Understanding a dementia diagnosis can help us to support our loved one or help us to educate our loved ones in our own journey through dementia. Education of the stages of dementia can help us to plan and to take out some of the unknown. 

Stages

EARLY STAGE :  Early dementia is usually mild. Expect growing forgetfulness, confusion, and difficulty with complex tasks. Use this time to help independence last as long as possible and to plan ahead together for the future.

MID-STAGE : In mid-stage dementia, previously manageable tasks become more difficult. Be proactive and maintain a safe environment. Accidents, injuries, and infections are serious threats to a dementia patient; you can avoid these with attention and care.

LATE STAGE : While we think of dementia mainly as a memory problem, late-stage dementia also affects the body. Advanced dementia patients and families find great support in our around-the-clock personalized care. The smaller community size and home-like environment at New Haven greatly benefits those in need of additional protection and attention.

Does everyone go through the stages the same?

The simple answer is no. It is important to know the typical behaviors and symptoms we usually see with dementia and to work with your health care professional through the stages. Each person will go through a unique journey as with any diagnosis. It is important to have a great team to support you through the process. 

New Haven is here to help. A dementia diagnosis affects the whole family. Make sure that self-care and emotional support for family caregivers is part of your dementia treatment plan. Look for support groups, respite care, and other proactive ways to reduce the emotional toll of caregiving. With skilled and loving care, a senior can still enjoy happy, fulfilled, and healthy years after a diagnosis of dementia.

Contact us today with your questions or to discuss our wide range of care options. Schedule a tour at https://calendly.com/newhavenassistedliving and Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/newhavenassistedlivingandmemorycare

Music can bring back some of our fondest memories. Those memories can take us to another time and place where we can experience a wide range of emotions, first dances and first losses. For people who may have memory concerns; connecting with things that are meaningful can improve overall satisfaction with their lives.

Personally Meaningful Music: The Utah University of Health Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s disease article discussed that personally meaningful music is an alternative route for communicating with patients who have Alzheimer’s disease. It helps people find renewed meaning and connection in their lives through music that they personally identify with.

How Does Personalized Music Make a Difference?

• Beloved music helps to reduce depression and anxiety and can also moderate pain.
• Musical favorites tap deep memories and can improve quality of life.
• Participants are happier, more social, and receptive to care and family visits.
• Personalized music can help to reduce reliance on anti-psychotic, anti-depressant, and pain medications.

What is Music & Memory?

Grounded in extensive research, Music & Memory helps people living with a wide range of cognitive and physical challenges to find renewed joy in life through musical favorites. Our team is trained to develop personalized playlists, delivered through iPods, a key element in the individual’s plan of care.

Does Every Assisted Living and Dementia Care offer this program?

Specialized : Not everyone offers this type of program but at New Haven we have several locations that offer music and memory. As a Music & Memory Certified Care Organization, we are proud to offer the powerful benefits of personalized music as part of our continuing effort to provide the highest quality care.

The Music and Memory program has been shown to have many positive effects such as:

• Happier and more social seniors.
• Better relationships between seniors, staff, and families.
• Calmer and more supportive social interactions.
• Fewer behavior management issues.
• And, for some, the possibility of using fewer anti-psychotic medications.

Who Can Participate?

Anyone can benefit from the power of listening to musical favorites. As we build our program, we will be able to offer it to all who are interested. Often effective for a variety of impairments and disorders:

• People with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia
• Individuals who are bed-bound, on dialysis or ventilators
• People with chronic pain
• Those receiving hospice care

New Haven offers many services to help your loved one have meaning in their lives, check out our link, https://newhavenassistedliving.com/music-and-memory  and. schedule a tour with us at https://calendly.com/newhavenassistedliving and Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/newhavenassistedlivingandmemorycare

• https://musicandmemory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Utah-Univ-of-Health-Journal-of-Prevention-of-Alzheimers-Disease.pdf

Senior Care Options

Today’s options for Senior Care and support are very different than in the past. In the past you had one option of a “nursing home” type of environment. Families often felt they had no choices and little hope for a rewarding and meaningful future for their loved one.

Today, we have so many different types of support and care that promotes independence and meaning for everyone involved. 

Staying Home

At Home Caregivers: At times, the caregiving of our loved one may need many people to be successful. Caregivers can be hired as private caregivers or through an agency. Private caregivers are often less expensive while agencies will do strict background checks and screenings which also increases the cost of the service and the cost of that is reflected in the fees. Both are great options for families who are wanting to keep their loved ones at home. What if you need more than a few hours of care? You might consider respite care. 

