dementia - ReaDementia

Managing Agitation and Dementia

Petra Boh Blog, Causes March 25, 2021October 16, 2021agitation, dementia

When looking after a person who has dementia, carers may at some point have to deal with agitation and dementia.

Agitation is one of the behavioral symptoms that affect almost 90% of people who have dementia according to a post by Harvard Health Publishing.

Very well Health defines agitation as a general term that describes the excessive verbal activity and physical movement.

Most people will experience agitation in the middle stages of dementia. Agitation can include pacing, restlessness, combativeness, verbal aggression, wandering, calling out, and crying.

Below we will look into the causes of agitation, prevention strategies, and coping mechanisms.

Causes of Agitation in Persons with Dementia

People with dementia may experience agitation for various reasons such as:

Different medical conditions a person is suffering from in addition to dementia
Drug interactions
Not enough sleep or rest
Moving to a new living environment like a nursing home or assisted living facility
Pain
Changes to their current environment like the presence of house guests, too much noise, hospitalization, or travel
Boredom
Unfamiliar caregivers
Depression or stress
Soiled diapers or underwear
Fatigue or fear that may be as a result of trying to make sense of their new reality
Misperceived threats
Being forced to do something by others, for instance, to remember events or people
Loneliness or reduced social contact
A feeling of loss, for example, a person may be missing the freedom they had to move about

Coping with Agitation and Aggression

When taking care of a person who has agitation and dementia, it may be advisable to consult a doctor for a thorough medical check-up.

The professional will recommend treatment based on a careful diagnosis that helps them to determine possible causes. In some instances, the doctor may prescribe medication that will help reduce agitation.

Sadly, most medicines come with a wide range of side effects such as stroke, heart problems, risk of falls, or even death.

People can also try non-drug therapies to help manage agitation such as:

Touch therapy

Physical touch is important when it comes to diminishing agitation.

Music

Listening to music or singing has been known to reduce agitation in persons who have dementia.

Physical Activity

Working out can help decrease challenging behaviors such as agitation.

Address Unmet Needs

Meet the needs of someone who is bored, tired, hungry, lonely, or in pain.

Different Therapies

At times, caregivers must try and be creative when it comes to managing agitation. This includes experimenting with various therapies and activities.

Examples of therapies include aromatherapy and pet therapy amongst others. Activities that can help calm down an agitated person include folding and refolding laundry, dancing, and brushing hair.

Offering Distractions

Try and distract the person with the things they love. These can be activities, objects, or even food.

Join a Support Group

Spending time with people who are going through a similar situation can help them learn more coping mechanisms.

This can also give caregivers an avenue where they can vent, relax, and re-energize.

Responding to Agitation in Persons with Dementia

It is important to know how to react when dealing with an individual experiencing agitation and dementia. Below we highlight some tips caregivers can work with to deal with the situation at hand.

1. Ask permission to speak while backing off. Remember to always use positive statements, a calm reassuring voice, and offer guided choices to try and limit stimulation.

Try and find common ground when communicating with an agitated person. Avoid restraining, arguing, ignoring, shouting, or criticizing the individual.

2. Ask the affected person how they want to be helped in a soft tone. Reassure the individual that they are safe and everything is under control.

Apologize even when there is nothing to be sorry for. Offer to stay with the individual until they feel better.

Carers can also say something like sorry you are upset or I know you are going through a challenging time because this can help calm them down.

3. Try and find out what may be causing the agitation by listening to the individual.

It is also important to remember that the individual is not acting out because they want to but it is the disease that is making them act out.

4. Find ways for the person to use up their energy. A person may be agitated because they have built-up energy.

This implies that carers should find something for them to do like going out for a drive or walk.

Prevention and Treatment Tips

Caregivers can take various steps to help prevent agitation for persons with dementia and these include

Creating a Calm Environment

If a carer suspects that an individual is at risk of experiencing agitation and dementia, they can prevent it by creating a calm environment for the suffering person.

Identify any stressors that may be in the environment and ensure that they are eliminated. This can be anything from background distractions, glare, and noise.

If a person’s current environment has too many triggers, it may be best to move them to a quieter or safer place.

Limiting the use of caffeine and exploring soothing rituals can also help.

Ensuring Personal Comfort

Agitation may be brought about when a person is not comfortable and they are not able to communicate what they are feeling.

It is, therefore, the responsibility of caregivers to monitor personal comfort. This is simply done by checking for signs of thirst, hunger, pain, full bladder, constipation, skin irritation, fatigue, or infections.

Make sure that the room where the person is staying has comfortable temperatures. It is also important to be sensitive to misperceived threats, frustrations, and fears.

Simplifying Chores

If a person who has dementia is still able to handle some tasks, ensure they only engage in tasks they can handle with ease.

It is also important to ensure that the person sticks to non-complicated routines that do not stress them out.

Help Individuals Engage in Physical Activity

Encourage the person with the illness to take part in fun and appropriate exercises. This does not have to be complicated.

Doing some gardening, going for short walks, group activities, and dancing are examples of some options to explore.

Closing Thoughts

Keep in mind that different people will react differently when experiencing agitation and dementia.

It is, therefore, the responsibility of the caregiver to experiment with different coping mechanisms to identify the ones that work well for the person they are looking after.

14 Best Alternative Therapies for Dementia

Rok Krivec Blog, Prevention March 20, 2021October 16, 2021alternative therapies, alternative therapies for dementia, dementia

To date, dementia still has no cure but persons with the illness can consider alternative therapies for dementia to improve symptoms and improve quality of life.

Alternative therapies refer to the treatment that is used in place of conventional medical care.

They normally target psychological, emotional, cognition, and behavioral symptoms that persons with dementia experience.

Examine some of the therapies that individuals with dementia can benefit from below.

14 Best Alternative Therapies For Dementia

Occupational Therapy

An occupational therapist can help evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a person who has dementia. This can assist the professional understand the areas where the affected individuals need help the most.

Working with the therapist can see a person improve some of their physical skills.

The experts can also come up with suggestions for home and living changes to make it safer and better adapted to the needs of the person with the progressive disease.

Examples of modifications that you can make include:

1. Ensuring that there is a fence surrounding the yard so that the affected person will not get away, wander, and get lost in the neighborhood.

2. Organizing the closet so that appropriate outfits for the current season are within reach.

3. Identify simpler versions of activities that the individuals used to enjoy so that they can continue spending time on them.

For instance, if the said individual loved completing puzzles before a positive dementia diagnosis, the occupational therapist can look for easier puzzles that the person will continue to enjoy.

Reminiscence Therapy

Also known as life review therapy, reminiscence therapy (RT) is one of the most common alternative therapies for dementia.

RT encourages individuals to revisit past memories.

It is a kind of talk therapy where experts use sensory aids or props to help spark memories.

Examples of these may include sounds, smells, songs, photos, or stories from an individual’s past.

The therapy can be conducted in a group setting or one-on-one sessions.

Reminiscence therapy can offer several benefits to affected individuals like:

Enhanced cognition
Improved behavior and mood
Higher confidence and self-worth
Better connection with loved ones
Reduced depression
Reduced agitation

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is beneficial to individuals with dementia because it can help enhance their balance reducing the chances of tripping, falling, and injuring themselves.

This is because the therapy mainly focuses on strength training, endurance, flexibility, and balance.

A physical therapist can come up with appropriate exercise programs that an individual can take part in to help them with movement.

Additionally, it can help with boosting mood and decreasing aggression.

When a person is active there is an increase in the release of endorphins that soothe the brain.

Most people who take part in physical therapy also enjoy improved sleep.

Physical therapy can also help a person maintain their independence a move that can help them conduct daily living activities like bathing, eating, grooming, and toileting without too much difficulty for the longest possible time.

Studies also show that physical therapy can also help with the slowing down of memory loss. Research indicates that it is one of the best ways to enhance brain health.

Music Therapy

Sound and music play are an important part of human life whether listening to it, dancing, or taking part in its creation. People respond to music at a tender age even before language and words develop.

For years, music is in use to engage and communicate with persons who have dementia. As the illness progresses, music can help enhance well-being and communication.

This is because music stimulates different parts of the brain which can help an affected person connect with past memories and express their feelings.

There are multiple different ways of incorporating music, including:

Singing a person’s favorite tunes
Playing instruments
Listening to a live performance or recorded music
Listening to music through headphones

Music therapy is normally conducted by a trained music therapist who can work with an individual or a group. This kind of therapy is known to reduce anxiety for most people with dementia.

It can also enhance cognitive function including perception, thinking, mood, feelings, and behavior. The therapy can also encourage physical exercise if it prompts a person to dance or move around while enjoying the beat.

Music also reduces the incidences of social isolation by encouraging social interaction and promoting activity in a group setting.

Art Therapy

Art therapy is another example of beneficial alternative therapies for dementia. Most people with this progressive disease will enjoy taking part in various creative activities including art.

