The 12 rules of Christmas dementia care

The 12 rules of Christmas dementia care

 This post comes to us from Unforgettable.org. Check them out for plenty of tips, ideas, and interesting articles related to memory and dementia:

For those living with dementia it is easy to be forgotten.

For the family and professional carers it can seem overwhelming and hopeless.

Unforgettable can help on every step of the journey with practical advice, specialised products and a supportive community.

If a loved one has dementia you might be worried about how they’ll cope during the festive season. Read our simple guide to help you make Christmas as enjoyable as possible – for everyone.

1. Have a plan

Taking a, ‘let’s see what happens’ approach to the festive season isn’t going to work when you’re caring for someone with dementia. Spontaneous visits can be stressful so make sure to contact anyone who usually drops by (and who your loved one will definitely want to see) and organise dates and times in advance.

2. Trust your instinct

It’s not too late to change a plan you may have agreed to initially but which you’re now worried about. For example, if you’re dreading an overnight stay with Aunty Alice because you know your loved one won’t sleep and could become very unsettled, trust your instinct, confront it now and either cancel the trip or agree to a shorter visit which can be done in a day.

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The dementia carer’s Christmas product check list

The dementia carer’s Christmas product check list

 This article comes to us from Unforgettable.org. Check them out for plenty of tips, ideas, and interesting articles related to memory and dementia:

For those living with dementia it is easy to be forgotten.

For the family and professional carers it can seem overwhelming and hopeless.

Unforgettable can help on every step of the journey with practical advice, specialised products and a supportive community.

The dementia carer’s Christmas product check list

If you’re looking after someone with dementia at Christmas, this last-minute list will ensure you have everything you need to make the festive season go as smoothly as possible.

Let’s face it, most people’s pre-Christmas to-do lists can stretch on a fair bit, from buying presents and food shopping, to decorating and Christmas card-writing. But if you’re also playing host to a loved one with dementia, chances are you’re going to be feeling like that list suddenly got a whole lot longer. Similarly, if you and your loved are heading off to someone else’s house, you want to make sure that you’ve packed all the necessary items they need over the Christmas period.

While there may be a few more things to think about, your best option is to take note of our list of questions and start preparing with suitable products, so that the days before, during and after the Christmas holidays run as smoothly as possible. This could be anything from checking you’ve got enough dementia-appropriate activities to do, to ensuring they’re comfy and warm in their room.

Ask yourself these questions:

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Dementia: investing against the trillion dollar disease

research*eu results features highlights from the most exciting EU-funded research and development projects. It is published 10 times per year in English. The August/September 2016 issue is a special feature on ‘Dementia: investing against the trillion dollar disease’.

research*eu results magazine - August 2016/September 2016

Issue 55 – August 2016/September 2016

Interviews:

  • Julie Wadoux of AGE Platform Europe in Belgium on ‘Stakeholders join forces to create age-friendly environments across Europe’
  • Hubert Martens of Medtronic in the Netherlands on ‘Brain pacemakers without side effects’
  • Dr. Mark Isalan of Imperial College London in the United Kingdom on ‘The long sought cure to Huntington’s disease’

Other highlights:

  • Chest pain treatment offers hope for the fight against neglected fungal diseases
  • What knowledge societies can learn from foraging societies
  • Disrupting the solar energy status quo
  • A deeper understanding about the causes of sea-level rise
  • New interactive app encourages users to adopt healthier lifestyles
  • EU Scientists use silver to make lights shine more brightly
  • New tools and methods to protect Europe’s Critical Infrastructure
  • Innovative stacking technique results in highly detailed images of Mars

 

You can download it for free here:  http://bookshop.europa.eu/en/research-eu-results-magazine-pbZZAC16007/;pgid=GSPefJMEtXBSR0dT6jbGakZD0000VCTF9fYd;sid=a9NobXoofeZodS3fMVj2yhgNyRAUPX37bQA=?CatalogCategoryID=Yriep2Ix6ucAAAEvxusQ_v3E

And check out other issues from research*eu results here:  http://cordis.europa.eu/research-eu/magazine_en.html

Kitchen Floors and Safety Scores

Kitchen Flooring Design and Safety Scores for Aging in Place

The kitchen is the second most important room to remodel for safety if you’re planning to age in place, coming in only behind the bathroom. And, an important part of that project is choosing the right kitchen flooring.

Many people fear that they won’t be able to maintain their own unique sense of style when remodeling with safety at the forefront. However, you can choose flooring that is safe, yet still reflects your unique style and taste. Continue reading

Course Review! Re-thinking aging, are we prepared to live longer?

Since I have finished my formal studies at university, I have really enjoyed signing up for free online courses and attending seminars and lectures in Copenhagen. Currently, I am participating in an massive online open course (MOOC) from the University of Melbourne on the topic of Re-thinking aging:  are we prepared to live longer? Continue reading

From innovation to implementation – eHealth in the WHO European Region (2016)

It’s finally here!

from-innovation-ehealth

Please have a read of the World Health Organization European eHealth report and share it with those who would be interested. In particular, you may find the case example on page 71 interesting, where big data for dementia research and treatment is discussed. Or the case example on page 36 about eHealth supporting aged care and carers.

