As caregivers, it is important for us to identify passive activities, as well as action-oriented ones, in which to engage our loved ones. Especially as the disease progresses further and the person’s abilities diminish, passive involvement may become more appropriate. Another plus: passive activities are extremely versatile — virtually anyone at any stage of dementia can find pleasure in them.
Have you ever had someone brush or stroke your hair? It’s enjoyable for a lot of us (just look at the smile on that baby!). Brushing or playing with your loved one’s hair is an excellent way to foster meaningful connection, especially if language is no longer accessible. In the absence of words, we can communicate love, care, and reassurance through our touch. Older adults in particular may benefit from this type of interaction as many are touch deprived.
At your next opportunity, try this out with your person with dementia. You could simply touch the person’s hair, or brush, stroke, braid, style, wash, etc. See if you notice any nonverbal feedback from your person that indicates whether they are enjoying what you are doing (e.g. eyes closing, body relaxing). Of course, if you observe signs that suggest pain, such as grimacing or wincing, do not continue with that type or intensity of touch.
References
Love, K., & Femia, E. (2014). The comfort of touch. Health Progress, 95(6), 28-31.
Nicholls, D., Chang, E., Johnson, A., & Edenborough, M. (2013). Touch, the essence of caring for people with end-stage dementia: A mental health perspective in Namaste Care. Aging & Mental Health, 17(5), 571-578. doi:10.1080/13607863.2012.751581
It’s now easy to raise money for charity without opening your wallet. With the Charity Miles app, every mile counts. Walk, run or bike to #ENDALZ!
Charity Miles, a free iPhone/Android app enables individuals to raise funds for charity, courtesy of the app’s corporate sponsors. Walkers and runners can earn 25 cents per mile and bikers can earn 10 cents per mile to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. Charity Miles is a fun and easy way to raise funds at no cost to the user.
How it Works
Download the free Charity Miles app to your iPhone or Android from the app store.
Create an account by logging in with your email address or through Facebook.
Choose the Alzheimer’s Association from the list of charities.
Select whether you are walking, running or biking from the top activities bar.
Press Start and get going.
Walkers and runner earn 25 cents per mile; bikers earn 10 cents per mile, courtesy of sponsors secured by Charity Miles.
When finished, swipe up on the screen and follow the steps as prompted on the screen to save your miles
If you are grateful for the sponsor’s support, please be sure to thank them when prompted.
Spread the word! The easiest way to double your impact is to get a friend to join you!
Given the growing evidence that people can reduce their risk of cognitive decline, and in recognition of Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month in June, the Alzheimer’s Association and its experts are sharing 10 Ways to Love Your Brain, tips that may reduce the risk of cognitive decline:
1. Break a sweat. Engage in regular cardiovascular exercise that elevates your heart rate and increases blood flow to the brain and body. Several studies have found an association between physical activity and reduced risk of cognitive decline.
2. Hit the books. Formal education in any stage of life will help reduce your risk of cognitive decline and dementia. For example, take a class at a local college, community center or online.
3. Butt out. Evidence shows that smoking increases risk of cognitive decline. Quitting smoking can reduce that risk to levels comparable to those who have not smoked.
4. Follow your heart. Evidence shows that risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke – obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes – negatively impact your cognitive health. Take care of your heart, and your brain just might follow.
5. Heads up! Brain injury can raise your risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Wear a seat belt, use a helmet when playing contact sports or riding a bike, and take steps to prevent falls.
6. Fuel up right. Eat a healthy and balanced diet that is lower in fat and higher in vegetables and fruit to help reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Although research on diet and cognitive function is limited, certain diets, including Mediterranean and Mediterranean-DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), may contribute to risk reduction.
7. Catch some Zzz’s. Not getting enough sleep due to conditions like insomnia or sleep apnea may result in problems with memory and thinking.
8. Take care of your mental health. Some studies link a history of depression with increased risk of cognitive decline, so seek medical treatment if you have symptoms of depression, anxiety or other mental health concerns. Also, try to manage stress.
9. Buddy up. Staying socially engaged may support brain health. Pursue social activities that are meaningful to you. Find ways to be part of your local community – if you love animals, consider volunteering at a local shelter. If you enjoy singing, join a local choir or help at an afterschool program. Or, just share activities with friends and family.