Art therapy creates a platform where persons with dementia can take part in fun art projects as they express their creativity. The therapy stimulates the brain in numerous ways.

For instance, it can help encourage speech or stir dormant memories. Art therapy can also create a sense of purpose and accomplishment for persons with the illness.

Some studies report that art activities can help enhance cognitive function and social interaction. Non-verbal seniors can start smiling, laughing, moving, or speaking once they take up art therapy activities.

Experts agree that the best forms of art therapy are the ones based on personal memories and passions. Examples of art activities that individuals with dementia can take part in include pottery, paint by number projects, watercolor painting, pencil or charcoal drawing, participating in community art projects and making cards, jewelry, and many more.

These activities can help boost hand strength, relieve stress, and stimulate senses.

Bright Light Therapy

Bright light therapy is a promising treatment that can help people who have dementia. The therapy is thought to affect brain chemicals related to sleep and mood.

Most persons who have dementia will experience sleep issues at some point during the illness. Bright light therapy can help normalize a person’s sleep-wake pattern.

Studies show that this type of therapy is most effective for persons with mild to moderate dementia.

The administration of this therapy is best done during morning hours so that it can entrain the circadian rhythm in a bid to reduce interruption of the normal sleep-wake cycle. This results in increased sleeping hours at night and less daytime sleeping.

Pet Therapy

Also known as animal-assisted therapy, this is another example of useful alternative therapies for dementia. The therapy encourages persons with the illness to spend time with various types of domestic animals like cats, trained dogs, birds, fish aquariums, or aviaries, etc.

Spending time with pets offers unconditional love, companionship, and fun for persons with dementia thanks to their friendliness and non-threatening ways. The animals can either live with the affected persons or somebody can bring them once in a while.

Other benefits associated with this type of therapy include:

Improving mood
Encouraging social interaction
Better nutrition
Offering a calming effect
Improved physical activity
Reducing behavioral problems like aggression, agitation, anxiety, loneliness, and depression

Laughter Yoga

Some studies indicate that people with dementia can benefit from laughter yoga. The primary goal of this kind of therapy is to bring more laughter into the lives of individuals with the disease.

Laughter offers numerous health perks for complete mind and body wellness. It can help to relieve stress as a person gets to feel happy, positive, and relaxed after a session of genuine laughter.

The best part about this therapy is the fact that a person does not even have to comprehend a joke or punch line to start laughing.

Laughter is stimulated as a form of exercise ensuring that people just burst out laughing for no reason.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy can be defined as an ancient healing practice where essential oils from herbs, trees, plants, and flowers are used to enhance the spiritual, mental, and physical well-being of affected people.

Essential oils can be applied to the skin or inhaled. Improving cognitive function in persons with dementia is one of the health benefits that come from aromatherapy. Needless to say, the therapy boosts brain performance and improves the ability to remember events.

Aromatherapy can also help to relieve some common dementia symptoms like depression and anxiety.

Numerous studies reveal that essential oils from lemon balm, bergamot, and lavender can help a person with dementia suppress agitation, aggression, and a host of other psychotic symptoms.

Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is one of the alternative therapies for dementia that continues to attract increased attention when it comes to medication alternatives that ease dementia behavioral symptoms.

Moreover, massage can be incorporated in dementia care to offer a human touch that offers a wide range of benefits to individuals with the progressive illness such as:

Reduced feelings of anxiety, isolation, and insecurity
Increased feelings of care and reassurance
Decreased levels of agitation
Improve sleep
Ease pain
Reduce physical expressions like wandering, pacing, and resisting care
Decreased heart rate and blood pressure
Inducing deep levels of relaxation

Massage therapy is also known to communicate comfort and support in palliative care. There are different types of massages that persons with dementia can benefit from including back massage, hand massage, and foot massage.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is considered one of the safe and effective alternative therapies for dementia. It is an ancient Chinese method that is in use to treat various medical conditions for years. Acupuncture mostly involves the insertion of needles in specific locations of the human body to help restore proper energy flow to treat symptoms.

Controlled investigations divulge that acupuncture helps to enhance the flow of blood to the brain ensuring that the organ gets adequate nutrients and oxygen. Several studies show that acupuncture can also help in enhancing mood as well as cognitive skills.

Others indicate that acupuncture can help increase both motor and verbal skills as well as attention and memory. One of the studies also revealed that acupuncture can help treat depression and anxiety in people with dementia.

The studies, however, do not give conclusive results on whether acupuncture can help cure dementia; hence, more research still needs to be done on this treatment option.

Doll Therapy

Many people with dementia can also benefit from doll therapy. This normally involves the use of soft toy animals or life-like dolls. These offer “companionship” to the persons with the illness especially in the later stages of the illness providing perks like pleasure and relaxation without the responsibility of taking care of the dolls.

For some, holding a doll or soft toy helps them remember when they were holding their children or when they were caring for their beloved pets. This sensation that comes with holding something soothing can help offer a connection to the outer world renewing a sense of purpose in persons with the progressive illness.

This can also lead to an increased level of liveliness and activity levels. There is evidence that confirms that the use of soft toys or dolls can be especially helpful to persons who do not engage with others or are constantly struggling with anxiety, and restlessness.

Validation Therapy

A brief description of validation therapy would be a kind of counseling. A professional therapist will hold the hand of the person with the illness paying close attention to their feelings.

The experts are trained to study body language and the voice of the weak. This helps the professionals to communicate with persons with the disease in a manner that acknowledges their actions and words with empathy and respect instead of anger, embarrassment, or dismissiveness.

This type of therapy is normally offered to people who are in the last stage of dementia nearing the end of life. It usually helps the affected individuals feel sage, useful, loved, and at peace before breathing the last breathe.

Reality Orientation

When it comes to reality orientation, a person with dementia will work closely with a professional therapist who will repeat details about the place, time, and other crucial details regularly.

This helps the person with the illness stay oriented to the present moment a move that can help reduce confusion. Using large calendars and clocks can also help make things easier.

It is important to understand that reality orientation does not work for everyone who has dementia. This is especially for persons who believe that they are in a different place or time. In such instances, this type of therapy ends up upsetting the affected individuals.

Closing Remarks

Caregivers and persons who have dementia must approach the use of alternative therapies for dementia with care. This is because the therapies usually have different results on different people.

It is best to consult an individual’s doctor before trying out any therapy to be on the safe side. After trying out one option and it does not work, it is best to abandon it and look for the ones that will give the suffering individual the best results.

How Does Dementia Affect You Physically?

Petra Boh Blog March 18, 2021October 16, 2021body, dementia

After getting a positive dementia diagnosis, you may be wondering how does dementia affect you physically.

Dementia is a general term that describes the severe loss of memory and other mental abilities that can affect a person’s day to day life.

While the illness is mostly associated with memory and mental issues, the symptoms can physical as well.

How Can Dementia Affect you Physically?

Below we will discuss the physical symptoms of dementia. Research indicates that the disease usually has a significant impact on a person’s physical health in the later stages of the illness.

Let’s further research some of the most common physical challenges that people with dementia may face.

Immobility

One of the ways that dementia will affect you physically is through the gradual loss of the ability to stand, walk, or get up from your bed or chair.

It normally starts with slowed movement because of reduced muscle control.

This can make injuries due to falls more frequent because they are mostly caused by problems with coordination and balance.

You may also find yourself sitting in one position for extended periods with limited movement.

It implies that you may be at the risk of developing bedsores (pressure ulcers).

The problems can be caused by dementia, the medication you are taking, balance problems, other medication conditions like stroke, and the environment.

At times, you can suffer from involuntary jerking movements of the body, arms, or legs. This usually constitutes a single movement, hence, cannot be categorized as fits.

Try and move around more

As your mobility decreases, the risk of getting blood clots and infection increases. It is, therefore, important to try and move around as much as possible.

This can be done through chair-based exercises or caregivers can offer you the support you need to walk around.

Working with a professional physiotherapist or occupational therapist can help increase your mobility while minimizing chances of injury.

Home renovations are also helpful when it comes to creating a safe environment where you can move about with ease without risks of tripping and falling.

Problems with Swallowing

Difficulties with chewing and swallowing are common for persons who have dementia.

Moreover, dysphagia is a medical term that refers to problems with swallowing.

This is caused by multiple factors including damage to the sections of the brain that are responsible for controlling swallowing.

At some point, you may forget how to chew or even hold food in your mouth.

Other drinking and eating problems you may experience include:

Leaving most of your food
Repeatedly chewing without swallowing or challenges when chewing specific foods
Overfilling the mouth
Eating quickly
Believing that your food has been poisoned
Getting tired of eating hence giving up
Not recognizing that food is something that needs to be eaten
Spitting out food or lumps
Coughing when eating or drinking
Having a hard time swallowing tablets
Pocketing food in cheeks
Drooling saliva, fluid, or even food

This is dangerous because it increases the risk of inhaling food or choking.

Feeding yourself also becomes difficult because the brain forgets how to make muscles work properly.

