Providence Monthly: Advocating for People with Dementia

Home Care Assisted Living Respite Care 415.359.9700

Greetings!

We have had a busy summer at Providence Place. In addition to our constantly exciting activities program, we are almost complete with a major renovation of the building exterior. So if you are in the area, please stop by and say hello and have some tea or coffee and cookies with us.

We hope you enjoy our August newsletter and look forward to hearing from you.

The annual Walk to End Alzheimer's is taking place Saturday, September 21, 2013 in Mission Creek Park. Click here if you would like to learn more, register or donate.

If you or someone you know needs senior care, we are available 24/7 at 415-359-9700 or at info@providencecare.com.

How to Advocate During Medical Visits

One of the key job descriptions for caregivers is being an advocate - and this is particularly true for those responsible for people with dementia. Much like when we care for young children who are not able to properly communicate where they are feeling pain and why, the job of somebody providing care for a person with Alzheimer's requires a lot more than just feeding and grooming the person. It requires us to be very perceptive and report our findings to doctors and other medical professionals to ensure that proper care is provided.

Medical appointments are the perfect opportunity for caregivers to share valuable information we observe daily with doctors and other medical professionals, who in turn will rely on the information we provide to create a medical plan for the person.

Below are some tips learned from years of accompanying elders with dementia to medical visits:

Be Prepared - doctor's instructions will depend on what you report. If you say everything is fine, expect the doctor to continue with status quo. Even a small change in behavior can be the result of a medical condition that requires attention so it is best to keep a daily diary of observations and review it before the appointment to see if there have been changes to report.
Always Bring Medication list - most people on dementia take a series of medications. It is important to bring the entire list, including dosages, to each medical appointment. This will allow the doctors to determine if any behaviors can be improved by changing medications. In addition, it will ensure that conflicting drugs are not being prescribed by various doctors.
Consider Time of Appointment - Most people with dementia function better at a certain time of day. Try to find a time when your loved one is likely to feel best and also when the doctor's office is likely to not be crowded to avoid any unnecessary frustrations.
Bring Supplies and Entertainment - Lets face it, you may end up having to wait a lot longer than you would like. So bring any incontinence supplies you may need as well as snacks, beverages and perhaps small activities your loved one enjoys.
Arrange Appropriate Transportation - This will depend on your loved ones physical condition, but if your car is not suitable to transport them, there are lots of specialized taxi companies that can provide transportation to the appointment.

If your loved one has a professional caregiver or resides in an assisted living community, you can ask them to accompany your loved one to the doctor's appointment.

And remember, your gut feeling is usually the correct one. If you feel that you are getting bad advice or not enough attention is being paid to your concerns, escalate them. That is part of being an advocate for somebody who can not speak for themselves.

Dementia in the News

Dementia's Signs May Come Early - And You May be the Only One who Can Tell
Leading Alzheimer's researchers are identifying a new category of Dementia detection called "subjective cognitive decline," which is people's own sense that their memory and thinking skills are slipping even before others have noticed.

Another Study Confirms Exercise Improves Cognitive Function

A new study shows 150 minutes of exercise per week, the normal level recommended for older adults, helped boost brain function.The areas of the brain activated with improved efficiency were the same areas of the brain that lead to a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

The Great Diet Soda Myth

Courtesy of rodale.com

Want to lose weight, ward off diabetes and still drink something that tastes sweet and fizzy? Grab a diet soda! After all, they're sweetened with zero-calorie sweeteners that give you the sugar fix you need without boosting belly fat.

Except that's all a great myth, as a growing number of studies is finding. Artificial sweeteners, whether sucralose, stevia, aspartame or any of the other increasing number of ingredients being added to this category, are being linked to just as many negative health problems as sugar, in its many forms, according to a new review of five years' worth of research.

This new research, published in the journal Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, reviewed all the most recent literature on the relationship between artificially sweetened beverages and their effects on weight gain, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The authors' conclusion? Artificial sweeteners aren't doing anyone any good. "Data from these recent studies suggest a link between consumption of artificially sweetened beverages and a variety of negative health outcomes...especially in adults," the authors wrote. "In none of these prospective studies was artificially sweetened beverage consumption associated with a significantly decreased risk."