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As we age, those minor physical ailments – including sore feet, poorly fitting dentures and skin irritations – may turn out to be not so minor after all.

A new study published in the journal Neurology has found that as problems not traditionally associated with brain health pile up, a person’s chance of developing dementia increases.

“When a lot of small things go wrong, it can add up to an important risk,” says Kenneth Rockwood, M.D., professor of medicine at Dalhousie University, Halifax, and an author of the study “Nontraditional Risk Factors Combine to Predict Alzheimer Disease and Dementia.”

The 10-year study, launched in 1992, included more than 7,200 cognitively healthy 65-year-old Canadians who were asked questions regarding their overall health. While the questions included known risk factors for Alzheimer’s, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, the thrust of the research was on 19 problems that seemingly have no connection with brain health – including vision and hearing, loose dentures, sinus congestion, arthritis, morning cough, and problems with the skin, stomach, kidneys or bowel.

While any healthy 65-year-old has an 18 percent chance of developing dementia in 10 years simply because they are aging, the study found that each health problem not traditionally associated with Alzheimer’s increased that risk by 3.2 percent. The risk accelerated as more and more conditions were added, jumping to 40 percent among those in the study who reported as many as 12 conditions. Since age is a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s, Richard Lipton, M.D., professor and vice chairman of neurology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, says the study in a sense is identifying people who “age badly” — developing one ailment after another so their biological age exceeds their chronological age.

While taking care of minor ailments is likely to improve a person’s quality of life, Rockwood says, no one has yet proved that fixing one problem after another would necessarily reduce one’s risk for Alzheimer’s.

His advice? “Don’t panic over one problem.” As much as bad things can add up, so can the good, he said, citing studies showing that walking as little as 30 minutes a day, three days a week “dramatically attenuated” risk factors for dementia.

Source: AARP.org

Contact Pure Home Care Services at (586) 293-2457 today!  If you live in Bloomfield Hills or the surrounding area, we can help you care for your loved ones.

University of Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt and recording artist Glen Campbell are the latest in a long list of celebrities diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, an incurable disease that gradually causes a decline in a person’s cognitive abilities. The 59-year-old Summitt informed her fans and followers in a video of her decision to continue coaching. Campbell, who is 75, made his disclosure while announcing his worldwide “Goodbye Tour” planned for 2012.

By discussing their conditions, these public figures helped to enlighten the public about Alzheimer’s, just as past generations have gained greater insights into the disease from celebrities such as Norman Rockwell, Charlton Heston, Barry Goldwater and Rita Hayworth. In announcing his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s in a letter to the American people, former President Ronald Reagan wrote, “In opening our hearts, we hope this might promote greater awareness of this condition.”

Persons who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s are encouraged to open their hearts to friends and family when discussing this disease. A few helpful suggestions from the Alzheimer’s Association include:

• Explain that Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging but a disease of the brain that results in impaired memory, thinking and behavior.
• Share educational information on Alzheimer’s or invite your family and friends to attend Alzheimer’s education programs.
• Be honest about how you feel regarding your diagnosis and allow other family members to do the same.
• Assure friends that although the disease will change your life, you want to continue enjoying their company.
• Let your family and friends know when and how you may need their help and support.

Source: Rightathome.net

If you or a loved one would like more information about home care services in Farmington Hills, MI, and surrounding areas, please contact Pure Home Care Services at (586) 293-2457 today!

All people reminisce. Remembering times past is a pleasant diversion, stimulates the mind, and helps give us perspective and a sense of who we are. As a recent study from the Association for Psychological Science states, “Nostalgia is now emerging as a fundamental human strength.”

Reminiscing, the process of “life review,” is an important part of old age. As seniors recall their accomplishments and come to terms with past conflicts and disappointments, they achieve a heightened sense of personal identity and meaning in life.

Reminiscing also enhances self-esteem. Studies suggest that seniors who are encouraged to share events from their lives with others experience an increased sense of peace and self-worth. We all have a lifelong need to see ourselves as unique individuals, and the recollection of pleasant experiences, past accomplishments, and triumphs over adversity is part of this.

Reminiscing can be an important tool for socialization. Think about what happens when you first make a friend: you spend much time “filling each other in” on your life history—who you are and have been, where you have lived, who is important in your life. For seniors who receive home care, sharing memories is a great way for staff to get to know the person better by learning about their life stories and accomplishments.

Reminiscing can be especially important for cognitively impaired persons. Those with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia can often recall long-past occasions better than the events of the current day, since the disease affects long-term less than short-term memory. Interactions that include the recollection of events past can have a positive effect on the dementia patient’s emotional well-being.

Why Does My Loved One Repeat the Same Stories?

Sometimes family members and friends are concerned if the older adult repeats stories, returning to the same ones again and again. But recognize that this, too, is part of the life review process: the repeated stories are probably those that the person finds the most pleasant to recall, or may concern events that he or she is “working through.” Remember that a response from you is not necessarily required; he or she may just need you to listen in a non-judgmental manner.

