Enhancing Quality of Life with Thoughtful Support

Dementia is a degenerative condition which affects memory, thinking, and behavior. It often leads to confusion, anxiety, and difficulty in performing even the most routine of daily tasks. What was once easy, coming as second nature, can suddenly feel difficult and tedious. Providing sources of comfort and reassurance is essential for the peace of mind and wellbeing of individuals living with dementia.

Comfort items—objects or materials that provide emotional or physical solace—can play a role in brightening the spirit and enhancing the quality of life for dementia patients.

Types of Comfort Items for Dementia Patients

Stuffed Animals and Soft Dolls:

Soft, cuddly objects can evoke feelings of safety and companionship. For some patients, a plush animal or doll may serve as a surrogate for loved ones, offering comfort during times of stress or confusion.

Weighted Blankets:

They provide gentle, even pressure, which can have a calming effect and improve sleep quality. Weighted blankets may also help reduce restlessness and promote relaxation.

Fidget and Sensory Objects:

Items such as fidget blankets, activity aprons, or textured balls are designed for tactile stimulation. These items keep hands busy, reduce anxiety, and can help prevent agitation or repetitive behaviors.

Photo Albums and Familiar Objects:

Personal photos, favorite books, or familiar household items can trigger positive memories and provide emotional comfort. These objects help ground patients in their personal history and identity.

Aromatherapy Items:

Scented pillows, sachets, or diffusers with calming scents like lavender or chamomile can help create a soothing environment. Aromatherapy is known to reduce anxiety and promote relaxation in many dementia patients. Aromatherapy can also be used to stimulate appetite. Scents such as ginger and citrus are common appetite stimulants.

Music and Audio Devices:

Personal music playlists, nostalgic songs, or calming sounds can stimulate memories and emotions, which often improves the mood and reduces agitation. Music stimulates the brain and activates skills that would otherwise be forgotten such as dancing to a beat, whistling, humming and clapping.

Tactile stimulation:

Worry stones or other items that can be soothing to hold or touch give seniors a sense of peace and comfort.  Soft stress balls that can be squeezed can release endorphins resulting in calming and pain-relieving effects. These items are physical distractions that help keep the mind off of stressful thoughts. Additionally, the repetitive motion of squeezing these items can strengthen muscles in the hands and improve dexterity.

Familiar clothing items:

A favorite sweater or scarf, shawl or lap blanket may bring reassurance during an anxious time.

Night lights or soft glowing lamps:

Reduce fear and confusion during the evening and nighttime, with soft, comforting light.

Simple crafts:

Easy puzzles with large pieces, coloring books or other craft kits can encourage engagement and provide gentle mental stimulation while fostering a calming environment.

Choosing Appropriate Comfort Items

Not all comfort items are suitable for every dementia patient. Consider the individual’s preferences, stage of dementia, and any safety concerns including choking hazards and allergies. Items should be safe, easy to clean, and free from small detachable parts. Involving the patient in selecting their comfort items, whenever possible, ensures personal relevance and increases the benefits the items will bring to them.

Caregiver Tips for the Use of Comfort Items

1. Observe Responses: Pay attention to how the patient interacts with comfort items. Positive responses include smiling, relaxing, or engaging with the item; negative responses include agitation or refusal.
2. Rotate Items: To maintain interest, rotate comfort items periodically. Introducing new items gradually can also provide novelty without causing overwhelm.
3. Personalize Choices: Whenever possible, personalize comfort items with family photos, favorite colors, or familiar textures and scents.
4. Maintain Hygiene: Comfort items should be washed or sanitized regularly to ensure health and safety.
5. Involve in Routine: Incorporate comfort items into daily routines, such as bedtime or quiet time, to help establish consistency and security.

Thoughtful selection and use of comfort items can make a meaningful difference in the lives of dementia patients and their caregivers, fostering moments of joy, calm, and connection even amidst the challenges of memory loss.

Need more support for your loved one? Book a tour of a Bethesda memory care community near you.

The post How Comfort Items Soothe and Support Dementia Patients first appeared on Bethesda Health Group.

Step One: Research the Diagnosis

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are subjects that many people avoid. In fact, according to a national study, more than half of people choose not to pursue an examination even when they believe something might be wrong. They fear such a diagnosis of dementia would equate to the end of their life.

However, facing the possibility of dementia or Alzheimer’s early is important. An early diagnosis means having access to treatments that can improve symptoms and slow disease progression. Also, early diagnosis provides more time for the patient and loved ones to learn about the disease, find support, and prepare for the future.

What is dementia and Alzheimer’s disease?

Dementia is a group of symptoms involving a decline in mental abilities, such as reasoning and remembering, that significantly interferes with daily life.

Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia, results from the loss of connections between brain cells, which eventually die. Other causes of dementia include Parkinson’s disease, vascular diseases, and chronic drug use.

