Thursday, March 31, 2011

10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s and Dementia

How do you really know if your parent, spouse, or loved one has Alzheimer’s disease or similar dementia? If a person misplaces things or becomes confused, does this mean that the person has Alzheimer’s? Not necessarily so…

Every person, whether young or old, can experience occasions of forgetfulness. This can be the forgetting of a name, an idea, a place in conversation, amongst other things. However, when forgetfulness and confusion become so prevalent, so as to bring constant interruption to a person’s daily lifestyle functions and activities, this may be a real sign of Alzheimer’s or dementia. At this point, it is time to consult a physician. Below are a few noticeable symptoms of a person with Alzheimer’s or similar dementia:

  • Forgetfulness and memory loss

  • Lack of concentration and confusion

  • Losing things (Or, placing items in inappropriate places)

  • Difficulty doing familiar tasks (Such as: driving, washing clothes, cleaning house, etc…)

  • Language and speaking problems

  • Problems with simple math

  • Poor judgment

  • Personality changes and mood swings

  • Changes in grooming and personal hygiene

  • Withdrawing from friends and family
REMEMBER: These are warnings signs when 1 or more of these symptoms occur on a daily or consistent basis, affecting a person’s lifestyle functions and activities.

Rashida Keith, Program Coordinator

Monday, March 21, 2011

Alzheimer’s and Intimacy

At my recent National Adult Day Services Association teleconference involving directors of Adult Day Centers, one director asked for advice on handling the issue of intimacy at the center. There was a pause in the phone conversations.

I was reminded of the story of retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and how she so eloquently dealt with the disease that led to the death of her husband, John. An Arizona TV reported in late 2007, that during her husbands stay at a Phoenix Alzheimer’s facility, he had met and fell in love with a fellow resident. He no longer had remembered his wife. His happiness [with his new friend] was a relief to Justice O’Connor and their oldest son, Scott, shared in that same report that his dad was relaxed, happy, comfortable living at the facility and he wasn’t complaining.

Peter Reed, senior director of programs at the Alzheimer’s Association in Chicago, commented in the Arizona report that the frequency of Alzheimer’s patients forming new romantic relations is hard to estimate. "But the underlying causes of this are fairly common," he said. Though patients lose their cognitive abilities and experience mood changes, "one of the things that doesn’t go away is the need for relationships."

Everyone has a need for companionship and physical intimacy and people with Alzheimer’s and/or dementia are no different. They still continue to need caring, safe relationships and touch. Their behaviors will vary in ways of giving and receiving affection as the disease affects their capacity. Just as in the case with Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and her husband, the person with Alzheimer’s may no longer recognize their spouse and/or partner, and therefore find someone else with whom they are comfortable. Families need to find ways of support and understanding and it is important to ensure that all those involved agree to the new relationship.

Individuals with Alzheimer’s oftentimes lose inhibitions and make advances to others or undress or fondle themselves. Often the sexual advances are made because that individual mistakes another for their loved one. Sometimes, however, when a behavior appears sexual, such as a female lifting her skirt or a man unzipping his pants, it could indicate other possibilities, such as the need to go to the bathroom, or that the clothing is just uncomfortable. Managing inappropriate behaviors can be gently discouraged and the behaviors can be redirected to another activity. It is important to remember to remain focused on the individual, not the behavior, and also that the behavior may be caused by discomfort, boredom, or the need to toilet. Staff members in facilities can gently draw attention away from a new relationship that might upset a spouse or partner. Additionally, providing ways for the individual with Alzheimer’s disease to have forms of touch in everyday routine is recommended. Simple activities such as brushing their hair or holding and massaging hands can offer physical intimacy and nurturing comfort to the individual. Foremost in any exchange, however, is that the person with Alzheimer’s be treated with respect and dignity.

For caregivers, spouses, partners and staff members, an awareness of their own feelings and attitudes toward sexuality, sexual expression and later-life relationships may help them to support the individuals in their care. It often takes open and honest discussion and creative thinking in the care plan to meet each individual’s needs.

Though there was a pause in the phone conversations at the aforementioned teleconference, ideas and resolutions soon spawned from healthy and well-thought-out discussions of managing the individual with Alzheimer’s and intimacy. It takes a lot of support and understanding, and most of all, knowing, and always being aware, that the individual with Alzheimer’s needs to be needed and loved.

Dana Territo, Director of Services

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Reading Ideas

The newspaper can provide enjoyment and encourage communication when used with persons with Alzheimer’s. Following are some parts of the newspaper that caregivers might consider:
  1. Cartoons such as the Family Circus are one frame and show family situations to which persons can relate.
  2. Pictures of sporting events and local sports figures usually include action.
  3. “This Day in History” provides events to discuss from the person’s era.
  4. A local columnist, Smiley Anders, writes a column that provides lighthearted short stories about local eateries, Louisiana traditions, Louisiana foods, local landmarks, etc. , both past and present.
  5. The weather is very visual and the newspaper provides symbols for the forecast.
It is important to avoid any pictures or information that could cause anxiety or fear in the person.

Marcia Kirk, Respite Center Assistant

Monday, March 14, 2011

2011 18th Annual Education Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease

From the Education Conference held on March 2, 2011, below a poem by Sherry Smelley and click here for Grief Inventory

I will always remember…..

I will always remember my childhood porch swing, good times with my sister, climbing trees in the bayou, dancing with my mother when I was 7, Christmas morning, the way you helped me love thunderstorms, and singing in the church Jesus Loves Me and God Loves Me.

I will always remember the aromas of grandmas cooking and the smell of fresh cut greens, the smell of roses, and newborn babies, and the smell of Christmas trees.

I will always remember my pets, my dogs, my cats and the grace they brought to me, and the feeling I had when I had to put them down.

I will always remember my closest family and friends, trips to Hawaii, Maui, Yellowstone, the Rocky Mountains, and the Smokey Mountains, the turning of fall in New England, visiting Turkey, the Niagara Falls, and the door handle at the LSU dorm.

I will always remember my grandparents and the love they showed me, my grandfather hands, her rubbing my eyebrows, my grandmother rubbing my eyes, times I spent at their farm and their house, playing jacks with my grandmother and how pretty she smelled, and how they were both beautiful inside and out.

I will always remember my father and his smile, the twinkle in his blue eyes, they way he danced on his feet, his feelings of me not to marry someone with baggage.

I will always remember my mother and her laughter and her smile, her love, the girl talks we had, and her combing my hair.

I will always remember meeting my spouse and his face and his smile, my wife’s face and eyes the day we got engaged, my wedding day and my 2nd wedding.

I will always remember the birth of my children, their love and their laughter, and what they have taught me, and the birth of my daughter and son.

I will always remember the night my grandma said goodbye, the day my son died, my mother before Alzheimer’s set in and the night she died. I will always remember you.