caregiver talking with elderly woman in wheelchair

October 5th, 2023

Toileting Assistance For People With Dementia

As dementia-related diseases progress, incontinence may occur. This can be from forgetting to use the bathroom when one feels the urge to urinate or have a bowel movement, not recalling the bathroom’s location, not being able to get there in time, or not being able to make the cognitive connection that tells one what the bathroom is used for. All these problems are results the of body’s declining brain function—not just memory, but also deterioration in information-processing functions, motor skills, vision, and more. Incontinence usually begins in the late-middle stage of dementia diseases, and it is something many family caregivers […]

May 12th, 2023

Avoiding Caregiver Injuries

Being a caregiver for a frail or bedridden patient requires assisting the person with ambulation, positioning, and transfers. If not performed with great care, these tasks can cause you serious back and neck injuries, and potentially injure the person receiving assistance as well. Muscle strains are common in nursing and caregiving professions, but they can be avoided by taking safety precautions. Preparation Before taking action, review the patient’s plan of care and consider the task at hand. Think about what you are capable of, what assistance you might need, and to what degree the one in your care can assist […]

March 22nd, 2023

The Importance of Self-Care for Caregivers

Anyone who provides substantial care to another person is at high risk of burnout and stress. This is especially true for those who care for people living with dementia because of how unpredictable each day can be. Caregiving is a hard job for family care partners and professionals alike. It is imperative to take stock of one’s mental health and stress level, and to dedicate time to whatever rejuvenates you. Self-care looks different from person to person. For some, it means getting a massage, taking a fitness class, or sitting quietly outside. For others, it’s spending time with loved ones, […]

March 22nd, 2023

Assessing Agitation and Aggression

People who are experiencing cognitive decline may exhibit agitation at times, more so as the underlying disease advances. A person who is agitated may ignore someone who is speaking to them, grunt or have other verbal outbursts, refuse to eat, or resist regular tasks like bathing. Agitation can also present as anxious behaviors, such as pacing and fidgeting. There’s always the chance that a person is simply having an off day. But usually, something in the body, environment, or routine needs to be addressed. When a new behavior is observed, first consider pain that the person may be unable to […]

December 21st, 2022

Activities for Dementia Patients

Caregivers need to be creative in planning activities for dementia patients, keeping in mind that what works for one person may not work for another. Know your person and get creative when creating an activity for them. What did they consider to be their identity before the illness took hold? How can you help them to still connect with that piece of themselves, while modifying for their changed abilities? Painting/drawing: Art brings joy to many, but you may need to adjust the method for those whose declining fine motor skills prevent holding brushes and the like. Suggest a theme or […]

December 21st, 2022

Boredom and Dementia Patients

Although a person living with dementia can experience a range of physical deficits, it’s memory issues and cognition changes that stand out the most to caregivers. A person who was once very talkative may now struggle to follow along with a story or get frustrated by word loss when speaking. When conversation becomes challenging, friends and family may be unsure of how to continue fostering the relationship. In fact, it’s common for loved ones to reduce visits to the assisted living facility or stop going altogether as the dementia progresses. They’re likely thinking, She doesn’t recognize me anymore, so there’s […]

July 21st, 2022

What is Sundowning?

Sundowning is a lay term used to describe a set of symptoms that some people living with dementia experience late in the day. It generally describes a state of increased confusion and anxiety that presents in the afternoon; for some, it extends into nighttime. Common symptoms include aggression, pacing, confusion, wandering, and repetitive behaviors. Some people experience hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, sundowning occurs in as many as 20 percent of those living with Alzheimer’s Disease. Other dementia-related illnesses such as Lewy Body Disease, Fronto-Temporal Dementia, and Vascular Dementia also commonly present sundowning. It is common in middle […]

caregiver applies face lotion to patient

June 30th, 2022

Communication and Caregiving

Communication and caregiving go hand-in-hand. When you talk to the person you are assisting, do they understand you? And do you understand them? When you care for a person who has hearing loss, it’s easy to mistake them for being uninterested or even cognitively slow. However, the reason they are not engaging may simply be because they can’t hear you. A few techniques can help care go smoothly: Stand, sit, or squat so you are at eye level with the person. Keep your face in the light so that your lips and expressions can be seen. Use simple sentences that contain one action or […]

June 29th, 2022

Fall Prevention

Fall prevention is an important topic for caregivers of elderly individuals. Falls are dangerous at any age, but older people are especially prone to injuries for a few reasons. As we age, our bones become less dense, which means a break is more likely to result from a fall. Reduced muscle strength and coordination, too, make it harder to recover from a loss of balance. And if an elderly person is injured from a fall, healing takes much longer than when in youth. That’s why falls are the most common cause of nursing home placement. Many people who fall, even […]

January 11th, 2022

Dementia and Nutrition Concerns

People living with dementia generally do not need to follow a special diet, unless they have co-morbidities or allergies that have certain requirements. However, since dementia is a progressive condition, care providers will need to become increasingly more involved in food preparation and serving relative to the person’s status of decline. By mid-stage, dementia may cause a person to forget to eat or leave them confused about how to use appliances for food preparation. Even under assisted living or full-time care, a person with dementia needs special attention to mealtimes in order to maintain proper nutrition. Vision problems. As we […]

