AMAZING!!!! The dementia breakthrough: Part 1

AMAZING!!!! 

The dementia breakthrough: Part 1

Click the picture above to watch the video

Profound Community

Changing How we Think, See and Feel about Dementia

In a nursing home outside of Amsterdam,

a revolutionary treatment is yielding incredible results in dementia care.

This is a must watch

Part two coming tomorrow

Visit Alzheimer’s Speaks Website for More Information and Resources

Do You Need A Coach When Dealing With Dementia?

Do You Need A Coach When Dealing With Dementia?

Today, our first will be Mary Brett Wright who not only is a coach for those dealing with dementia,but who has a husband living with  Frontal Lobe Dementia which affects his judgement and ability to make good sound decisions.  We will discuss what it’s like to care for someone with dementia, the stress, support groups, resources, finding balance and more.

Contact Mary through her website above

Phone:  571-216-8372   757-206-9182

E-mail: mbrettwright@cox.net

Our second guest will be Sue Paul,  who has been an occupational therapist for over twenty years.  She specializes in the rehabilitation and habilitation of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.  A few things we will discuss are:

Can people with Alzheimer’s disease truly  benefit from rehabilitation services like physical and occupational therapy?

What role does occupational therapy play in treating someone with Alzheimer’s?

Some of the challenges people with Alzheimer’s have that  live alone.

How caregivers can gain access to rehabilitative services.

Sue can be found on Facebook at “The Dementia Queen”

or contact her by email at dq@thedementiaqueen.com

Additional Resources Mentioned on the Show Today

Locate an Alzheimer’s Association close to you – Alzheimer’s Disease International

Clinical Trail – Alzheimer’s Studies

Incontinence Underwear – WearEver Washable, Eco Friendly, Economical!

Fun, Adaptive Croquet – Jiminy Wicket

Music Prescriptions – Music First

Breathing Exercise-Tonglen Meditation

Respite Care in Atlanta – Caring Together

Check out our Website for more information

Contact Lori La Bey via making a comment here,

if you want to join the Resource Directory. 

Listings are FREE

Happy Father’s Day

To all the men on our lives who have blessed us with their presence, their love and their support.   To the young and to the old.  To our Father’s, Brother’s, Uncle’s and Cousin.  To the Step Father’s. Step Brother’s, Step Uncle’s and Step Cousins.  To all the men who have fathered us in  a variety of forms.  To those who have listened to us, advised us, mentored us and loved us throughout our lives. 

May each of you know the impact you have had on so many levels with so many people.

May each of you know how much you are loved and appreciated.

To my Dad,

I could not have asked for a better Father and role model.

Although you have left this world, you will never leave me heart. 

I miss you Dad.  My you enjoy your day and celebrate in heaven.

I will always love you Dad

XXOXXOXXO

Your Daughter Lori

Radio Station vs. Therapeutic Music: Making the Right Choice for Alzheimer’s Patient Care

Radio Station Vs. Therapeutic Music 

Making the Right Choice for Alzheimer’s Patient Care

By Leanne Flask, Chief Content Officer of Coro Health

 

You know that in the past, the Alzheimer’s or Dementia patient for whom you care always loved country music.  So, with the best of intentions, you tune the radio to her favorite station. But rather than responding positively to the music, you are surprised and disappointed when she becomes agitated.  What went wrong?  In a word, the selection of music based solely on genre and popularity, such as that available over radio or on CD’s, stands in sharp contrast to the development of a therapeutic music program, designed scientifically with specific outcomes in mind.

Your original impulse was spot on:  music does hold the potential to soothe, heal and inspire.  Both clinical research and qualitative observation reveals that the effective use of music with Alzheimer’s and Dementia patients can contribute to specific desirable outcomes.   Results can include a lessening of agitation and depression.  Other benefits include the reduction of medication, the lessening of pain perception, increased cognitive stimulation, enhanced social interaction support and more.

 

But there’s a caveat.  As our example illustrates, not all music sources are created equal.  The key is in what goes into the creation of a music program. In brief, the primary goal of the radio station programmer versus that of the team of music therapists, designers and neuroscientists behind therapeutic music could not be further apart. 

 

The objective of the typical radio station is to reach the broadest possible audience with a popular selection of music.  In most cases, the music is interrupted periodically by news, commentary or advertisements which can influence a mood or stimulate a memory. Even commercial-free entertainment music service programmers use tools such as listener data on radio audiences, record sales and mass market airplay to identify which songs to play, and often, in which order.  The desired outcomes of entertainment music are to drive sales and obtain market saturation.  When a consumer turns on a radio or TV in search of a station or genre, they are listening to a structure of songs based on rating scales attached to each song.   