It can lead to a loss of appetite where you do not feel like drinking or eating anything.

Consequently, you may end up losing weight and suffering from dehydration and malnutrition.

To ensure your nutrition is well taken care of, food can be cut into manageable sizes or even pureed.

It is also important to maintain good oral hygiene to avoid gum disease.

When you are feeling pain in your mouth, chewing can be difficult and uncomfortable.

If you have dentures, they should be properly fitted. Working with a speech and language therapist can help you deal with swallowing issues.

Vision Changes

Dementia can affect how your eyes see making it another way dementia affects you physically.

Your field of vision may narrow down to about 12 inches when you have the disease.

Experts compare this to wearing binoculars which can be a difficult change to deal with. As the illness progresses, you can end up seeing with only one eye.

This indicates that you will lose depth perception; thus, not be able to tell if something is 2 or 3 dimensional.

This mostly happens when the brain finds that information coming from both eyes is too overwhelming.

You may also start to experience blurring where you see images less sharply.

Common objects and faces become more challenging to recognize. This can make it hard to find objects and it can also affect your ability to write and read.

It is also possible that your pupils may start reacting a bit slower to light.

This will make it difficult for you to move from a light to a dark space.

It may be overwhelming to stay outside on a sunny day because the light will appear too bright until your pupils react.

Loss of peripheral vision

Individuals with dementia may also experience loss of peripheral vision. It is where you will not be able to see things objects that are directly in front of you.

Generally, you will be seeing things out of the corner of your eye.

This means that you may not be able to see objects around you which can lead to increased tripping over chairs, bumping into door frames, and falls.

With the loss of peripheral vision, you may not be able to see someone if they come up to you from the side or behind.

Carers need to understand that dementia can cause a variety of vision problems.

They can assist you by standing in front of you when communicating. The use of contrasting colors and large pictures can help you see and find common things.

Giving you enough time to adjust to different light levels can be helpful when your pupils are slowly reacting to light.

Incontinence

Having problems using the toilet is yet another way dementia affects you physically.

There are 2 types of incontinence that you can suffer from. One is urinary incontinence where you may experience a small leak of trickling after passing urine.

After a while, you may no longer have control of your bladder.

While there are different types of urinary incontinence the most common is where you will feel an intense and sudden need to go as well as frequent urination.

Fecal incontinence is the 2nd type of incontinence which is not too common.

It can range from passing small amounts of feces when you are breaking wind or having no control over your bowels at all.

This may happen because messages between the bowel or bladder and the brain are distorted.

As a result, you may not recognize when you have a full bladder or bowel or even have the control you need to empty them.

Incontinence normally develops in the last dementia stages.

It can be a challenging time for you as well as the people looking after you.

To manage incontinence, you can talk to your doctor to get medication that can help calm an overactive bladder.

Managing incontinence in dementia

Caregivers can also offer support to you in several ways like:

Ensuring your diet has enough fiber to help avoid constipation
Making sure you avoid acidic or spicy foods that irritate the urinary tract
Limiting the liquids you take before bed
Avoid caffeine or carbonation
Regular appropriate exercises
Taking enough fluids to keep the bladder and bowel healthy
Ensuring you have absorbent products like adult liners or pads where necessary
Closing Remarks

Final words

The physical symptoms you may have for dementia may not be similar for everyone with the illness. Knowing what to expect in terms of how dementia will affect you physically is crucial to help you get in the right frame of mind to tackle the issues ahead.

It also allows you to get the support you need to enjoy a quality life even with the challenges that come with the disease.

10 Best Living with Dementia Tips & Advice

Rok Krivec Blog, Prevention, Types March 16, 2021October 16, 2021dementia, dementia exercises, living with dementia

There are ways and approaches that make living with dementia a lot less stressful on the person, loved ones and caregivers.

For most people, a positive dementia diagnosis means a life sentence full of nightmares and all the bad experiences imaginable.

These feelings are heightened by the fact that there is still no cure for the illness.

It is, however, important to note that living with dementia does not have to be the worst thing a person can go through.

Guide on Living with Dementia

Below you will explore some of the tips and recommendations that a person with dementia can work with to live a more fulfilling and independent life for the longest possible time.

1. Accept your Situation

After getting to know that you have dementia, it is tempting to keep the news to yourself and pretend that everything is in place.

This is the wrong move.

It is advisable to share the news with people who care about you.

It does not mean that you have to go on the rooftops and shout about your health condition.

Take as much time as you need but when you are ready, do not shy away from sharing this news with people you love whether it is your relatives or friends.

This way, they will be in a position to understand what you are going through, especially when you start going through some changes that the disease causes.

Communicate

As you share the news, it is important to understand that different people will take in the news differently.

Some will be shocked and they may immediately start treating you differently.

It’s important to communicate about dementia.

Many will do this because they do not know what dementia is and have no clue what to do to help.

Try and explain what your diagnosis means and also tell them the ways that they can be of assistance.

For instance, if you cannot drive, your support system can step in to drop and pick you up when you need to go somewhere.

As much as it is hard to accept, you can also find that you might lose touch with some individuals.

Try and take these changes in your relationships positively.

After all, you might end up meeting new people in support groups or while engaging in different activities.

2. Learn about Dementia

Millions of people around the globe are battling with dementia and new cases are coming up every year.

A person who is living with dementia needs to have in-depth knowledge of the illness to live well with the condition.

Thankfully, there is a wealth of information about dementia, including its stages and helpful treatments.

Your doctor should give you details about the illness and also offer referrals to valuable resources.

Empowering yourself means that you will be more equipped to face the challenges that lay ahead. You will also know how to better handle the symptoms you get.

3. Take Care of Your Whole Being

What this means is that you need to take good care of your physical body, spiritual, psychological, and emotional health.

In regards to physical health, it is important to engage in exercises that you can handle with ease.

You also need to check what you are consuming so that you are always eating a balanced diet. This way, the body will get the nutrients and minerals it needs to boost your immune system.

Take care of your psychical and physical health

Getting enough sleep is non-negotiable.

It is also prudent to take care of your mental health by participating in stimulating activities that you can find in classes or hobbies. Various group activities are also fun.

Your doctor might also propose that you cut down on smoking and drinking alcohol or stop altogether.

When it comes to emotional health, remember to allow yourself to go through a range of emotions, especially when you first get the news.

After accepting the situation, you can go ahead and join a support group. It is best to join one with people who have dementia, whether offline or online.

Also, it is a great coping mechanism because you will not feel like you are alone and members of the group can help each other through their journeys.

It is also crucial to find something that will nourish you spiritually.

Some individuals may gravitate towards spending time in nature, religion, or calming activities like yoga.

Do all it takes to live a happy, stress-free life when dealing with dementia.

4. Plan Ahead

Sadly, it may reach a point where a person living with dementia is not able to make proper decisions.

For this reason, it is vital to plan for your future when you are still independent and can make sound decisions.

Long-term plans for dementia

1. Choosing a person you trust to act on your behalf in terms of managing your medical and financial needs.

2. Creating a will so that after breathing your last breath, your possessions, money, and property will go into the persons you pick.

The state gets to decide who will get what if you die without having a valid will.

3. Making a statement in advance about the care that you want to receive during the later stages of the disease as well as where you want to receive the care from.

This is a written statement that will highlight your beliefs, wishes, preferences, and values in terms of future care.

The person that you choose to handle important issues in the future will be your attorney. Failure to pick an attorney means that no one will have the right to make decisions when you are not able to.

This is something that can make things difficult for your family because they may not be able to pay bills or make good decisions about your care.

When it boils down to this, a person may be forced to apply to become your deputy at a Court of Protection. This is a costly process that may end up taking a lot of time.

5. Live in a Dementia-Friendly Environment

An individual who has dementia should live in a comfortable and safe environment.

If you choose to live at home, some modifications that can be done to create a suitable living environment.

Some of the changes that you can make around the home include working with a recognizable and meaningful interior design that incorporates your life story complete with words and pictures.

Making sure the house has good natural lighting is also important when you want to reduce shadows and glare.

Detectors for falls, GPS, alarms, and sensors can help boost security.

A tablet or smartphone can also come in handy because you can use this to organize your life, keep track of what is going on, revisit videos, and photos, and also communicate with your relatives and friends.

6. Stay Active and Busy

When you are living with dementia, it becomes easy to withdraw socially and wallow in self-pity. You must resist this urge if you want to enjoy a quality life even into the later stages of the illness.

Staying active is also important because it will give you a sense of self-worth and purpose.

Find activities that you love and enjoy them to your heart’s content. Many service providers today are sensitive to the needs of a person who has dementia.

Occupy your body and mind

For instance, some cinemas put on dementia-friendly screenings which means you can go out and enjoy the latest film.

Many leisure centers also run appropriate activities for persons with dementia which means that you have a long list of activities to choose from.

When moving about, it is imperative to carry a card that will let other people know you have dementia.

The card should include details of a person that others can contact if you get lost or are in some sort of emergency.