January 11th, 2022

How to Boost Nutrition When Appetite is Poor

Some older adults or otherwise frail individuals struggle with mealtimes due to a lack of appetite. How do you boost nutrition when appetite is poor? Not eating can contribute to unsafe weight loss, malnutrition, and other health problems. Disinterest in food could be caused my something minor, like a side effect of medication. Or, it could be a symptom of something more serious that needs medical attention. After a doctor has ruled out causes for concern, the caregiver can use some simple tactics to boost calorie intake in a healthy way. (Note that for a hospice patient, food and drink should never be forced. The person […]

adult daughter helping elderly father to eat

January 11th, 2022

Challenges With Feeding Elderly Patients

Feeding elderly patients can sometimes be challenging. Changes in cognition, mobility, and energy level might leave a person disinterested in eating. Mealtimes are important because they provide a welcome break in the day. If it is not too distracting for the person in your care, meals can be eaten with friends or family. It is important that mealtimes be enjoyable, so that the person will look forward to eating. Let’s review some best practices for feeding elderly patients. First, create a calm environment. This might mean feeding young children in the home at a different time or location, so that […]

disinfect high-touch surfaces in the home

August 13th, 2021

Infection Control in the Home

Here comes cold and flu season and, yes, we’re still battling the COVID-19 pandemic. If someone in your household is an older adult or has certain underlying medical conditions, then all household members should act as if they are at an increased risk for severe illness and take special precautions. If you don’t, then the effort put toward protection of your sensitive person(s) goes to waste if other residents are careless in public and bring germs back home. Although you can’t live in a bubble, you can practice extra infection-control measures if you live with someone who’s at high risk […]

August 13th, 2021

Helping People With Dementia Understand Infection Prevention

How can we help our loved ones with dementia understand about infection prevention? As the COVID-19 pandemic surges on, you are probably worried about keeping your family safe. If you’re caring for someone who has dementia, explaining the importance of hand hygiene and other prevention protocols can be a challenge. Dementia is not just memory loss; it also affects the brain’s ability to receive and process information. We know at least two parts of the brain are dying. Cells are deteriorating, brain tissue is lost, and the overall size of the brain shrinks. The language center that is located in […]

June 30th, 2021

Home Oxygen Safety Tips

Medical oxygen is prescribed by a doctor at a specific level to treat breathing issues from various disorders, and this therapy can greatly improve one’s quality of life. However, oxygen greatly increases fire risk, so you must exercise great caution when this therapy is used in the home. Oxygen by itself is not a flammable gas and it will not explode, but it reacts violently with combustible materials; if something catches fire, oxygen makes it burn much faster. Using medical oxygen in the home increases the amount of oxygen in all textiles, upholstery, clothing, and hair, making it easy for […]

June 30th, 2021

Caring for Adult Children With Special Needs

Being a caregiver to a family member or other loved one comes with unique considerations. In many cases, the care recipient and care provider live together, leading to a feeling (or reality) of being on-duty 24/7. While caring for an aging loved one can be anticipated as our family members get on in years, some families have unplanned circumstances that leave a child in need of care for the whole of his or her life. Tragedies such as an accident in childhood or condition at birth can inflict an individual with an incurable disabling condition. Maybe the adult child suffers […]

An animatronic cat is presented to an elderly man.

January 15th, 2021

Starr Hospice Animatronic Pet Program for Dementia Care

Starr Hospice is using animatronic pets to help lessen the impact that pandemic-related isolation has had on its patients. Joy for All Companion Pets™ by Ageless Innovation are robotic dog and cat toys designed specifically to comfort older adults in need of companionship; early studies specifically charted the benefits for people living with Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of cognitive decline. The pets are battery powered and, when stroked, become alert and make lifelike noises and small movements. With a generous donation from NorCal Minis car club, Starr Hospice was able to purchase 20 Joy For All Companion Pet cats […]

November 23rd, 2020

Caregiving Best Practices: Develop a Support System

I’m the only one my husband trusts to provide care. My family is scattered all over the country — how can they help with care when they’re so far away? No one else can possibly understand what I’m going through. My siblings can’t help me care for our father, but they’re the first to criticize what I’m doing. I don’t trust anyone else to provide care for my mother — they may not do things the way I’d like; I’ll just have to fix the mistakes they make, so I might as well do it myself. I’ve often heard these […]

July 23rd, 2020

Dementia and Appetite Decline

Persons living with dementia commonly exhibit challenges with eating, but the reasons vary. Let’s explore a few possible causes of appetite decline. Memory trouble. In the early stages of dementia, when a person may still be caring for himself or functioning with limited assistance, the problem might be simply forgetting to eat. When this problem is discovered, it’s a sign that care partners need to provide more frequent living assistance and check-ins. Vision decline. As we age, we naturally experience a narrowing of our field of vision. For a person living with dementia, this process is on overdrive and it […]

June 15th, 2020

Caregiving Best Practices: Hire In-Home Help

One of the most debilitating aspects of being a care partner is the feeling that you’re in this alone, that no one else is helping you. Having a support team in place is essential for the care of your loved one and critical to your own well-being. Hiring In-Home Help When I was caring for my mother several years ago, it was necessary for me to supplement her care after a hospital discharge. My mom was not happy with this plan—I was the only one she trusted. She did not want any “strangers” coming into her home, and I must […]

June 2nd, 2020

Does Dementia Impact the Brain’s Emotional Center?

