The Benefits of Memory Care

For many people dealing with Alzheimer's or Dementia, the gradual loss of memory can not only be worrisome, but can be downright dangerous. While families try to help loved ones stay as independent as possible, there often comes a time when those suffering with memory loss need more help than loved ones can provide. If you've been trying to decide if assisted living is the right choice for your family, here are five benefits to professional memory care that may help you make your decision:

1.Meals

It's not unusual for those with memory issues to forget to feed themselves. Even if a loved one ensures that the kitchen is stocked, some patients simply forget to eat. On the other hand, some patients forget that they have already eaten, and eat again; often consuming double or triple necessary calories. In either case, eating issues can lead to weight loss or gain, illness and, in the case of weight gain, mobility issues. An assisted living facility will make sure that your loved one is eating three, nutritionally-sound meals each day.

2.Housekeeping

It's an unfortunate occurrence when those with memory care issues live in filth and clutter. Accumulation of dust and dirt can exacerbate respiratory illnesses, and clutter can cause trips and falls. Assisted living facilities have housekeepers on staff that will ensure your loved one's living environment is kept neat and clean. Not only will your loved one's room be kept clean, but their laundry will be washed as well. Having a clean living environment will greatly reduce the risk of illness or injury to your family member.

3.Personal Hygiene

People with memory care issues often neglect their personal hygiene, simply because it doesn't cross their mind to shower. When your loved one moved into an assisted living facility, his or her personal hygiene will never be forgotten. Your family member will receive help with incontinence issues, toileting and bathing. Proper hygiene is essential in maintaining healthy skin, an important part of the overall health of your loved one.

4.Transportation

It can be difficult for even the most dedicated family members to transport a loved one back and forth to scheduled appointments. When your loved one moves into an assisted living facility, he or she will be safely transported to every necessary medical appointment that takes place off-site. Additionally, residents are often transported to field trips of sorts, or scheduled outings designed to keep residents active and involved. In fact, seniors in assisted living facilities are often more active than those who continue to live on their own.

5.Family Support

Caregivers often forget about themselves and their own health when looking after a loved one with memory issues. When your family member moves into an assisted living facility, he or she won't be the only one getting support. Assisted living facilities provide both support and education for family members of residents. If you have questions or need help adjusting, the professional staff will be there for you.

It can be a difficult decision to move your loved one into an assisted living facility. You must ask yourself if your family member, and your family, will benefit more by continued home care or by the transition to assisted living. There's nothing to feel guilty about when considering an assisted living facility for your loved one; the benefits far outweigh any discomfort you're feeling.

Georgia Manor is a freelance writer nationwide. To learn more about safe and fun senior living, check out the several assisted living information sites available on the internet.

Five Facts about Stroke for the Caregiver

If your loved one has suffered a stroke, there's no doubt that you're going through a very difficult and frightening time. The National Stroke Association tells us that over 750,000 people in America each year suffer a first or recurrent stroke, and one in 55 Americans are living with the effects of a stroke. If you are caring for someone who has recently had a stroke, here are five facts that you need to know:

1.It's All in the Head

Many people are confused when it comes to exactly what a stroke is. To understand stroke, think of it as a sort of "brain attack." When a blood clot interrupts the blood flow to an area of the brain, a stroke results. During a stroke, brain cells can die due to a lack of oxygen. As brain cells die, the abilities that are controlled by that particular area of the brain become impaired. Typically, these abilities include memory, speech and movement.

2.Effects on the Survivor

Because not every person is the same, every stroke is different. Each person is affected by stroke in different ways. On average, a stroke survivor can expect to have impaired mobility, memory loss, depressions, communication problems, muscle spasticity, and difficulty in performing daily tasks that require manual dexterity. A stroke survivor can incur one of these results or a combination of them. The resultant issues of a stroke can last for weeks, months or for the rest of the survivor's life.

3.Rehabilitation

If your loved one has had a stroke, his or her needs for rehabilitation therapy may vary. Each stroke patient will need to undergo some form of rehabilitation immediately after leaving the hospital. Your loved one may receive rehabilitation services directly from the hospital, from a specialized rehab hospital or even in a nursing home. If your loved one's stroke was mild, he or she may be able to undergo a course of rehabilitation at home. It's also important to note that rehabilitation may take as little as a few weeks and as long as several years.

4.Recovery Rates

As a caregiver, you should know that recovery rates among stroke victims vary widely. Of stroke victims, only ten percent recover completely. Twenty-five percent will recover with only minor physical impairments, 40 percent will require special care due to moderate to severe impairments, ten percent will requpire long-term care, and 15 percent die within days, weeks or months of suffering their stroke.