When you do not have the energy to jump or move around, there are other ways to keep busy. Examples of these include listening to music or doing crosswords.

If you have grandchildren, you can offer to babysit for a few hours. There is also the option to volunteer to avoid the risks of loneliness, isolation, and depression.

7. Follow Routines

Sticking to routines is another way that people who have dementia can live well.

Do the same thing at the same time each week or day. This is bound to reassure you while at the same time stimulating your memory.

Having set schedules can also help you reduce the time you spend thinking about what needs to be done next.

If you always forget about things you need to get done regularly, you can pin your to-do-list on prominent places. This can include things like switching off lights or locking doors.

Some people with the illness also say that it helps to carry a notebook and pen around where you can write down the tasks you need to complete in a day.

You may also find that it is helpful to put important things like keys or glasses in the same place daily so that you do not have a problem locating them.

Additionally, a clock that shows the day of the week and date can come in handy.

8. Set Realistic Goals

It is not uncommon for a person who has dementia to want to prove to the world that they are overachievers and the disease is not pulling them down.

This may lead a person to become over-ambitious where they want to handle more than they can chew in regards to day-day activities.

When you find that you cannot do all the things you set out to it can be frustrating and you might even fall into depression.

For this reason, it is important to set realistic goals so that you only focus on things you can do and complete without too much struggle.

Seek help when necessary

Remember that it is okay to ask for help from professional caregivers, family, or friends when you are in need.

When you decide to take up any task, give yourself adequate time to complete it first so that you are not always rushing into new tasks creating more confusion.

Most importantly, do not pressure yourself to be successful. Accept that there are things you were once able to do in the past that you can no longer complete at present.

It is better to focus all your attention on the things you can control, rather than spending hours on the ones you cannot control. Even as people are helping, make sure that they are not taking over.

The people around you might end up offering more help than you need which will leave you with nothing to do.

9. Coping At Work

During the initial stages of the disease, a person living with dementia may choose to continue working.

If you choose to take this route, it is important to let your boss know about your current health situation if you are employed.

Employers have a legal duty to take necessary steps to ensure you can continue working without too much difficulty.

This can include simplifying routines, changing work schedules, or availing technology like a computerized diary that will remind you of meetings and deadlines.

If you do not want to continue working, first research on matters pertaining to pension and other benefits you are eligible for before leaving the workforce.

This way, you will not be short-changed in any way.

10. Go for Regular Hearing, Eyesight and Dental Checks

Having dementia most of the time means that you will also experience sensory loss. This makes it hard for you to make sense of the world.

Because of this, you must regularly schedule oral, hearing, and eyesight checks to live well with dementia.

Ideally, you should consult a professional who has experience supporting persons with the illness.

During these visits, your doctor may recommend the use of hearing aids or glasses.

Do not avoid doctors

You should never ignore dental checks because poor oral hygiene can, at times, affect your eating and drinking abilities.

At home, you should also take care of your dental health by brushing your teeth at least two times a day, flossing, and eating healthy foods that will not lead to cavities and other oral health problems.

If you are using dentures, ensure that they are comfortable. You can always set reminders to guide you on the times to remove and wear them.

Improve Memory: Blueberries and Dementia

Petra Boh Blog, Prevention March 15, 2021October 16, 2021blueberries, dementia, dementia prevention

There has been a lot of interest in the topic of blueberries and dementia when looking into the foods that can help improve memory.

For years, researchers have been looking into whether consumption of blueberries can help prevent the onset of dementia or perhaps slow down its progression.

This is because blueberries have been known to keep blood vessels clear of plaque, fight off the harmful effects of free radicals, and give people a boost from plant-based chemicals.

Blueberries and Dementia Prevention Benefits

The little blue fruits have also gained a reputation for being brain food that can improve memory and cognitive function.

Several studies have been done to identify the link between berries and this progressive illness.

Below we explore a couple of studies that investigated the link between dementia and blueberries.

Blueberries can Help Slow Cognitive Decline

Research published in Annals of Neurology reported that consuming flavonoids and berries slows down the rate of cognitive decline in women who are 70 years and older.

The study utilized data from a Nurse’s Health Study with over 120,000 registered nurses.

The researchers conducted the assessments on 16,010 participants all of whom were women. The Nurses Health Study commenced in 1976.

After four years, the participants were mostly asked questions about their eating habits. Over 16, 000 ladies also underwent memory testing between 1995 and 2001.

Researchers from different institutions including Harvard Medical School, Brigham Women’s Hospital, and German Centre for Neurodegenerative Disease uncovered that greater ingestion of strawberries and blueberries correlated with slower cognitive decline rates for up to two and a half years.

The ladies who showed the most improvement were taking two or more servings of berries weekly.

The authors of the study acknowledged that smaller trials of berry supplementation have also showcased positive results. They also stated that the study was only observational seeing that it primarily relied on dietary reporting from the nurses.

Furthermore, they also reported that it was not clear if the results would also apply to men because all the participants were ladies.

The authors encouraged males to take part in future studies to come up with more conclusive results. They also encouraged seniors to consume more berries as they can help delay memory decline.

Blueberries can Boost Brain Function

Some studies also confirm that blueberries do not only improve memory, but they can also maintain brain functionc.

Animal studies investigating ties between blueberries and dementia reveal that blueberries contain tons of phytochemicals that have a wealth of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

Additionally, anthocyanins and polyphenols present in blueberries can boost signaling in the brain centers that are associated with memory.

They also help to eliminate glucose which also helps to slow down memory decline.

Human studies on the same have also yielded promising results. In one of these studies, 12 seniors who had mild cognitive impairment took blueberry juice daily.

Blueberries can Improve Working Memory

They experienced improvements in functions of the brain and there was also evidence of improvements in working memory. This research is from the University of Exeter.

The researchers looked into the effects of the consumption of wild blueberry juice on memory decline in 12 adults who were aged 65-77. All the participants were experiencing memory decline related to aging showcasing symptoms like memory lapses.

The participants took 2 1/2 cups of blueberry juice for 12 weeks. This juice was made from commercially available frozen wild blueberries.

A comparison group of 14 adults was drinking a similar amount of placebo non-juice beverage for twelve weeks.

Researchers conducted several memory tests such as list learning, recall, and word association tasks before and after the study. The professionals also used an MRI scanner to monitor the brain function of the participants.

They also measured resting blood flow. The results indicated that the older adults who drank blueberry juice showed improvements in memory and learning tests when compared to the placebo group.

Researchers also said that they observed trends that suggested lower glucose levels and reduced depression symptoms among the participants who were drinking wild blueberry juice.

It is important to note that this study on blueberries and dementia excluded people who consumed more than 5 portions of vegetables and fruit daily.

The participants were told to stick to their normal diet throughout the entire study. Based on the results, more research needs to be done to confirm these results.

Blueberries May Lower the Risk of Dementia

Blueberries are categorized among the superfoods linked to a lower risk of dementia.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition observed 2,801 women and men who were over 50 years. At the beginning of the study, all the participants did not have dementia.

Over at least 20 years of follow-up, the professionals collected diet information at 5 periodic health examinations. 193 participants during this time developed Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia.

Lowered dementia risk was associated with intake of one type of flavonoid, anthocyanins abundant in red wine, strawberries, and blueberries.

Other foods that also contributed include oranges, pears, apples, tea, and bananas. The study controlled for numerous behavioral and health characteristics.

Additionally, subjects adhered to the government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans which in addition to vegetables and fruits also emphasizes lean meats, whole grains, and other heart-healthy foods.

Paul F. Jacques the senior author of the study who is a scientist with Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Centre on Aging at Tufts University stated that consumption by the individuals who benefited was not huge.

The monthly average was about 71/2 cup serving of blueberries or strawberries, 17 cups of tea, and 8 apples or pears.

He explained that it did not take much and all it took was a couple of servings of berries weekly and maybe an apple or two.

Closing Thoughts

Health providers continue to be faced with multiple questions about recommendations for enhancing or maintaining cognitive function especially for people who have dementia.

Currently, several studies have been done to try and find out if there is a connection between the consumption of blueberries and dementia prevention.

Although many experts agree that taking blueberries is beneficial for the brain, further research is still necessary to confirm if they can help persons with dementia.

What is the Average Dementia Survival Time?

Rok Krivec Blog, Prevention March 14, 2021October 16, 2021average dementia survival, dementia, dementia survival

When someone is diagnosed with any type of dementia, what is the average dementia survival time?

Let’s find out.

Dementia is a disease that is believed to affect more than thirty million people across the globe. It primarily affects older people who are over the age of 65.

However, there is still a small percentage of the population that gets dementia at a younger age.

The incurable illness is characterized by continued progressive disability.

This makes predicting the average dementia survival time quite difficult.

What is the Average Life Expectancy With Dementia?

Studies, nonetheless, indicate that on average, four and a half years is the median for survival after the onset of dementia.

Because people’s experiences are usually different, survival can also vary between 3.8 years to 10.7 years or more.