Respite Care: Whether you’re going on a vacation or business trip, have an unplanned emergency, or simply need a break from the demands of caregiving, you can leave your loved one in our capable hands for a few days, a few weeks, or a few months while you take care of other things. He or she will have the chance to spend time with other seniors and participate in all the social activities we offer—plus get hands-on assistance with health or memory issues if necessary—and you’ll have a chance to recharge.

Independence with Support

Assisted Living: Our approach to assisted living is one that emphasizes flexibility, independence, and a rich quality of life. Whether a resident simply needs light assistance with day-to-day activities or more hands-on care for health management, we can provide the personalized support necessary to live a full and active life. If you haven’t looked into assisted living recently, you may be surprised at the level of care we can provide—and how closely we can tailor it to each senior’s unique needs

When you need more support

Memory care: Caring for seniors with memory loss is one of the things we do best, and we hire and train only the most compassionate and dedicated staff for this very purpose. We see our dementia care residents as unique individuals with inherent dignity, and we take great pride in creating a home for them that honors that. Our programming for dementia care – including our Music and Memory program – is designed to help residents improve their cognitive function while they build friendships and engage in things they enjoy.

Skilled Nursing Care: These facilities, many know them as Nursing Homes, Rehab or Long-term care facilities, provide 24 hour a day care by licensed nursing care professionals. This can be provided for a short period of time or for an extended period of time. These facilities may also offer therapies such as PT, OT or SLP and can help people recover from strokes, wounds, broken bones and many other conditions after release from the hospital. Typically, an Assisted Living or Dementia Care program will be needed when your loved one is released from Skilled Nursing Care. 

New Haven offers many of these options and we can help you to find the right fit for you or your loved one. Schedule a tour with us at https://calendly.com/newhavenassistedliving and follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/newhavenassistedlivingandmemorycare.

Stress

Managing stress for seniors can be difficult and create numerous not only health but emotional concerns. The most important thing to remember is that you are in control of your own actions and reactions. Learning to deal with your own stress properly can have a profound impact on not only you, but those that are close to you as well.

We need to have the right amount of stress or tension in our lives to get us moving and motivate us to be our best. Too much stress, though, can be dangerous for your physical, mental, and emotional health, especially if we feel like it is out of our control or we do not feel like we can deal with it.

Body Reactions

Our Bodies: Let us think about our bodies for a minute – 

• has anyone ever had a headache that they think might have been caused by stress? 
• or felt like there is a heaviness in your stomach?
• felt nervous and worried for a long time?
• felt pressured, hassled, and hurried?
• felt angry, irritable, and moody?
• had trouble sleeping for more than one night?
• felt sad, hopeless, or depressed?
• felt like you are turning red or feel flushed?

Those can be the result of stress and are just a few ways that it can affect your body as well as your emotions. 

Stress Management Ideas

Stress Reduction: Finding ways to reduce your stress can help you to make it through the changes that can occur due to health, finances or loss of someone or something.

• Stress should be managed and do not look to eliminate it completely. 
• Remember that some stress motivates us. 
• Talk about your stress. 
• Time spent talking with others is valuable, even when you have a lot on your plate. “Getting it off your chest” allows you to release it and reduce the feeling of being alone in this journey.
• Complete tasks as you can; focus on completing quick ones first. 
• Having too many “to-dos” can be stressful, even if none of them are excessively big.
• Completing the small tasks will clear up your mind to focus on larger things

Self-Care and Balance: Stress can start a destructive cycle and taking care of yourself can be neglected, which leads to more stress. People who devote too much time in one area of their life often struggle to deal with stress when that area is threatened. 

• Make a point to focus on your needs, such as eating well, keeping a consistent sleep schedule, exercising, and other forms of self-care.
• Ensure you balance your time and energy between several areas, such as your career, family, friendships, and personal hobbies. 
• Overextending yourself will bring on more stress, balance is the key. 
• Set aside time to relax and have fun every day, without interruptions. 
• Spending time on ourselves’ usually gets ignored when things get hectic. 
• However, when that time is neglected, everything else becomes overwhelming and stressful.

Caregiver Stress: Caregiving can create a unique stress. Caring for others and not caring for our own needs can create exhaustion, stress and at times a hopelessness. Looking for outside resources can seem overwhelming and finding a place where you feel comfortable can be difficult. 