In most cases, dementia cannot be cured. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, and its destruction of cells in other regions of the brain leads to failure in bodily systems which, coupled with advanced aging, are fatal.

Resources for Dementia Caregivers

When dealing with a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, it is important that you learn all that you can about you or your loved one’s condition. There are many sources of information for caregivers and those who are living with dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Two books that can be helpful when caring for a senior with dementia:

• The 36-Hour Day by Nancy Mace and Peter Rabins. This is a self-help guide for people caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other memory impairments.
• Creating Moments of Joy for the Person with Alzheimer’s or Dementia by Jolene Brackey. This book speaks about living and creating joy, moment by moment, in the life of a person who has dementia.

For more information about dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, there is also the Alzheimer’s Association.

Step Two: Foster the Senior’s Independence

As a dementia caregiver, you may feel the urge to do everything for your senior loved ones. However, it is beneficial for seniors with dementia and memory loss to feel independent and continue with any daily tasks they can manage. It is important for the senior’s physical and emotional health to let them to do as much as they can for as long as they can.

Even if your senior loved one is not as self-sufficient as before, while caring for a senior with dementia, give them simple tasks to try on their own. A few ideas include:

• Help your senior loved one order from a menu by making suggestions
• Put out clothing options, so they can choose their own outfit
• Invite the senior to tell stories and share memories

Check out these additional tips from the Mayo Clinic for dementia caregivers.

Step Three: Build a Support System

When caring for a senior with dementia or Alzheimer’s, you will need a helping hand now and again. Don’t be afraid to reach out to family members and friends for help. When they ask what you need, have a list prepared. For example:

• Grocery shopping
• Yardwork
• Cooking
• Cleaning
• Taking your loved one to their next medical appointment

Even having someone sit with your loved one while you take a walk or run some errands can help you recharge and prevent burnout.

Visit the Alzheimer’s Association – Greater Missouri Chapter to discover additional support resources.

Step Four: Make Time for Yourself

Serving as the caregiver of a senior with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, especially if you are the only caregiver, can take its toll. If you are suffering from the symptoms below, seek help from a professional or reach out to your support system:

• Sleeplessness
• Reduced ability to concentrate
• Mood swings
• Depression
• Weakened immune system

Caring for a senior with dementia is a hard job no matter how special the person you’re caring for is. There will be times when you will feel frustrated and sad, and that’s okay. Just remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup.

If you need assistance caring for a senior with dementia, Alzheimer’s, or any form of memory loss, contact Bethesda. Our memory support communities in the St. Louis area provide support to caregivers and families of seniors.

Contact us or schedule a tour to learn more.

The post Dementia Caregiver Tips: Four Steps for Caring for a Senior with Memory Loss first appeared on Bethesda Health Group.

At many senior care communities, memory support is available and tailored to the specific needs of the residents living in those communities.

Advantages of a Memory Support Community in Assisted Living

“Mild cognitive challenges start to become more and more apparent as we age,” says Lea Ann Coates, Residency Counselor at Bethesda Hawthorne Place, an Assisted Living and Memory Support community in St. Louis. “This becomes an issue when forgetfulness starts to affect an individual’s ability to complete basic daily activities.”

When seniors move to assisted living communities, however, this worry can be resolved easily. For example, reminders from staff can be part of each resident’s care plan — something as simple as a prompt for changing clothes or a knock on the door when it is mealtime. The support could also be something much more critical to health and well-being, like complete medication management.

“Our support minimizes memory challenges for our residents and focuses on maximizing their abilities,” says Lea Ann.

However, there may be a point when memory issues become a safety concern in assisted living. Some typical red flags include:

• Residents losing their ability to find their way around the building
• Confusing day and evening hours
• Packing a bag or suitcase
• Trying to get ready to go to work
• Looking for a formerly-owned car
• Expressing the need to meet their children (who are now adults) at the school bus

“When our staff starts to document these thoughts or actions, it becomes time to assess for a move to a secure memory support neighborhood, because safety could be potentially compromised,” Lea Ann says.

Memory Support Neighborhoods in Assisted Living

A memory support neighborhood is a secure environment for residents whose memory challenges are beyond the occasional to moderate age-related forgetfulness.

In this setting, even though residents live in their own apartments, they need prompting, reminding, re-directing, and sometimes re-purposing for most of their activities of daily living. There is concern that should the resident leave the neighborhood without supervision, he or she would be unable to find their way home or may even exit the campus.

“Consistency is key in a memory support neighborhood,” says Lea Ann. “This means keeping activities, mealtimes, and personal care as close to a routine as possible. Residents become familiar with the ebb and flow of the neighborhood. This decreases the opportunity for confusion.”

Many memory support neighborhoods also tend to be home to fewer residents than their assisted living counterparts. Such is the case at Bethesda Hawthorne Place. “This means staff has more time to get to know residents, have more interaction with them, and provide more personalized attention due to their increased need for direction,” Lea Ann says.

