October 2023 Newsletter for Caregivers

Welcome to the October newsletter!

Hospice Myths:5 Common Misunderstandings

One of the biggest hospice myths is that it’s only for people who are expected to pass away in days or weeks.

Common misunderstandings like this can discourage people from learning more about services that could improve quality of life for seniors and families.

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9 Top Questions about palliative care vs hospice care

These two services are often confused, so it’s important to understand the key differences and benefits of palliative care vs. hospice care.

Depending on their health conditions, one or both of these services could significantly improve your older adult’s quality of life.

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Hospice isn’t a Death Sentence: Get the Facts

The biggest myth around hospice care is that it means giving up on your older adult.

Many people think that hospice care is only for people who are expected to pass away within days or weeks.

That’s not true.

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September 2023 Newsletter for Caregivers

Welcome to the September newsletter!

Caring for the Caregiver: 6 Ways to Get Help and Improve Your Health

Caring for the caregiver is a key component in long-term caregiving. Without help, you’re more likely to become exhausted and severely stressed. That can lead to serious health problems and limit your ability to care for others.

This is why it’s so important to find caregiving help so you can take regular breaks and have the time to maintain or improve your own health.

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Caregiver Guilt Two Common Myths Increase Stress

There are many common misconceptions about what caregivers should do or how they should feel that can cause guilt that isn’t deserved.

Unfortunately, these misguided beliefs and unrealistic expectations about caregiving can also hurt you by causing burnout, compassion fatigue, or serious health conditions caused by chronic stress.

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How Geriatric Care Managers Can Help You

Many family caregivers are overwhelmed with complex senior care issues and endless day-to-day tasks.

Others are living far away and struggling to manage their older adult’s care from a distance.

In these situations, a geriatric care manager (GCM) could be a helpful addition to your caregiving team.

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August 2023 Newsletter for Caregivers

Welcome to the August newsletter!

Six Ways to Get Seniors with No Appetite to Eat

Getting seniors who have no appetite to eat can be a challenge. 

There are many reasons why some older adults lose their appetite or refuse to eat.

But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re worried about them and are doing your best to give them the nutrition they need.

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Nine More Ways to Get Seniors with No Appetite to Eat

Getting someone to eat when they have no appetite is a tough challenge.

First, it’s important to rule out serious health conditions, medication side effects, and dental problems.

Once you know your older adult’s overall health isn’t causing their loss of appetite, experiment with different ways to entice them to eat more.

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Ten Reasons Why Seniors Lose Their Appetite

Many older adults struggle during mealtimes or simply refuse to eat because they’ve lost their appetite.

This is an important issue to address because seniors need to eat well to stay as healthy and active as possible.

But how can you convince someone with no appetite to eat? And why do seniors lose their appetites in the first place?

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June 2023 Newsletter for Caregivers

Welcome to the June newsletter!

Cognitive super agers defy typical age-related decline in brainpower

Although it’s normal for brainpower to decline as people age, it’s not inevitable, studies show. Some people remain cognitively sharp into their 80s, 90s, and beyond, defying the common assumption that cognitive decline is a natural part of aging.

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"SuperAgers" show possible new link between social engagement, cognitive health

Scientific evidence about the importance of remaining socially engaged as we age continues to grow. Participating in social activities, such as visiting friends, volunteering, and getting out for events and trips, has been associated with better cognitive function, while low social engagement in late life has been associated with an increased risk of dementia (Krueger, 2009; Saczynski, 2006). 

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Psychological well-being in elderly adults with extraordinary episodic memory

The Northwestern University SuperAging Program studies a rare cohort of individuals over age 80 with episodic memory ability at least as good as middle-age adults to determine what factors contribute to their elite memory performance. As psychological well-being is positively correlated with cognitive performance in older adults, the present study examined whether aspects of psychological well-being distinguish cognitive SuperAgers from their cognitively average-for-age, same-age peers.

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April 2023 Newsletter for Caregivers

Welcome to the April newsletter!

Early Signs of Dementia: When To Be Concerned

Dementia results in a serious decline in thinking skills and physical abilities. Yet the first symptoms of dementia can go undetected.