Sometimes an older adult may seem to dwell upon life experiences that cause sadness, anger or frustration. Understand that this, too, is a way of dealing with the past and can be a sign of emotional health.  Allow these feelings to come out, and don’t try to suppress such expressions by immediately attempting to cheer up or distract your loved one. But if he or she seems “stuck” in a particular disturbing experience or time, encourage your loved one to speak to the healthcare provider.

Older adults are a treasury of stored experience. Life review and discussing “the good old days” is a beneficial, purposeful activity that helps older adults maintain a positive outlook.

Pure Home Care Services serves  Grosse Pointe and the surrounding area.  Our caregivers would love to reminisce with your loved ones.  Call us today! Our number is (586) 293-2457.

Source:  Caringnews.com

Source: Medscape News
Journal Of Neuroscience

If you would like more information about home care services for sufferers of Alzheimer’s Disease in Michigan, please contact Pure Home Care Services at (586) 293-2457

How does having a family member with dementia affect children? The answer: It depends on the age of the child, the severity of the memory loss and the child’s relationship to the person with dementia. The better you understand how the disease affects your loved one, and how you handle your own process of loss and adapting to change, the better you can help your child.

Depending on their age, children understand only what they are developmentally capable of understanding. But they will also benefit by knowing the truth—as described in their terms. Accepting and acknowledging the truth requires that we allow ourselves to experience feelings of loss. When caring for a person with dementia, the feeling of loss is quite complicated and is often called “ambiguous loss”—it is unclear and indeterminate. The ambiguity comes from needing to recognize that the person might be here physically, but absent psychologically and cognitively. Often our greatest paradox as caregivers is the paradox of letting go of the person who used to be, and holding on to the qualities of the person who is present now. How you meet this challenge will significantly influence your child’s ability to find a pleasurable connection–throughout the disease process–with the person they love.

Children and teens often receive less attention, have their routines disrupted and may have to help with caregiving responsibilities. Children’s grief comes out differently than adults’ grief, depending on their developmental stage. When children don’t have information, they make up explanations for the things happening around them. They might experience sadness, confusion, fear, worry, anger, frustration, guilt, jealousy, resentment and embarrassment. They may feel unloved, that they are not normal and/or their family is not normal, concern that the illness or disability is “contagious,” and even that they caused this disease to happen.

Children may have difficulty understanding and accepting the disease, particularly a disease as confusing as dementia. They might withdraw from or lose patience with the person with dementia or spend more time away from home or not invite friends to the house if the person with dementia lives with you. Often they express vague physical complaints like a stomach ache or headache, show regressive (younger) behavior and you might see a decline in their school work. Sometimes children quietly worry that the disease will “happen” to them or mommy or daddy, and if so, who will take care of them.

Maintaining Communication

Parents need to maintain open lines of communication with children, explaining the disease more than once and answering questions truthfully. Children need comfort and support and the opportunity to express their feelings. Normalizing their feelings by naming them and accepting them keeps the channels of communication open. It also helps children if the adults in their lives express their own feelings, to show them that feelings are ok and there are appropriate ways to express those feelings.

Preschool children and young children will express themselves best through play and art activities. They often sense something is wrong but have no way of asking what it is, so it’s best not to pretend all is well. Use simple and concrete explanations such as, “If grandma doesn’t remember things as well as she used to, we may need to help her.” Or “Grandma’s brain is having trouble remembering and the doctors are trying to help her.”

School-aged children often want a lot of detail about the disease and might respond well to pictures of the brain of an Alzheimer’s person. They might be particularly upset by the many mood swings and behavior problems of someone with dementia. They need us to help them identify their feelings, discuss their reactions to the person with dementia without judgment, and help them understand why their beloved grandparent is behaving the way he or she is. Give the child the opportunity to help in problem solving, such as “How can we help grandma not be scared when she goes outside?” It is also important to not give children responsibilities beyond their capabilities (e.g., taking grandma to the bathroom). The school-aged child needs reminders that the person with dementia still loves them even if he or she doesn’t say so or even remember the child’s name.

For teenagers, the many mood changes of the person with dementia may be similar to the ones they themselves are experiencing. Adolescence tends to be a self-centered time and it might be hard for the teenager to be patient with the changes in their loved one and with the accommodations necessary at home to care for someone with dementia. Listen and be understanding and tolerant of their negative feelings. Bring your teenager into the planning process so they feel they have some control. As with all children, information is important. Teenagers can understand a more complex explanation of the disease. Work with your teenager on schedules to accommodate their needs and yours, and give them some control on what chores they might have. Having specific tasks to do for the person with dementia can help the teenager to feel more comfortable, e.g. reading a story, looking at photo albums, folding laundry, etc. “Fitting in” is of primary importance to many teenagers and having someone with dementia in the home may be a source of profound embarrassment. These feelings need to be acknowledged and accommodations made to allow the teenager to socialize with as much dignity for him or herself and the person with dementia as possible. They may need to help finding words to explain the disease to friends.

It is important in all families and for all children that there be sources of support, whether it be extended family, friends, religious community or counselor. It is very easy to be consumed by the responsibilities of being a caregiver. As a family, make sure you plan fun activities to do together (sometimes, at least, without the person with dementia) and have alone time with your child as often as possible. Doing research on the web or reading books together on dementia is another way to help everyone in the family gain knowledge and share their feelings and experiences.

