Spring Arbor Living Blog

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease can be overwhelming.  In fact, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, there are more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s and as many as 10 million family caregivers. For the family member afflicted with Alzheimer’s, even routine daily events, such as hearing or seeing evening newscasts, can be truly terrifying. As a result, Spring Arbor is dedicated to creating an environment for the loved one which is as safe and nurturing as possible.

With children, the term is “childproofing.”  For those with Alzheimer’s disease, there is no similar term, but the concept is the same. Many things around the home that pose no danger to people in full possession of their mental faculties can be major hazards for people with Alzheimer’s. There are many steps you can take to reduce the risk of your loved one getting into things he/she shouldn’t, or reduce the risk of injury. We have a few tips that we find work very well and we'd like to share with you all:

• Limit distractions and control noise.
• Play radios softly, and turn the telephone ringer on low.
• If your loved one watches TV, choose humorous or happy sitcoms, game shows and musical shows.  These types of shows can make the individual laugh and/or stimulate positive memories.
• Maintain consistency and organization
• Don’t rearrange rooms. Instead, maintain consistency by keeping furniture in the same place.  Keep the individual’s bedroom and living areas well-organized and keep pathways clear. In addition, clutter may confuse or upset people with Alzheimer’s disease.
• Encourage activities that are success-oriented and that make the individual feel productive.  Many individuals with Alzheimer’s enjoy outdoor activities.
• Lock up hazardous materials
• Keep all medicines, cleaning products and sharp utensils up or out of reach.
• Don’t forget, everyone needs a little TLC

With all the responsibilities and problems involved in caring for people with Alzheimer’s disease, it’s easy to forget how important a loving touch can be. A pat on the back, back rubs, foot massages, hugging or holding hands are calming, and they communicate love and safety in a way everyone can understand.  Several studies show that massage exerts a calming influence and minimizes behavior problems in Alzheimer’s care. Contact us today should you have any questions about living with Alzheimer's and steps to take.

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The brain is composed of nearly 60% fat and it is thought that the lipid in the brain helps to insulate neural tracts and to propel information electrically in an efficient manner. The brain can slow down and function less optimally if the lipid is reduced or damaged. To this end, the study of omega 3 fatty acids, an essential fatty acid in the body, has been studied for Alzheimer's patients and continues to be a major area of interest in relationship to the brain.

Omega 3s including DHA and EPA are critical to optimal brain function. They can be found in fish such as salmon, herring, tuna, mackerel, and sardines. They are also found in unsalted nuts. Fish are good sources of DHA because they consume algae in their own diet. Smaller fish that do not swim at deeper levels of the ocean also reduce the risk of mercury levels that might be a risk for humans.

A recent study published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia revealed algal DHA (algal-900) improved memory in healthy older adults. The memory benefit was nearly equal to skills of those one three years younger. Similar cognitive benefits of DHA have been published elsewhere in healthy populations, but some question remains regarding the benefit of such nutrition in those already diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. DHA may have a preventative effect more than a treatment effect.

While most research being done is only preventive for Alzheimer's we at Spring Arbor are glad that something is being done for Alzheimer's patients. We know that it is a terrible disease and hopefully a cure or more preventive medicine can be formed. So if you know a loved one who is suffered contact us today and we'll be happy to help you through the process and do what we can to help.

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Congress recently sent a bill to the President’s desk that would significantly impact the future wellbeing of our nation’s aging population. The National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA), a bipartisan bill, aims to combat Alzheimer’s with the same determination with which we have worked to prevent and treat AIDS and cancer. If enacted as expected, the main goals of the bill will be to:

•  Launch a campaign within the federal government to overcome Alzheimer’s disease.
• Establish an inter-agency Advisory Council to develop with the Secretary of Health and Human Services a coordinated National Alzheimer’s Disease Plan.
• Comprehensively address the federal government’s efforts on Alzheimer’s research, care, institutional services, and home- and community-based programs.
• Accelerate the development of treatments that would prevent, halt, or reverse the course of Alzheimer’s disease.
• Decrease health disparities by ensuring ethnic and racial populations at higher risk for Alzheimer’s receive much-needed care and services.

