The country is desperately in need of a strong National Alzheimer’s Disease Plan and families dealing with Alzheimer’s can’t wait. You can help.

Alzheimer Disease is the most common form of dementia. It is the six leading cause of death in the US. At this time 5 million people have Alzheimer Disease or a related dementia, this number is expected to triple by 2050. In part because of the growing aging population.

President Obama has initiated a plan to have the government step in and help to find a cure and prevent this disease. One of the goal’s is for a timely diagnosis and another would be to improve support and training for families.

Families have been urging federal health officials to address the plan to help patients remain in their homes without ruining the caregiver’s health and finances.

It is not clear how these initiatives will be funded. I feel it is very important as a nation we make this commitment. Please join me and sign the petition urging the President to make Alzheimer’s Disease a national priority.

The goal of the Alzheimer Association was 90,000 signatures and since it was reached the goal has been raised to 250,000 signatures. Please sign onto this link it only takes a minute. Thank you.  www.alz.org/petition

Sundowning, also called Sundowning Syndrome, can occur in patients with Dementia and usually presents in the form changes in behavior, mood swings, the patient getting increasingly upset or agitated, demanding, becoming more suspicious, and visual or auditory hallucinations.  The individual who is sundowning typically exhibits these behaviors during the late afternoon, evening, or at night – hence the name.

Ron D'Aquila, RN

Sometimes these behaviors can be treated with medications, however drugs commonly used for sundowning can have significant side effects.  Other treatments that have had mixed success include music and aroma therapy, sounds of waves or birds being played, and using soothing touch – as long as the person is not highly agitated.  It has also been shown to be helpful to reminisce with them about pleasant past-times.

Sundowning can be extremely stressful to the caregiver.  It is probably one of the greatest factors contributing to caregiver burnout.  Often times the patient will wander, causing safety concerns for patients living at home (there are new devices and assistive technologies that can help with this at www.assistedlivingtechnology.com).

If you are the caregiver, it is important that you know no one can care for a person with dementia alone for very long without deleterious effects taking there toll on you.  Involve other family to assist in shifts, or contact a reputable home care agency to help at night so you can rest.  Certainly discuss any changes with your doctor.  You should also consider seeking the assistance from professionals at a reputable Geriatric Assessment Program such as the Dorothy Adler Geriatric Assessment Center at Yale New Haven Hospital (ph. 203-688-6361) or on the web at www.ynhh.org.

A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye , most often related to aging. Half of Americans have had either a cataract or cataract surgery by the age of 80.

One does not need to be a senior to have a cataract. Often they start in the 40′s or 50′s but may remain small. It is frequently after the age of 60 that cataracts begin to steal vision.

The lens of the eye works much like a camera lens. It focuses light onto the retina in the back of the eye allowing us to see clearly. The lens is made up  mostly of water and protein. As we age this protein may begin to clump together and cloud the lens. As it worsens and grows larger it may cloud more of the lens impeding vision. Researchers believe diabetes, smoking and wear and tear over the years may be  causes of cataracts.

Know the Signs and Symptoms :

• Cloudy Vision
• Poor Night Vision
• Colors Seem Faded
• Glare: Lamps, Headlights, or sunlight may seem to bright
• A Halo may Appear around Lights
• Frequent eyeglass prescription changes
• Double vision or multiple images in one eye

If you have any of these signs or symptoms contact your eye care Professional.

Ron D'Aquila, RN

Assisted Living Services, Inc. is offering complimentary on-site “friendly” visits to the in-home seniors it serves to teach them how to use Wii Sports such as Tennis, Bowling, Golf, or Wii Big Brain games such as “The Price is Right.”  As clients express an interest in a visit we discuss the options and taylor our visit appropriately.  We bring everything necessary (equipment is small enough to bring in a shoebox), and can quickly hook up to most modern TV’s.  The rest of the visit will be so fun and new it will hardly feel therapeutic – but it will bring a form of gentile, low impact exercise to people who’s movement might be limited by injury, illness, or the aging process.  Also, our memory games can have cognitive benefits.  We have alot of interest already and this is part of a program offered through our sister company Assisted Living Technologies, Inc. www.assistedlivingtechnology.com   Tennis anyone?

One of the greatest health concerns in the elderly is proper medication compliance – taking the right medication, the right dose, at the right time.  An automated medication dispenser may be the perfect tool to ensure that medication is taken properly and on time.

Everyone has different needs when it comes to taking medication. Some people take their meds once a day; some take 4 doses a day. With the MedReady Medication Dispenser, the medication tray gets filled for the doses you need to take according to your schedule. After the tray is filled, the alarms get set for the times of day the meds need to be taken. Setting the alarms is as simple as setting an alarm clock.

After the medication is loaded and the alarms are set, the MedReady dispenser can be locked to prevent overdosing.

Then it is as simple as taking the meds when the alarm goes off. But there might still be a problem. Some people have hearing issues and might not hear the alarm. That’s ok! Other models are offered with lower frequency alarms and flashing lights. There are also dispensers that are monitored by a call center. If the medication door does not open when an alarm goes off, you will get a phone call to make sure everything is alright and offer a polite reminder to take your meds. Now that’s high tech med compliance! Here’s a short video to show you the MedReady in action…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud_M2oMgKts

Sharon D'Aquila

This past Christmas holiday weekend our very own Kristin Mercadante, Office Manager, decided on her own to visit many of our home care clients across Connecticut to bring some holiday cheer.  What she found was heartwarming because in most of the homes she visited either the Hourly Staff or Live-in Companions had asked the clients where they had some decorations and proceded to decorate for them.

