The Value of Photos for Those Suffering From Dementia

Recently the BBC wrote a story about dementia and how those who suffer from memory loss are being helped by viewing old photographs.

Martina Kane, author of the article and member of a British Alzheimer's association, stated that photographs can have an impact on a person's memories and emotions. She states, "{Many} deep-seated memories have a lot of emotion attached to them." She goes on to say that by tapping into a person's feelings of the past, you can draw out positive emotions from those memories.

She goes on to say that photographs are especially helpful for those who suffer from dementia because if you have dementia it is easier to recall past memories than it is to recall current memories. However, research has shown that photographs are one effective way the mind can be stimulated. In addition, music can also stimulate pleasant memories.

To be clear, this article states a theory that most of us have known for a long time. Other ways to stimulate the mind of a dementia patient are:

• A tune heard from a beloved radio program
• The aroma of a favorite food
• A photograph of a cherished life event such as graduation or a wedding
• Or, watching an old TV program

Most importantly, we can all learn a lesson from this article and remember the benefits and positive feelings we have when we recall positive and uplifting memories. Keep in mind that even the smallest or trivial things that we hear and see every day, can bring to mind memories that stimulate not only the mind but the body---emotionally and spiritually. It gives one pause, doesn't it, on how powerful and effective memories are?!    

 

If you are in need of non-medical home care, contact Always Best Care and find out more about the home care services that Always Best Care offers. We offer seniors and others in our community, quality in-home care from passionate and caring caregivers. Contact us today and find out more on how we can help your loved one get the compassionate care they need. They deserve and need the kind of senior care we can provide for them.

How Retina Changes May Indicate Alzheimer’s in Seniors

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder that affects seniors' memories, thinking and behavior. Although there is no cure, early intervention can slow the progression somewhat. That is why the research presented at a 2013 Neuroscience Conference is being studied so carefully. It indicates that the thickness of certain retinal cell layers in the eye may help doctors determine the presence and advancement of Alzheimer's in a patient. 

The results of research work conducted jointly by The University of Hong Kong and Georgetown University Medical Center have strongly indicated in research laboratory mice that two key layers of their eyes' retinas had lost thickness. Alzheimer's is known to kill the neurons of the brain. In these animals, it also destroyed many of the neurons (up to 49%) in the retinal ganglion cell layer, which sends visual information to the brain through the optic nerve. 

Why is this important and what does it mean for future treatment? A simple scan of the eye may be able to determine if there is significant loss of neurons in the retina, indicating the presence of Alzheimer's disease. Measuring retinal thickness changes can lead to earlier diagnosis, testing of new medications for Alzheimer's treatment and better, more effective treatments overall. 

There is no known way to prevent Alzheimer's, just as there is no known cure. Seniors can work to lessen their risk of getting the disease by living a healthy lifestyle that supports brain and heart health. Some preventative steps include:

• Engage in regular exercise to improve cardiovascular health.
• Eat a heart-healthy diet. It should include plenty of fruit,   whole grains, nuts, vegetables, fish and olive oil.
• Engage in regular social interactions with other people. Have strong interactions with someone during each week. Do not live an isolated life.
• Participate in challenging mental activities daily. Work jigsaw puzzles, play chess, work on puzzle booklets such as fill-ins, crosswords, mazes, or logic puzzles.
• Challenge yourself to learn something new. Take piano lessons. Take an art class. Take Pilates.

The care givers of an In-home care agency are trained to recognize and watch for the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease so the senior's family can be notified to seek a medical screening and treatment as soon as possible. Home care workers can also assist seniors in mentally stimulating activities to keep their brains alert and active.

Common Myths about Home Care Services

Many families consider home care services to be a blessing to them and to their elderly loved one for whom they hired the service. The caregivers from the agency assist the elderly with the day to day tasks that are difficult for them to perform without assistance and make it possible for them to maintain some independence and dignity.