You should understand that dementia, in most cases, is not the direct cause of death.

Several risk factors that can impact the life expectancy of a person who has dementia such as:

Age of Diagnosis

The age where an individual is diagnosed with dementia might affect the number of years they have on earth. People who go through earlier diagnosis are likely to live longer.

Researchers working at the Johns Hopkins Schools of Public health uncovered that the average survival time for people who get a diagnosis at the age of 65 is 8.3 years.

On the other hand, on average, 3.4 is the average life expectancy for seniors who get diagnosed when they are 90. This is mostly because the latter do not have enough time to plan for care as the disease progresses.

Additionally, dementia may be identified when its later stages have already begun which naturally decreases the length of survival.

To add to this many seniors who have dementia are already frail and can be affected by other conditions or illnesses which may also contribute to an earlier death.

Younger individuals, on the other hand (under 65 years) may experience a slow decline since they have more energy; thus, end up living longer than the ones who are over 80 when they receive their diagnosis.

Gender

Several studies report that gender plays a role when it comes to average dementia survival rates.

It is said that women end up living slightly longer than men who have dementia. Averagely, male persons can live to a ripe age of 87 while their female counterparts can go up to 90.

This is even though women are at greater risk of developing dementia. Statistics show that about 2/3rds of people who have dementia are ladies.

Severity of Symptoms

The symptoms that a person who has dementia showcases may greatly affect average dementia survival chances.

Individuals who have severe motor impairments like a long history of falls or the tendency to walk away and get lost may have shorter life expectancies.

This is one of the reasons why it is important to work closely with a doctor when a person has dementia.

After thorough examinations, the medic might identify some problem areas that can be treated effectively.

At this point, you should remember that dementia currently does not have any cure.

However, there are treatments that a person may go through to help ease symptoms. These can be in the form of medicine or alternative treatments like therapies.

Consequently, this can help add some years to the individuals’ life on earth.

Type of Dementia

There are different types of dementia that can affect a person. This can also determine the life expectancy of the ill individual.

Note that each of the dementia types will have different rates of progression and patterns.

It is; therefore, important to get the proper diagnosis so that an individual can know how to deal with the dementia they have.

Let’s touch base on the average life expectancy of people who have different types of dementia.

1. Alzheimer’s Disease

This is the most common dementia cause characterized by a build-up of abnormal proteins that damage the brain.

The lifespan of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease is typically between eight-twelve years. Healthy and fit individuals, however, tend to live longer.

2. Dementia with Lewy Bodies

Lewy bodies can be described as small protein deposits that affect memory, movement and thought. About 7% of dementia cases account for dementia with Lewy Bodies.

Experts believe that people with this type of dementia may have about six-twelve years on earth after diagnosis. Survival can be shorter for people with severe symptoms.

3. Vascular Dementia

Vascular dementia develops when small strokes continually damage the brain. Research indicates that life expectancy may be about four years.

This is mostly because Vascular dementia is also linked to other illnesses that cause that affect general health.

4. Frontotemporal dementia

Also known as Pick’s disease, this affects a person when there is damage in both their temporal and frontal brain lobes.

It is mostly diagnosed in people who are between the ages of 45-65.

Individuals with this type of dementia usually have about eight years to live from when the symptom start showing.

Alarmingly, the young-onset of the illness tends to progress faster.

This implies that a person who gets their diagnosis at thirty years to fifty may live fewer years than the one who is diagnosed at an older age.

Functioning Levels

The level of function is also one of the factors that can affect average dementia survival time. Some experts believe that persons who have higher levels of function may celebrate more birthdays.

This goes beyond memory and simple brain function.

Evidently, people who do more things for themselves have longer life-spans even with the presence of advanced dementia.

This is probably because they move around using their muscles without just sitting around something that is healthy for the body and mind.

Lifestyle Factors

The way a person chooses to live his/her life after a dementia diagnosis can also dictate how long they have on earth.

Some people do not receive the news well; hence, end up putting themselves into trouble.

They do this in several ways like drinking too much, smoking cigarettes, using medications without prescriptions and generally letting themselves go.

This is usually not a good move because it causes the immune system of the body to go lower, which means that one can end up making their exit on earth sooner.

It is advisable to be calm when you receive the news.

Yes, it may be daunting at first, but if a person chooses to take good care of themselves, there is a chance that they may end up living many more years without too much suffering.

Other factors that people may think may have an impact on longevity in persons with dementia include:

Whether a person lives at home or in an assisted facility
Whether an individual is married, divorced, or single
Level of education

In rare cases, individuals with less education live slightly longer than those with more education.

Some people may also argue that seniors living at home may be at an advantage of enjoying more years than the ones who are at a care facility.

In line with this, it may also seem like married people might enjoy a longer life expectancy than the ones who do not have partners.

The truth is after multiple studies, the differences in the above situations are not statistically significant.

How Many Years Does Treatment Add?

Sadly treatment does not stop the progression of dementia. It only takes care of some of the symptoms, and in some cases, it can slow down the advancement of the illness.

This said, there is still no resounding evidence as to whether treatment can help add time to a person’s life or not.

Ultimately, the illness will progress and side effects and symptoms become worse as it takes a toll on the body and brain.

It is not to say that persons who have dementia should not consider treatment.

Talk to a professional doctor about possible treatment because it can help to treat some of the symptoms while at the same time improving the quality of life.

Closing Thoughts

Talking about average dementia survival time can be stressful and challenging.

Statistics can easily scare people with the illness and those around them especially caregivers.

However, not all people experience this progressive disease in the same manner.

Most people can still live good lives filled with togetherness and joy with dementia. Thankfully, there are loads of resources online that a person can use to help improve their dementia.

Mostly all they need is support, love, and a doctor’s guidance to live their lives to the fullest.

Wandering and Dementia (Comprehensive Guide)

Petra Boh Blog, Causes, Signs March 13, 2021September 6, 2023dementia, wandering

Many people with dementia may at one time have to deal with wandering and dementia.

The Alzheimer’s Association reports that 6 in 10 people who have dementia will wander. This normally happens in the early stages of the illness.

Studies also show that the risk of wandering is usually higher for men than women.

Read on to find out more details about wandering including symptoms, causes, management & prevention strategies, caregiver goals, and planning for emergencies.

Warning Signs for Wandering in Dementia

There are several symptoms loved ones or caregivers can look out for to know if a person with dementia is at risk of wandering and some of them include:

Forgetting how to get to familiar places
Taking longer periods to get back home from regular drives or walks
Wanting or trying to “go home” even when a person is at home already
Talking about fulfilling former obligations like going to the office
Pacing, making repetitive movements, or being restless often
Asking about the whereabouts of past relatives or friends
Having a hard time accessing familiar places in the house like the dining room, bathroom, or bedroom
Acting anxious or nervous in public places with crowds such as restaurants or malls
Acting as if a person is engaging in a chore or hobby but they are not getting anything done. For instance, a person may be in the kitchen with a pot but they are not cooking anything

Reasons People with Dementia May Wander

The exact causes of wandering are not yet fully understood.

However, there are certain triggers associated with wandering and dementia and some of them include but are not limited to:

Fear or Stress

Individuals with dementia may start to wander as a reaction to feeling nervous in their current environment.

New Environments

People with dementia may feel disoriented or uncertain when they have to adapt to a changed environment like a new home or care center.

Many people may also want to escape from busy or noisy spaces. Wandering may stop once a person gets used to the chances.

Unmet Basic Needs

A person may wander off as they go looking for water, food, or the bathroom. Some people may also want to explore the outdoors and forget the way back home.

Loss of Short-Term Memory

Wandering may be caused by loss of memory. An individual may set off to go visit a friend or go to the shops and then forget where they are going or why.

A person may also forget that their loved one was going out and set off to look for them.

Searching

Affected individuals may get lost while looking for something or someone like a long-lost friend.

Excessive Energy

An individual may also start wandering as a way of using excess energy, which is one of the reasons why patients with dementia walk so much. It may be an indication that the individual needs to exercise more.

Visual-Spatial Issues

Individuals with dementia may get lost even in familiar places because the illness affects the areas of the brain that are responsible for navigation and guidance, even vision.

Expressing Boredom and Loneliness

People with dementia find it more challenging to concentrate on one thing as the illness progresses. Wandering can be one of the ways they keep occupied.

Following Past Routines

Some people will wander off as they try to go back to their former workplaces or grocery stores.