The physical layout of the community is also important to make walking and way-finding easy. At Bethesda Hawthorne Place, the neighborhood is in the shape of a rectangle, so there are no dead-ends. That keeps residents from becoming frustrated by the need to turn around at the end of a hallway or having that hallway lead directly to an outside door that they are unable to exit.

“Increased activity provides focus and keeps the mind from repetitive thoughts that might be worrisome,” says Lea Ann.  “Our neighborhood makes it very simple for our residents to keep moving.”

Learn more about the advantages of a memory support community in Bethesda’s assisted living. Contact us today!

The post Advantages of Assisted Living Communities Offering Memory Support first appeared on Bethesda Health Group.

Delirium is often confused with dementia, which is defined by the Mayo Clinic as “a gradual decline of memory and other thinking skills due to damage or loss of brain cells. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease.”

The two conditions share similar symptoms, which may make it difficult to distinguish between them. Complicating matters is that they can exist separately or together, and the fact that people with dementia are more prone to delirium than those without dementia.

Symptoms of Delirium

While dementia is a progressive disease that worsens over time with no recovery, people can recover from delirium. Delirium onset occurs without warning and may last hours, weeks or months. It manifests itself in many ways, including:

• An inability to focus
• Being easily distracted
• Withdrawal or lethargy
• Poor memory of recent events
• Difficulty speaking, reading or writing
• Disorientation
• Hallucinations
• Agitation and restlessness
• Sleep problems

Emotional disturbances can include:

• Anxiety
• Paranoia
• Depression
• Anger
• Euphoria
• Apathy
• Mood shifts
• Personality changes

Additional symptoms can include restlessness, pacing and the refusal to cooperate, which is referred to as hyperactive delirium. At the other end of the spectrum, hypoactive delirium is marked by inactivity, sluggishness, drowsiness or a dazed demeanor. Mixed delirium (both hyperactive and hypoactive delirium) can also occur. Many symptoms are shared by both conditions, including memory and language problems, and behavioral changes.

If your senior loved one shows signs of delirium, contact a physician, as the cause could be from a life-threatening illness. Discovering the underlying problem is necessary for treatment. As a family caregiver, your observations of your loved one’s behaviors will be critical to the diagnosis.

Causes of Delirium

Besides illness, contributing factors such as changes in metabolism or medications, or new infections or surgery, can lead to delirium. About a third of all seniors experience delirium during a hospitalization, and that number rises to 70% of seniors in intensive care units. The Mayo Clinic lists other factors that include:

• Alcohol or drug withdrawal
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Fever
• Exposure to a toxin
• Malnutrition or dehydration
• Emotional distress
• Pain

According to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, risk factors also include being 70 years old or older, past episodes of delirium, problems with seeing or hearing, and seniors who are taking five or more medications per day.

Testing and Recovery

Finding the cause of the delirium may require many tests—blood tests, X-rays, brain imaging, and EKGs. Physicians will ask questions about the senior’s medical history, past illnesses, and other details about the patient’s health.

Once a cause is found, recovery can happen rapidly, or issues with memory and other cognitive challenges can persist for months.

What Can Family Caregivers Provide?

There are some things that family caregivers can do to help their senior loved one experiencing delirium:

• Keep their room quiet and calm
• Encourage them to rest and sleep
• Make sure they are comfortable
• Make sure they have their glasses and hearing aids
• Encourage them to get up and sit in a chair during the day
• Emphasize drinking plenty of fluids
• Help them eat or drink if they need assistance
• Explain where they are and why
• Read to them
• Bring them familiar items

Memory Support at Bethesda

Bethesda’s memory support communities offer an easy-to-navigate environment, a full activity calendar, and staff that keeps residents involved and engaged with each other. The highly trained and experienced staff members understand the interplay between dementia and delirium and continually monitor the physical and emotional health of the residents there.

In keeping with its commitment, Bethesda’s memory support communities are not just a place to protect and support people with dementia. It is a place where human needs are met and interaction is encouraged by the facility’s design and philosophy of care.

For more information about our memory support services, contact us today. And find more resources on Bethesda’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia blog.

The post How Delirium Can Affect Your Senior Loved One first appeared on Bethesda Health Group.

But what about the brain itself? Although life expectancy has more than doubled since 1900, our “mindspan”—how long we stay cognitively healthy—hasn’t kept pace.

Forgetfulness, slower processing, and feeling less sharp plague most of us as we age. One in five people develops mild cognitive impairment, a decline in thinking skills beyond normal aging, which may or may not advance to dementia. After 65, your odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease are one in 10.

It doesn’t have to be that way, mounting research suggests.

“The very term ‘age-related memory loss’ may be a misnomer,” says neurologist Dr. Richard Isaacson, Founder and Former Director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine/New York Presbyterian.

Time and genetics alone don’t erode brain functions. How we spend our lives managing the modifiable risk factors that affect our genes is highly significant for our brain health, researchers say.