Still other families worry about having a stranger around their loved one or in their home. That is because there are some commonly held myths about residential care services. Let's take a look at these myths and separate fact from fiction.

                    Myth Number One: 

 Workers from Home Care Don't Really Care about Their Elderly Patients

This is false for several reasons. First of all, agencies screen and interview their employees carefully. They hire people who are interested in and care about the elderly. They train them in geriatric care giving. The agency will work with you to learn the needs of your loved one, then match him or her with the caregiver best suited to meet those needs. The caregiver will take the time to get to know your loved one, establish a rapport and help him or her feel comfortable with the caregiver. If you are dissatisfied for any reason, you can request a different caregiver by contacting the agency.

                      Myth Number Two:

 Only Elderly People Who are Really Sick Need In-Home Care Services

This is false. There are medical home assistance services for the elderly who are ill and medically fragile. There is also the type of elderly care agency that provides assistance with meal preparation, day-to-day activities such as bathing/dressing, does the marketing, and provides transportation for errands and medical appointments.

                      Myth Number Three:

The Elderly Are Often Mistreated by Their Care Givers 

This is generally untrue. Unfortunately, there are always a very few bad people out there. When you originally interview the non-medical home care company that you are interested in, ask how they screen their applicants. Do they require background checks? How do they train their employees? Are they licensed? Are they bonded? Ask how they are supervised. Do your due diligence first.

                      Myth Number Four:

I Won't Have Any Voice in Who Comes into Our Home/Senior's Home.

This is false. A reputable agency always works with you to find the right care giver with the skills and personality to be the best match for your loved one.

                      Myth Number Five:

I Can't Afford Home Agency Services.

This is not necessarily true. The cost depends on how many hours a week your loved one needs services and the level of care provided. It can be more affordable than assisted living or a nursing home.

                      Myth Number Six:

If a Senior Requires Round the Clock Care, Home Based Care Is Not an Option.

This is false. There are several agencies available that are able to build an experienced care giving team to provide your loved one with 24/7 care at home. 

For many families with elderly loved ones, home care is a true godsend. Don't let myths scare you away from a service that has great benefits for seniors and their families. Talk to the agencies and get the facts.

How Home Care Can Help Seniors with Gout

Many of us have heard of gout but may not understand exactly what it is. Gout is arthritis in one of its most painful and severe manifestations. Gout is the result of uric acid crystallizing in the body and being deposited into a person's joints, leading to inflammatory arthritis in these locations.  This arthritis is partnered with swelling, stiffness and tenderness in these joints.

When a person is afflicted with gout, the body part most commonly affected is one's big toe. The other joints typically prone to gout are the ankles, knees, elbows, hands and wrists. Gout becomes more and more painful as the joint swelling makes the skin above it tighten and become extremely sensitive to the touch. The skin reddens and even turns purple. Often a diagnosis of gout is not made until a patient comes to a doctor for something to help manage his or her pain.

Factors Affecting Seniors' Risk for Gout

Gout can last anywhere from three or four days to several weeks. It may even become severe enough to result in deformities in the affected joints. It is important for the elderly and those who work in senior care to know and understand the key factors that impact whether a person is at risk of developing gout or not. These include:

• a family history of gout
• being overweight, which leads to increased uric acid production
• alcohol consumption which interferes with the body's uric acid removal ability
• prescription medications used in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease such as Levodopa and Cyclosporine and drugs with Salicylate (aspirin, diuretics or Niacin
• increased risk from other health conditions like hypertension (high blood pressure), hypothyroidism,  and renal insufficiency,
• psoriasis and certain forms of cancers

Treatment for Gout and In-Home Care Precautions with the Elderly

The main goal of gout treatment is quick pain relief and prevention of any future attacks. Containment of the damage and avoidance of any long-term complications is also paramount. Kidney damage and deforming joint destruction are both potential hazards of severe gout. It is important for elderly patients to take any medicine prescribed and understand the steps they must take to prevent re-occurring attacks.