If you like it, please share it 🙂

Happy reading!

Source: From innovation to implementation – eHealth in the WHO European Region (2016)

Internship on Age-Friendly Cities Initiative

Internship with the World Health Organization’s Global Network of Age-friendly Cities

In January, 2013, I started a 3-month internship with the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. I will be working on how to incorporate eHealth in the Age-friendly cities initiative. I will be posting some updates here on how the internship is going and how gerontechnology will be playing a role in Age-friendly cities.

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Retirement villages: great idea, but let’s think about their business model

This article come to use from The Guardian, a UK-based news source.

Let me just say, when I read this tag line, my first thought was “of course developers of retirement villages would say that, their business is developing villages and care homes are their competition.” So, I read this article with a skeptical mind, expecting to find some bias to support my initial opinion.

I think this exemplifies one aspect of the booming elder market and the dementia industry. Smart business people have realized that there is an increasing number of older adults and many of these will need some type of care as they continue to age. It really is a booming market and there are people who are profiting – it IS business, after all – but many of these people new to this market don’t have the compassion or the knowledge to understand what housing and care is and means to people. I get a little queasy when I realize that businesses see these wonderful elders in society as revenue and not as individuals with wants and needs and personalities. My best hope for these types of care homes and villages that are started by people new to the market and looking at the growing profit, is that they hire and continue to educate compassionate, knowledgeable staff who will make the place somewhere that is not only financially sustainable but also a good place to live. Continue reading

Wearable technologies that support living with dementia

Wearable devices are:
Wearable:  the device is worn on the body throughout its use, it should not need to be carried.
Controllable:  the device is controllable by the user, either actively or passively.
Enhancing:  the device will augment knowledge, facilitate learning, or enhance experiences.

One of my posts on Wearable Technology was viewed by a lot of people in the first week I posted it on my other blog (80 is a lot in my world!). When I originally came across the website (which I only summarized and repeated the information), I had intended to comb back through and discuss which ones could be relevant for many carers and people with dementia. This is what I have done my PhD on (you can read more at PhD is Finished!, with pictures!), so I am particularly excited to do this. This list is compiled with the intent for supporting living with dementia and in care, and many of the technologies will be appropriate for home care. Continue reading

Book Review! Come Back Early Today

I recently finished “Come Back Early Today:  A Memoir of Love, Alzheimer’s and Joy” by Marie Marley, PhD.  It is Marie’s account of her life partner’s development of dementia, spanning 7 years but also including a lot of stories from their 30+ years together. It is a story about love and about dementia (and many of the things that those encompass).  Continue reading

Review! Alzheimer Syndrome – Part 2

Last week, I joined the Alzheimer’s Speaks Talk Radio for their show on Alzheimer Syndrome. Dr. Cameron Camp, the Director of Research for the Center for Applied Research in Dementia was joining to share his ideas on Alzheimer Syndrome and how it affects the culture of care.

When I came across the Alzheimer’s Speaks Blog post about their radio show with Dr. Camp on this very topic, I was excited to join in and hear more about it. I was hoping that he had further information on these barriers, doors, and stigma and a (good) explanation for why they would now want to change the name of Alzheimer’s.

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Review! Alzheimer Syndrome – Part 1

This new phrase, Alzheimer Syndrome, came across my radar earlier this week, I think through a LinkedIn post someone had made. I was directed to The Center for Applied Research in Dementia’s YouTube video on Alzheimer Syndrome. The Center’s website also has the video, “… our latest presentation, ‘Alzheimer Syndrome,’  which offers a thought-provoking way of looking at Alzheimer’s, and dementia in general.”

I was interested to see what it was all about, since dementia, by definition IS a syndrome. A syndrome is a group of symptoms. This means that dementia is a collection of symptoms, typically including progressive memory loss, loss of executive functioning, and other cognitive abilities.

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New books on the shelf

I don’t usually buy many things online. I do this maybe once or twice per year, and it’s usually books or vitamins. Last month I ordered a few books and I’m so excited they have arrived 🙂 I also got one of these (a signed copy!) from my mother-in-law for my birthday a few months ago. I’ve read 3 of these already, and reviews for those are in the works. Keep your eyes peeled!

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Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!

Do you have any books on dementia that you recommend? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Danish-English differences in describing dementia

One of the interesting things about speaking two languages and having lived in two different cultures, is discovering differences in the cultural meanings of words. I have lived in Denmark since 2004, and I came in knowing the US jargon used in Gerontology and in dementia care, but had to learn how the Danish language describes the terms. (Jargon is the vocabulary used by a particular trade, profession, or group – like how medical terminology is medical jargon). Continue reading

Denmark’s National Dementia Strategy

While it is great that Denmark has actively worked on developing a National Dementia Strategy, there are a few issues I am concerned about.

The first, is that the strategy ran for three years, from 2011-2014. As far as I can tell to date, there is no new version of the National Dementia Strategy. After some digging, I did find that Demensalliancen has set forth some goals in a national dementia plan through 2025. These 5 goals are given at the end of this post.

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