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Should You Rethink the Way You Approach Caring for a Loved One?

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senior man hugging caregiver

You may have doubts about others caring for a loved one, but here’s why it’s important to let others help.

“You can make it, but it’s easier if you don’t have to do it alone.” – Betty Ford

We all realize that no person is an island, something that especially holds true when caring for a loved one with dementia. Nonetheless many family caregivers falter with regards to asking for or accepting the help they need. As a result, stress is exacerbated, as there’s little if any time for self-care – something that is essential for any person in a caregiving role.

Why are we frequently so resolved to tackle such an extraordinary undertaking independently? Here are several common reasons and why we must rethink them:

  • I am doing just fine on my own; I don’t need a break. To put it simply, science disagrees! A research study shared in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry revealed that a certain stress hormone was depleted in caregivers whose stress was chronic and prolonged – such as in providing Alzheimer’s care independently – while those who engaged in just two days per week of respite care achieved a rise in the hormone as well as a brighter outlook and elevated mood.
  • Mom would never want someone else taking care of her. Many of us would balk if we were told that someone was coming over to give us a bath. But having someone come and assist with housework and meals is a good approach to introduce a new caregiver, working your way up to additional necessary services once the caregiver is known and accepted. The phrasing you utilize tends to make a significant difference as well. Having a “salon day” sounds far more inviting, for instance.
  • No one else could take care of Mom like I will. While you are certainly not replaceable, the purpose of enlisting help is certainly not replacement, but respite. A senior with Alzheimer’s can benefit through the socialization provided by someone other than yourself, while you gain the benefit of a much-needed break – ultimately allowing you to provide better care to the older adult when you return.
  • It’s too time consuming to try and find a caregiver I will be able to trust. At Responsive Home Care, we background check and professionally train each one of our caregivers, confirming key character traits such as reliability, kindness, flexibility, and so much more. Responsive Home Care is insured and bonded, for your additional peace of mind. We also carefully match each older adult with the ideal caregiver who will be most compatible. Lastly, if an older adult’s primary caregiver is sick or on vacation, we will provide an equally qualified replacement caregiver.

If you’d like to explore in-home respite care for a senior you love with Alzheimer’s, connect with Responsive Home Care for caregiver services in Fort Lauderdale, FL or the surrounding area. Our professionally trained, experienced, creative, and compassionate caregivers are available to help you reduce stress, improve life for the senior you love, and provide you with the opportunity for self-care. Contact us at (954) 486-6440 to set up a free in-home assessment!

Two Ways Using Virtual Reality Helps Dementia Patients

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grandfather and grandchild using VR headsetsPicture for a second how it could feel to struggle with the cognitive obstacles of Alzheimer’s disease. The people who are closest to you are no longer familiar. The words that would roll off your tongue without a second thought are now just beyond your grasp. In fact, the whole world as you once knew it has turned completely upside down, leaving you yearning for a recognizable foothold.

One of the kindnesses imparted by dementia is the long-term memories that oftentimes remain intact long after short-term memories have disappeared. It is why connecting a senior with Alzheimer’s to the past is usually an incredibly effective way to engage them – through music, movies, photos, and reminiscing. We can also now add a high-tech tool to the mix that is demonstrating impressive results with seniors diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease; virtual reality.

Skip Rizzo, director for medical virtual reality at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies, has been using the technology to help veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. He’s now expanding his reach to seniors – beginning with his own 89-year-old mother, whose delightful reaction to a virtual trip to Rome confirmed exactly how effective the technology can be for older adults.

Rizzo shares an encounter in which he visited a nursing home where a group of residents were simply sitting around a table in silence, until he began showing them flashcard-like pictures of objects they might recognize from their past. The change in the atmosphere was electric, as the seniors began sharing memories with each other. With the potential of low-tech tools such as simple photos to create delight for seniors, just imagine the opportunities available to us now with high-tech options like virtual reality!

The advantage of virtual reality for older adults goes further than merely boosting memory and bringing enjoyment, such as:

Improved Health Care

The distraction of virtual reality is showing to be an effective tool for easing physical pain for seniors. It can also be used to enhance balance and other motor skills as well as improve spatial reasoning. It can even help doctors detect health conditions by monitoring how older adults respond in various activities and games.

Increased Socialization

We know that older adult isolation is a contributing aspect in a number of physical and mental health problems. A recent study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine presented that up to one in four older adults feel socially isolated. To tackle this concern, AARP Innovation Labs developed an app called Alcove, in which older adults and their friends and family can enjoy virtual reality experiences together.

