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Try one of these activities to get your loved one in the fall mood!

New survey results released last week [Oct. 2008] reinforce that many Americans have memory concerns, but are hesitant to take steps toward finding out whether these concerns may be indicative of a more serious medical condition. One survey commissioned by the Alzheimer's Disease Screening Discussion Group found that despite vast support for Alzheimer's disease memory screenings and early detection, there was a great disparity between intentions and actual behavior. While nearly 95 percent ...

Several pieces of legislation, all supported by AFA, that will help safeguard individuals with Alzheimer's disease made significant progress in Congress recently. Among them were two bills related to wandering that passed the House last week: -H.R. 6503, introduced by Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), reauthorizes and expands the Missing Alzheimer's Disease Patient Alert Program. This Department of Justice Program helps local communities and law enforcement quickly find and identify ...

Vitamin B12 May Protect the Brain in Old Age ScienceDaily (Sep. 11, 2008) — Vitamin B12, a nutrient found in meat, fish and milk, may protect against brain volume loss in older people, according to a study published in the September 9, 2008, issue of Neurology. For the study, 107 people between the ages of 61 and 87 underwent brain scans, memory testing and physical exams. Researchers also collected blood samples to check vitamin B12 levels. Brain scans and memory tests were also ...

Stamp recognizes importance of knowing more about Alzheimer’s Disease SAN FRANCISCO — James Larkin, U.S. Postal Service Senior Plant Manager in San Francisco and Patricia Garamendi, assistant general manager, California Exposition and State Fair and wife of Lt. Gov. John Garamendi yesterday unveiled the new Alzheimer’s Awareness commemorative postage stamp as part of a special presentation at the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America National Concepts in Care Conference. The conference took ...

BY LEONARD HOCK, MD– MEDICAL DIRECTOR COVENANT HOSPICE Alzheimer’s is the cruel thief. It steals away memories—first of all short term memories then memories from further and further in the past. It steals away the hopes and plans of senior citizens during what should be their golden years. It can steal away finances because of the expense for the care required. That expense isn’t just for the patient or their family, it’s an expense for the whole country. With more and more patients ...

It is the forgetting disease….forgetting names, places and eventually even loved ones. More and more we seem to be hearing about Alzheimer’s Disease, a disease of memory loss. There’s a good reason we’re hearing more about it. It is a disease of an older population and on the one hand, there is good news. We are living longer, longer than ever. The average life span in this country is approaching 80 years. But with that advancing age comes the opportunity for old age related diseases like ...

More than 60% of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease will wander away from their home. Many will get lost; can not remember who they are or how they got to where they are. They just want to get “home.” A tracking device, called Project Lifesaver, contains a unique frequency that enables law enforcement and search and rescue teams to quickly and safely return a lost patient to their home. The water-resistant transmitter is worn on the patient’s wrist or ankle 24 hours a day and is ...

Driving and Alzheimer’s can be a very dangerous situation. At some point, a person with Alzheimer’s or dementia will have to stop driving. It is usually better to stop sooner than later. It is very rare for a person with Alzheimer’s to voluntarily give up there keys. This decision usually falls on the caregiver and can be a very hard process. Here are some tips that may be helpful while going through this transition. · Keep a written record of any changes in your loved one’s driving ...

Under normal circumstances, Medicare begins automatically at age 65 if a person is receiving or has elected to receive social security at this age. Otherwise, the Medicare process begins with a visit to the local Social Security Office. This visit triggers the system that initiates the Medicare process. Medicare has several parts: While each part will be briefly described below one of the best tools you can use for your Medicare choices is a publication named Medicare and You 2008. This ...

As Alzheimer’s patients begin to progress more into the disease process they often times start to regress in their thinking. They may no longer see them selves at their current age, but at a younger more vibrant age at the height of their career. To help alleviate some of the anxiety a person may have try thinking out side the box and giving that person the tools that they may have used in their previous profession. Here are a couple of examples to get you started. Remember you don’t have to ...

Covenant Hospice services are geared to be supportive for the patient and the family. Most of their hospice patients are cared for in their homes, although Covenant Hospice also supplements the care given to terminally ill nursing home, assisted living facility, and the residents of other home-like facilities. In the areas served by Alzheimer’s Family Services, Covenant Hospice is often able to provide specialized inpatient care in a homelike facility staffed by the hospice professionals.  ...

Spring’s in the air…this is a great time to take loved one’s outside before the hot summer weather hits! The fresh air can often have a very positive effect on some Alzheimer’s patient especially if they liked to be outside as a child. With prompting the happy sensations they felt as a child may evoke a smile today. While outside with your loved one, think about all the five human senses: sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch and relate your activities to these senses. Try these activities ...

As an elder law attorney, I routinely give advice and recommendations to my clients regarding Powers of Attorney and advance directives. A Power of Attorney typically deals with financial issues, whereas advance directives address issues related to health care such as a Living Will, a Designation of Health Care Surrogate, and a Do Not Resuscitate Order. This article specifically addresses the different types and the basic requirements for drafting a Power of Attorney. A Power of Attorney in ...

Everyone including those with Alzheimer’s and dementia loves a good game! The key to playing a game with someone who has Alzheimer’s or dementia to is play at their level. Here are two games to try with your loved one and ways they can be modified for different levels. Give it a try! You may be surprised! Game 1: Draw the word Materials: pen, pencil, scrap paper, container of some kind On each piece of scrap pieces of paper write a one word noun (person, place or thing), such as cat, ...

Dementia is the general term used to describe a group of symptoms related to memory loss and cognitive impairment. Individuals with dementia not only forget people and events, but are also commonly disoriented to time and place: which means they forget what year it is or where they live. They may repeatedly ask what time it is or think a few hours or days have passed when it has only been a few minutes. They may remember living in house from 20, 30, or even 40 years ago – and not realize that ...

As human beings we all need to know that we are needed and that we are providing support to those we love. We often do this by accomplishing goals or chores throughout our day such as cooking dinner or paying the bills. These everyday chores keep our minds active and healthy. Alzheimer’s patients also need to keep their mind active and need to feel a since of accomplishment at the end of their day. This doesn’t mean that they can do the Sunday crossword puzzle alone or even read a book, but ...

Remembering the past is a comforting experience for many Alzheimer’s patients. Thinking and celebrating holidays or past experiences can often trigger other memories and can provide enjoymentfor you and your loved one! Pictures from your loved one’s earlier years are a great way to initiate reminiscing! Try placing old pictures into a photo album together or looking through already existing photo albums. Don’t be surprised if he/she organizes the photos in a way you don’t understand. The ...

Everyone needs stimulation no matter what their age or medical condition! Here is an activity that you may want to try with your loved one! Remember, your feelings are often internalized by your loved one so have fun and your loved one will have fun too! Watch a musical on video or DVD! What a fun way to connect with your loved one! Well known musicals such as The Sound of Music or The Music Man can provide entertainment for several hours. Sing along and with the musical if you know the ...

The Three Stages of Caregiving By Carolyn McIntyre Most of us have goals and dreams for our career and family life as we move into adulthood. Yet when we look into the future, few of us ever imagine a world that includes caring for an elderly parent or relative, or a child with a chronic illness. My own experience caring for a mother with Alzheimer’s disease (and a facilitator of caregiver support groups) has taught me this lesson: you are usually thrown into the caregiver ...