5.As a Caregiver

Caring for a loved one who has suffered a stroke can be a tiring, overwhelming process. It's not unusual caregivers to encounter feelings of guilt and depression. As the caregiver of someone who has suffered a stroke, it's important to remember that you can't do it all. Find help when you need it from friends and family members. You may also want to consider hiring a part-time nurse who can relieve you of your duties, even if it's only one day a week. Don't forget to take time for yourself; it doesn't make you a bad person. Keep in mind that the healthier you are both physically and mentally, the better equipped you will be to care for your loved one.

If your loved one has suffered a stroke, arming yourself with the facts will make the process that follows a stroke less overwhelming. If you are directly related to the person who has suffered a stroke, don't neglect to have your own risk assessed. A simple blood test, conducted as part of an annual physical, can tell you if you are at high risk for stroke.

John Martin writes articles for health blogs and suggests having blood work done one of the Tennessee lab testing locations.

UK team gets $1.5 million NIH grant to continue success with cell-level study of Alzheimer's disease factor

University of Kentucky researchers have provided the first direct evidence that activated astrocytes could play a harmful role in Alzheimer's disease.

A UK news release explains, "The astrocyte is a very abundant non-neuronal cell type that performs absolutely critical functions for maintaining healthy nervous tissue. However, in neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s disease, many astrocytes exhibit clear physical changes often referred to as 'astrocyte activation.' The appearance of activated astrocytes at very early stages of Alzheimer's has led to the idea that astrocytes contribute to the emergence and/or maintenance of other pathological markers of the disease."

UK researchers gave mice gene therapy at a very young age and assessed them 10 months later. The astrocyte activation improved brain function and preserved cognitive function. The research, published recently in the Journal of Neuroscience, has led to a five-year, $1.5 million National Institutes of Health funding grant to the researchers and the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging to further this line of study. Chris Norris, an associate professor in the UK College of Medicine Department of Molecular and Biomedical Pharmacology, is the senior author of the study. (Read more)
 

More bad news about childhood obesity: Study finds it can change some kids' brains and damage their mental 'flexibility'

It's not news that Kentucky is lagging in child fitness. In fact, the Truth for America's Health "F as in Fat" report found that the state has the third highest childhood obesity rate in the country. This is bad news, alright, and it's about to get worse. Dr. Claire McCarthy writes in The Boston Globe that a new study in the current issue of Pediatrics and shows that obesity can hurt kids' brains.

"Researchers looked at 49 adolescents with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome, a consequence of obesity, is the triad of insulin resistance (pre-diabetes or diabetes), high blood pressure and high blood lipids," McCarthy writes. "The researchers compared the adolescents with 62 adolescents who had the same socioeconomic background but didn't have metabolic syndrome. The kids with metabolic syndrome had more trouble with arithmetic, spelling, attention and mental 'flexibility' than the ones who didn't have metabolic syndrome. Even more frightening, the researchers saw actual changes in their brains, in the hippocampus (which plays a crucial role in memory) and the white matter (which passes messages through the brain). It was only a small study, and not all kids with obesity have metabolic syndrome. But this study is alarming -- especially since we don't know if losing weight can make the brain go back to normal."

In her column tagged "MD Mama," McCarthy goes on: "Given that brains are still developing in adolescence, it's very possible that the changes could be permanent. What else do we need before we take the problem of childhood obesity really seriously?" (Read more) To read the study in Pedatrics, go here.

Doctors use telemedicine to help patients with dementia, Alzheimer's

Following a nationwide trend, Kentucky doctors are turning to telemedicine to help patients with memory problems such as those associated with Alzheimer's disease and dementia, reports Allison Elliott with the University of Kentucky.

"State-of-the-art memory evaluations should not be limited to persons that are able tom ake the often long and arduous trip to Lexington," said Dr. Greg Jicha, neurologist at UK's Sanders-Brown Center on Aging. "Taking advantage of Internet technologists to bring expert care into even the smallest of rural communities is a blessing for many families across Kentucky that simply cannot bring a loved one with dementia to Lexington.

Several times a month, physicians with the Sanders-Brown Center will connect to patients in clinics throughout the state. Participating clinics include Harlan Appalachian Regional Health; the Hazard Center for Rural Health; T.J. Sampson Hospital in Glasgow; Trover Clinic in Madisonville; Western Baptist Hospital in Paducah; Owensboro Medical Center; and St. Claire Regional Medical Center in Morehead. (Read more)