10. Stump yourself. Challenge and activate your mind. Build a piece of furniture. Complete a jigsaw puzzle. Do something artistic. Play games, such as bridge, that make you think strategically. Challenging your mind may have short and long-term benefits for your brain.
This activity idea comes from Measure of the Heart, a novel by Mary Ellen Geist, recounting her personal experience of returning home to Michigan to help care for her father who is diagnosed with dementia. Her father, Woody Geist, also appears in the HBO documentary “The Alzheimer’s Project”. The Geist’s resilience and candor in the face of this devastating disease is truly inspirational.
The following excerpt is taken directly from the book:
Alzheimer’s Chicken
whole chicken, about 4 pounds
1 green apple, washed and cored
3 stalks of celery, rinsed
1 yellow or white onion, skin removed
several sprigs of fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme, rinsed
1/2 cup red wine
3 tbs olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse a 4-pound roasting chicken, removing and discarding the giblets from the cavity.
Place the green apple, celery, onion, and herbs on a large chopping board. Hand a not-so-sharp knife to the Alzheimer’s patient, depending of course on how far the disease has progressed. It may not be wise to do this for Alzheimer’s patients who’ve been living with the disease for more than ten years, but my father can still safely use a knife if I stand next to him and make sure he isn’t holding it upside down.
Let the patient chop up the fruit, vegetables, and herbs however the hell he or she wants to, without hovering and explaining how to do it! Don’t say: “No! Do it like this!” Remember: It doesn’t matter what the chunks look like or how big or small they are. The process can be liberating not only for the patient but also for you.
Open the cavity of the chicken and have the Alzheimer’s patient help you stuff the bird with a big wooden spoon. Put the chicken in a 9×13 inch baking dish or pan. Pour the red wine, olive oil, and a little water over the stuffed bird. Cook it in the oven at 350 degrees F for at least two hours, until the temperature of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F. Have the Alzheimer’s patient help you baste the bird often. Let it sit a bit after you’ve taken it out of the oven; then slice and serve.
No-bakes can be whipped up in less time and with fewer ingredients than most traditional cookies. In fact, you probably have everything you need right in your pantry. Low maintenance recipes (like this one) are ideal, as this may prevent confusion and frustration from occurring. Simple AND scrumptious? How deliciously perfect! 🙂
As the person’s dementia progresses, certain abilities will fade. Therefore, it is important to provide the right amount of supervision and hands on assistance in order for the person to be successful. For instance, someone who is in the early stages of dementia may be able to manage several steps of the recipe without a lot of help. However, someone else that has progressed to the middle stages of the disease, may do better with a 1-2 or single step task, such as dropping spoonfuls of the cookie mixture onto a prepared baking sheet.
Each person is different. Be observant to how YOUR person is reacting to what he/she is bring asked to do. If we notice confusion or anxiety, that may be our cue to simplify instructions and/or slow down the pace of the activity.
The recipe below was taken from a foodnetwork.com entry. I’ve seen other recipes that include shredded coconut, candy pieces, or other little surprises mixed in. You could also try ‘lightening up’ the recipe will fat free peanut butter or sugar alternatives. Hope you enjoy!
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 stick (8 tbs) unsalted butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tbs pure vanilla extract
Large pinch of kosher salt
Directions
Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment.
Bring the sugar, milk, butter and cocoa to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, then let boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Add the oats, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt, and stir to combine.
Drop teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, and let sit at room temperature until cooled and hardened, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Clinical trials are essential to advancing Alzheimer’s disease research at a time when Alzheimer’s is reaching epidemic proportions.Through clinical studies conducted over the last 20 years, scientists have made tremendous strides in understanding how Alzheimer’s affects the brain. It is only through clinical studies that we will develop and test promising new strategies for treatment, prevention, diagnosis, and ultimately a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
Today, the greatest obstacles to developing the next generation of Alzheimer’s treatments is recruiting and retaining clinical trial participants.
Exploring clinical trial options by yourself can be a steep mountain to climb. Alzheimer’s Association TrialMatch helps simplify the process by presenting clinical trial information in an easy to understand format. In addition, we have staff that are happily waiting to answer your call, and guide you through the process.
