alzheimerelgin.ca

Dorothy Hind Memorial Golf Tournament

Alz_Elgin — Wed, 09 May 2012 16:57:29 +0000

Pennies for Memories – New Drop Off Locations

Alz_Elgin — Wed, 09 May 2012 16:46:47 +0000

PENNIES FOR MEMORIES

Alz_Elgin — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:26:58 +0000

Every penny goes a long way to help support those living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

The Alzheimer Society Elgin-St. Thomas wants your pennies!!

Please drop off your pennies at the Society or call and we will pick up.

Pennies for your Thoughts…

450 Sunset Drive, Suite 229, St. Thomas, ON

519-633-4396

www.alzheimerelgin.ca

Walk for Memories 2012

Alz_Elgin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:13:22 +0000

Thank you all that participated in our annual Walk for Memories. We are pleased to announce that the walk raised $26,000. Just a reminder that you can still collect › ...Read more: Walk for Memories 2012

Grief and Bereavement

Alz_Elgin — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:36:08 +0000

When a person develops dementia, the people closest to them are likely to experience feelings of grief and bereavement not only in the period after the person’s death, but also before they die, as the illness progresses. A carer may adapt and come to terms with one stage of the person’s illness only to find that their behaviour alters or their abilities decline further and the grieving starts all over again. This factsheet is for carers, friends and relatives of people with dementia. It looks at some of the feelings that people close to someone with dementia might experience and suggests some ways to cope with them.

Loss

A sense of loss is one of the most powerful feelings that people experience when someone close to them develops dementia. Depending on your relationship with the person and your individual circumstances you may grieve for the loss of:

the person you once knew
the future you had planned together
the relationship you once shared
their companionship, support or special understanding
your own freedom to work or to pursue other activities
finances or a lifestyle that you once took for granted.

The ups and downs

Grieving is an up and down process. In the earlier stages of the person’s dementia, you may swing between despair and wild optimism that a cure will soon be found. You may even deny that anything is wrong with the person and try to suppress your feelings.

Later, if you have accepted the situation, you may find that there are periods when you can cope well and make the best of things. At other times, you may feel overwhelmed by sadness or anger, or you may simply feel numb. People who care for someone with dementia often feel resentful at times for the restrictions placed on their own life, and may feel unhappy that things have not turned out as they would have hoped. Some people are shocked to find that they sometimes wish that the person they are caring for were dead.

Feelings like these are a normal part of grieving but if you experience them, it is important to realise that you may be under a great deal of stress, and you may need to seek emotional support for yourself.

Tips:

Talk about your feelings to an understanding professional, to other people coping with a similar situation, to a trusted friend or to supportive members of your family. Don’t bottle up your feelings.
Relieve tension through crying, shouting or punching a cushion. However, make sure that the person you are caring for is safe and out of earshot first, or you may distress them.
Invite friends to drop in for a chat or to phone you regularly.
Make sure that you see your GP if you are feeling low or anxious, or if you are very tired and unable to sleep. It is important to try to prevent normal feelings of sadness from slipping into depression, which is much harder to deal with.
Consider your own needs. If you spend a lot of time with the person with dementia, taking regular breaks can keep you in touch with the outside world and raise your morale.
Make time for yourself each day. Just relaxing with a cup of tea or having a good chat on the phone will help you recharge your batteries and cope with your emotions.

Long-term care

If the person goes into long-term care you may grieve at another change in your relationship. The relief which you might feel initially may be replaced by feelings of loss and grief, mixed up with guilt, which can last for a surprisingly long time. You may miss the person’s presence. You may experience feelings of emptiness. You may feel very tired, both physically and emotionally.

Tips:

Try to take it easy until you feel your energy levels rise again.
If your daily routine previously revolved around caring for the person, giving a structure to your day may help you get through the difficult early months.
If you still want to be involved in caring for your relative while they are in care, speak to the staff and explain exactly what you would like to continue to do for them.
Don’t fall into the trap of building your life around visiting the person in their new home. You need to build a new life for yourself that includes these visits.
Remember that there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to feel. You experience your own feelings in your own way, and no one has the right to tell you how you should feel.

Final stages of dementia

In the final stages of dementia the person may be unable to recognise you or communicate with you. This can be very painful. Although the relationship seems very nearly over, you are unable to mourn fully because the person is still alive.

Tips:

Holding the person’s hand or sitting with your arm around them may be comforting for both of you.
There is no right or wrong way through the caring role, take comfort from the knowledge that you have done the best that you could.

Source: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk

Early-onset Alzheimer’s: When symptoms begin before 65

Alz_Elgin — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 17:38:09 +0000

When Alzheimer’s begins in middle age, misdiagnosis may be more likely. This rare form of Alzheimer’s disease affects work, finances and family.

Of all the people who have Alzheimer’s disease, only about 5 percent develop symptoms before age 65. Early-onset Alzheimer’s has been known to develop between ages 30 and 40, but that’s very uncommon. It’s more common to see someone in his or her 50s who has the disease.

Alzheimer’s disease has a tremendous impact at any age. But we don’t expect to see dementia at a young age, so problems emerging at work or home may be misunderstood. People with early-onset Alzheimer’s may lose relationships or jobs instead of being identified as medically ill.

Early-onset runs in families. Many people with the disease have a parnet or grandparent who also developed Alzheimer’s at a younger age. A significant proportion of early-onset Alzheimer’s is linked to three genes.