Telling the difference between normal aging and the beginning stages of dementia may be difficult. Symptoms are usually subtle at first, and your loved one could be masking their symptoms.

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Is Dementia a Normal Part of Aging?

As a caregiver, you’re likely aware of every change in your loved one’s behavior. Sometimes it can be hard to tell if they’re experiencing a brief moment of forgetfulness or something more concerning. While everyone has the occasional mental lapse, you shouldn’t expect memory loss to be part of your loved one’s life as they age.

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How the Aging Brain Affects Thinking

The brain controls many aspects of thinking — remembering, planning and organizing, making decisions, and much more. These cognitive abilities affect how well we do everyday tasks and whether we can live independently.

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February 2023 Newsletter for Caregivers

Welcome to the February newsletter!

Dementia-Like

"Some causes of Dementia or Dementia-like symptoms can be reversed. Your doctor may identify and treat these causes:

Infections and immune disorders. Dementia-like symptoms can result from fever or other side effects of your body's attempt to fight off an infection.

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Mild cognitive impairment (MCI)

Not necessarily "Dementia" in the strictest sense of the word, but a condition that commonly leads to Dementia, and therefore there should be a high level of concern.

"Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a condition in which people have memory or other thinking problems greater than normal for their age and education, but their symptoms are not as severe as those seen in people with Alzheimer’s disease.

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AIDS dementia complex (ADC)

AIDS dementia complex (ADC), or HIV-associated dementia (HAD), occurs primarily in persons with more advanced HIV infection. Symptoms include encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), behavioral changes, and a gradual decline in cognitive function, including trouble with concentration, memory, and attention. Persons with ADC also show progressive slowing of motor function and loss of dexterity and coordination. When left untreated, ADC can be fatal. It is rare when anti-retroviral therapy is used.  

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January 2023 Newsletter for Caregivers

Welcome to the January newsletter!

Posterior Cortical Atrophy

Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), also called Benson's syndrome, is the visual variant of Alzheimer’s disease. The disease causes shrinkage (atrophy) of the back part of the brain, causing a progressive decline in vision. People with PCA may often go to see an eye doctor first, thinking that their difficulties are due to a problem with their eyes and that they may need new glasses.

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Young-Onset Dementia

Young-Onset is often also referred to as "Early-Onset." Yet, it should be differentiated from another commonly used phrase: "Early Stage Dementia," which is more appropriate to describe someone in the early stages of Dementia, at any age. "Young-Onset Dementia is conventionally thought to include patients with onset before 65 years of age.

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Mixed Dementia

Autopsy studies looking at the brains of people who had Dementia suggest that a majority of those age 80 and older probably had 'Mixed Dementia,' caused by processes related to both Alzheimer’s disease [or, other Dementia] and vascular disease. In fact, some studies indicate that mixed vascular-degenerative Dementia is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly.

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December 2022 Newsletter for Caregivers

Welcome to the December newsletter!

What is Elder Abuse?

Each year hundreds of thousands of older persons are abused, neglected, and exploited. Many victims are people who are older, frail, and vulnerable and cannot help themselves and depend on others to meet their most basic needs. Abusers of older adults are both women and men, and may be family members, friends, or "trusted others."

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The effect of geriatric intervention in frail elderly patients receiving chemotherapy for colorectal cancer: a randomized trial (GERICO)

Background: Better surgical techniques, chemotherapy and biological therapy have improved survival in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), most markedly in younger patients. About half of patients over 70 years receive dose reductions or early treatment discontinuation of the planned adjuvant or first-line treatment due to side effects.

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Elder Neglect

Elder neglect occurs when a carer fails to properly care for you. A carer may be a family member or someone else who is responsible for caring for you. Your carer may not bathe, dress, or feed you regularly. He or she may leave you alone in unsafe places. He or she may not give you the treatments you need, or give you the wrong amount of medicines. Neglect can happen in your own home, the carer's home, or a facility, such as a nursing home.

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September 2022 Newsletter for Caregivers

Welcome to the September newsletter!