Devices to assist caregivers with monitoring wandering

	Product	Features
	Bed Alarm for Elderly Dementia Patients	Motion sensor Portable pager Fall prevention Easy to install Wireless
	Caregiver Pager, Wireless Panic Buttons Elderly Monitoring Assistance	Intercom Waterproof Durable 58 loud chimes Easy to install 500ft wireless
	4pc Security Home Camera	24/7 full HD recording Enhanced night vision Video alarm system AI identification Home app for family
	Smart Caregiver Corporation Cordless Bed Exit Monitoring System Alarm with Bed Pressure Sensing Pad	Prevent falls & wandering Wireless portable (300ft) Pressure pad and monitor
	Elderly Cellular Medical Alert Device\| Wearable Panic Button Necklace \| Medical Alert Systems for Seniors	Fall detection 2-way communication Waterproof 5 emergency contacts Lifetime warranty
	Elderly Cellular Medical Alert Device \| Medical Alert Smartwatch	Fall detector 2-way communication Heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen monitor Lifetime warranty

Strategies for Preventing and Managing Wandering

While chances of wandering are pretty high, there are various prevention and management tips that caregivers can use to help reduce the chances such as:

Visiting a Doctor

When a person with dementia starts to wander, it is advisable to consult a doctor who will conduct a physical check-up.

This helps to identify whether discomfort, pain, or an existing illness is triggering wandering. It may help to discuss any side-effects of medication that the person is taking.

It is best to avoid medication that increases confusion or causes drowsiness and incontinence

Creating Daily Routines

When looking after a person who is battling both wandering and dementia, it is advisable to create a routine the person with the illness follows every day.

This helps to offer structure so that the affected individual is “busy” all day lowering the chances of wandering. Where possible, identify the times of the day or night where the individual is most likely to wander.

This is the best time to plan fun activities or appropriate exercise for the person. It can help reduce agitation, restlessness, and anxiety.

Offer Reassurance

If a person with dementia is feeling abandoned, disoriented, or lost; caregivers should communicate in a reassuring manner.

Focus mostly on validation and exploration. For example, if a person insists that they need to go “home” or to “work” caregivers can tell them something like “It is okay, we will be staying here tonight where we will be safe and can go home or to work in the morning.”

Do not try and correct the person because it can lead to more confusion and agitation.

Meet Basic Needs

Some people with dementia will wander because their basic needs have not been fulfilled. It is; therefore, the responsibility of carers to ensure they meet all their basic needs on time.

This includes making sure they eat well, hydrate, and go to the bathroom when need be.

Avoid Busy Places

This can be anywhere from grocery stores, shopping malls, and other busy avenues. These places can be confusing causing disorientation.

Remove Access to Car Keys

If the person is no longer driving; ensure that car keys are not in sight. This is because persons with dementia do not only wander on foot.

It is easy for individuals to forget that they can no longer drive. If a person can safely drive, it may be best to use a GPS device so that if they get lost, they can be found easily.

Additionally, it is also advisable to keep shoes, hats, coats, and other items that are associated with leaving home out of sight.

Offer Supervision

When taking care of a person with dementia, keep an eye on them especially when visiting new environments so that they do not get lost.

Do not lock the affected individual in a car or house alone.

Beef up Security

There are several options to explore when it comes to this.

For instance, installing door locks that are either high or low so that they are out of the line of sight and not easily accessible by individuals with the illness.

Camouflaging doors by placing removable curtains over doors or painting them a color that matches the surrounding walls can also help.

Investing in devices that signal when windows or doors open can also be helpful. This can be a sophisticated electronic home alarm system or a simple bell placed above the door and window.

This alerts caregivers when people with dementia are attempting to leave the house.

Identification Card

It is also important for the person with dementia to have an identification card on them at all times.

Additionally, they can also wear medical bracelets, or put on clothes that have labels with their information.

Planning For Emergencies

When it comes to looking after a person experiencing wandering and dementia, it is important to have a plan in place for emergency situations.

This is because wandering can pose various safety issues particularly in very cold or hot temperatures. Some of the plans that can be put in place include:

Having a list of people to contact for help- Store phone numbers where they are easily accessible.
Request neighbors, family, and friends to call if they see the person with dementia staying alone.
Take close-up photos of affected individuals regularly and have updated medical information that can be given to the police.
Create a List of Places an Individual may Wander- These can include places such as former homes, past job locations, former schools, favorite restaurants, and places of worship.
Study the Neighbourhood Well- this helps to note down potentially dangerous spots near the house such as open stairwells, water bodies, tunnels, dense foliage, bus stops, and roads with heavy traffic.
To be on the safe side, it is best to consider enrolling an individual with a wandering response service.

If a person happens to wander try and stay calm as you begin the start the search and rescue efforts as soon as possible.

In most cases, persons who wander are usually found within one and a half miles of where they disappeared. If the person is not found within the fifteen minutes, file a missing person’s report by immediately calling 911.

Do not forget to let the authorities know that the individual has dementia.

Wandering and Dementia Caregiver Goals

When responding to wandering from persons who have dementia, care goals can be categorized into:

1. Encouraging, maintaining, and supporting choice and mobility enabling the person to move around independently and safely.

2. Assessing and managing the causes of wandering paying close attention to meeting basic needs.

3. Prevent unsafe wandering.

There is still limited research when it comes to wandering and dementia.

However, caregivers can still respond to the new development appropriately to ensure the person with dementia remains safe and happy.

Sundowning And Dementia – A Pattern Of Deterioration?

Rok Krivec Blog, Signs, Types March 12, 2021August 6, 2023dementia, sundowning, sundowning and dementia

There can be a pattern of deterioration when it comes to sundowning and dementia.

Some people with dementia normally go through challenging times during the late afternoons or early evenings. This is a condition that is known as sundowning.

It is also known as sundown syndrome or late-day confusion.

This is where a person with dementia may experience big changes like irritability, agitation, confusion, and restlessness that can either start or become worse as the day begins to end.

Everything to Know About Sundowning And Dementia

These usually get better by daybreak. At times, this might continue into the night, affecting how a person sleeps and eventually how they function during the day.

In most cases, sundown syndrome happens to persons who have advanced or mid-stage dementia.

Almost 20% of people who have dementia experience the syndrome.

Sundowning itself is not a disease, but it is a group of symptoms that tend to occur at a specific time of the day affecting persons with dementia.

Even though sundown syndrome is real, it is one of the most misunderstood dementia behaviors. Below we get into more details about sundowning and dementia – a pattern of deterioration?

Possible Causes of Sundowning

It is still not clear what the exact causes of sundowning are. Studies, however, suggest a few theories that explain what some of the possible causes might be.

One of the most prominent is the changes that happen in the brain, which in turn affect an individual’s “biological clock,” making them confused about the wake and sleep cycles.

It is where a person cannot tell when it is daytime or when it is nighttime.

The problem becomes worse when the clock changes, i.e. when the daylight becomes extended or suddenly gets lost. This often leads to irritability and other sundowning behaviors.

Other factors that may cause this condition include:

Pain and discomfort
Being overly tired
Boredom
Depression
Thirst, hunger, or other unmet needs
More shadows and less light in the house
Reactions to frustration cues that exhausted caregivers may showcase at the end of a long day
Overstimulation by noisy children, a loud TV or when their caregiver is doing chores around their living space.
Changes in the environment: Most people with dementia are attuned to their environment to the extent that they can become distressed when slight or big changes occur. For instance, if a person lives in a nursing home, agitation may come about when there is a shift change. At home, it is easy for the persons with dementia to pick up bad moods from their relatives which often leads to a reaction.
Disorientation because of not telling the difference between reality and dreams while sleeping
Existence of infections like UTI (urinary tract infection), etc.

Signs of Sundown Syndrome

When discussing sundowning and dementia, It is important to pinpoint some of the signs to look out for if you suspect that a person with dementia has late-day confusion.

Some of the most common ones are:

Yelling
Pacing
Mood swings
Seeing or hearing non-existent things
Arguing
Wandering
Restlessness
Confusion
A compelling sense that someone is in the wrong place
Rummaging through rooms, or drawers, etc.

When a person is going through some of the above behavioral changes, it is not the time to get into an arguing contest with them.

Some of the tips you can work with to help make the situation a little better include:

Approaching the person in a calm way
Asking if there is anything the person needs
Offering gentle reassurance that everything is under control
Reminding what time of the day it is in a kind manner

How to Deal With Sundowning

If you notice that the person with dementia you are caring for has sundowning signs, there are a few steps you can take to cope with the situation such as:

Creating distractions

If an individual becomes excessively agitated, try to take control of the situation by calmly listening to their frustrations and concerns.

Do your best to reassure the person that everything will be fine. You can also create distractions from upsetting or stressful events.

Develop a routine

Setting regular times for meals, waking up, bathing and retiring to bed can help with the situation.

It is also important to try and schedule outings, appointments, and visits during morning hours when a person is likely to feel their best.

Identify triggers

Another way you can help a person going through sundowning is to look for patterns.

Note down the things that may be triggering the condition and go ahead to limit or avoid them.

Avoid or limit things that affect sleep

Persons with dementia should not drink alcohol or smoke. Additionally, you can encourage them to consume bigger meals during breakfast and lunch and make evening meals simple and small.

If a person loves caffeine and sweets, let them take these in the earlier part of the day. Long naps in the afternoon should also be discouraged.

Keep them active

Another piece of advice when speaking about sundowning and dementia is to keep the persons with dementia active or busy during the day, something that can promote a good night’s sleep.