Accurate diagnosis is critical so that you can explain your condition to your employer and perhaps arrange a lighter workload or more convenient schedule. For family reasons it is even more crucial. The diagnosis is fundamental in helping the family respond with appropriate understanding and compassion. For more information about early-onset Alzheimer’s go to http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alzheimers/AZ00009

Warning Signs

The early indicators of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease are similar to those of late-onset Alzheimer’s. These symptoms include regularly losing items, difficulty executing common tasks, forgetfulness, personality changes, confusion, poor judgment, challenges with basic communication and language, social withdrawal and problems following simple directions.

Communication and Dementia

admin — Tue, 10 May 2011 14:24:30 +0000

Communication allows us to express our thoughts, beliefs, and wishes, and plays an important role in shaping our relationships with others.
Engaging in meaningful interactions is important to maintaining the quality of life of persons with Alzheimer’s diseases and other dementias. However, as dementia progresses, the ability to communicate becomes more and more difficult. By taking their limitations into consideration, it is possible to find alternative ways to interact with the person you are caring for.

How Dementia Affects Communication Abilities

Everyone with dementia is unique. Changes in communication can vary from person to person. However, there are many types of communication impairments that are often seen throughout the disease. For example:
•   Being unable to find the right words
•   Losing their train of thought
•   May be unable to organize thoughts in a logical order
•   Reverting to speaking in one’s native language
•   Speaking infrequently. Some people may become completely mute
•   Trouble understanding what others are saying

Tips for Effective Communication

In the earlier stages of communication impairment:
•   Be patient and supportive.
•   Don’t interrupt.
•   Give the person time to express themselves.
•   Don’t talk about the person as if they aren’t there.
•   Don’t be condescending. Respect what they are saying.
•   Avoid asking questions which rely on good memory.
•   Communicate simple reminders by using small notes.
•   Limit distractions as much as possible, find a quiet place to talk.
•   Avoid criticizing, correcting, or arguing.
•   Listen with your heart. Look beyond the words to understand what the person is experiencing in the moment.

Helping people with dementia get a good night’s sleep

admin — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:31:02 +0000

What research tells us about non-drug based strategies by Cary Brown, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Alberta.

What sleep influences:

Physical – healing, digestion, hormonal activity (leptin, adenosine, cortisol, melatonin), central nervous system function, and sensation (pain).

Thinking and emotional – feelings of well-being, concentration, learning and memory, problem-solving, emotions, paranoia, anxiety and aggression.

What are sleep disorders?

Parasomnia – abnormal behaviours or physiological events (eg. Sleep walking).

Hypersomnia – excessive sleepiness

Insomnia – most common problem, often linked to depression, insufficient, disturbed or non-restorative sleep and Circadian (body clock) Disturbances – alterations of the sleep-wake cycle.

Sleep disturbance in Persons with Dementia (PWD)

19 to 44% of community dwelling PWD has sleep problems
PWD living in institutions have even higher rates of sleep problems
One study found PWD living in long-term care facilities had no single hour of complete awake or asleep (Ancoli-Israel 1989).

Consequences when PWD have Sleep Problems

Increased chance of institutionalization
Reset body clock for daytime sleep and nighttime wakening.
Decreased physical function (eg. Balance, falls, fractures, appetite, digestion, self-care, strength, wound healing, diabetes, etc.)
Irritability and aggression
Anxiety, depression, and decreased cognition
Impact on family caregiver’s sleep, health and well-being.

What to do?

Non-drug strategies with research support – sleep medication is recommended as a short-term strategy only to reduce side effects and complications with other medication.
Sleep Hygiene

Keep the bedroom for sleep
Get lots of natural daylight
Avoid napping
Eliminate light (from TV, alarm clock, street lights, etc.)
Reduce noise and run a fan to block background noise
Establish a routine
Light snack before bed (no sugar or caffeine)
Avoid stimulation (like TV and exercise) later in the evening.

Bright Light Exposure

The sleep/wake cycle is strongly influenced by the hormone called melatonin.
Melatonin is produced in the brain and it signals the body when it is time to go to sleep.
The amount of bright light we are exposed to determines the message the brain receives to produce or stop producing melatonin.
Bright light in the daytime is good because it sends the brain a message to stay alert and turn off the melatonin production.

Good reason to take a walk

admin — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:56:33 +0000

Some very good research is out telling us what we already know – that walking is good for you! That’s right, walking is a great activity that can be done with a friend, in a group or on your own. But did you know that walking may help slow the rate of cognitive decline for those with Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairments, as well as healthy older adults.

The 20 year study followed 426 participants including healthy older adults with cognitive impairments, and older adults with Alzheimer’s disease. Participants recorded the amount of time they walked during the week and underwent MRI scans to track changes in brain volume. According to Dr. Cyrus Jaji, lead investigator “we found that walking five miles per week protects the brain structure over 10 years in people with Alzheimer’s disease and MCI, especially in the slower decline in memory loss over five years.”

SOURCE: http://www.pruewswire.com/news-releases/walking-slows-progression-of-alzheimers-110951604.html

Brain Fitness – Reducing the risk

admin — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:53:18 +0000

There are 2 risk factors that you can’t control:

Genetics – a small percentage of cases of Alzheimer’s disease are associated with the specific genes that cause the inherited form of the disease
Aging – the most significant known risk.

Although you can’t control genetics and aging, there is a lot you can do that may help reduce your risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia.

So, what can we do?

Challenge Yourself
Be Socially Active
Make Healthy Food Choices
Be Physically Active
Reduce Stress
Protect Your Head
Choose Wisely

If you or your group would like to learn more about Brain Fitness, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias or Communication and Dementia, contact Stacy Wraight, Public Education Coordinator at the Society 519-633-4396 ext. 24.