7 Best Practices for Managing Difficult Behaviors in Long Term Care

With all the recent restrictions on psychotropic medications in skilled nursing facilities, many facilities find themselves struggling with a resurgence in unwanted resident behaviors that were previously well-managed by anti-psychotics, benzodiazepines and other drugs.

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Molecular brain changes linked to APOE4, the main susceptibility gene for Alzheimer's disease

Recent breakthroughs have revealed a great deal about Alzheimer's disease, but researchers have yet to paint a complete picture of how genetic risk for the illness causes the brain damage that ultimately leads to memory loss and cognitive decline. A new study from the Keck School of Medicine of USC, just published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, adds a crucial piece to that puzzle.

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Tips for reducing dementia risk

More than 55 million people worldwide are believed to be living with dementia, according to the World Health Organization. Ronald Petersen, M.D., a neurologist and director of Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, says you can't prevent dementia, but you can reduce your risk.

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August 2022 Newsletter for Caregivers

Welcome to the August newsletter!

Definitions - Dementia Society of America (DSA)

We have collected definitions we believe will be helpful to you. We also offer a variety of presentations and programs to help people living with these conditions and their families and caregivers. You don’t have to make this journey alone. We can help. Access additional Dementia resources here.

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Lewy Body - Dementia Society of America (DSA)

Lewy body disease is one of the most common causes of Dementia in the elderly. Lewy body disease happens when abnormal structures, called Lewy bodies, build up in areas of the brain. The disease may cause a wide range of symptoms, including changes in alertness and attention, hallucinations, problems with movement and posture, muscle stiffness, and confusion.

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Causes of Death in People With Alzheimer's Disease

The Alzheimer's Association notes that Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.1 It also points out that out of the top 10 causes of death, it's the only one without an effective treatment or cure.

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March 2022 Newsletter for Caregivers

Welcome to the March newsletter!

A Blood Test to Detect Alzheimer's Disease Moves Closer to Reality

A simple blood test may be able to tell you whether you have Alzheimer's disease and, in some cases, it can detect the disease decades before symptoms set in.

Research presented at this year's virtual Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) on Tuesday and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) focused on a new blood test that can detect a specific type of protein.

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4 Reasons You Shouldn't Avoid Talking to Your Doctor About Dementia

Patients and health care providers aren’t always on the same page when it comes to dementia. And stigma surrounding the disease factors into the disconnect, new AARP research shows.

Nearly 20 percent of adults 40 and older say they would feel ashamed or embarrassed if they had dementia, according to an AARP survey

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How Menopause Messes With Your Brain

Each year, over one million women in the U.S. go through menopause, which can cause symptoms including hot flashes, weight gain, low or fluctuating libido and sleep problems. But there’s another change that carries even more health implications: an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

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December 2021 Newsletter for Caregivers

Welcome to the December newsletter!

Mayo Clinic - Lewy body dementia

Lewy body dementia, also known as dementia with Lewy bodies, is the second most common type of progressive dementia after Alzheimer's disease. Protein deposits, called Lewy bodies, develop in nerve cells in the brain regions involved in thinking, memory and movement (motor control).

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NIH - What Is Lewy Body Dementia?

Lewy body dementia (LBD) is a disease associated with abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain. These deposits, called Lewy bodies, affect chemicals in the brain whose changes, in turn, can lead to problems with thinking, movement, behavior, and mood. Lewy body dementia is one of the most common causes of dementia.

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Lewy Bodies, Dementia, and Parkinson’s – What Does it all Mean?

Here are two common scenarios that may sound familiar:

Scenario 1

A patient develops a series of neurologic symptoms, is evaluated by a neurologist and is told that she has Parkinson’s disease (PD). She then visits another neurologist for a second opinion and is told she has Lewy Body Dementia (LBD).

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July 2021 Newsletter for Caregivers

Welcome to the July newsletter!

Ways to Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating illness that affects over 27 million people world wide. It is the more prevalent form of dementia, which is a loss of cognitive ability. The symptoms of Alzheimer’s include confusion, short term memory loss, mood swings, and difficulties using language. Eventually, the brain becomes so damaged that bodily functions become impaired, leading to death. Death typically occurs within ten years of diagnosis.

