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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Our assisted living facilities have a wide range of staffing philosophies. The staff is determined by the makeup and size of the facility. Some of our assisted living community are connected to, or shares a campus with, a skilled nursing facility, and then those staff resources may be integrated and shared between both types of housing options. While other facilities are very small and may employ only a few people who perform a multitude of tasks. Smaller doesn’t necessarily mean of poorer quality, as a smaller facility may contract the necessary health care services if they do not provide them directly.

Each resident has different needs and will require different levels of care. For those seniors in good health that do not require much, if any, medical assistance, there might not be a need to have a skilled nurse available at the facility. For others, having accessible physical therapy might be a requirement. Since assisted living homes come in all shapes and sizes, the patient’s level of care should help determine the staffing that is required at the assisted living facility they choose.

As mentioned, listing the specific types of staff is almost impossible due to the wide range of sizes of licensed assisted living facilities. However, some general titles of staff that you might find at our assited living communities.

•   Administrator – the director of the facility
•   Medical Director – in charge of the overall healthcare strategy
•   Director of Nursing – responsible for overseeing all nursing activities
•   Admissions Coordinator – responsible for resident admissions
•   Housekeeping Coordinator – responsible for all housekeeping activities
•   Dining Coordinator – responsible for all dining activities
•   Nursing Staff – may include registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, clinical nursing assistants and personal care technicians
•   Housekeeping Staff
•   Custodial Staff
•   Dining Staff
•   Administrative Staff
•   Volunteers

Our assisted living facilities in all of our locations hire a professional and courteous staff and we make sure that we take special care in each of our patient’s needs. Contact us today for more information should you have any questions about our amenities or community.

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Fitness and cardio exercises make a wonderful way for elderly people to avoid many age related problems. However, most of the seniors think that resistance training and fitness exercises are just for younger people. This belief is just a myth and a recent research has revealed that resistance training and fitness exercises can greatly benefit elderly people even older than 60.

Weight training and cardiovascular exercises not only help elderly to be healthy physically but psychologically as well. These exercises help them to tone their bodies and strengthen their muscles. Moreover, fitness exercises help elderly people reduce stress and depression. When people go to the gym, they find a friendly and pleasant atmosphere over there, which helps to heighten their moods. People at the gym enjoy a healthy social life because they interact with their trainer and gym colleagues.

A recent study done at the University Of Texas suggests that fitness and resistance training exercises can be very helpful in slowing down the aging process. Nearly all of the weight training and cardiovascular exercises enhance the intake of oxygen into your body. This, in turn, allows your cells to absorb more oxygen and stay healthy. Moreover, cardiovascular exercises such as swimming, jogging, hiking, and walking keep your blood vessels and heart healthy, thus reducing the chances of sudden heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

Weight training makes a great activity for elderly people because these exercises help them keep their blood pressure and blood sugar at appropriate levels. Diabetes Mellitus is a common problem among people who are over 50 years old. Resistance training exercises help elderly to burn their calories and utilize energy from their own bodies. Therefore, they can avoid potential threats of high blood pressure and diabetes by performing resistance training exercises. Exercise is very important for all types of people. And one of our amenities is actually a fitness center at our communities.  Be sure to check it out soon!

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