Caregiver strain……

SOMEWHERE OUT THERE

Somewhere out there, there is someone who needs:
A touch of your hand, a smile, a kind word some understanding, forgiveness, a whisper of appreciation, something to eat, a place out of the cold, a pair of warm socks.

To be remembered. Just remembered, even that will do. As you live your life from this moment to next, Please think about those whose paths you cross. Even if they stand right in front of you,
Take one little step that can, and will, make all the difference, in the world.
Susan Le Page Simmons

Caregiver strain……

Let me start with a story…… Once upon a time there was a family living in southern Georgia. There was a mom, dad, kids, and grandma. While out shopping one day this lady ran into a friend and when asked how she was, this is what she said. “Oh my, it’s nice to see you, how have you been. It has been so long since I’ve seen you and so much has happened in my life.” The friend noted that her hair was graying, she had put on a few pounds, there were bags under her eyes and she looked as if she had been having a rough time of it.

The lady stated that she has been working late; the kids were running wild, her and her husband had split and on top of all that she was caring for her mom that was just diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She stated that “her mom is afraid to be left alone and keeps her up every moment that she is at home, that her mom is afraid of “strangers” and she has begun to wander. “I just don’t know what to do.”

Have you experienced or know someone that is experiencing the stress and strain of being a caregiver? The signs and symptoms of caregiver strain are as follows:

Sign 1: Feeling like you have to do it yourself    Sign 5: Denying the impact of the disease

Sign 2: Withdrawing from family and friends     Sign 6: Feeling grief or sadness

Sign 3: Worrying about the person's safety         Sign 7: Getting frustrated and angry

Sign 4: Feeling anxious about money and           Sign 8: Having health problems

            health care decisions

http://www.alz.org/

 

If you know of someone that is experiencing these symptoms, start by giving them a helping hand. A smile along the way, encouragement in their struggle. Assist them in finding some help. Help by referring them to their local Alzheimer's association. Cook a meal for them, keep the kids one day. Any and everything helps so don't be afraid to offer.

Brain work

                                                                  Share
Share a smile or friendly greeting to some stranger on the street it will bring a ray of sunshine to some person you may meet. Share a little act of kindness, it could brighten someone's day, it could bring a spark of courage to someone who lost their way. And you'll feel much better for it, it won't cost a single dime, it could make a world of difference, share a minute of your time............

Persons with Alzheimer's disease tend to live more fruitful and enjoyable lives when they are engaged in activities. Activities should be well balanced and appropriate for the person stage of Alzheimer's.

Here is a link for you so you can work your brain.... Have fun....

http://www.dotspot.com/spotApp/

Sherri

The Plaques and Tangle Tango................

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.
                                                       Abraham Lincoln

The brain is a wonderful miraculous organ. It houses our center of balance, thought, emotions, breathing, and heartbeat.  It gives us the ability to see, hear, speak, and have movement of our limbs.

Alzheimer’s disease takes away the ability of someone to think, reason, have and coordination. As the disease progresses the person loses their ability to control emotions (happiness, sadness, anger), coordinate balance, hear, speak, and move as they had done before.

Alzheimer’s disease creates plaques and tangles in the brain that cut off circulation and neurological transmission between nerve fibers.

Take a look at the video to take a multi-dimensional ride through the brain………

http://youtu.be/NjgBnx1jVIU

Have you ever wondered.........................

~When your life is filled with the desire to see the holiness in everyday life, something magical happens: ordinary life becomes extraordinary, and the very process of life begins to nourish the soul~By...Rabbi Harold Kushner

Have you ever thought about what a person with Alzheimer's is feeling. Do they feel as if they are a viable part of society or just a burden to their family. Have you ever explored how society sees them and why? Alzheimer's is a disease of slipping away. The person drifts further and further from reality and into their own world.

Watch the video and see what you think.............

I have Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's and cholesterol is there a connection?

Almost every American is plagued with high cholesterol. Everywhere you look there is a fast food restaurant. Americans gravitate toward them because they are convenient and for the most part cheap. Here are some facts (http://www.cdc.gov/).
     
 ·    Approximately one in every six adults—16.3% of the U.S. adult population—has high total   cholesterol. The level defined as high total cholesterol is 240 mg/dL and above.
·         People with high total cholesterol have approximately twice the risk of heart disease as people with   optimal levels. A desirable level is lower than 200 mg/dL.
·         For adult Americans, the average level is about 200 mg/dL, which is borderline high risk.
·         More women than men have high cholesterol in the United States

I bet you are asking yourself what does this do with Alzheimer’s disease. Well I will tell you. Alzheimer’s disease is caused by an increase in Amyloid plaque in the brain which leads to the tangling of the neuron bodies. Please read the following article and tell me your thoughts.

http://alzres.com/content/4/1/3

Alzheimer's care classes and their benefits

We don't forget.... Our heads may be small, but they are as full of memories as the sky may sometimes be full of swarming bees, thousands and thousands of memories, of smells, of places, of little things that happened to us and which came back, unexpectedly, to remind us who we are (Alexander McCall Smith)

The class that I would like to present to you is Alzheimer’s disease the lost days: Alzheimer’s disease and its effects on the elderly. A few years ago I was volunteering at a memory care facility and I noticed that there were caregivers taking care of a couple of elderly persons with Alzheimer’s disease. As they cared for them I noticed that they were at a loss of what to say or what to do. This saddened me enough to do something about it. The best way I found to contribute is to teach people how to care for Alzheimer’s residents with respect and dignity.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that affects the tissue of the brain. The disease process is caused by the development of plaques and tangles within the neuron bodies. These tangles cut off the circulation to brain tissue causing it to wither and die. Once the brain tissue is dead it is unable to regenerate causing memory loss to the affected area (Alz.org).

Alzheimer’s disease has been deemed the most common type of Dementia and the 5th leading cause of death of person 65 and older (Alz.org). In 2011 there are an estimated 5.4 million Americans of all ages suffering with Alzheimer’s disease the United States (Alz.org). Out of the 5.4 million, 5.2 are age 65 or older (1 in 8 persons) and 200,000 are younger than age 65 (Alz.org). Alzheimer’s disease can affect those that are young and old leaving caring families in its wake. According to Alz.org in 2110, 14.9 million families dealing with Alzheimer’s provided an estimated 17 billion hours of unpaid care an average of 21.9 hours of care per caregiver per week (Alz.org).

Offering this course online can give caregivers dealing with caring for their loved ones a way to not only alleviate some of their burden, but learning to care for them can help keep their loved ones out of nursing homes for an extra 1½ years but time is their enemy ("Alzheimer’s care class," 2007).

The objectives:   All attendees will be able to

1.       Explain the basics of Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia

2.       Explain the effects of social and physical environment on Alzheimer’s patients/ residents                    

3.       Discuss communication and behavior management techniques that will facilitate caregivers’ ability to employ best care techniques for Alzheimer’s residents.

4.       Describe importance of admission guidelines to Alzheimer’s units

5.       Explain and examine the process of investigating causes of difficult behaviors

6.       Support Alzheimer’s patients/ residents abilities to participate in meaningful activities

7.       Distinguish the family/ primary caregivers role and their fears, feelings, in their care For Alzheimer’s residents/patients

The attendees of the class will need a computer with the following:

1.       Internet or WIFI connectability

2.       Webcam for interaction with other attendees

3.       Course material will be presented via PowerPoint and online discussion and interactive video clips.

4.       An evaluation will be given at the end of the class for class participants