Source: Family Caregiver Alliance

If you would like more information about home care services in Grosse Pointe, MI and surrounding areas, please contact Pure Home Care Services at (586) 293-2457 today!

An older individual who cares for a spouse with dementia may be at an increased risk of developing cognitive problems because of the lifestyle that was shared with the spouse and because of the stress of caring for a loved one who is ill. These findings, which are published today in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, indicate that efforts are needed to help caregivers maintain their cognitive and functional health and their ability to care for those who need them.

Research indicates that, compared with non-caregivers, caregivers often have trouble with cognition, which involves attention and memory. To examine the issue more thoroughly, investigators reviewed the medical literature for studies that looked at the cognitive health of older adults caring for a family member (primarily a spouse) with dementia. The review revealed that spouses who are caregivers may have a higher risk of cognitive impairment or dementia than spouses who are not caregivers. Their cognitive decline may be due to psychosocial factors such as depression, loneliness, social isolation, and sleep problems; behavioral factors such as exercise and diet; and physiological factors such as obesity, chronically elevated insulin and inflammation.

“Persons who are caring for a spouse with dementia may themselves be at risk for cognitive problems which, in turn, will not only negatively influence their quality of life, but may reduce their ability to provide the necessary care for their spouse,” said principal investigator Dr. Peter Vitaliano of the University of Washington School of Medicine. “Spouse caregivers are extremely important because most care-recipients prefer to be cared for in their homes, and, by remaining in their homes, health care costs are reduced greatly.”

The review argues for interventions that integrate strategies to reduce psychological distress in caregivers while promoting healthy behaviors, such as good diet and exercise. The authors note that community-level approaches may increase awareness and motivation. They point to Strength for Caring, an online resource for family caregivers that provides information, support, and ways to connect with other caregivers.

Source:
“Does Caring for a Spouse with Dementia Promote Cognitive Decline? A Hypothesis and Proposed Mechanisms.” Peter P. Vitaliano, Michael Murphy, Heather M. Young, Diana Echeverria and Soo Borson
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2011; DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2011.03368.x

If you have any questions about home care services in Grosse Pointe, MI and surrounding areas, please contact Pure Home Care Services at (586) 293-2457 

Today, America’s biopharmaceutical research companies highlighted the 98 new medicines in the pipeline for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, either in clinical trials or awaiting FDA review. Researchers, patients, caregivers, advocacy groups and students gathered at the University of South Florida Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute to discuss the newest advances in Alzheimer’s research and to take a look into the future of this debilitating disease. Currently, there are only five medicines approved for Alzheimer’s. While these medicines temporarily reduce the symptoms for some patients, biopharmaceutical companies are working to develop new medicines to prevent, delay or cure Alzheimer’s.

“The American biomedical enterprise is making progress in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. David Morgan, CEO of the Institute. “The richness of the public-private partnerships between universities, research institutes, biotechnology companies and major biopharmaceutical companies is the envy of the world.”

Research facilities, like the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute are making breakthroughs with this devastating disease. These advances have expedited the understanding of the causes of Alzheimer’s. New imaging technologies, such as positron emission tomography (PET) scans, provide scientists a glimpse into the brain, overcoming the prior inability to access brain tissue. PET scans and other biomarkers are revealing the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s even before symptoms appear.

The Honorable Johnnie Byrd, Jr., founder and board member of the Institute highlights the importance of the research conducted at the Institute and the economic impact of the disease.

“As of 2010, the estimated total cost of caring for Alzheimer’s patients is $172 billion, including Medicare, private insurance, out-of-pocket costs and uncompensated care. Families drain their life savings and lose their homes paying for care,” stated Mr. Byrd.

Today, more than five million Americans are living with dementia, and one in 40 Floridians has dementia. Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, has become the seventh leading cause of death in America, and is the only cause of death that is moving up in the rankings. Alzheimer’s is a disease of aging, with typical onset in the late 70s and 80s. The number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s is expected to increase as the baby boomers age, and people live longer due to advances in treating infections, heart disease and cancer. It is estimated that 10 million baby boomers will die of this disease without a treatment that slows or prevents Alzheimer’s.

Source: USF Health’s Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute

For more information about our home care services for you loved one suffering with Alzheimer’s  in Macomb County, MI, contact Pure Home Care Services at (586) 293-2457 today!

There are nearly 15 million people caring for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in the USA, the Alzheimer’s Association has revealed today. The number of caregivers is 37% higher than estimates published last year, according the 2011 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures.

The authors of the report found that American caregivers gave 17 billion hours of unpaid care, estimated at $202.6 billion. A state with a population of 15 million would be the 5th largest in the USA.

Most individuals over the age of 65 years survive for about four to eight years after they are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, sometimes 20 years. Because of the debilitating effects of the disease and its long duration, family members and friends who care for patients are placed under increasingly intense demands.

Source: Alzheimer’s Association

If you have questions about home care services for your loved one suffering with Alzheimer’s or Dementia, please contact Pure Home Care Services, serving Macomb County, MI at (586) 293-2457 today.