For those who have gout, home care can play a significant role in treatment. Seniors and their home care givers should use any recommended hot or cold therapy packs on any affected areas as directed and keep the gouty joint elevated as instructed. It is important that the affected person drink a great deal of water (up to ten glasses per day) and take the recommended doses of over the counter pain medication. Alcohol intake should be limited if not eliminated altogether. 

Seniors Feeling More Confident about Their Looks

In today's world, we're surrounded by "the beautiful people" at every turn: TV shows and endless infomercials telling us how we can "improve" our faces and lose those love handles with the latest and greatest diet, and magazines with every other page featuring a digitally-altered model with a caption telling us why we need to look just like them.  Although we can all have moments of self-doubt, today it's even more understandable than ever for feelings of self-consciousness to surface, considering what's going on in the world around us.  But don't fret.  It doesn't have to be that way; in fact, research shows that the older we get, the better we feel about ourselves.

According to a Gallup survey of 85,000 people, here's what they found out from respondents aged 65 and older:

• 66% responded that they were happy with their appearance
• 64% of males who responded are happy with their looks, while 60% of women have the same feeling

The numbers above are the highest of any age group in this survey: in the 35 to 64 age range, only 54 percent were happy with their looks, and 61 percent in the 18-34 age group.  There are a few reasons why seniors may feel more confident in their appearance:

• Many seniors may be more relaxed in all aspects of their lives---this feeling can also carry over into how they feel about themselves and how they look.  For example, although they still want to look good, the sometimes unseen pressure of keeping up with the latest fashion trends is not the same as when they were younger.
• According to the American Senior Fitness Association, the overall number of seniors who exercise has increased over the years.  Exercise not only builds strength and stamina, but also builds confidence, both inside and out.
• The Gallup organization also surmised that another major reason for confidence expressed by seniors is that as we grow older, the expectations from society changes, leading seniors to feel better about their appearance.

To sum it up, when it comes to our appearance, confidence really does increase with age.  If you are exploring home care options, assisted living placement or in-home care for a loved one, contact us for a selection of options that may be right for you.

Senior Vision Health Tips

Many seniors in today’s society are living longer, happier lives because of the contributions that non-medical home care has provided them. While most seniors are able to stay in their homes longer and maintain their independence, many seniors have vision issues that persist as they age. Below are a few helpful tips and suggestions to maintain healthy eyesight in seniors:

Schedule regular eye exams for yourself

It is crucial for everyone to have regular eye exams, regardless of age. However, this is especially important for senior citizens. Vision can worsen in a short period, and that prescription you received only a few months ago could be much different than your current level of vision.

Be sure to protect your eyes properly

When you are outside, you must do what you can to protect your eyes from the harsh sunlight. It is particularly ideal to do so during the summer. Wear a hat and some sunglasses with adequate UV protection to keep your eyes from being damaged by UV radiation from the sun.

Take multivitamins daily

A multivitamin provides a great balance of nutrients that you will need for many things, including good vision. By taking them every day, you will ensure that your body has the right amount of nutrients to improve the chances that your vision will be maintained.

Eat the right amount of vegetables and fruits

Be sure to eat a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables. That way, you will get a rich variety of vitamins. Studies have shown that there are many benefits to senior citizens eating a diet with an abundance of these foods, especially when it comes to vision.

Quit smoking

People who smoke can have their blood flow to their eyes restricted. This may contribute to eye conditions.

Use enough light when reading

If you are going to be reading or doing something that requires you to use your eyes a great deal, it is important to have adequate lighting to avoid strain.

Do not strain your eyes

Take frequent breaks from watching TV or using electronics. Be sure to do this before your eyes begin hurting.

Do your best to maintain a high quality of life and follow these tips for your vision. As you become older, these strategies will be extremely valuable to you. Consult with your elderly living specialist to learn more about vision health or to have a vision health cheat sheet constructed for your reference. 