As compared with the AIDS and cancer federal agendas, combating Alzheimer’s is unique in that there are no survivors. It is up to advocacy organizations, such as the Alzheimer’s Association, to organize caregivers, eldercare professionals, and those with Alzheimer’s that can tell their story, to provide valuable information and feedback to this new federal office. If you know a loved one that has been diagnosed with this affliction contact us today and we'll be happy to help in anyway possible.

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Being in an assisted living facility can have many benfits. We cater to all of our residents needs and special needs requested by their families. In addition to being there and helping out as much as we can, we also offer fun activities and amenities that our residents can enjoy.

Some of the activities that you can expect from spring arbor would surprise you. Our staff is dedicated to enabling a high quality of life for residents at Spring Arbor and The Oaks, including a range of activities to exercise both the mind and the body. From cooking lessons with the house Chef to gardening classes to discussions of current events, residents are encouraged to rekindle old interests or develop new ones.

Maintaining contact with the community is an important component of life at Spring Arbor and The Oaks. To that end, we arrange outings to churches, synagogues, parks, theaters, shopping trips, local restaurants, and numerous other social venues. We understand that our residents have diverse backgrounds, different hobbies and varying levels of physical ability and fitness. The professionals here have incorporated a broad range of activities into the social calendar, striving to include residents in our vibrant social calendar.

Typical activities in a day might start with morning exercises and then some card playing. Other days they might go out to the local stores to get a shake or go out to a movie with a small group. Usually once a week there is transportation provided to go shopping to WalMart or Target (depending on residents’ choice). In the afternoon there is typically entertainment from someone playing the piano, singing, or playing some other instrument. Cooking demonstrations get out a very good portion of the residents where they can try great recipes and mingle with their friends of the community. Please don't hesitate to contact us as we would be happy to answer any questions and help you in any way possible.

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Recently we came across a new study that was completed on dementia and Alzheimer’s and we wanted to share the results with our readers. This is just a brief summary of the full article but it gets right to the point. A new study published in Archives of Internal Medicine indicates a relationship between heavy smoking in midlife and increased risk for dementia. This includes both vascular dementia (VaD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Prospective data from a multiethnic population-based cohort of 21,123 members of a health care system who participated in a survey between 1978 and 1985 was analyzed. Of that group, 25% were diagnosed as having dementia during a follow-up period of 23 years. Compared to nonsmokers, those smoking more than two packs a day evinced an elevated risk of dementia.

The authors concluded that heavy smoking in midlife was associated with a greater than 100% increase in the risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia more than two decades later. Results suggest the brain is vulnerable to long term consequences of heavy smoking. While smoking has always been bad for you it shows that this is yet another complication that can arise from smoking. Granted the study was done one smokers who smoked around 2 packs a day, the study still suggested a relationship between dementia and smoking. Even though dementia is a serious affliction being an assisted living environment for these individuals we feel helps out more than we could imagine. If you know a loved who is suffering from this disease contact us today and we'll be happy to assist you in any way possible.

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The elderly are exceptionally vulnerable to dehydration and the negative (sometimes fatal) effects on health.  The common symptoms of dehydration (confusion, drowsiness, labored speech, dry mouth, and sunken eyeballs) often align with normal behavior thus making it dangerously difficult (if not impossible) to diagnose. The key is to educate, hydration awareness, and discipline.

The daily water consumption needs of the elderly are no different than that of the young.  The baseline recommendation is once cup of water for every 20 pounds of body weight (6-8 glasses / day).  Consumption quantity increases dramatically when considering summer heat and physical exertion levels in the summer heat.

Everyone should realize that when it comes to water consumption and the elderly, the less the elderly drink the less thirsty they become. This fact alone puts the elderly at much greater risk to dehydration.  Senior citizens are also at particular risk for dehydration because their kidney function have diminished to varying degrees.  Make sure that water is presented at every meal, made readily available throughout the day and night, and loving encouragement is provided to our loved ones who are not self-inclined to hydrate.   And it goes without saying that we provide hydration awareness and discipline as an uninterrupted service at all Spring Arbor locations.

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