Seniors with Alzheimer’s or dementia are often highly sensitive to their environment. Creating a soothing place to live helps minimize agitation, reduce challenging behaviors, and improve quality of life. Relish shares 5 helpful tips to easily modify the home and make it a relaxing haven for someone with dementia. For people living with dementia, creating a relaxing environment is incredibly important to…
Alzheimer’s and dementia affect the brain in ways that can make everyday conversations challenging. As the disease progresses, processing language and responding to complex sentences becomes harder, leaving many caregivers and loved ones unsure of how to communicate effectively. In this article, we’ll explain why this approach works and share practical examples of communicating with kindness and using fewer words without losing…
Alzheimer’s and dementia aren’t the same thing Many people use the words Alzheimer’s and dementia interchangeably, but it’s important to know that they’re not the same thing. Dementia is a syndrome, which is a group of symptoms that relate to a specific disorder or disease. It’s not a disease in itself. Dementia is caused when the brain is damaged by diseases like…
What to do when there are problems in assisted living When an older adult with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia gets settled into an assisted living or memory care community, the last thing you want to do is put them through another move. But what if they’re not getting proper care? When an older adult doesn’t get the care they need, families typically…
Reminiscence therapy helps seniors with dementia Reminiscing, or sharing memories from the past, is an enjoyable way to connect with someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. With dementia, people typically lose short-term memory, but are often still able to recall older memories. The goal of reminiscence therapy is to help seniors with dementia feel valued, contented, and peaceful by recalling happy times…
What to do if you suspect Alzheimer’s or dementia If your older adult is behaving oddly or showing signs of cognitive impairment, like memory or judgment problems, you might wonder if they have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. It’s a scary thought, but it’s important to face these fears head-on and have them get a thorough doctor’s exam and proper diagnosis. If their…
Sundowning symptoms affect quality of life Someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia may become more agitated or anxious starting in the late afternoon and lasting through the evening and night. They could become aggressive, delusional, paranoid, want to walk, or accidentally wander away. Some may have disrupted sleep schedules or restlessness at night. This behavior is called dementia sundowning because it typically…
Dementia causes changes in the brain that can worsen sleep. Someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia can experience frequent waking, troubled sleep, or being awake at night. To help them (and you) get better rest at night, gerontologist Julia Larimer shares 5 tips that improve sleep in dementia. Dementia worsens sleep and poor sleep worsens dementia A good night’s sleep slows cognitive decline,…
The Mini Mental Status Exam is only a first step If you’re worried that your older adult could be showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, it’s important to not jump to any conclusions. That’s because other medical conditions, medication side effects, or psychiatric issues could be causing dementia-like symptoms. So, the first step is to have their primary doctor do a…
What it takes to get a dementia diagnosis So many families ask “how is dementia diagnosed?” If you’re concerned that your older adult might have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, it’s important to know how to get an accurate diagnosis. This is essential because dementia-like symptoms could be caused by other reversible health conditions. An accurate diagnosis is needed for proper treatment. Knowing…
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