When ICU Delirium Leads To Symptoms Of Dementia After Discharge

Doctors have gradually come to realize that people who survive a serious brush with death in the intensive care unit are likely to develop potentially serious problems with their memory and thinking processes.

This dementia, a side effect of intensive medical care, can be permanent. And it affects as many as half of all people who are rushed to the ICU after a medical emergency. Considering that 5.7 million Americans end up in intensive care every year, this is a major problem that until recently, has been poorly appreciated by medical caregivers.

The Comforting Fictions of Dementia Care

The large central room of the memory-care unit was designed to look like an old-fashioned American town square. There was a small fountain, surrounded by plants and a low stone wall; there were a couple of lampposts, and benches, tables, and chairs set about. The carpet was mottled with darker and lighter shades of green, to resemble grass growing and bending in different directions. Along the walls were the façades of what looked like clapboard houses, with wooden shutters and shingled pitched roofs and porches that extended into the room. Two long hallways, which led off from opposite sides of the central room, looked like streets in the same town, with more clapboard façades and porches on either side. These façades were not altogether fake: each front door opened onto a suite of small rooms—living room, bedroom, bathroom—that was a resident’s home.

Five Questions Families Ask About Alzheimer’s Caregiving

As someone who works with families of older adults, including adults with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, I hear many of the same questions from one family to the next. “How does this happen? What will it mean? How do we go about caring for someone with Alzheimer’s?” These are questions understandably on people’s minds. There are many more. Five common questions are below.

How to Cope With Caregiver Boredom

During what seemed like hours that we sat in crowded medical waiting rooms, my mother and I made small talk that quickly petered out. I flipped through old magazines when I couldn’t concentrate on reading my book. I scrolled through my phone absentmindedly. I was irritated and restless. I was also bored.

Infections that Can Cause Dementia

Cognitive impairment caused by an infection is not very common, but it is an important step in the evaluation of anyone suspected of having Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.

Alzheimer's: Groundbreaking plan aims to target root cause

There are currently no treatments that cure or slow Alzheimer's. Now, for the first time since scientists recently agreed that the cause most likely lies in toxic clumps of oligomer protein, a strategy for creating drugs to target them has emerged.

Alzheimer's, which is a neurological condition, gradually kills brain cells.

This plan is the result of joint work between the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom and Lund University in Sweden.

A paper about the study is shortly to appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Intervention Reduces Chances of Falling Among Older Adults

A “fall plan of care” can help spare older adults from fall-related hospitalizations, researchers report.

A team at the State University of New York at Binghamton reported that older adults who were enrolled in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initiative experienced better outcomes. The initiative aims for fall prevention by raising awareness and discussing strategies with potential victims.

The research, published in the September issue of the Gerontologist, showed that those deemed at risk for falls who had a “fall plan of care” were 40 percent less likely to experience a fall-related hospitalization than those who were at risk but did not have such a plan.

Fall and Fire Safety Measures for Seniors

According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), one in four Americans 65 years and older fall every year, and falls are the leading cause of unintentional injuries among this population as well. Seniors at 65 years are also twice as likely to be injured or killed in a fire compared to the overall population (and three times as likely at 75 years; four times at 85 years). The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) offers a program, Remembering When, that focuses on fire prevention and fall prevention for seniors.  Do you live in a high-risk fire state or in a state with the inclement weather where falls from icy conditions are common? The program is designed to be used by senior housing communities, local fire stations, various volunteer service organizations, etc. to present to local senior populations. 

5 Hospital Safety Hazards You Need to Know About

We go to hospitals are when we’re sick and in need of medical care. We expect that we’ll get better and then return to our lives. However, hospitals can also be very risky environments, exposing patients to dangerous pathogens and infections and potential medical errors. Knowledge is power and especially powerful when it comes to healthcare. Knowing what to look for and how to minimize the risk of a dangerous safety hazard, can help make your family member’s stay as safe and comfortable as possible.

When Is the Right Time for Hospice Care?

When my 91-year-old father returned from the hospital after a bout of pneumonia and was readmitted scarcely a week later, his doctor suggested that hospice care was probably a good idea. He was extremely frail and barely able to walk. His overall health wasn’t improving.

Like most people eyeing hospice care as the end stage of medical intervention, I was reluctant to make that decision. What if he could get better? Wasn’t hospice only for people with a few weeks — or days — to live? Was I being unrealistic about his condition?

The State of Caregiving for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementia 2018

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. It progressively impacts a person’s memory, judgement, language, and independence. Once a family’s hidden burden, Alzheimer’s is now becoming a dominant public health concern. Its numbers have grown and will continue to at an alarming rate as millions more Americans age into the disease and a cure remains out of reach.

NCBAC™ Announces Two New Publications In Support of Elder Care

 One earmark of professional certifications is that individuals holding the certification need to commit to additional education annually. The continuing education (CEs) is aimed at helping individuals update their knowledge and stay current in their work.

In June, NCBAC will begin publication of two monthly newsletters aimed at helping professionals with key certifications stay current in their work.

Those holding Certified Alzheimer Educator (CAEd™) and Certified Alzheimer Caregiver (CAC™) will benefit from the new "Certified Caregiver Update". the first edition will be available in mid-June of this year. The Update will feature articles and professional tips from those working in the field. Quiz questions can count toward CE requirements.