Relatively few specialist services exist for younger people with dementia. Depending on where one resides, a person may be referred to a psychiatrist, a geriatrician, a neurologist and/or various combinations of health professionals. Additionally, specialist groups like the Alzheimer’s Association campaign for better services and provide support and advice for young men and women with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Undoubtedly, the newly diagnosed are pioneers and traveling in unknown territory. Singer, Glen Campbell, championship coach, Pat Summitt, author, Michael Ellenbogen and millions of others need our help and they need it now. Today, there is no cure and no known way to slow its progression. Worse yet, the disease can easily bankrupt our health system if we do not get involved and act now.

How we can be helpful at this time is to get educated; learning what we can and supporting research efforts is a good start.  Also, look to politicians to amend the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of comprehensive Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia diagnosis and services in order to improve care and outcomes for Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease.

September is World Dementia Awareness Month. From 2012, national Alzheimer associations, people with dementia and advocates across the world will join together by raising awareness of dementia in their own country throughout September. A range of activities will take place in all regions of the world, with events such as Memory Walks, awareness-raising concerts, enjoyable events for people with dementia and their caregivers, and informative sessions both for the general public and for health care professionals. World Dementia Awareness Month developed, due to popular demand, out of World Alzheimer’s Day, which takes place every year on 21 September.

What’s out the Window?

For the bedridden, finding joy in life can be quite a challenge. A few small projects can make all of the difference and they all have to do with the view.

Your bedridden friend should be in a room with a window. Orient the bed so that your friend can see out of it clearly. Take a moment to check out the view, and then ask the following questions:

• Can people be seen walking by?
• Are there trees, shrubs, or flowers within view?
• Has the landscaping been planned to attract wildlife?

Whether the window faces the front or the back, the activities of people passing by, playing, or working are wonderfully important to a person who can no longer move about freely.

Window boxes, planters, and fast-growing vines all add natural richness to the view, with the added attraction of being a simple, quick, and affordable way to beautify the it.

Squirrels, chipmunks, and birds keep all of us entertained, but the bedridden or homebound find their antics especially enjoyable.  A bird feeder hanging from an eave or pole will attract many visitors and cheer up your friend or loved one.

Community Helpers

Most communities offer a host of services to aid those who find themselves unable to leave home. Libraries deliver books and offer reading services. Meals on Wheels has delivered meals and companionship for years. Many neighborhoods have a circulating set of volunteers that visit homebound neighbors.

Check out programs offered by the local parks and recreation department and also the city and county in which your loved one resides.

Old Meets New

A laptop opens the world to a shut in. Many social websites allow seniors feeling isolated to chat with friends or those who share similar interests.

Video game platforms allow them to have a lot of fun playing a wide range of games. Many senior centers have found these gaming systems become fast favorites.

An old favorite, the jigsaw puzzle, often becomes difficult when vision and arthritic fingers combine to make manipulating tiny pieces impossible. Many elderly jigsaw puzzle fans re-discover the joys of puzzle assembly by purchasing 50 to 100 piece puzzles usually sold to young children.

Coloring is fun for seniors stuck in bed. There are many detailed coloring books that range in subject matter from great art to marine mammals, making them perfect for adults. Large size crayons are easy to hold.

Your loved one need not feel cut off from the world. By adopting a few of these tips, caregivers can brighten up the world for those they love.

What is Dementia?

A long time ago “senility” was a word used to describe the loss of mental capacity in the aged. Today, dementia is the term used to describe a host of symptoms that include the diminishing ability to remember, solve problems, or perform other cognitive tasks.

The following is a list of symptoms we may observe in the early stages of dementia:

• A change in mood or levels of anger
• Difficulty finding the right word
• Trouble completing everyday tasks like housework or balancing the checkbook
• Losing a sense of place
• Inability to make sound decisions
• Becoming suspicious or frightened without cause

If these early symptoms continue and are accompanied by worsening symptoms, it is important to make an appointment for a physical evaluation. These worsening symptoms might include:

• Inability to carry out basic daily hygiene
• Poor, disrupted, or flipped sleep cycles
• Aggression or lewd behavior
• Hallucinations

There are many possible causes for dementia. Strokes, thyroid conditions, and deposits of plaque or the presence of Lewy bodies can all cause the symptoms of dementia. Quick attention to symptoms can often lead to a rapid diagnosis and treatment, greatly reducing the severity of the impairment.