Daytime inactivity can result in issues with sleep.

Offering familiarity and comfort

People who have dementia appreciate being surrounded by comforting persons, thoughts, and things.

These usually help one to cope with some of the challenging issues that crop up as they are dealing with the illness.

Whether the person is living at home or at an assisted facility, ensure that they have all the items they cherish.

Loved ones should also try and visit them often to keep them company and keep them smiling. This also helps to combat stress a move that can lessen sundowning symptoms.

Reduce demands on the person with dementia

If a person has late-day confusion, try and make their late afternoons and evenings as stress-free as possible.

It should be a time when they just relax. This includes telling the person to do things that you might think are relaxing, such as taking a bath, listening to music or meditating.

It might be helpful because it means that their brain will not be giving in to the pressures of environmental demands.

Change tone

The way you talk to a person who is going through sundowning episodes must be addressed when tackling the issue on sundowning and dementia.

You must always use “inside” tonal voices talking soothingly and slowly.

Listen carefully to the response of the person you are caring for to see if you can arrest the source of distress.

If you feel like the individual is comfortable, sit close to them and reach out holding their hand and softly stroke his or her arm.

Enhance security in the home

This is especially helpful for those people who tend to wander due to sundown syndrome.

You can keep your loved one safe by putting in place measures like using the right type of window and door locks or installing motion detectors and door sensors so that those around can receive alerts when the person with dementia is on the move.

With this in mind, you need to avoid the use of restraints at all costs.

If the individual needs to pace, you can allow them to do so in a safe environment under your supervision instead of pinning them down a move that can make the situation worse.

Follow a chilled evening routine

Routines are not a preserve for daytime when you are dealing with a person with dementia. You can also have one in the evening to help ease the transition process.

Here you can include activities like stroking a pet, reading a book if it is possible, listening to soothing music, etc.

If you are watching TV or listening to the radio, set this to a program that is relatively quiet and calming.

People shouting or loud noises can distress individuals who have dementia.

If the above tips do not generate the results you desire, it may be time to seek help from a professional doctor.

He or she will check out the individual with dementia to offer appropriate solutions.

For instance, the medic might have to change medicines that an individual is taking so that he or she only takes drugs that help in relaxation and do not cause more confusion.

Medicine to Treat Sundowning

When dealing with sundowning and dementia, it is okay to be curious about whether any drugs that make these symptoms better.

This is because caregivers at times go through extremely overwhelming sessions where any interpersonal strategies they try do not seem to work.

Prescriptions are available, but a person with dementia should only use this as a matter of last resort. You must try everything else first before you go down the drug route.

A situation where it may be necessary to use medication is where there is a high degree of agitation that is running out of control and the caregiver cannot manage this effectively.

Medicine can help reduce distress so that the person who has dementia gets fast relief from their upset.

Examples of drugs that the doctor can prescribe include antipsychotic medicine which in as much as they can be effective, they can also carry certain risks.

This is why it is important to be very cautious when administering any type of drug to a person undergoing sundowning.

Palliative Care: an Underused Support in Dementia

Laura Herman Blog, Prevention March 11, 2021October 16, 2021dementia, palliative care

When speaking about palliative care and dementia, the core focus is improving the person’s quality of life.

Taking care of a family member with dementia can feel incredibly overwhelming at times. There is so much to learn and figure out.

Often it seems that as soon you do get something figured out, everything changes again.

Enter the palliative care team. Specially trained healthcare professionals who focus on improving the quality of life for people with serious illnesses, and their families.

They work hand-in-hand with the person, their doctor(s) and family members to reduce distressing symptoms, enhance communication, coordinate care, and develop a plan to improve quality of life for the palliative care patient and their family.

What can Palliative Care Do for People with Dementia?

The goal of palliative care is to reduce suffering and enhance the quality of life for the ill individual as well as their family.

They are there to help react to problems and discomfort as they occur. However much of what the palliative care team strives to do is to prevent problems from arising in the first place.

By helping the patient and their family understand (to the extent possible) what might lie ahead, they can plan for smoother sailing and navigate around major icebergs, missing most of them altogether.

Assist with Advanced Care Planning

The medical and legal landscape can be confusing and difficult to navigate – all the more so for individuals overwhelmed by emotion, stress or health problems of their own.

Often, this is the case for families that experience dementia.

The palliative care team can help families understand their options.

They can lead conversations about planning for eventualities, such as:

Who is the best choice to advocate for the person as their cognitive abilities decline?
If the person is found unconscious and without a pulse should resuscitation be attempted, or would they prefer to allow nature to take its course?
Should feeding tubes, ventilators or other intensive treatments be considered? Under which circumstances?
What are the person’s beliefs and wishes as they pertain to pain control? Do they want to be kept pain-free at all costs, or would they prefer to deal with some pain, if it means being able to engage positively with family members?

The palliative care team can help ensure that the doctors and medical providers are on the same page with the person in terms of their goals.

Without advanced planning, people often end up spending the last portion of their lives undergoing intensive medical treatments. Spending time in and out of hospitals, rather than remaining comfortable in their own homes.

This can be extremely traumatic or stressful for the person and their family.

This type of advance planning can be especially helpful to undertake with someone in the earlier stages of dementia.

It can enable their voice, preferences and beliefs to be a bigger part of the conversation. Most families find that palliative care support is extremely valuable in this arena.

Minimize Distressing Symptoms of the Disease

People with dementia, and their families, tend to experience a variety of distressing symptoms, such as anxiety and depression.

Pain is not normally a direct symptom of dementia, but because it can impair the person’s ability to recognize and communicate pain from other causes, there is a significant tendency to under-treat pain in people with dementia, according to researchers throughout Europe.

Pain is not only uncomfortable, but it is also exhausting. It can make it harder to think clearly, participate in meaningful activities, or comply with medical recommendations.

For example, it’s hard to comply with exercise recommendations when your feet hurt too much.

Pain is one of the major causes of challenging behavior in people with dementia. These behaviors contribute to their own stress levels, as well as those of their loved ones.

Pain assessment in dementia can be tricky. Even for seasoned professionals in some cases – but it is well worth the effort.

The difference in behavior, functioning and personality in someone with dementia who is hurting, before and after the adequate treatment, can be truly astounding.

The palliative care team can help minimize pain, anxiety, depression, hoarding, paranoid thinking, challenging behaviors, and other symptoms of dementia.

Enable People to Reach their Goals

Palliative care is all about the quality of life, not just medical care. For example, if a person with dementia wants to spend more time with their grandchildren, or figure out how to keep their beloved cat, the palliative care team is passionate about supporting these goals.

They specialize in managing symptoms and overcoming barriers so that people can live their best life.

Palliative Care is Underutilized and Misunderstood

According to the World Health Organization, 40 million people worldwide are in need of palliative care each year as they suffer with physical, emotional or spiritual pain near the end of their lives.

Only about 14% of these individuals currently receive palliative care. The best program availability is located in Europe, North America and Australia.

Most of the lack of utilization is due to the poor availability of palliative care programs. However, some people do have access to it but fundamentally misunderstand its scope.

Patients tend to confuse palliative care with hospice care. They believe that only people with terminal conditions, or those at the very end of life, need or can qualify for palliative care.

Hospice care is indeed for individuals who are expected by their doctor to be in their last few months of life.

However, palliative care is intended for people in any stage of a serious illness – from the time of diagnosis, in many cases – explains Karen Mulvihill, Director of Palliative Care Services at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut, USA.

In fact, palliative care can be most effective when in use as early as possible in the disease. It offers the best chance to prevent problems right from the beginning.

Palliative care can be delivered even while the person undergoes curative treatments, which is another place it differs from hospice.

Other misunderstandings include that palliative care or hospice are in connection to euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide.

This isn’t true.

A key tenant of palliative care holds that the team will do nothing to either hasten or postpone death. They focus on making the best regardless of how much time’s left.

Palliative Care can Improve Quality of Life for People with Dementia and their
Families

For many people living with dementia, palliative care support can alleviate a great deal of physical, emotional and spiritual suffering.

Palliative care can help navigate murky medical terrain, and enhance communication and coordination with medical providers.

Palliative care can help the person with dementia and their families define their goals, and figure out how to reach them.

By achieving these objectives, palliative care can dramatically improve the quality of life for people living with dementia and their loved ones.

For information regarding palliative care programs in your area, contact your doctor, social worker or community resource center.

Cognitive and Physical Exercise and Dementia

Rok Krivec Blog, Prevention March 10, 2021August 11, 2023dementia, dementia activities, dementia exercises

Today, we will look at the best cognitive and physical exercise and dementia correlation, and how you can reduce the risk of the disease.

Developing dementia is one of the biggest concerns for the majority of people as they grow older.

The thought of getting the disease can be quite scary, especially for someone who has seen a loved one affected by the illness.