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3 Incredible Breakthroughs That Are Transforming Our Understanding of the Brain

For a long time it was assumed that while, sure, brains were amazing, there wasn’t much you could do for an individual brain besides watch it decline. But scientists have made great strides in understanding the organ’s complexities, and their work is starting to affect our daily lives. Researchers are currently looking into more detailed brain imaging, better genetic-risk profiling, and dementia-related biomarkers in blood, urine, and spinal fluid—and that’s just diagnostics.

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Alzheimer's treatments: What's on the horizon?

Current Alzheimer's treatments temporarily improve symptoms of memory loss and problems with thinking and reasoning.

These Alzheimer's treatments boost performance of chemicals in the brain that carry information from one brain cell to another. However, these treatments don't stop the underlying decline and death of brain cells. As more cells die, Alzheimer's disease continues to progress.

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May 2021 Newsletter for Caregivers

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Deaf Caregivers Say Fixing Communication Barriers in Health Care Is Long Overdue

t was a fall in the middle of the night in 2012 when my mother's life shifted. She had been suffering from arthritis for many years and when she fell, she was rendered immobile. I was living with her at the time, with my younger brother. As we headed to the hospital, I could sense my life changing. I would need to become my mother's caregiver now. What I didn't realize is that I would face my first test in the emergency room.

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The long, exhausting reach of dementia care

The Covid-19 pandemic is reinforcing a grim lesson we should have taken to heart but haven’t: Some diseases harm not only patients but also people close to them, reverberating throughout society.

In the U.S., the tallies of patients and deaths is nearing 30 million and 540,000, respectively, as I write this. Millions more have suffered isolation, depression, anxiety, and declining health. More than 20 million have seen cuts to their pay or even unemployment.

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Gardening Therapy for Dementia

For someone who loves gardening, there is nothing like the meticulous, careful work of planning, planting and caring for a garden. The creative and tactile experience of being near to nature is not only good for our well-being, but it may in fact help to relieve the symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

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April 2021 Newsletter for Caregivers

Welcome to the April newsletter!

New Studies Show Dire State Of Nursing Homes Even Before The Pandemic

Certified Nursing Assistants, or CNAs, do inglorious work. They are often on the frontlines of nursing homes, helping patients bathe, eat and use the bathroom. McDavid Rodriguez said he knows that patients can often feel embarrassed when getting help with basic functions.

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Therapeutic Use of Self: How to Facilitate Positive Behaviors in Someone With Dementia

Never underestimate the powerful impact you can have on others—particularly those you provide care for. Understanding your potential to influence the emotional experiences, and, in turn, the behavior expressions of your residents is an essential step to providing quality dementia care.

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Indoor Visits With Nursing Home Residents OK, New CDC Guidance Says

Health officials have relaxed federal COVID-19 guidance for nursing homes for the first time since September, recommending that even unvaccinated visitors and residents be allowed to meet in person under most circumstances.

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February 2021 Newsletter for Caregivers

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Ultrasound Treatment Shows Promising Results Against Alzheimer’s

Roughly 6 million people live with Alzheimer’s in America alone. This neurodegenerative disease can have a severe impact on the individual living with it as well as loved ones. Because of the disease’s prevalence and potential to cause mental health damage, researchers are constantly looking for ways to combat it. Most recently, a study has found success using ultrasound energy to combat Alzheimer’s once and for all.

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Alzheimer's stages: How the disease progresses

Alzheimer's disease tends to develop slowly and gradually worsens over several years. Eventually, Alzheimer's disease affects most areas of your brain. Memory, thinking, judgment, language, problem-solving, personality and movement can all be affected by the disease.

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How Alzheimer's is diagnosed

To diagnose Alzheimer's dementia, doctors evaluate your signs and symptoms and conduct several tests.

An accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's dementia is an important first step to ensure you have appropriate treatment, care, family education and plans for the future.

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December 2020 Newsletter for Caregivers

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Culturally relevant dementia care system's missing piece, advocates say

Zeba Taj would often come home sobbing after a shift at the long-term care home in Ottawa where she worked for three years.