What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

Alzheimer’s disease makes up over 50% of all dementia cases. It is a progressive disease that slowly incapacitates the cognitive functioning of sufferers. It is a disease related to age and usually strikes after the age of 65. It is currently an incurable disease—most patients survive for about 10 years after they are diagnosed.

Like many progressive diseases, Alzheimer’s has many stages. Physicians will help friends and loved ones understand how to support the sufferer through each stage. Many outstanding support groups exist to aid families and friends and as well as the Alzheimer patient.

It is not uncommon for someone of advanced years to mislay keys or forget the right word.  By becoming familiar with the signs and symptoms of age-related brain diseases such as dementia we can recognize the difference between the normal effects of aging and brain disease. This knowledge will enable us to give the best of care to our loved ones.

Stop Bending, Stooping, and Kneeling

Anyone who has ever tended a garden knows that there is ground to be broken, seedlings to plant, pests to chase away, and weeds to pull. This generally involves bending over, kneeling on the ground, or stooping over, all for the good of the garden.

Aging gardeners with knees that cannot kneel or with backs that cannot bend can still have a lovely and fruitful garden. By building raised beds or garden boxes on platforms or legs, even an aging green thumb can move about and care for the garden comfortably.

Platform gardens are perfect for those in wheelchairs. By creating wheelchair-friendly paths around the beds, flower and vegetables gardens are easily tended by wheel chair-bound horticulturists.

The Sensory Garden

For the gardener who enjoys being surrounded by the scents and softness of a flower garden, friends might consider planting a sensory garden. A carefully designed garden for the visually impaired will include smooth paths and a variety of plants chosen for texture and smell.

Soft-petaled roses, aromatic Russian Sage, and cool ivies are all excellent additions to such a garden. The sound of moving water is also a welcome addition to the garden. Be sure to add a comfortable place to sit and enjoy the fragrance and sounds so loved by gardeners.

The Hands-on Garden

For the gardener who can’t resist getting a bit dirty, help your sight-impaired friend plant and maintain a garden by incorporating some of these tips:

• To assure proper spacing, knot a light weight cord, indicating proper planting distances. Lay it along the bed, allowing your friend to plant his or her own seeds or seedlings.
• Maintain flat and cleared paths.
• Keep gardening tools in an apron.
• Help visually-impaired friends plant seedlings and starts at the proper depth by assigning a term such as “a thumb deep”.
• Consider container gardening.
• Cut out veggie shaped plant markers
• Paint tools white to make them more visible against dark soil.
• Include a flashlight in your gardener’s tool bag or apron. Extra light aids vision.

A Bird-lover’s Garden

Along with the satisfaction of providing a refuge for avian friends, the sounds of birds scratching the ground or flapping in the bird bath can provide a great deal of enjoyment.  A garden that attracts birds is also enjoyable to plant and maintain.

Gardening is a soul-satisfying hobby that can be enjoyed for many years. Help your aging gardener re-discover the joys of the garden.

Seniors and Dental Visits

Many who care for aging parents are shocked to find that their family member’s oral health has deteriorated.  While most elderly people visit the doctor regularly, the dentist lags far behind when it comes to routine visits and care.

Equally surprising for caregivers is the amazing bounce in health the elderly experience when their teeth and gums are properly treated and their dental health restored. Many report a new lease on life.

Gum health is directly related to cardiac health. Infections wear down the elderly and gums are often an overlooked hiding place for such threats to overall health and vigor. Teeth should be cleaned every 6 months and gums carefully examined. Regimens for improved gum health should be strictly adhered to.

Exercise Aging Muscles

While it might seem counter intuitive to suggest that an elderly relative who awakens to aches and pains every morning get out and get moving, nothing could be more true. At your aging friend or relative’s next doctor visit, discuss what appropriate exercises might be beneficial and safe for them to participate in.