Reviewing 3 Services of Home Care Agency Always Best Care

When loved ones become senior citizens and are confined more and more to their home as they become more medically fragile, the services of a home care company such as Always Best Care are invaluable to both the senior and his or her family members. The client receives the assistance with everyday tasks needed to remain at home and independent while family members gain peace of mind knowing that their loved one is being taken care of when they cannot be present themselves.

Three Always Best Care Senior Services

There are a variety of services provided for seniors by Always Best Care to serve their needs. One of these is a remarkable free service called Always in Touch. Offered to anyone in the US and Canada through application, this is a telephone program designed to reassure seniors that they are not alone and to make sure that those who live alone are okay on a day-to-day basis. Designed for the isolated and homebound disabled adult or senior citizen, this weekday "safety check" gives the client an opportunity to socialize and have contact with a friendly person so they don't feel so alone.

Always on Call is a telemedicine service offered to clients who use five or more hours of monthly in-home care. The client or a family member can call a physician 24/7 for non-emergency medical issues, for prescription refills (non-narcotic only) or when their primary physician is not available. The client does not have to leave home, wait, or pay a doctor. Six free consultations are available per year, with more available for a small fee.

Always Safe is a way to combine in home care services three times a week with a 24/7 fall prevention and detection coverage free of additional charges.  Fall prevention is a key safety concern in the homes of seniors and early fall detection and assistance is critical to a good recovery.

This comprehensive plan begins with a 35-point home inspection to identify hazards and make home safer for the senior. The caregiver works on fitness and strength to help the client remain active and mobile. The client is monitored through Lifeline with AutoAlert, which automatically calls for help when a fall has been detected.  Help is immediately available and emergency response can be called if needed. This provides 24/7 protection for the client and peace of mind for the family.

Like many other home care agencies, Always Best Care offers some great services that seniors utilize on a regular basis. If you or somebody that you know or love is in need of home care services, it may be well worth your time to consider Always Best Care. 

Home Care Visits Lessen Need to Be Hospitalized Again

The results of a recent study conducted at North Shore University Hospital clearly indicate that patients who receive follow-up home care from a nurse practitioner following cardiac surgery were less likely to need readmission to the hospital within 30 days of their initial stay, and also achieve a higher survival rate than patients who do not.  In fact, patients who had no assistance at home after their surgery were re-hospitalized at triple the rate (almost 12 percent) of those who do have in-home assistance (almost four percent).

The Advantages of In-Home Care

According to Dr. Michael Hall, who is NSUH's Chief of Adult Cardiac Surgery, the nurse practitioners who cared for the patients in their homes had also cared for them during their hospital stays and so were familiar with their conditions and their particular needs.  The NPs visited their patients at home for the first two weeks following discharge twice weekly.  During these visits, the Nurse Practitioner's job was to:

• Provide the patient with a physical exam
• Provide management of the patient's medication
• Serve as a liaison for the patient with his/her family doctor, cardiologist, pharmacist, others
• Contact social service agencies for future needs, if necessary

The NPs participating in the studies had special smart phones that were encrypted for patient information privacy to allow them to send the surgeons patient data, vital signs and photographs of patients' surgical sites for care instructions. The patients continued to receive the latest in updated care for these weeks following their surgery even though no longer being supervised in a hospital setting but enjoying the comfort of home.

Additional Findings of NSUH Continued Care at Home Study

As summarized by the May 2014 article on this study in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Dr. Hall also spoke of some of the problems the NPs dealt with while working with the patients in the study that are indicative of the reasons patients without care at home fare poorly and must return to the hospital for further care. These are:

• Failure to fill new prescriptions due to cost issues
• Substituting their old prescriptions instead to save money because they erroneously believe they are still good or appropriate, when they are not
• Not following up with seeing doctors in the community for lack of transportation

Nurse practitioners were able to help patients with these and various other issues on an individual basis because they could respond within that patient's community to his or her needs once they visited them in their home.