Basics of Alzheimer’s Disease |by Elayne Forgie,

Stages of Alzheimer’s

Early Stages – What day is it?

The disease begins in the hippocampus, then spreads to the frontal temporal lobe affecting recent memory, learning of new information, thinking, planning and organization.

Middle Stages – Who are you?

It moves further into the frontal temporal lobe and into the occipital and parietal lobes affecting sensory perception, communication, behaviors, impulse control, judgment and attention to personal appearance.

Late Stages – Who am I?

In the final stages the disease spreads throughout the brain and affects the ability to recognize anyone, including themselves, to control bodily functions and to eat and drink. Eventually, the brain can no longer tell the body what to do.

by Elayne Forgie, President/CEO on Dec 28, 2012 in Alzheimer's Care West Palm Beach ; more information on Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or another cognitive impairment, contact Alzheimer's Care West Palm Beach at (800) 209-4342

States With Filial Responsibility Laws | You May Have to Pay for Your Parents' Care

30states.pdf (application/pdf Object)

You May Have to Pay for Your Parents' Care

States with filial responsibility laws are: Alaska, Arkansas,
California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana,
Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota,
Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota,
Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Alzheimer’s/Dementia Hospitalization Wristband | Senior Holistic Living

Alzheimer’s/Dementia Hospitalization Wristband | Senior Holistic Living

The Collaboration Trap – The Wrong Way to Innovate | Senior Housing Forum

The Collaboration Trap – The Wrong Way to Innovate | Senior Housing Forum: Two Big Collaboration Problems
Collaboration is a good way to solve well defined problems where there is already a set of possible solutions. It is a terrible way to innovate. There are two reasons why collaboration is an ineffective . . . even impossible path to innovation:

1. Unequal Power – Good collaborative efforts put considerable time and effort into making sure all stakeholders have a voice. The process may even include a framework that allows the minor stakeholders have a disproportionately strong voice. Yet for all of that, some participants will have much more influence than others. In some cases it is strength that comes from position and in other cases, it comes from having a strong charismatic or forceful personality.

2. Accommodation – The word collaboration suggests that everyone has a voice and every voice has value. This means that as solutions begin to emerge there is an innate tendency to make sure everyone has contributed to the solution. That each person can say about some part of the solution “That was my idea” or “my contribution.” This means that ultimately, the solution(s) will regress to the mean, in other words regress to something that accommodates everyone even if not optimal.
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 author: Steve Moran
smoran@seniorhousingforum.net
seniorhousingforum.net
916-390-2238

If you like this story  subscribe to his email list.
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Caregiver Cards

Communication Is Important

Communication is considered a shared responsibility. However, in dealing with persons affected with Alzheimer’s and dementias, the responsibility for understanding and being understood lies squarely with the caregiver.
Communication is quite simply the act of conveying or sharing information. Alzheimer’s and related dementias eventually create a barrier to effective communication, mostly dealing with the language part of communication.


 Caregiver Cards was founded off of the idea that not only are persons living with Alzheimer’s entitled to supportive and the best possible care, so are the caregivers. We understand so well, because we have cared for our loved ones too.

žCommunication is considered a shared responsibility. However, in dealing with persons affected with Alzheimer’s and similar dementias, the responsibility for understanding and being understood lies squarely with YOU the caregiver.

žYou, the caregiver, will be in charge of handling Caregiver Cards, and helping your loved one find their voice with a new style of communicating.

 Barbara Worthington is the founder and owner of Caregiver Cards. Barbara  with over 13 years of experience and knowledge related to care giving and Alzheimer’s.

How to Interact with a Person with Dementia in Distress |

How to Interact with a Person with Dementia in Distress

Dementia & Alzheimer's Weekly

Support & Insight for the Autumn of Life

Tips for Families & Volunteers on Visiting the Person with Dementia

MindStart - Puzzles, Games, and More for Persons with Memory Loss Tips for Having a Good Visit

Individuals with dementia can have difficulty with recent memories and with communicating, making it harder to maintain relationships with others on their own. Often, their friends, neighbors, and extended family members do not know how to handle this, so stop visiting or calling. Offer these tips to decrease the fear and make the visit successful.

Choose a quiet calm location
Introduce yourself, as needed
Keep focus on the person, using eye contact and patience
Avoid correcting; instead offer reassurance and praise
Avoid open-ended questions; instead use yes/no questions or questions where 2 choices are given
Monitor body language and facial expressions of the person
Enter their world. Talk about what they are thinking about at the time.
Reminiscence is a wonderful tool. Talk about past interests or significant life events.
Use adapted Alzheimer activities to form a connection and have fun together.

  

MindStart Visting Kit

Don't know what to do when visiting with the person with dementia?

This is the perfect 'kit' to have a variety of activities that work for different stages of dementia. 

 Includes your choice of one 26 piece puzzle, various level re-usable word searches, and lacing card in a handy  binder. 

Official Site of the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners, LLC

Official Site of the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners, LLC: The newest component of the NCCDP is the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Staff Education Week Tool Kit.

The Tool Kit is available at www.nccdp.org. The Tool Kit and the declaration by the NCCDP Alzheimer's and Dementia Staff Education Week February 14th to the 21st was developed and implemented to bring awareness to the importance of staff educators being trained and certified in dementia care and to provide education by means of face to face interactive classroom environment and to provide comprehensive dementia education to all healthcare professionals and line staff. NCCDP recognizes the important contribution that Nurse Educators and Staff Educators provide to health care professionals and line staff and in honor of this week the NCCDP is seeking nominations for Nurse Educator and Staff Educator of the Year.

Currently there are no national standards for dementia education. The regulations are different from state to state. The NCCDP recommends at minimum an initial 8 hours of dementia education to all staff. Through out the year, additional dementia education should be provided that incorporates new advances, culture change and innovative ideas.
The tool kit includes:

• Free Power Point / Over Head In-services for Health Care Staff, Tests and Answers, Seminar Evaluation and Seminar Certificates.
• 97 Ways To Recognize Alzheimer’s and dementia Staff Education Week
• 20 Reasons Why You Should Provide Comprehensive Alzheimer’s and Dementia Training to Your Staff by A Live Instructor
• Dementia Word Search Games & Interactive Exercises
• Movies and Books About Alzheimer’s You Don’t Want To Miss
• Proclamation & Sample Agenda for Opening Ceremony & Sample Letter to Editor
• Contest Entry Forms- Staff Education week
• Alzheimer’s Bill of Rights & Alzheimer’s Patient Prayer
• Nurse Educator / In-service Director of The Year Nomination F

In addition to facilitating the Train the Trainer programs, The NCCDP promotes dementia education and certification of all staff as Certified Dementia Practitioners (CDP®).
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