That’s why you’re likely to hear a lot more in the coming years about brain health and what you can do to improve your own. Educating the public on this is, in fact, one of the four core purposes of the Centers for Disease Control’s Healthy Brain Initiative, which kicked off its 2023-2027 road map for public health agencies, says program leader Lisa McGuire, PhD.

Brain Health: Stop Thinking There’s Nothing You Can Do

“Awareness of the steps to improve cognitive brain function is at least a generation behind that of heart health,” says cognitive neuroscientist Sandra Bond Chapman, Chief Director of the Center for BrainHealth^® at the University of Texas at Dallas.

When our fathers and grandparents died of a heart attack or stroke, we chalked it up to tragic luck. Clogged arteries, high blood pressure and high cholesterol were considered normal features of aging before 1948, when Congress commissioned researchers to begin tracking the cardiovascular lives of some 5,200 residents of Framingham, MA.

The Framingham Heart Study (now three generations old and still going) introduced the phrase “risk factors” to the medical lexicon and helped prove which prevention tactics work.

Today, it’s the brain we’re “in the dark” about. In a review of public awareness studies by PLOS One, a nonprofit, peer-reviewed, online scientific journal, nearly half of the respondents mistakenly believed Alzheimer’s disease is a normal process of aging that you can’t do anything about. In reality, a third or more of dementia cases can be delayed or  prevented by lifestyle factors, according to a 2017 report sponsored by the Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care.

Read on to find out what we can do to help our brains stay in shape.

Use Brain Health to Motivate Your Health Habits

Advances in neuroimaging kicked off this new era of brain health by allowing scientists to see inside the brain. Intervention studies on how lifestyle affects brain function are newer still.

One of the largest such investigations to date, the BrainHealth Project, will task researchers across more than a dozen institutions with studying 120,000 subjects over the course of several years to find out how cognitive training, sleep, nutrition, exercise and more can extend mental strength over time.

What’s already clear: All health roads lead to the brain. “The No. 1 cause of cognitive decline is healthy people letting their brains decline,” says Chapman, the BrainHealth Project’s director.

That’s powerful motivation the next time you’re tempted to skip a workout or not opt for a healthy meal, do nothing about stress or  loneliness, or avoid treatment for conditions like depression, anxiety, diabetes, and sleep apnea.

Resist Too Much Habit and Routine

A particular challenge from midlife and beyond is the brain’s natural inclination to steer toward efficiency. It figures out the easiest, most comfortable ways to get something done and hits repeat.

But while toweling dry in the same mechanical pattern every morning allows you to get on with the day quickly, running your whole life as a creature of habit—doing the same things, seeing the same people—deprives the brain of something else it craves: newness and challenge.

Hallmarks of brain-stimulating activities that improve cognitive abilities, according to a 2017 report by the Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH) are novelty, high engagement, mental challenge, and enjoyableness.

If you like crosswords, fine, but push beyond to new games and challenges. Good examples from the GCBH: Tai chi, researching genealogy, picking up an old hobby you dropped, making art, and community volunteering. When activities include a social component, so much the better.

Be Aggressive About Blood Pressure

In 2018, a groundbreaking study became the latest persuasive link between heart health and brain health. Researchers at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC, showed for the first time that lowering blood pressure can significantly reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Standard medical care had long included a systolic blood pressure of above 140 as the target defining hypertension and requiring treatment. (Systolic pressure is the first number in a blood pressure reading, as in “140 over 80.”) In 2017, that definition was revised to 130 by the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology.

The more recent, long-term, large-scale SPRINT-MIND clinical trial, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, found that the more aggressively high blood pressure was treated toward reaching a systolic pressure below 120, the lower the risk of MCI. Treatment measures included a combination of not smoking, medication management, nutrition counseling, social and cognitive stimulation, and exercise.

Work Your Brain Harder, But Not by Multitasking

Your brain grooves on doing—but only one thing at a time. Multitasking stresses it.

Researchers say one better alternative is a cognitive exercise called “strategic attention.” The Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Training program at the University of Texas at Dallas, advises this: Every day, pick two substantial tasks requiring fairly deep thinking. They might be tracking and analyzing your household budget, planning a vacation, writing a memo, or following a complex new recipe.

Then carve out two 30-minute sessions to focus without interruption. Turn off email alerts. Shut the door. No quick scrolls through your news feed that will take you off your task. It takes up to 20 minutes to refocus after a disruption.

Over time, you’ll find that you’ll achieve much more, and much more quickly, with improved attention. It’s the equivalent to your brain of a good workout at the gym.

Do (the Right Kind of) Nothing

It’s not all about activity. The brain needs two kinds of downtime to function optimally: rest and sleep.

Rest means taking intentional breaks from active thinking. Try taking five minutes, five times a day, to sit still and do nothing, Chapman says. Other routes to mental R&R include mindfulness, meditation, and yoga Nidra (also known as iRest and sleep yoga).