People living with dementia are experiencing deterioration of brain functions. How does dementia impact the brain’s emotional center? The COVID-19 pandemic has caused mass hysteria that has touched all parts of the globe. For some, fear of not knowing when or if society will return to normal is debilitating. Others are amped up about restrictions on personal freedoms and commerce. Even the most cool-headed of us is experiencing uncertainty on some level. Whichever concerns we carry, we are all processing these circumstances the same way: via the brain’s amygdala region, the emotional center. Now, if the average adult is experiencing […]

Senior couple speaking with estate planner in living room

April 28th, 2020

Caregiving Best Practices: Get Healthcare, Financial, and Legal Affairs in Order

Do you and your loved ones have an advance healthcare directive as well as the other documents necessary for managing legal and financial issues (e.g., Power of Attorney) should sudden illness, disability, or even death occur? Highlighting the urgency of this need to be prepared was an email I recently received from a gentleman who has attended Hope’s Family Caregiver Education Series. He regularly cares for his elderly parents, but this time he sought guidance about relatives who live out of state—a couple in their 40s, both of whom were diagnosed with COVID-19. The husband was not expected to survive. […]

illustration shows reduced peripheral range

December 26th, 2019

Vision Decline in Dementia Patients

Caregivers commonly observe vision decline in dementia patients. People living with dementia commonly experience changes to their vision beyond what’s expected as part of the normal aging process. As dementia-related illnesses cause progressive brain deterioration, a person will experience certain sight deficits because the brain is no longer processing what the eyes see in the same way. Some common problem areas include: Depth perception The patient may exhibit difficulty in navigating steps, grabbing objects, and distinguishing between two- and three-dimensional scenes. With the latter, for instance, the person may try to pick up flowers from a floral-printed tablecloth. Reduced […]

October 1st, 2019

Caregiver Tips on Assisting With Personal Hygiene

As a caregiver, you will find that some of your time each day will be devoted to assisting the person in your care with personal hygiene. This includes bathing, shampooing, oral or mouth care, shaving, and foot care. Following are tips to help these tasks go smoothly. Bathing When it comes to personal hygiene, ensure the floors are not slippery; to help prevent falls on the bathroom floor, use non-skid mats or rugs and a rubber mat with good suction or adhesive traction strips in the shower basin or bathtub. A movable shower head with a hose is especially helpful […]

October 1st, 2019

Avoiding Pressure Ulcers

Caregivers need to keep a close eye on elderly patients to avoid pressure ulcers from occurring. Pressure ulcers (also called decubiti, or bedsores) are blisters or breaks in the skin caused when the body’s weight presses blood out of a specific area. Pressure ulcers are commonly found in bedridden patients or people with mobility challenges who do not get up to move frequently enough. According to the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel estimates that 2.5 million American develop pressure ulcers each year. The most common areas for sores are the bony areas—tail bone, hips, heels, and elbows. Damage can range […]

October 1st, 2019

Flu Prevention for Seniors

Flu prevention for seniors is more important than ever. According to the Centers for Disease Control, people 65 years and older account for between 50 and 70 percent of reported influenza-associated hospitalizations. Overall, flu hospitalization rates during the 2017–2018 flu season were the highest ever recorded. Vaccination is the single best way to help protect against the flu and is especially important for older adults. Flu vaccine saves lives and prevents the serious complications that sometimes result. Caregivers of all ages should get an annual flu shot and should take preventive measures, such as washing hands, staying away from people […]

October 1st, 2019

How Alzheimer’s Disease Affects Communication

Memory loss is one of the widely known symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, but many other skills and abilities become impaired as well. Persons living with dementia experience changes in the brain’s temporal lobe that affect their ability to process language. Even in the disease’s early stages, caregivers may notice a decline in formal language (vocabulary, comprehension, and speech production), which all humans rely upon to communicate verbally. Symptoms include word loss, confusion during the conversation, not being able to follow a storyline, and decreased speech. Word Loss and the Brain’s Temporal Lobe As a child is learning a language, nouns […]

August 27th, 2019

Seniors and Hot-Weather Safety

It is very important to be educated on the importance of seniors and hot-weather safety. Too much heat is unsafe for everyone. It is even riskier for those who are over age 65 or who have health problems, as these groups generally do not adjust to major temperature fluctuations as fast as younger people. According to the National Center for Environmental Health, more Americans die from over-exposure to hot weather than by any other natural disaster. Heat-Related Illness Being hot for too long can cause several illnesses, all grouped under the name hyperthermia. Hyperthermia occurs when there is an unusual […]

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