Many of the residents there had dementia, and many were from diverse cultural backgrounds. What upset Taj was that the elderly men and women had virtually no access to the languages, food or religious customs they'd been used to their whole lives.

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5 Tips to Prevent Dementia-related Wandering

Wandering is a serious threat to the health and safety of anyone with dementia or Alzheimer’s. Did you know 6 out of 10 people with these illnesses wander? It is important for family and caregivers to plan ahead.

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The Stages of Dementia: How Dementia Progresses

Dementia progresses differently in everyone. Many people will experience the symptoms associated with the following stages of Alzheimer’s disease:

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October 2020 Newsletter for Caregivers

Welcome to the October newsletter!

Predisposition to Infection in the Elderly

With normal aging, there are mild-to-moderate changes within the immune system. In the elderly, however, it is commonly observed that a more profound deficit occurs with regard to immune function. Not only do these changes render a senior susceptible to certain infections, but they also affect the clinical presentation of these infections. Atypical presentation of infection in the elderly may be so subtle that pneumonia or a urinary tract infection may manifest with a change in mental status or mild malaise as the only clinical indication of infection.

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The 5 Most Common Infections in the Elderly

Common infections like influenza and UTIs can happen to anyone, but for adults over the age of 65, these illnesses may be much harder to diagnose — leading to chronic poor health, ongoing discomfort and a higher risk of hospitalization.

In fact, one-third of all deaths in seniors over 65 results from infectious diseases, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Though seniors are more susceptible to infection overall, seniors with dementia or those who are in long-term care may be at even greater risk.

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Contamination in Nursing Homes

Nursing home facilities are breeding grounds for infectious diseases caused by lack of hygiene, which causes germs to spread and affect patients. This is often due to poor management. It is estimated that 380,000 patients may pass away each year due to infections contracted in these facilities.

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August 2020 Newsletter for Caregivers

Welcome to the August newsletter!

Dr. Todd Schmiedeler

We have included a new interview feature. This month’s interview is one of a series of print interviews conducted by NCBAC™. The series includes leaders in the area of healthcare, aging and dementia. Some have conducted research, some are business leaders and others are experts in the best methods of day to day care.

Our next interview is with Dr. Todd Schmeideler, Senior Vice President, Trilogy Health Services and Trilogy Foundation. Click here to read.

Our standard 3 articles and CEU quiz follow below.

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5 Key Tips to Communicating With Dementia Patients

Dementia is described simply as symptoms that affect the communication, intellectual, and social functioning of an individual. It is a condition that affects the brain, which controls all functions of our body. It is not a specific disease; rather there are many causes of dementia. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia.

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Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias

Scientists do not yet fully understand what causes Alzheimer’s disease. There likely is not a single cause but rather several factors that can affect each person differently.

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What Is Validation Therapy and How Can It Help?

Receiving a diagnosis of dementia for a parent or loved one can be an emotional and scary time. While parts of life begin to make sense, others begin to crumble in painful ways. Fortunately, current research suggests there are ways we can help our elderly family members to cope with the challenges of their disease.

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June 2020 Newsletter for Caregivers

Welcome to the June newsletter!

3 Ways to Respond When Someone with Alzheimer’s Says I Want to Go Home

Hearing someone say “I want to go home” over and over again is something Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers often deal with.

It’s especially frustrating to hear when they’re already home.

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6 Small but Important Ways to Take Care of Yourself When Caring for Someone With Alzheimer’s

Ask anyone caring for a loved one with a serious illness what they do for self-care, and you’ll probably hear laughter in response. Self-care can be tough in the best of circumstances, but it’s especially difficult for people who spend the majority of their time caring for someone else. Alzheimer’s caregivers are no exception. Still, some people find a way. We spoke with several current and former Alzheimer’s caregivers about the seemingly small self-care moves they’ve found helpful.

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5 Surprising Alzheimer's Triggers

Whether you're struggling with Alzheimer's yourself or watching a loved one live with it, there is no debating it's an awful disease. And as more researchers are tracking possible triggers of the disease, they're coming across more data connecting everyday exposures to an increased risk. While no study has yet to definitively say, "Yes, this is what causes Alzheimer's," these 5 things are believed to play a role and should be avoided.

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