At New Haven, we have consistent healthy dining options, active/fun activities, therapeutic activities to reduce stress…find out more about how New Haven can help with stress and offer a comfortable environment, we are one of the tools you can use to reduce stress. 

Learn more about how New Haven can help here

Just Remember

When you are in the middle of stress, problems can feel bigger than they are. 

• Take a moment and think about how important your stressors are in the big scheme of things. 
• Take the five-year approach, will it matter in five years? 
• Keeping a journal and writing down your feelings, can help to release the fears and stressors. 
• Remember to be kind to yourself.
•  Encourage rather than criticize yourself. 
• Treat yourself the way you would treat a friend in the same situation

For more information, go to www.newhavenassistedliving.com or call one of our senior living specialist today to find out how New Haven can offer care and support and to get more information about our community and how we can work together to manage stress.

Follow us on Facebook for more information on Senior Living.

https://www.facebook.com/newhavenassistedlivingandmemorycare

***This information is not designed to take the place of mental health counseling or professional help. Please contact a mental health professional to provide ongoing mental health support and/or 911 in case of an emergency.

Are you providing senior care at home? At some point, you will find that it’s time to adapt your house to be safer for a parent with mobility issues. 

Depending on your home and its layout, there may be major adaptations or modifications to make. However, if you start with simple changes, you can have a big impact right away while you plan for the bigger things.

 

Changes You Can Make Today 

There are some easy things you can do today to make home safer for mom or dad. These require little to no structural modification of your home. Small, common-sense changes can make a big impact on how safe your home is for a senior with mobility challenges or balance problems.

Take a walk through your home. Pay close attention to your feet and note any tripping risks. Are there items on the floor that might endanger a person with balance issues, poor night vision, or who uses a cane or walker? Look for and address trip hazards immediately in order to reduce the risk of falls.

Examples of Trip Hazards

Power cords on the floor: Rather than leaving power cords on the floor, tack them to baseboards. Or, move lights and appliances next to outlets so cords are away from high-traffic areas. 

Loose area rugs or runners: Area rugs or runners on a hardwood or tile floor can easily slip or hit a cane the wrong way, causing a fall. Remove rugs from areas where your parent or loved one may need to walk at night, such as the route from their bedroom to the bathroom. Anchor rugs or runners that do stay to a sturdy non-slip pad. 

Scattered toys or other items: Often, parents get used to stepping over toys, books, clothes, and other items left on the floor. But while it may be second nature to you to roll your eyes at your teenager’s dirty socks and keep going, a senior may not notice them. Never leave loose items like laundry or toys on the floor where a cane or a foot could get tangled in them.

Provide Adequate Lighting: Night vision often begins to fail with age. Plug light-activated nightlights in at regular intervals along walls or baseboards. These can illuminate stairs, trip hazards, and routes to bathrooms or water sources. 

Bathroom assistance: Elevating your toilet seat and buying a shower stool are both quick ways to make the bathroom a safer spot for mom and dad without breaking out the power tools. Simple devices like these make it easier and safer to care for personal hygiene alone.

Adaptive Changes for the Future

Some other changes require more planning and forethought. Adapting a home to be safe for a senior with mobility challenges often means changes beyond rearranging and tidying up. It’s important to factor these modifications into your plan for long-term home care of your loved one.

Safety on the stairs: Navigating up and down stairs is a major challenge for many seniors. You may begin with simple additions like anti-slip strips on each step. However, eventually many seniors with mobility issues may require a chair lift or similar device to be able to get up and down stairs. 

Access to the outdoors: A senior in a wheelchair or struggling with stairs will need ramp or chair lift access. Check that sidewalks and paths are free of cracks, uneven surfaces, or weeds that may form a trip hazard.

Bathroom safety: Bathroom safety is an especially important concern as mobility and balance decline. Begin with installing simple aids like grab bars to reduce the risk of falling. If your parent needs help with bathing or showering, consider a specialized tub or shower door for easier access.

Home Caregiving Skills: Learn How to Lift Safely

If you’re planning to care for an adult with mobility issues, it’s important to learn how to safely lift them. Whether you’re helping your mom get more comfortable in bed or helping lift your dad from a wheelchair to a car, safe lifting helps protect both you and them from injury.

This helpful guide from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons explains not only why safe lifting techniques can help spare you from back injuries or muscle strains but also the step-by-step techniques for safe lifting and movement of an adult in various scenarios and positions. 

Are you considering senior assisted living for a parent with mobility issues or other physical health concerns? Click here to learn more about our assisted living residences or schedule a virtual tour today.