 

Therapeutic music, on the other hand, makes its selections with the specific goal of supporting and improving the quality of life for the individual.   Music genres, sub-genres, tempo, texture, and energy are just a few of the musical qualities that are evaluated.  In addition to including individual songs with which the individual is likely to be familiar, designers and therapists also review how the songs fit together to create a therapeutic music experience. 

 

Why are these considerations important? Here is an example. The song Amazing Grace has a wide variety of versions. If someone suffers from agitation, then a version of the song with less instrumentation and a slower tempo would be selected.  Even if the same version happened to be available on a radio station, it would likely be followed by a disruptive sales pitch or up-tempo song which could easily undo the benefits of the music.  Clearly, this is too important and complex a methodology to be left to chance.

 

While professionals in the Alzheimer’s field understand the role music can play in enhancing the patients’ quality of life, until recently, accessing therapeutic music on a one-on-one basis has been prohibitively expensive for individual caregivers.  Recently, however, one of Alzheimer’s Speaks sponsors, Coro Health, launched an affordable mHealth mobile app that is revolutionizing the delivery of therapeutic music to individuals with Alzheimer’s and Dementia.   MusicFirst: Alzheimer’s draws on over 1000 hours of music and is delivered over most mobile devices.  Easy-to-use, the Alzheimer’s app targets outcomes for those suffering from Alzheimer’s, dementia and other forms of memory impairment as well as behaviors associated with Sundowning syndrome.

Early adopters of Coro Health’s MusicFirst include over 1000 long-term care communities, hospitals, rehabilitation agencies, home health companies, individual caregivers and third party media distributors, supporting over 100,000 people per day.  

 

Broadcast music accessible over the radio is great for targeting the masses.  However, Coro Health realizes that your loved one is more than just a face is the crowd. That’s why when we create therapeutic music programs, we base our decisions on what’s best for the individual, not what’s most popular, or will be most attractive to advertisers.

 

MusicFirst: Alzheimer’s

is available in the Apple iTunes store. You can download and receive the first hour for free and then the app is $4.99 a month.  

 

For more information: visit corohealth.com or to download the app:

MusicFirst:  Alzheimer’s

For additional resources check out Alzheimer’s Speaks

 

Recording of Dementia Chats Webinar Today – June 11th, 2013

Recording of Dementia Chats Webinar

Today – June 11th, 2013

Click on the photo below to go to the recorded webinar

Topics covered today were:

The Purple Angel Symbol

Dementia & the Government

The words “Caregiver,” “Carer,” “Care Partner”

Tips to Coping with a Loved One’s Alzheimer’s

Tips to Coping with a Loved One’s Alzheimer’s

 

When a family member or close friend has Alzheimer’s it can have an enormous effect of the rest of the family and close friends. This is especially hard for the ones directly involved in caring for the afflicted loved one as they are forced to face the effects of the disease day in and day out. It’s a heartbreaking site to watch a loved one struggle and even more so when their memory fails to comprehend the big things. Here are some tips to coping with life when a loved one suffers from Alzheimer’s.

 

·         First and foremost, don’t be afraid to express the grief you feel. You have got every right to mourn the life you hoped to have with your loved one and to be sad about how your lives have now changed forever. This sadness may sink it when the disease begins to affect, it may begin before. It is perfectly normal to display signs of anticipatory grief and in some cases it can help you and your loved one prepare yourselves for what is to come.

 

·         Develop a routine that allows you to make life easier on the rest of the family or any other caregivers involved. Make note of times a day when the afflicted is less prone to confusion or is more cooperative. Schedule errands, meal times, and any visits accordingly with these times as well.

 

 

·         Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Caring for a loved one is a 24/7 job that represents an enormous act of selflessness and unconditional love but we are only human. Sometimes the situation, along with any other problems in our lives can get to us. Family and friends are great to have around as things start to get really bad and can help you ease into the transition a lot easier.

 

·         Consult medical professionals. There are often local support groups or organizations you can call for people to talk to that know exactly what you are going through. There are also adult day care services or respite services in case you are the only friend or relative near the afflicted. These people are handy to be in touch with even if you don’t feel you need them as you never know when you might run into an emergency and need someone to substitute care.

 

·         Plan for the future. Be sure to get legal and financial advice as well as any necessary documents in order before the affected becomes less capable. Look into long-term care options and see what is available through health insurance, state agencies, Medicare, etc. Making these kinds of decision during difficult times can be hard and drawn out. It is best to make decisions that everyone is consulted with and agree upon early. On this same note it imperative to have backup plans in case another tragedy occurs. Put away a significant amount of money in case the primary provider may become injured or unable to work whether it is you or another loved one.

 

Cheryl Swanson is a devoted caregiver and a loving wife and mother. She believes that everyone deserves happiness and independence and works to provide that for everyone that she can. In her free time she writes for www.justwalkers.com, a leading supplier of rollators.

For more resources check out Alzheimer’s Speaks Website

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