Not least, there’s sleep itself. Our awareness of how important it is to the brain grew with the discovery of the body’s glymphatic system—a kind of internal trash-hauling system. The system’s pace increases by more than 60 percent during sleep, a possible link to why getting more sleep is linked with a reduced dementia risk. Alzheimer’s prevention experts recommend eight to nine hours a night, Isaacson says.

Bethesda is dedicated to providing the best level of care for seniors living with Alzheimer’s or experiencing memory loss. To learn more, contact us today and find more health and wellness tips on our blog.

© Next Avenue – 2025. All rights reserved.

Originally published on February 6, 2019 by Paula Spencer Scott for Next Avenue.

The post Our Brains Need Exercise, Too first appeared on Bethesda Health Group.

According to Vicki Chism, Nurse Manager at Bethesda Southgate, the key is to find the familiar person that is still inside of them. “Meet them where they are currently at,” she says. “It takes patience and adjustment, but seniors living with dementia are still individuals who can and need to connect with people.”

Establishing and maintaining those connections can be challenging but are essential to improving the relationships between a parent living with dementia and their children. Here are some tips for caregivers and family members coping with dementia in a parent.

Find the Person, Lose the Fear

“People fear dementia because they don’t know what to say to their loved one,” says Vicki. “They are afraid they may say or do something that will upset them.”

According to Vicki, because dementia carries such a negative stigma, people tend to associate those living with dementia with feelings of hopelessness. “Many people believe their parents aren’t able to do anything,” she says. However, she points out, there are many ways of interacting, depending upon the stage of the disease progression.

Suggestions for Connection

At Bethesda Southgate, staff use memory books to review with dementia residents. “The books are their personal story,” says Vicki. “Families also bring photos to stimulate old memories because they are more easily recalled and enjoyed.”

If the senior loves to cook, perhaps recipes could be reviewed and tried. If they worked with their hands when they were younger, maybe a craft project would be good. At Bethesda Southgate, birdhouse kits are provided for those with an interest in building, and in the spring and summer, those who historically have liked to garden have an area they tend.

Involve their senses. Bring in music they loved in the past. Go for a short walk on a nice day. Pursue an old hobby they used to enjoy. If they are able, a mild exercise session might re-energize them.

Planning these types of activities requires an understanding of your parent’s capabilities. For example, do they still read? Do they seem to enjoy old movies? What do they talk about when you visit? Just be realistic about your expectations.

Vicki suggests it is important to allow your parent to do as much as they can on their own, regardless of the activity selected. Also, correcting a faulty memory while reviewing family history or photos may cause them to feel agitated and to shut down. Communication is far better than corrections.

If your parent is in an assisted living community or in long-term care, ask the staff what they have observed. Perhaps they can suggest some activities.

Picking the Best Time

Making the most of the moments together may also require finding a time that is best for your senior parent. Memory Support residents at Bethesda Southgate have the ability to set their own rhythms as much as possible. “Some like to sleep during the day and are awake in the evening or night, so we ask family members to stop by in the evening,” says Vicki.

Whenever you visit, Vicki notes that it is best to approach someone with dementia from the front rather than the side. “Look them in the eye, and don’t tower over them,” she suggests.

Building your relationship with your senior loved one is important. It’s also important to make sure they are receiving the care they need in a comfortable, home-like environment. Bethesda offers Home Health Care for seniors aging in place, and our Memory Support communities across the St. Louis area offer dementia care and support for those coping with dementia in a parent. Schedule a tour at a community near you to learn more.

The post How to Improve Relationships with a Parent Living with Dementia first appeared on Bethesda Health Group.

Just as it is important to keep our bodies strong with physical exercise, we have to work our brains out too, stimulating them every day to keep them working like a well-oiled machine. The good news is that it’s a lot easier to give our minds a workout than it is our bodies. There is no need to work up a sweat, our senior loved ones don’t need special gear or expensive equipment, and they don’t need a professional trainer. All that’s required is a comfortable chair, a sharpened pencil and an armload of puzzle books, or a computer or smart phone.

Great Mind-Sharpening Games for Seniors:

Trivia

An excellent way to dust off your recall skills is to take a deep dive into long forgotten or often overlooked details of history, pop culture and general knowledge. Trivia games come in many forms, ranging from online tests of skill you can play by yourself or matched against a random opponent, to multi-player trivia games that allow you to match wits with family members during boisterous game nights.

Word Searches

Found online, in magazines, or in puzzle booklets, word searches are excellent for honing concentration and focus. Usually, these puzzles are based on a theme and that topic can help revive memories and stoke the imagination of our senior loved ones as they play.

