I'm honored to be part of the exciting Dementia Friendly Fort Worth initiative. Not only are we the first major city in Texas to undertake this effort, but one of the largest cities in the United States. We are part of Dementia Friendly America (DFA), which is a multi-sector collaborative on a mission to foster "dementia friendly" communities across the nation.
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, The Family Caregiver, Senior Care Professionals, Care Partners, Dementia Live®Training, leadership, dementia friendly, Faith Community, Dementia Friendly America, Community, Dementia Friendly Fort Worth
I recently attended a conference and listened to a geriatrician share that the average number of medications her patients are on when they come to her practice is a shocking 18 - 24. That's per DAY! No doubt we have a serious epidemic in this country - our seniors are drowning in drugs.
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, The Family Caregiver, healthcare, Senior Care Professionals, Elders, Hospital Professionals, Faith Community, elderly, Seniors, older adults, Polypharmacy, Drugs, patients
As a geriatric nurse, I rather frequently see the effects of age and disease on the body. Of course, different diseases manifest in different ways, and while some of those signs and symptoms may mirror those of old age, others may not. As a result, it is important that I, and other geriatric nurses like me, recognize how Parkinson’s disease might affect a patient under our care so that we can better care for them and meet their needs.
Topics: The Family Caregiver, Senior Care Professionals, Hospital Professionals, Mental Health, Nurses, Parkinson's patients, patients, dopamine, substantia nigra, Parkinson's Diseases, Geriatric Nursing, Multiple Sclerosis, Hoehm-Yahr scale
It's no secret that families tend to shy away from the topics of money and death more often than not. The fact, however, is that caregiving decisions often revolve around money, as care options will vary greatly depending on one's assets. So money plays a very important role in the choices that are made and discussions that take place between family members.
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, The Family Caregiver, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, Family, caregivers, Dementia Live, Faith Community, parents, money, depression-era, nest egg, families, children, understanding, family conflict
Dear, Honey, Hun, Sweetie, Buddy, Chief, That’s a good boy, Let's go potty now. No, I am not talking to my 18-month-old, I am repeating terms of endearment and phrases I hear in memory care and assisted living every day. There is so much research behind the use of this type of language researchers refer to it as elderspeak. I know I am guilty of using terms like these and I know you are too but explore the impact it may be having on our residents.
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, dementia care, The Family Caregiver, Senior Care Professionals, Senior Care, dementia, Caregiver, compassionate touch, Dementia Live, leadership, Hospital Professionals, eldercare
Challenging behavior is a catch-all term that, in the context of dementia, includes one or combinations of things like shouting, wandering, biting, throwing things, repetitive talking repetitive movements, destroying personal possessions and other objects without regard for whom it belongs, agitation and general anger, physical or verbal attacks on others, waking others at night, making sexually inappropriate comments, disrobing inappropriately, and urinating or defecating in undesirable locations. This is not an all-inclusive list and I am sure you can think of many more examples that fit under the umbrella term of challenging behavior.
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, The Family Caregiver, Senior Care Professionals, dementia, compassionate touch, Dementia Live, Hospital Professionals, behaviors, Person centered care, Behavioral Expression, staff, Challenging Behaviors
I just learned about the Purple Table Reservations program and was beyond excited to learn and share with my readers.
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, The Family Caregiver, Senior Care Professionals, Dementia Live, dementia friendly, Dementia Friendly America, Purple Table Reservations, Dining
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, The Family Caregiver, Senior Care Professionals, Faith Community, aging, old age, aging society, retirement, demographer
Artist and blogger Phil Davies say the reason most frustrated artist stay frustrated is that they don't know how to practice their drawing and painting skills. Each time they draw or paint a picture, they just hope it turns out better than the last one. If we approach caregiving skills as an art, the question then is can it be mastered?
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, The Family Caregiver, Senior Care Professionals, caregivers, leadership, caregiving, Faith Community, professionals, art, families
Research has shown that volunteering leads to better health and that older volunteers are the most likely to receive physical and mental health benefits from their volunteer activities. Volunteering often leads to what is referred to as a "helper's high".
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, The Family Caregiver, Senior Care Professionals, Faith Community, Area Agencies on Aging, N4A Conference, N4A, wellness, volunteering, boomers