Benefits of Cognitive and Physical Activity for Dementia

Many individuals believe that all they can do is wait for a pharmaceutical cure for dementia and hope that they do not join the growing list of seniors with the disease.

Promising research, however, indicates that it is possible to reduce the risk of dementia through several effective yet simple lifestyle adjustments.

These include taking steps such as stress management, a healthy diet, quality sleep, social engagement, mental stimulation, and regular exercise.

By identifying and then controlling personal risk factors, it is possible to prolong/ maximize lifelong brain health.

Below we will focus on physical and cognitive exercise and the role they play in mitigating or slowing down the progression of dementia.

Cognitive Exercise

In regards to cognitive exercise and dementia, it is worth noting that continuously challenging the brain and learning new things puts you at less risk of developing dementia.

What this means is that you “will lose it if you do not use it.” Keeping the mind active is essential if you do not want your thinking capacity to decline medical research discloses.

This can help you in several ways, such as:

1. Reduce brain cell damage that occurs with dementia
2. Encourage better communication between the nerve cells
3. Support the growth of new nerve cells

Note that no single exercise will keep the brain sharp. You need to indulge in different exercises that will ensure your brain remains in the highest gear.

Some of the exercises you can try out to exercise your brain include:

Acquiring a new skill

Learning how to play a musical instrument, studying a foreign language, reading a good book, or learning how to paint, etc. can be instrumental in helping the brain remain in tip-top condition.

Look around for classes you can join and set aside some time to practice regularly.

Keep in mind that the higher the challenge, novelty, or complexity, the greater the benefit.

Playing card or board games

Playing games with loved ones has two benefits.

One is that you get an opportunity to bond and the other is that it helps the brain to stay sharper by making it work harder.

In as much as games like chess are fun to play, some research shows that it can lead to better math scores on various standardized tests.

Games like monopoly have also proven to enhance decision-making skills while sharpening cognitive function.

Puzzles are a great way to keep your recalling abilities high. These effects also help to keep dementia at bay.

Practice memorization and the 5Ws

When you start memorization, it is best to practice with something short before moving on to more complex things.

For instance, you can always start with the US capital states or books of the Bible, etc.

Creating patterns and rhymes can help to make memory connections stronger

When you are watching TV shows that may involve themes like crimes or feature detective, you can keep the brain active by thinking of the “Who, Why, When, Where, and What.”

When you capture these visual details repeatedly, you will keep the brain neurons firing.

Playing with children

This is another excellent option everyone should be aware of when curious about exercise and dementia.

The young ones have vivid and rich imaginations that directly link to memories.

When a person spends time playing with kids, you join their interesting world. This is typically a world full of unusual details the brain needs to keep remembering.

Doctors also note that adults who take time to play with kids have low-stress levels.

Additionally, heart rate, blood pressure, and high cortisol levels can drastically reduce.

Staying in good moods for longer periods helps to preserve the brain as well as its higher functions.

Read books with problem-solving mysteries

Problem solving is one of the proven ways to exercise your brain. One of the easiest ways you can do this is by solving puzzling mysteries.

You can find these online or in books. Try and tackle at least one mystery every day.

This will baffle the mind forcing you to think deeply so that you can come up with a solution. It is an entertaining way of getting the brain to work.

Gardening

If you are a person who likes to connect with nature while tending to plants, gardening should be on your list of keeping the brain sharper.

Many people not only feel better, but they also do better after gardening sessions.

Experts suspect that exposure to natural light, touching the earth, getting into contact with soil probiotics, and satisfaction of seeing things grow helps to enhance brain function and mood.

Listening to soothing music

Playing music also falls into the category of group activities to be discussed when tackling the topic of exercise and dementia. Good music tames and soothes.

Research shows that listening to Mozart can help make babies smarter.

Musicians are also said to have a lower risk of developing dementia than the rest of the people.

Music is a combination of breath control, exercise, dexterity, memory games, science, math, art, listening feelings, and a lot more.

Although more research still needs to be done, it is possible that music therapy can help combat dementia. It is not all types of music, though.

Genres like jazz, ethnic, and classical offer the most benefit.

Physical Exercise

The other part to highlight when talking about exercise and dementia is the physical aspect.

You cannot dispute the fact that people who exercise frequently are healthier, make better food decisions and retain their mental health longer than the people who do not exercise.

Although exercise will not work on the brain directly, it positively affects levels of blood oxygen, hormones, and the nutrient load that flows in the body.

When you have better control of your body, it benefits the brain because it receives adequate levels of blood, nutrients, and oxygen.

Aerobic exercises especially help to improve memory and thinking because they help to increase heart rate.

Staying physically active has also been known to increase flexibility, strength, and also improve the quality of sleep.

This is a move that can help to reduce the development of dementia. When you exercise daily or several times a week for about 30-60 minutes, you may:

1. Keep learning, reasoning, and thinking skills sharper.
2. Delay the onset of dementia for individuals who are at risk of developing the disease or slow down the advancement of the illness.
3. Enhance judgment, reasoning, memory, and thinking skills for persons who have mild cognitive impairment.

To benefit from physical exercise, it is important to identify safe and enjoyable activities for a person’s ability level.

Some of the ideas you can borrow from include:

Walking

This is one of the best exercises that a person can take part in. You do not even have to be outdoors to enjoy a great walk. An individual can decide that walking inside their house does them justice.

Regardless of the amount of time you take engaging in this activity, it is beneficial for the mind and body.

To make walking more pleasant, you can combine it with an errand such as rushing to the grocery store or walking your pet.

Dancing

If you enjoy dancing, you will not even feel as though you are engaging in exercise.

Dancing is a fun way to let loose and get the body moving a great addition to the things you need to do when discussing exercise and dementia.

You can opt to do this freestyle. This is where you switch on the music and burst your favorite move.

You can even get together with a couple of friends and head to the disco if this is something you will enjoy.

Alternatively, take things a notch higher and sign up for a professional dance class. The goal is to have a blast while doing some good for your entire body.

Weight or resistance training

This is where you work out muscles against an external force. This type of exercise offers multiple benefits.

These include increased flexibility, bone density, tendon, muscle, and ligament strength, improving posture, and metabolic rate.

Yoga

Although yoga cannot be described exclusively as a physical exercise, it is important to mention it as the activities to try when thinking about exercise and dementia.

Experts advise that you combine yoga and medication for the best results. This can help to improve focus, de-stress, reduce anxiety, enhance mood, and increase healing among many other benefits.

Although it is still difficult to understand specialists explain that a meditating brain is different from the awake brain.

Studies are underway to help people grasp this concept more.

Regular physical and cognitive exercise is crucial for everyone to stay mentally and physically fit.

This is despite the fact that extensive research needs to be conducted to show the degree of physical and cognitive exercise that helps to improve memory or slow down the advancement of cognitive decline.

Causes of Agitation in Persons with Dementia

Coping with Agitation and Aggression

Touch therapy

Music

Physical Activity

Address Unmet Needs

Different Therapies

Offering Distractions

Join a Support Group

Responding to Agitation in Persons with Dementia

Prevention and Treatment Tips

Creating a Calm Environment

Ensuring Personal Comfort

Simplifying Chores

Help Individuals Engage in Physical Activity

Closing Thoughts

14 Best Alternative Therapies For Dementia

Occupational Therapy

Reminiscence Therapy

Physical Therapy

Music Therapy

Art Therapy

Bright Light Therapy

Pet Therapy

Laughter Yoga

Aromatherapy

Massage Therapy

Acupuncture

Doll Therapy

Validation Therapy

Reality Orientation

Closing Remarks

How Can Dementia Affect you Physically?

Immobility

Try and move around more

Problems with Swallowing

Vision Changes

Loss of peripheral vision

Incontinence

Managing incontinence in dementia

Final words

Guide on Living with Dementia

1. Accept your Situation

Communicate

2. Learn about Dementia

3. Take Care of Your Whole Being

Take care of your psychical and physical health

4. Plan Ahead

Long-term plans for dementia

5. Live in a Dementia-Friendly Environment

6. Stay Active and Busy

Occupy your body and mind

7. Follow Routines

8. Set Realistic Goals

Seek help when necessary

9. Coping At Work

10. Go for Regular Hearing, Eyesight and Dental Checks

Do not avoid doctors

Blueberries and Dementia Prevention Benefits

Blueberries can Help Slow Cognitive Decline

Blueberries can Boost Brain Function

Blueberries can Improve Working Memory

Blueberries May Lower the Risk of Dementia

Closing Thoughts

What is the Average Life Expectancy With Dementia?

Age of Diagnosis

Gender

Severity of Symptoms

Type of Dementia

1. Alzheimer’s Disease

2. Dementia with Lewy Bodies

3. Vascular Dementia

4. Frontotemporal dementia

Other Health Problems

Functioning Levels

Lifestyle Factors

How Many Years Does Treatment Add?

Closing Thoughts

Warning Signs for Wandering in Dementia

Reasons People with Dementia May Wander

Palliative Care can Improve Quality of Life for People with Dementia and their
Families