Crossword Puzzles

What a cross-training workout is for the body, crossword puzzles are for the brain. These popular games for seniors test their memory, vocabulary skills, thought processing skills, and executive function abilities, according to a study featured on Harvard Health Publishing. The testing found that 37 percent of senior citizens who did crossword puzzles for four 30-minute sessions a week saw their cognitive skills improve two points on a 70-point scale. On average, participants improved one point in their score over 12 weeks of doing crossword puzzles. The same study found that the hippocampus and the cortex — the parts of the brain responsible for memory and for thinking which typically shrink as we age — decreased less in regular crossword solvers than in people who didn’t do crosswords.

Scrabble

Similar to crosswords, Scrabble or other online games for seniors like Words with Friends, test our memory, vocabulary, strategic decision making and other skills. But they take things to the next level of cognitive processing because you’re not given clues. Instead, players must sort through their randomly assigned letters to make the longest, most valuable words they can come up with without prompts.

Card Games

Like crosswords, card games stimulate the brain in many ways, requiring players to think about strategy and use their memory. A great benefit to playing cards is that there is a fun and challenging game available for all experience and skill levels. Inexperienced players can quickly learn how to play simple games like Go Fish and Solitaire, while more advanced players often choose to play Gin Rummy, Poker, Bridge, Cribbage or Canasta with friends or family members as part of a regular social gathering.

Bingo

Bingo is a popular game among seniors because it offers the opportunity to gather socially and enjoy good company, tasty food, and an entertaining time all at once. Bingo is proof that having fun can be good for you! The game, which consists of trying to cover numbers on a bingo card, requires players to exercise their concentration and listening skills to complete the objective.

Sudoku

Take the benefits of word games but swap the vocabulary for math and you’ve got Sudoku! Sodoku is a puzzle game that challenges players to fill in the blanks to arrange numbers on a grid in a way that uses each numeral from 1-9 to make a pattern. Soduku is fun for all ages and all skill levels, and you can find puzzles that are easy enough to keep beginners interested and difficult enough to challenge the most experienced and skilled players.

Board Games

Old classics like checkers, chess, backgammon, and countless others are fantastic options for seniors because they all require strategic thinking and focus to play. They’re also desirable because they offer a fantastic opportunity for a gathering with family or friends.

Find Your New Favorite Game!

All the games for seniors listed above offer a variety of benefits but, much like with exercising our bodies, it’s not always about what you do as much as it is about that you do something at all! Besides, if we do one thing too often, eventually, we’re going to become bored. So, it’s best if your senior loved one shakes things up and incorporates several different games they enjoy into their weekly routine to keep things interesting.

We’re more likely to keep up a good habit if we enjoy what we’re doing, so let your elderly parent be the one who chooses the game they want to play and whether they want to play it alone or in a group setting. When it comes to maintaining cognitive skills and sharpening seniors’ minds, it doesn’t matter if you win or lose as long as you play the game!

Uncover new ways to improve your cognitive health on Bethesda’s Health & Wellness blog.

The post 8 Mind-Sharpening Games for Seniors first appeared on Bethesda Health Group.

People contending with dementia may have trouble remembering key safety steps while doing things they’ve done all their life such as cooking, cleaning, or even navigating their own home. We can help make their home safer by surveying it with a careful eye, searching for potential dangers and eliminating them before they can do any harm.

What to look for to reduce risks in your senior loved one’s home:

Clean out the chemicals

Under the counters, in the garages and in the basements of most homes, any number of toxic chemicals can be found. Paint, cleaning supplies, and pesticides are real dangers to people who do not use them properly and safely. In the laundry room, hazards including laundry pods, bleach and other cleaning products can be found. These toxins should be removed from the home or kept in an inaccessible place.

Don’t stand the heat

The kitchen is an important area to concentrate on when it comes to home safety for seniors experiencing memory difficulties. A hot stove can be a source of danger, so invest in knob covers to prevent the appliance from being turned on without supervision. Turn off the gas to the stove, if possible, when it’s not being used. Disconnect the garbage disposal. And while we’re on the subject of temperature, turn down the water heater so your senior loved one isn’t scalded when they turn on the tap at the kitchen sink, the bathroom sink, or in the shower or tub.

Controlling your substances

Identify prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines that could be dangerous if taken in the wrong quantities. Keep medication in a locked container and ration it out in daily doses for your elderly loved one. A simple plastic organizer is a great tool for those caring for an elderly parent at home. It can help you keep track of what medication needs to be taken. Drawer locks are another tool that can keep drawers with dangerous contents secure.

Slippery when wet

One of the most dangerous places for seniors in their own home is the bathroom – especially the shower or tub, where surfaces get slippery, and can result in falling onto hard, unforgiving floors. Grab handles are a simple and effective solution for shower slips and for getting in and out of the tub. If you have a choice when selecting a place to live for your senior loved one, choose a bathroom with a walk-in shower over a residence with a traditional tub that requires you to step over the side of it to enter. If moving to a senior-friendly space isn’t an option, consider replacing the tub with an accessible shower – or at least put textured, non-slip mats on the floor of the tub or shower to reduce fall risks.

