Dining out with seniors who have dementia is equally joyful and challenging. While restaurants offer valuable social connections and a break from routine, the unfamiliar environment, menu choices, and stimulation can quickly become overwhelming. With thoughtful preparation and adaptive strategies, family meals out can remain enjoyable. This article shares six practical tips to help you confidently navigate restaurant dining, from choosing dementia-friendly…
Caring for a loved one with dementia presents unique challenges that require patience, understanding, and specialized approaches. While every dementia journey is different, specific strategies can significantly improve quality of life for both caregivers and their loved ones. This article shares five proven dementia care techniques that reduce frustration, minimize challenging behaviors, and help maintain meaningful connections. From communication adjustments to creating…
Caring for a loved one with dementia can be heartbreaking when they say or do hurtful things. It’s important to remember that mean behavior is often a symptom of the disease, not a personal attack. Aggression, insults, and stubbornness typically stem from confusion, frustration, or unmet needs. While you can’t cure dementia, you can reduce problematic behaviors with the right strategies. We…
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…
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,…
A transient ischemic attack (TIA), often called a “mini-stroke,” is your body’s urgent warning signal, and ignoring it could have devastating consequences. While TIAs typically cause temporary symptoms (like slurred speech or weakness), 1 in 3 people who experience one will later suffer a full stroke, and many develop vascular dementia within five years. The good news? Prompt action can dramatically reduce…
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…
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