| |
| |
|
Elder Care Information |
|
|
|
Short Trips Can Stimulate Alzheimers Patients
Severe degradation of short-term memory means that my father, an Alzheimer's elder, is seldom interested in movies or books. And, although music used to be a source of enjoyment, he no longer listens with pleasure. Left to his own devices, he sits. . .and sits. . .and sits unless he's sleeping. What to do? We've found that visually stimulating events often perk our Alzheimer's elder right up. So we've added weekly, sometimes daily, trips, preferably four hours or less in duration, to his routine. These appear to add to his enjoyment of life and stimulate him to the extent that sometimes he'll add spontaneous comments to a conversation, a rare event nowadays. Here are some of the outings that have added a little oomph to his life (and provided a short break from the daily grind of caregiving): IMAX IMAX presentations offer stunning cinematography that grabs and holds attention. The presentations are usually fairly short, about an hour in length, without a complicated story line. He enjoys the 3D effects and has remembered these films for several hours after the fact. RIDE THE RAILS A ride on the Dallas Area Rapid Transit rail takes less than three hours when you board at one end of the line and ride round-trip. In between, there are interesting stopovers, such as the West End, where people congregate for restaurants and entertainment. We think he enjoys watching the people as much as the museums and restaurants. VISIT THE FARMER'S MARKET Talk about visual stimulation! You couldn't find a place with more going on or more interesting things to see. He loves the market, and, as a bonus, we're able to find really fresh fruits and vegetables and flowers for the garden. COMMUNITY THEATER From time to time, community theaters produce old favorites that he still remembers. And the Grandbury Opera produces farces that we can all enjoy together. Trips to small towns like Grandbury that have preserved their history can supply openings to reminisce. SHOP IN THE GROCERY STORE If you'd never visited a supermarket, imagine how exciting your first trip would be! It's probably quite similar for our Alzheimer's elder and never fails to amuse him. VISIT A SHOPPING MALL Bookstores no longer hold much interest for my father, but walking the mall provides lots of opportunity for people-watching. He doesn't care much for exercise these days, so a trip to the mall provides a built-in excuse for walking. These particular jaunts might not work for your Alzheimer's elder, but they should fire up your imagination. About The Author Phyllis Staff, Ph.D. - Phyllis Staff is an experimental psychologist and the CEO of The Best Is Yet.Net, an internet company that helps seniors and caregivers find trustworthy residential care. She is the author of How to Find Great Senior Housing: A Roadmap for Elders and Those Who Love Them. She is also the daughter of a victim of Alzheimer's disease. Visit the author's web site at http://www.thebestisyet.net
MORE RESOURCES:
Elder-Care - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
5 Myths You Should Know Before Choosing Elder Care Myths associated with selecting quality nursing home care suggest quick and easy ways to identify quality care. In fact, relying on these myths can lead to disastrous results. How To Find Affordable Senior Housing A few years ago Miranda M. became a widow. Just Give Them a Lot of Love and You'll be Fine It was right about this time, 19 years ago. My wife and I were sitting in the very last Lamaze birthing class, soon to be brand new parents. Stairlifts - Take the Struggle Out of Climbing the Stairs Buying a stairlift can have huge benefits for your quality of life, giving you back some freedom and independence. Stairlifts can be adapted to your individual needs, so no matter what your requirements are, there'll be one to suit you. Scaling Down (almost) Painlessly Moving to a smaller house or apartment in a retirement community almost always involves a certain degree of trauma, both for the elder who's moving and for family members. However, by planning ahead you can reduce the discomfort involved and turn what might well become a nightmare into a pleasant event. Helping Caregivers Get Comfortable Asking For Help Becoming a care giver might not have been a conscious decision on your part. It may have arrived quietly and unnoticed because you are the adult child of your elderly parents who now require care or you may have a special needs child that exacts your constant attention or a friend or spouse has become very ill and needs your support. The Best Investment You Can Make Right Now: Long Term Care Insurance Don't think you need it? Consider this: a full 50% of Americans over the age of 50 will need long term care at some point in their lives. The average cost of nursing facility care (or home health care assistance) is $61,000 per year, and the average stay in a long term care facility is 2 years. What About Tennesse Dept. of Human Services Abuse of the Elderly and Their Families? PART I: Physical Abuse of the Elderly vs. Tennessee DHS Abuse of FamiliesDuring the week of October 26, 2003, newspapers across the state of Tennessee published an Associated Press story that featured the glaring news headline, "Reports of neglect and abuse of senior citizens up 40% in six years. Mom Wont Participate! Q: Six months ago we placed my mother in an assisted living facility. She gets along fairly well, but we thought she would get involved with all of the activities. New Hope for Alzheimers Treatment There is now widespread agreement among research scientists and medical professionals that Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a problem quickly growing to vast proportions. As the life expectancy of Americans continues to rise, increasing the percentage of the population over 65 years of age, so does the number of Alzheimer's cases. Stair Lifts - Straight and Curved Rails There are two types of stairlift. Straight and curved. Angels Are Reaching Out to the Elderly I am reminded time after time of the profound effect Angels have on people. Recently, I have been receiving many emails containing examples of how the Angels are reaching through the veils to assist the elderly. Board and Care Homes - What Are They? Board and Care homes (also known as RCFE's - Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly) are residential private homes that have been licensed by the Department of Social Services to provide services to seniors. Most accept no more than six residents, but offer a cozy, home-like setting for frail seniors. Who Wants to End Up in a Nursing Home? NO ONE! As a long-term care consultant for seniors and their families I have visited many different types of facilities. But my favorite type of facility to visit is adult family homes. As the Baby Boomers Age Many employees today are calling in sick - not to care for themselves or their children, but to care for their aging parents. Baby boomers are rapidly moving into the role of caregivers for their parents, but with a few extra challenges due to the changing face of our workforce. Assisted Living Facilities - What Are They? Assisted Living facilities are generally for person's 60 years of age and older. Typical candidates need assistance with "Activities of Daily Living" (ADLs), but wish to live as independently as possible. What You Need to Know About Helping Senior Citizens IntroductionThe baby boomers is the population which haven taken birth after second world war till 1965 when there was a tremendous increase in birth rate due to the social and economic development in the USA. Now this population is going into the old age and thus bringing a burden to the nation as the country has to take care of not only the food and shelter but also the medical care. Hinged Rail Stair Lifts If a door at the top or the bottom of the stairs may be blocked by the rail of the stairlift, there are a number of models designed to overcome this problem. Some manufacturers are able to produce a rail with reduced overhang upstairs, so the lift will not protrude as far into the hallway. The Right Wheelchair Accessories Will Ease Your Life and Your Journeys on Wheels Wheelchairs come in every shape and size with sufficient options that you can find the wheels you like to take you where you want to go with the assistance you need. To enhance the comfort and convenience of your journey, choose accessories tailored to provide the best support for your activities and your health concerns. Marketing, Selling, and Serving the Older Adult, Senior Citizens, Family Caregivers Are your clients pleased by the fine quality service that you provide? Validating your clients' endorsement of you through Certification as a Senior Approved Service will increase your client base. Senior Approved Certification leads a family towards a service like yours side stepping the possibility of connecting with a less than desirable service.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |