Although persons living dementia may have challenges with eating, such as chewing, ability to taste or smell food, or remembering how to eat, the dining experience can have a tremendous effect on their socialization, how much they eat and if the time they spend eating is enjoyable or frustrating. Improving the dining experience is certainly possible, whether in a community-based setting, a hospital in the home or even in a restaurant.
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, dementia, Dementia Live, leadership, Hospital Professionals, Mealtime, Eating, Dining
Stress is simply a part of life. Think about each and every stressor that affects our lives almost daily. Here are just a few to think about: traffic, annoying telemarketing calls (what telemarketing calls aren't annoying?), junk mail, the news, job demands, airline delays (let's just airports in general), and the list goes on. Life is complicated, stressful and caregiving is even more so on just about every level. So instead of talking about eliminating stressors, let's talk about how caregivers can put coping skills into practice so that falling into the traps of anxiety, depression and more is eliminated or decreased as much as possible.
Topics: The Faith Community, AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, Caregiver, caregivers, Dementia Live, Stress, older adults, Coping Skills
Every fall, teachers ask, “what did you do on your summer vacation?” Summer vacations are a rich tradition for many people. But as our loved one ages, memories of family trips — and the hopes of them continuing — seem to fade. As July turns the page into August, summer’s end appears too soon on the horizon, especially if what used to be your favorite family vacation is no longer do-able. Or is it? How do you vacation with — or do you need a respite from — your loved one with dementia?
Topics: Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, dementia, Family, Faith Community
As a long time family caregiver and professional in this field, I can tell you that the myriad of emotions that caregivers face on a daily basis is complex and ever-changing. That said, grief, guilt, and anxiety are certainly at the top of the list. How can we, as professionals in this field, better understand family needs and partner alongside them on this difficult journey?
Topics: Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, Senior Care, Family, caregivers, Hospital Professionals, caregiving, family caregivers, professionals, families, Anxiety, AGE-u-cate Training Insitute, Grief
Accounting for up to 20 percent of all forms of dementia, Lewy Body Dementia affects approximately 1.4 million Americans. Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) is the second most common cause of progressive dementia behind Alzheimer's disease. LBD is also the most misdiagnosed form of dementia because symptoms are closely related to Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy Body (referred to as DLB).
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, dementia, Care Partners, caregivers, Dementia Live, Alzheimer's disease, Hospital Professionals, Lewy Body Dementia, LBD
It's hard to believe that I've not had my dad in my life for over 20 years now. So much of who I am and what I've taught to my children came from my dad. So, it's appropriate that this blog be a tribute to my dad this Father's Day.
Topics: The Faith Community, AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Memory Care, Family Caregiver, dementia, Family, compassionate touch, Dementia Live, Alzheimer's disease, Community, children, alzheimer's, Father's Day
Having a sense of purpose and a community network in which to provide these avenues seems to be important for brain health, an important component of aging well. But aging well starts with more basic work. Some of these include:
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, Aging in the Workplace, dementia, leadership, aging, Mental Health, Depression, Aging Well, Anxiety, health
It is a rare occasion when either speaking to or meeting with family caregivers that I do not have tucked away this invaluable list of signs and symptoms of caregiver burnout to share with them before I leave. My advice to caregivers is to print this list out and place in a plastic sleeve and tape it to your bathroom mirror. Every single day you should be aware of these signs - often that creep in slowly- and zap our ability to cope, quickly leading to caregiver burnout.
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, Family, Caregiver, caregivers, Faith Community, family caregivers, Caregiver Burnout, Burnout, Public health crisis, Professional Caregivers, Caregiver Stress
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, dementia, Faith Community, Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, ARBD, Alcohol-related brain damage, older adults
I just can't help but talk about gardening this time of year. I admit it - I'm addicted. It's not uncommon for me to get my garden gloves on early on a Saturday morning and still have them on when at sundown. Once I start working in my garden, I just can't stop - especially this time of year. So why am I going to talk about caregivers resentment and weeds in your garden?
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, Caregiver, caregivers, Faith Community, family caregivers, Pam Brandon, Resentment