Don’t just hope for a cure. Help us find one. Join the millions that are using TrialMatch, and discover the path to tomorrow’s treatments, today.
Want to get started? Visit http://www.alz.org/trialmatch or call 800-272-3900. Watch the video clip below to see the program in action.
Feeling crafty? Make a homemade pomander ball! Pomander balls, commonly seen at weddings and baby showers, actually have very interesting historic roots. Learn more about the history behind the pomander here.
Buy rosettes at a craft store, create your own by shaping pieces of tissue paper, or punch/cut out flower shapes from scrapbooking paper. Use crochet pins to fasten each rosette into place on a large to medium sized styrofoam ball. Use the pomander ball as a centerpiece or tie a ribbon around the ball to be used as a hanging decoration.
Remember, it’s the process not the product. Our primary goal is that the person enjoy themselves; it is not important that we create a flawless finished product. If it’s becoming apparent that the person is becoming confused or frustrated, leave the remainder of the activity for another day. In fact, it may be easiest to plan the activity over the course of several sessions, versus trying to do everything in a single sitting. If your person is further progressed in the disease, they may get more pleasure out of watching you do the activity or admiring the finished product. Be flexible and have fun with it!
Korsakoff Syndrome is a chronic memory disorder caused by severe deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B-1). Thiamine helps brain cells produce energy from sugar. When levels fall too low, brain cells cannot generate enough energy to function properly.
Korsakoff syndrome is most commonly caused by alcohol misuse, but can also be associated with AIDS, cancers that have spread throughout the body, chronic infections, poor nutrition and certain other conditions.
Korsakoff syndrome is often — but not always — preceded by an episode of Wernicke encephalopathy, which is an acute brain reaction to severe lack of thiamine. Wernicke encephalopathy is a medical emergency that causes life-threatening brain disruption, profound confusion, staggering and stumbling, lack of coordination, and abnormal involuntary eye movements.
Because the chronic memory loss of Korsakoff syndrome often follows an episode of Wernicke encephalopathy, the chronic disorder is sometimes know as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. But Korsakoff syndrome can also develop in individuals who have not had a clear-cut prior episode of Wernicke encephalopathy.
Korsakoff syndrome and its associated thiamine deficiency is not the only mechanism through which heavy drinking may contribute to chronic thinking changes and cognitive decline. Alcohol misuse may also lead to brain damage through the direct toxic effects of alcohol on brain cells; the biological stress of repeated intoxication and withdrawal; alcohol-related cerebrovascular disease; and head injuries from falls sustained when inebriated.
Causes and Risk Factors
Scientists don’t yet know exactly how Korsakoff syndrome damages the brain. Research has shown that severe thiamine deficiency disrupts several biochemicals that play key roles in carrying signals among brain cells and in storing and retrieving memories. These disruptions destroy brain cells and cause widespread microscopic bleeding and scar tissue.
Most cases of Korsakoff syndrome result from alcohol misuse. Scientists don’t yet know why heavy drinking causes severe thiamine deficiency in some alcoholics, while other may be affected primarily by alcohol’s effects on the liver, stomach, heart, intestines, or other body systems.
Treatment
Some experts recommend that heavy drinkers and others at risk of thiamine deficiency take oral supplements of thiamine and other vitamins under their doctor’s supervision.
Many experts also recommend that anyone with a history of heavy alcohol use who experience symptoms associated with Wernicke encephalopathy, including acute confusion, prolonged nausea and vomiting, unusual fatigue or weakness, or low body temperature or blood pressure, be given injectable thiamine until the clinical picture grows clearer.
Once acute symptoms improve, individuals should be carefully evaluated to determine if their medical history, alcohol use and pattern of memory problems may be consistent with Korsakoff syndrome. For those who develop Korsakoff syndrome, extended treatment with oral thiamine, other vitamins and magnesium may increase chances of symptom improvement.
Abstaining from alcohol is a cornerstone of effective long-term treatment. Those with Korsakoff syndrome have a reduce tolerance for alcohol and may be at high risk for further alcohol-related health problems.
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