Safe and Secure

When caring for an elderly parent at home, it’s a good idea to secure heavy furniture to walls to ensure that your elderly parent doesn’t fall if she or he leans against it for support or pulls on it for leverage. Chairs with arm rests are preferable over ones without, as the arms give seniors something to use for support when they get up or sit down. Sometimes people living with dementia are prone to wandering, so to avoid a dangerous situation, consider putting a latch that’s out of sight or out of reach on exterior doors.

In the Bedroom

Is their bed too high or too low to safely get in and out of? If so, add furniture that is easier to access so they don’t take an unnecessary fall. For example, place a chair by the bed or maybe a bench at the end of it to give your senior loved one a place to sit while they dress and put on their shoes. In addition, bedroom items like electric blankets and heating pads can be dangerous for those suffering from dementia because of the risk of burns or even electrocution. If your loved one insists upon having them, their use should be carefully monitored.

Declutter your domain

Being able to get around in our house is something we took for granted when we were younger. But when you are experiencing mobility and memory issues, it’s not as easy. Avoid falls by removing trip hazards like throw rugs, extension cords, and other clutter in walkways.

Lighten Up

Make sure there is plenty of light so your senior loved one can see where they’re going when they walk through the house. Brightly colored tape can be used to highlight trip hazards, like the edge of stairs, to ensure your senior sees them.

It’s on the List

To avoid panic and confusion, create labels and lists that help your senior loved one get through their life. Put stickers on doors to rooms like the bathroom, laundry room and bedroom to give your elderly parent a reassuring reminder of where they are. Helpful notes can remind them to shut off the water when they’re finished at the tap. Create a list of important phone numbers. Include emergency responders like the fire department, poison control and police, as well as family members and other important contacts like doctors and social workers.

Find What Works for You

With some thought and effort, we can make our senior loved one’s home a safe and comfortable place for them to continue to live. Try to observe them as much as possible throughout their day to learn their routine and identify potential danger before accidents happen.

If it ever becomes too dangerous for your senior loved one to live in their home alone, in-home assistance like Bethesda’s Senior Support Solutions could help alleviate your worries. If you need full-time assistance caring for your loved one, discover what Bethesda’s memory support communities could do for you.

Learn more about how to keep your loved one safe on Bethesda’s Alzheimer’s & Dementia blog.

The post Adapting A Home for a Senior with Dementia first appeared on Bethesda Health Group.

Incorporating the following lifestyle changes can potentially lower your risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

Exercise

Exercise isn’t just good for your heart, lungs, weight management and ability to perform physical tasks. According to National Institutes of Health, exercise has been found to positively influence cognitive activity and function, including reducing the risk of age-related cognitive decline and dementia.

Both aerobic and strength-building exercises are recommended, and it doesn’t take much work to generate measurable health benefits. Just 10 minutes per day might be a manageable goal for beginners. And mixing in moderate-to-vigorous activity can help you gain additional health benefits.

Moderate-intensity aerobic activity for 150 minutes per week, and two or more days a week of strength training that works all major muscle groups, are recommended if you are able.

According to Medical News Today, exercise helps prevent the aging of the brain and keep mild cognitive impairment — a precursor of dementia in seniors — at bay. A study revealed that at least 52 hours of exercise over an average period of six months can lead to improved “processing speed” — which is the amount of time the brain needs to take in information or carry out a task.

In order to consistently stick to a physical regimen, you should find an activity you enjoy.

Fitness trackers that count steps, stairs climbed, heart rate and other physical functions provide a visible reward for your efforts as you set and meet goals.

Workout videos can be helpful as well. Group activities like walking clubs are also a great way to connect with others and provide mutual support.

Eat Healthy

Eating a healthy, balanced diet may reduce your risk for dementia, as well as other conditions including cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, stroke and heart disease.

In general, a healthy diet consists of fruits and vegetables; whole grains; lean meats, fish, and poultry; and low-fat or nonfat dairy products. You should also limit solid fats (fats that are solid at room temperature), sugar, and salt. Be sure to control your portion sizes and drink plenty of fluids.

One of the most highly recommended diet plans is the Mediterranean diet, which includes many of the foods listed above, with olive oil as the primary fat source and an emphasis on fish, poultry, and minimally processed, plant-based foods.

Manage Chronic Health Problems 

Managing diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol may help boost cognitive activity and improve your cognitive health as well. Diabetes, for example, is associated with a decrease in cognitive function and changes in brain structure. Type 2 diabetes has been linked with a 50 percent increased risk of dementia.

Manage Stress

Long-term stress can affect memory, and increase the risk for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Exercise, relaxation techniques and focusing on positive thoughts and gratitudes can help manage stress. However, if stress persists after practicing these techniques, seek professional help for additional support.

Avoid Smoking and Excess Alcohol Consumption

There is growing evidence that cognitive impairment and dementia are associated with cigarette smoking.

Frequent heavy consumption of alcohol alters brain functions and decreases cognitive performance.

Keep Your Mind Active 

Intellectual engagement could benefit your brain. Activities like volunteering or participating in hobbies, as well as learning new skills, may improve your cognitive activity and thinking. One study found that older adults who learned quilting or digital photography had more memory improvement than those who only socialized or did less cognitively demanding activities.

You Can Take Action to Reduce Your Risk

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, ongoing efforts from researchers around the globe are put into exploring how to prevent Alzheimer’s. While Alzheimer’s prevention has no definitive answers at this time, research has shown that we can take action to reduce our risk of developing it. The organization says lifestyle choices like those above may help support brain health and prevent Alzheimer’s.

For more ideas on improving cognitive health, visit Bethesda’s Alzheimer’s & Dementia blog.

The post Ways to Reduce Cognitive Decline and Lower the Risk of Dementia first appeared on Bethesda Health Group.

These caregivers are all meeting the unique challenges that come with caring for someone with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Five Challenges for Alzheimer’s Caregivers

1. LEARNING ABOUT THE DISEASE

As a caregiver, it’s important to learn about the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, which include:

• Difficulty remembering newly learned information
• Disorientation
• Mood and behavior changes
• Deepening confusion about events, time, and place
• Unfounded suspicions
• Increased memory loss
• Difficulty speaking or swallowing

A person with Alzheimer’s may wander away from home, be unable to perform personal care tasks, or become verbally and physically abusive.

2. TAKING ON THE ROLES AND DUTIES

Talk with your senior’s physician about what to expect. Understand that you will be taking on several roles:

Providing physical care. This could include bathing, grooming, assistance with dressing and toileting, and helping with mobility.

Ensuring safety and security. Part of providing quality senior care is ensuring the safety of your loved one. The Alzheimer’s Association provides a Home Safety Checklist that caregivers can use to make sure there are no risks to their loved one’s safety at home.

Housekeeping and home maintenance. As your senior becomes more dependent on you, cooking, cleaning, laundry, and yardwork will be required of you or others who may assist you.

Medical management. As the ability to remember tasks fades, medication management will be necessary, as well as taking the senior to doctor’s appointments plus addressing other care needs.

Financial management. Keeping financial papers in order, paying bills, and other financial responsibilities will become necessary for the caregiver or someone who has been designated with financial power of attorney.

Emotional support. People with Alzheimer’s experience additional stress, anxiety, and frustration. They will look to the caregiver for calming reassurance and patient understanding. This is not an easy role to play, as the senior’s paranoia, suspicion, and unexpected emotions may take their toll on a caregiver.

3. LEARNING TO ACCOMMODATE CHANGE

As the disease progresses, things will change. What happens today may not have happened yesterday and may not happen tomorrow. What happened this morning will change in the evening if your senior experiences “sundown syndrome” and exhibits increased mood swings, anxiety, sadness, and a host of other emotions. You will need to learn to adapt to the unexpected; change the subject of a conversation not connected to reality and redirect some misdirected thoughts and emotions with patience, love, and, sometimes, a little humor.

4. TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF

Devoting so much time and energy to your senior can lead you to neglect your own physical and emotional wellbeing. You have to maintain some balance, which includes taking time to relax when possible. Find opportunities to exercise, even if it is for 10 minutes two or three times a day. Take your medications. Ask a friend or relative to watch Mom or Dad while you go on a walk, and after you get back from the walk, talk to that friend or relative about what you are thinking and feeling. Sharing your experience will help you cope.

More than half (53 percent) of caregivers indicate that a decline in their health compromises their ability to provide care. Furthermore, caregivers and their families often experience economic hardships through lost wages and additional medical expenses, which also adds to stress.

Understand the warning signs of burnout. The CDC suggests that caregivers may have their own set of symptoms, which may include:

• Elevated levels of depression and anxiety
• Higher use of psychoactive medications
• Worsening physical health
• Compromised immune function
• Increased risk of early death

5. KNOW WHEN YOU ARE BEYOND YOUR LIMIT

When your senior’s needs have progressed to requiring increased physical demands or managing the senior’s health has become more complex than you can coordinate, it is time to either seek home health services or a senior living community that can support the needs of people with Alzheimer’s.

As a family caregiver, you can become so locked into your role that you may believe you are the only one who can take care of Mom or Dad. Or you know that you have reached your limits, but guilt pushes you to keep going. As Alzheimer’s progresses, the care needs can become a 24/7 situation.

If you feel that giving up is a failure or even a betrayal, think about all the wonderful things you have done in support of your loved one. Then remember that it should always be about what is best for him or her and, ultimately, yourself.

If you are looking for quality senior care for your loved one, explore Bethesda’s Memory Support communities, which can be found in some of our Assisted Living or Skilled Nursing communities. Contact us to learn more or schedule a tour.

The post 5 Unique Challenges Alzheimer’s Caregivers Need to Overcome first appeared on Bethesda Health Group.