In some cases, where families were expected to visit from out of state, the caregivers made sure the homes were very tidy and ready for visitors.  One client was eagerly awaiting the shrimp dinner her caregiver Joyce was preparing for her.  Another insisted Kristin join her for some homemade cookies that she and her caregiver made.  Kristin gave each client a chef created gourmet dinner from Mangia Bene, a new Gourmet-to-Go business based in Rocky Hill.

Clients were given a choice of entrees to choose from like Veal Parmigiana, Stuffed Chicken Breast, Pasta Mangia Bene, Lasagna, Chicken Francaise, or Chicken Marsala.  These meals are simply masterpieces that you pop in the oven or microwave – all for under $10 each.  Kristin said that the clients’ eyes lit up and they truly appreciated the great meals.  We are sure that they felt special from Kristin’s visit too!  Do you know a senior that needs a visit, and maybe a special and inexpensive gesture such as a gourmet meal?  Small things – they can make such a huge difference;-) Thanks Kristin for all you do!

Mary Scagliarini, RN

Holiday Visits may end up not at all what we expected. This is the time of year children often come home to spend time with their families. They have been conversing with their parents and everything seems like it is going well. After a short time living with them often they see changes they did not notice or may have worsened since their last visit.  Parents have a wonderful way of caring for each other or themselves that make it appear they are managing fine.

Often it takes a catastrophic event such as a fall, wandering or hospitalization before we realize our parents need more help to remain at home. The Alzheimer Association lists the ten warning signs of Alzheimer Disease. You may find this list helpful as you sort through the changes you are noticing.

If you need assistance during this time, we at Assisted Living Services, Inc. are here to help. The best gift you can give yourself and your parents is knowing they can remain in their home with experienced caregivers.

Wishing you all a Happy Peaceful  Holiday Season!

Mary Scagliarini,RN
Assisted Living Services, Inc.
74 S. Broad St
Meriden, Ct 06450
203-634-8668
www.assistedlivingct.com

http://www.facebook.com/assistedlivingservices

It seems that for some, the holidays draw family from afar to get to see a loved one, in some cases after several months or longer, and they realize there has been a decline in health or change in ability for self care.  The change can be something subtle such as an untidy house that was usually neat with everything in it’s place, to  more extreme changes that can be indicators of more serious health concern – such as weight loss, poor balance, or weakness.

Make this an opportunity to really observe and take note of your loved one’s physical well being and the environment.  Obviosly when concerns arise about the health of a loved one, the first thing to do would be to schedule an appointment with their primary care physician.  On the other end of the spectrum, finding quality home care locally for less complicated issues like help with homemaking, personal care, and grocery shopping is as easy as contacting your local Connecticut Area Agency on Aging to see what agencies they can recommend. Of course, you can also always contact us.

There are often issues that fall in-between that may require more research and involvement that might best be handled by a Geriatric Care Manager, or elder law attorney.  Sometimes in-home technologies can help such as a Personal Emergency Response System or Remote Monitoring.  Keep in mind that although navigating around the elder care road map can be confusing, there are resources available to help sort it all out and promote safe and effective ways to keep your loved one at home.

Give us a call at 203.634.8668, we would be happy to discuss what you are going through and give you some guidance.

Lynne Schmidt

Recently, Assisted Living Services, Inc. sent it’s Director of Hourly and PCA Services, Lynne Schmidt to attend a course and receive her certification as a Dementia Care Specialist. After the course, I sat down with Lynn to ask her about what she learned and wanted to share the information with you.

What did the course content and training entail?  The course was an in depth look at how an individual with dementia, and specifically Alzheimer’s disease, views the world around them.  It was an overview of the stages and progression of the disease and how each stage presents itself.  There were workshops that placed the student in the life and mind of the Alzheimer’s patient.  This was meant to give us a better understanding of how that person feels when dealing with everyday tasks as well as the frustrations they feel when struggling to communicate the loved ones or caregivers.

The course gave statistical information on the rise in dementia and Alzheimer’s diagnosis and the forecast for the next generation, which was quite eye-opening.  The course also gave useful tips and training on how to approach, and manage combativeness, aggression, and depression in patients with the disease.

It was a very condensed program and it covered a lot of ground in the 8 1/2 hr. period.  The instructor was very insightful.  Although I have been in a field (Assisted Living & Homecare) that works with persons afflicted by the disease for 12 years now, and I have participated in other workshops, none compared to the intensity of this training course.

Can you explain why this Certification will benefit the staff and clients of the Agency?  I think the benefits from taking this course were two fold.  First, it gave me a much clearer understanding of the disease from the clients perspective which aides in the communication with families who are dealing with a loved one affected by it.  Secondly, it gave me increased knowledge that I can impart to our caregivers who are on the front lines caring for and dealing with the challanges that our client’s face on a daily basis.  I can certainly support them better.

Mary Scagliarini, RN

Lynne is the second member of the Leadership Team at Assisted Living Services, Inc. to attain this Certification.  Last year, Mary Scagliarini, RN, Live-in Services Coordinator also attended the course. Congrats to Lynn and Mary!

To learn more about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia care in Connecticut, view some of our previous posts on the subject, or visit the Connecticut Alzheimer’s Association Website.