ”a client can become so anxious at night that even when I am with them, they just want to talk with someone to make sure they are safe. You have to listen and be patient.”

Our CAREGivers help remedy night fright by increasing activity during the day. This helps ensure that our senior clients get a good night’s sleep. Another CAREGiver reports, “During the day we watch TV and sometimes we walk and ride around town.  A particular client is a carpenter, so he likes to look at houses,” she said.  “I usually try to take him for a walk in the evening as well.”

These activities make night time easier for the senior as well as the family member. We encourage you to post your tips on helping your loved one cope with night fright.. place your suggestions in the comment section below.

Regardless of the cause, however, night fright can be a real dilemma for many older adults.  Helping those seniors at night is an important service that Home Instead Dallas CAREGivers can provide.  Our clients teach us every day how important our jobs are - they need our help and understanding.

Call us if you need our help with personal care for your loved one - 972-239-3934.