Would you like to learn more creative options to improve quality of life for an older adult you love? Connect with our team at Responsive Home Care, for home care in Hollywood, FL and throughout the greater area at 954-486-6440!

Dementia Tips: Understand the Newly Defined 4 Subgroups of Alzheimer’s

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happy adult daughter with senior mother with dementia

For many years, experts have been exploring the development of Alzheimer’s through one particular basic model, despite the fact that the symptoms and progression of Alzheimer’s can vary from person to person.

Now, however, a large, new collaborative study between the US, Sweden, Canada, and Korea is revealing some interesting data to help us more fully understand and treat Alzheimer’s disease. Rather than one universal, dominant diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, researchers have discovered that there are four distinguishable variants that occur in as many as 18 – 30% of cases. This change in thinking is helping researchers better comprehend the variations in the disease from one person to another.

With these findings, specialists are now able to customize treatment plans based on the particular subgroup diagnosed.

The study looked at data from more than 1,600 men and women, identifying over 1,100 who were either in various stages of Alzheimer’s disease or who were not cognitively impaired at all. Researchers followed these participants for more than two years, funneling each person who presented tau abnormalities into four distinct sub-groups:

  • Subgroup 1: Occurring in as many as one out of three diagnoses, this variant features the spreading of tau within the temporal lobe. The predominant impact is on memory.
  • Subgroup 2: Impacting the cerebral cortex, the second variant has less of an impact on memory and more on executive functioning, such as carrying out actions or planning activities. It affects about one in five individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
  • Subgroup 3: In this variant, the visual cortex is impacted, affecting a person’s orientation to self, ability to distinguish shapes, distance, contours, movement, and an object’s location in relation to other objects. As with the first variant, it occurs in about one in three diagnoses.
  • Subgroup 4: This variant represents an asymmetrical spreading of tau in the left hemisphere of the brain, causing the greatest impact on language and occurring in about one out of five cases of Alzheimer’s.

Oskar Hansson, supervisor of the study and professor of neurology at Lund University, explains future steps: “…we need a longer follow-up study over five to ten years to be able to confirm the four patterns with even greater accuracy.”

No matter which type of dementia an older adult has, Responsive Home Care’s caregivers receive significant training in helping manage any challenges while focusing on his/her strengths. Contact us to learn more about in-home senior care in Fort Lauderdale and nearby areas and let us develop a plan of care to enhance life for a cherished older adult with dementia.

Caregiver Tips for Dementia: False Accusations

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caregiver consoling senior woman

These caregiver tips for dementia can help with one particular difficulty: false accusations.

It can come seemingly out of thin air: you place your loved one’s favorite tuna sandwich on the table – light on the mayo, no onions – something which typically brings her joy. But today, she pushes the plate away and will not take a bite, insisting that you’ve poisoned the meal.

Or, you have provided the senior with a meaningful activity that links her to a significant time in her past career, sorting paperwork. Out of the blue, she charges you with tampering with the documents in order to steal money from her bank account.

How can you most effectively diffuse situations like these dementia false accusations?

  1. Keep a controlled, gentle, understanding tone. It may be instinctive to be defensive and refute the accusation, but appropriate responses may include something such as, “I see that you are feeling afraid, but I will not let anything bad happen to you. Let’s enjoy this food together,” or, “Oh no, are you missing some money? The bank is not open at the moment, but let’s go there right away tomorrow to get it straightened out.”
  2. Move into a welcomed distraction. After sharing in the senior’s concern, transition into a pleasant topic or activity that your loved one likes, or move to another area. In the case of the suspected food poisoning, you could engage the senior in going to the kitchen and helping her prepare a fresh sandwich. If you’ve assured the senior that you will stop by the bank together tomorrow, a walk outside to look at the flowers and birds, or playing some favorite music, can help.
  3. Never argue or try to reason. These approaches very often escalate agitation in someone with dementia. It might take some time and experience to develop the approach that works best, and that strategy could need to change from one day to another. The goal is to stay calm, patient, and empathetic, validating the senior’s feelings and offering comfort.

Responsive Home Care’s home care experts are highly trained and experienced in effective, creative dementia care techniques, and can help with managing challenging situations and behaviors, enabling a senior loved one to experience a greater quality of life, and providing family caregivers with relief and peace of mind. Reach out to us today at 954-486-6440 for more information about our in-home care in Fort Lauderdale, FL and the surrounding area or to inquire about additional resources to help you better care for a senior loved one with Alzheimer’s.