Swimming and pool-based exercise are often the perfect solution for the elderly seeking to maintain health through exercise. The water relieves pressure on joints while also providing gentle resistance; the perfect conditioning environment for joints and muscles feeling their age.

The Benefits of Friendship for the Aging

As we age, we often find ourselves staying close to home or even becoming housebound.  When the elderly cannot leave their homes, they often feel isolated from their life and friends they once enjoyed. This isolation is damaging to physical and mental health.

Encourage family members and friends to visit, run errands with, and call their elderly loved ones. Introduce them to the Internet and the many new ways to connect socially such as video teleconferencing and chatting.

The elderly have spent a lifetime gaining knowledge and wisdom. Help them find ways to share their valuable talents with others. Older friends and relatives have a lot to share and can mentor grandchildren and much younger friends.

Brain Aerobics

A nimble mind is the product of mental exercising. Consider some of these great ways to get your elderly friend’s brain moving:

• Play games such as Scrabble or checkers.
• Play Sudoku.
• Do crossword puzzles together.
• Read mysteries and try to solve them.

Listening to or reading good books is a great way to keep the mind alert.  Books on tape are great for those having difficulty with their vision.

Don’t let the elderly get bored with life. Help them maintain a vigorous mind and healthy body and help them stay connected and engaged.

Since 2002, a few educators began reading poetry in a church basement; soon after their agenda included educational courses focusing on contemporary global issues, historical themes, music appreciation, great decisions and foreign policy issues, and other matters of importance.

At first, the audience was primarily retired older adults; over time Active Minds has grown to serve adults of all ages through programming at book stores, libraries, and corporations.  Today Active Minds provides programming to more than 200 organizations and has over 30 highly qualified instructors on staff.

Employee relationships deepen and the company culture is strengthened with programs that enrich people’s lives. Tell your employer about the Active Minds Corporate Programs. One-hour classes offer an instructor providing an overview and in-depth analysis of an important topic. Click here for a list of topics.

Give my friend, Zane Robertson a call or email, and tell him Joy Loverde sent you…
Telephone: 303-320-7652
E-mail: Zane@ActiveMindsForLife.com
Website: www.ActiveMindsForLife.com

When communicating with those they care about becomes difficult, our elderly friends and relatives need our help. Technology comes to the rescue once again as we seek to ensure quality of life for the aging.

A Computer – An Aging Loved One’s Best Friend

If you think computers are just for the young, it’s time to reconsider. A laptop can be a boon to the elderly. Computers bring the world, and you and your family, right into an elderly person’s home.

Social networking sites allow the aging to enjoy old friendships and make new ones. Special interest groups allow those who are advanced in years to chat with others who share similar interests.

Most laptops come equipped with a camera and microphone, allowing grandmas and grandpas to videoconference with their loved ones. Homebound friends can arrange to video conference, making it possible to hold book clubs, movie critiques, or a virtual get- together.

Microphones and cameras embedded in the computer also make it possible to send video messages to friends and family. Personal and family histories can also be recorded digitally on a computer, which is also a great way to keep your aging loved one’s remembered and thinking.  Not to mention, what a wonderful treasure you’ll have when they’re finished.

A Phone is Not Just a Phone Anymore

The elderly might resist the switch to a smart phone, but once they see all it can do, they quickly embrace its wonders. Smart phones have many features that help the elderly overcome the challenges of arthritic fingers or failing hearing. Large screens, virtual keyboards, voice dialing, and a host of other innovations make placing a phone call easy.

Smart phones also allow users to enjoy easy access to news, social networks, and emails. And don’t forget texting. Texting is a great way to chat, send pictures, or just say hi.

Writing Letters in the New Millennium

Many of the elderly remember writing letters; we call it snail mail today. Many still find it pleasant to take pen to paper and write to a friend. If shaking hands or aching joints make it difficult to write a letter (or use a computer keyboard) help has arrived. Voice to text software enables users to bypass the keyboard and use their voice to interact with the computer.

Don’t allow failing health or being homebound to rob loved ones and friends from frequent communication with those they care about. Technological advancements unimagined when the elderly where young, can bring the world and those they hold dear close.