Why do we all need companionship? What does companionship do for our emotional health?  How does loneliness and isolation affect our health?

These are questions we should ask ourselves as we begin to determine how we are going to help our senior loved ones. As we make our occassional visit and spend the time with our loved ones are there ways that we can determine if they are lonely.

Yes, there are many symptoms of loneliness. Some of these are:

1. You notice that your loved one has very little to say. It is hard for them to maintain conversation with you.
2. You notice that they are not eating as well. Their clothing looks big on them.
3. You notice that they do not mention their friends. As you age your friendships shrink for many reasons: death, illness, inablity to visit, and your loved one’s inability to reach out to their neighbors etc.
4. You notice that they are showing signs of withdrawal and depression. They complain of boredom and can tell you that you shouldn’t go out of your way to visit them. This may demonstrate their growing sense of worthlessness.
5. You notice they do not keep up with the news or any current events.

It may be difficult to understand how companionship can alleviate many of these issues which can cause much pain for your family member. Companionship can be a life-saver. It provides stimulation, conversation, sociability, happiness and inner peace.  It helps your loved one to become involved beyond oneself. It lifts the mood, helping others, holding good thoughts and choosing to be happy. One does not need constant company, but well planned company and the right person is necessary. Needless to say finding the right companionship services require a interview visit, and well chosen companions whose personalities and interests have been very carefully and sensitively matched to the client.

If you have found yourself in this predictament please feel free to call Ivory House Health Services for a free consultation to explore your choices. At any age quality of life is important.

Simple tasks such as brushing teeth, combing hair and shaving can be overwhelming for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and dementias.  Memory impairment makes it difficult to remember how the task is done. They may look at the objects and not know what to do with them.  These tasks also require the skill of sequencing which they can no longer do. The emotions of fear, anxiety, and resistance can sabotage their efforts of accomplishing the tasks.

There are SOLUTIONS to these troublesome tasks. The caregiver should view the task as a new event and work on providing structure and the proper setting conducive to the activity. Boosting the person’s concentration and cooperation is the first step. Making sure that the environment has good lighting, a comfortable temperature, PRIVACY, AND NO INTERRUPTIONS IS MOST IMPORTANT.

Establishing a ROUTINE to do the tasks daily and at the same time is important. Continuing past and familiar activities is comforting.  For instance if the individual is accustomed to going out to   the hairdresser etc. then try to continue that activity. Within the home environment you could have the hairdresser or barber make the visit if going out is to stressful.

Remember that memory impairment makes multi-tasking impossible. Communicating instructions should be simple, identifying one step at a time, in a quiet and friendly manner.  Smiling and using a calm voice is most desirable.

If the grooming tools begin to be difficult to manage making adjustments by using an electric razor or making the toothbrush handle easier to grip will reduce the individual’s frustration.. Keep the tools in good working condition.  Be sure to clean the razor, remove hair from brushes and rinse the toothbrush.

Encourage the individual to do the tasks that he or/ she still have the ability to accomplish.  Please don’t lose patience. For instance, you may have to do part of the task and cue the person to finish the task. You may use visual and or verbal cues to make the activity easier. Maintaining WHAT THE INDIVIDUAL CAN DO IS VERY IMPORTANT TO SUSTAINING HIS OR/HER STRENGTHS AND CONFIDENCE.

Always be realistic with what you expect the person to do.  You may find that over time he or/ she may not continue doing the activity at all. Do not be forceful but always be creative, gentle and kind.  Remember not being able to recall your past nor control your future can be quite alarming.

As performing the tasks begin to fail introduce some new activity that does not require steps nor performance. For example let the individual use cologne or perfume, paint their nails or use dry shampoo. Life and living one’s life needs to be less stressful and calmer. Emotional support sprinkled with laughter and joy goes a long way in making life enjoyable. Eating ice cream instead of sour grapes will allow the individual to feel your concern and caring. Remember life is best lived within loving relationships and not disappointments. Even though the individual cannot perform the task within your timetable he or/she  still has 24 hours in which to get his grooming done. DON’T RUSH.

Brain Aerobics: The Light at the End of the Tunnel

One piece of excellent news in the past year was that brain health seems to be improving among older Americans. A large national survey from the University of Michigan found that over a 10–year-period ending in 2002, memory loss and thinking problems were down significantly among senior aged 70 and up, from 12.2 percent to 8.7 percent.  That’s a change that translates into hundreds of thousands of men and women, though Alzheimer’s is still a top concern for millions worldwide.

Researchers aren’t sure why the decrease in cognitive impairment is occurring, but they suspect that a better educated and more affluent older generation that is less likely to smoke and more likely to eat better and get regular exercise may be helping to keep the brain young.

Here is a list of wellness approaches and prevention facts that may help set the tone for a brain healthy year.

1. Keep socially engaged. Make sure you are going out regularly and keeping up with your family either through e-mail, letters, phone calls and planned reunions. Your friends also need the same attention. Giving attention certainly helps you receive in kind.
2. Eat healthy food, fruits, vegetables, proteins. Practice good nutrition. Understand what is best for your brain. Eat plenty of fish, vegetables and avoid fatty and friend foods. Clogging those veins prevents adequate blood supply to your brain.
3. Keep your immune system healthy. Treat yourself well, get at least 8 hours of sleep daily, and recognize any depression and deal with it with your physician, eat healthy.
4. Lower your blood pressure. Work on taking your BP medicine daily, eat less salt, lose weight if necessary, and exercise regularly.
5. Do brain health and memory activities. Find word puzzles and do them frequently. Play word games such as Scrabble, puzzles, play memory word games, and matching pictures.
6. Physical activity—at least 30 minutes each day. This can be walking, cleaning house, sweeping the carpet, walking the steps, and chair exercises. These 30 minutes can be divided into 10 minute increments.
7. Treat Depression. Prolonged depression and untreated depression places a burden on your brain. It causes memory impairment.
8. Treat pain and chronic pain. Remember medications can cause forgetfulness and problems with ambulation.
9. Play card games. Fish, bridge, matching colors, solitaire and hearts. Play trivia, and how something is the same and different.
10. Establish good relationships that consist of a give and take. Allow yourself time with your friends.
11. Practice being happy and laugh frequently. Read the comics, get books that you enjoy and bring laughter into your life.
12. Stay mentally challenged. Attend adult education classes. Renew your interest in old hobbies. Learn how to do new things. All of these activities demonstrate help you prevent memory loss. Formal lowers the risk of Alzheimer’s.
13. Practice good weight management. Having a thicker middle increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s’ disease. Belly fat in particular may be bad for the brain.
14. Work at a job which keeps your mind sharp into old age. The more complex the job, the better the memory and thinking skills held up after retirement. Retirement may not be for everyone.
15. Avoid a routine that keeps everything the same. For instance, Drive different ways to the market, friend’s houses’ and the malls.
16. Keep your Cholesterol in check. Keeps TRACK of the numbers. High numbers can create and does increase clogging of veins in the brain.
17. Pass the fish. If you like fish such as tuna, salmon and other types of oily fish may help to lower the risk of memory decline and stroke. Avoid fried fish.
18. Learn the computer. Surf the web for new information and ways of doing new games etc.This helps your brain to be involved in decision –making and complex reasoning.
19. Ask you primary physician to check vitamin levels—Vitamin D and B12, Check your Thyroid functioning.
20. Keep important phone numbers in your memory and on occasion test yourself. Change your pass codes monthly and memorize them and do always keep a cheat sheet.
21. Avoid falls and hitting your head as you age. Make sure your balance is okay and your house is safe. This includes throw rugs being picked up, having grab bars in the bathroom, good lighting and using it. Watch the steps-Highlight with red and yellow tape at the start and finish of the steps. Do not carry too much at one time.
22. Remember memory impairment is not part of normal aging. See your physician and tell him what is going on.
23. Keeping your heart healthy will keep your brain healthy. What is good for the heart is good for the brain.
24. Managing risk factors may delay or prevent cognitive problems later in life.
25. Keep your wellness program going with your physician. Make sure he checks your Vitamin D, B12, Folic Acid, and Thyroid functioning. Dysfunction in any of these areas can cause memory problems.