Assisted Living Facilities Near Me -Best Brain Health – Dementia
Senior Living Article Focus: You Best Brain Health before and after Dealing with Dementia Life Transitions Series is a group of Posted Articles which will help all of us to understand the Transitions which eventually happen to us all. We will ask and attempt to discuss What transitions do older adults face? Dealing with Dementia is simple. Dementia is a group of conditions characterized by impairment of at least two brain functions, such as judgment and memory loss. Some symptoms in a person with Dementia includes forgetfulness, limited social skills, and thinking abilities so impaired that it interferes with daily functioning. There is good news; Medications and therapies may help manage symptoms. Some causes of Dementia are reversible with care. Dealing with Dementia There are things that must be remembered when dealing with a person who has dementia. These will vary somewhat through the stages. Always remember that you are dealing with a person, an individual, who is losing their independence. This is frightening and frustrating to them; especially in the first stages. Make suggestions; do not give orders. Do not point out small failures like not turning off the stove, not flushing the toilet, not getting to the bathroom on time, just anything that should be done but is not. These are indications of their needing assistance and will give you an idea of the level of their dementia and the amount of decline. Simply go behind them and make the corrections that are needed. If they notice that you are doing this cover with everyone makes mistakes, no one is perfect and it is taken care of. As dementia progresses the person will remember less and less. They may not remember your name or what you have done for them but they will always remember how you made them feel. If you made them happy you will always be met with a smile. If you made them unhappy you will not be trusted and will be treated accordingly. Memories die but feelings remain. Remembering this will keep you on track. Typical Types of Memory Loss: 1. Amnesia we list three here: Retrograde amnesia: For reference watch Memento with Carrie-Anne Moss. Retrograde means from a time backward. People who have Retrograde amnesia may say; When did we get here?, How did we get here?, Who are you? This Retrograde amnesia is the inability to recall memories from before a specific event, such as a head injury or illness. So they may forget everyone from a section of time maybe they remember themselves as a teenager backward. Anterograde amnesia: Anterograde means from a time forward. People with this condition have trouble forming new memories after the specific event. They can maintain a conversation or even say they remember something that recently happened but they really don’t when quizzed on the specifics. Transient global amnesia: A temporary form of amnesia that lasts for a few hours to a few days. 2. Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI): Not severe enough to interfere with ADLs or Activities of Daily Living, yet a decline in memory and other cognitive functions is noticeable. 3. Dementia: Think of Dory from the movie Finding Nemo. A progressive decline in cognitive abilities, including memory, that significantly impairs daily functioning. Common types of dementia include Alzheimer’s disease which you may have heard of, vascular dementia relating to the vascular system, and frontotemporal dementia having to do with the front portion of a persons brain. 4. Post-Traumatic Amnesia: Think of the movie Overboard with Goldie Hawn. Or Regarding Henry with Harrison Ford. Memory loss that occurs after a head or a traumatic brain injury (TBI). 5. Psychogenic Amnesia: Trauma or stress can also cause memory loss since such events carry psychological factors. 6. Age-Related Memory Loss: A gradual decline in memory fortunately this is a normal part of aging. May we all forget we have wrinkles and forget our age. Other Causes of Memory Loss: Brain tumors, Stroke, Infections, Medication side effects, and Thyroid disorders. Remember, memory loss can be a symptom of various underlying conditions, those that are seemingly simple and complex. Should you ever experience memory problems no matter how small, it’s essential to consult a healthcare professional. This article and those appearing on our website do not ever substitute for proper professional diagnosis and treatment of your personal doctor. Movies Dealing with Memory Loss Read more from LaVona: Losing a Loved One: Bereavement – Cope with Grief over the Loss of a Loved One Here are more resources to help you learn more about Dementia and this Life Transition: CDC looks at Dementia as a possible Life Transitions – What Is Dementia? Life Transitions Short Term Memory Loss Life Transitions: Immediate Memory Memory Loss (Short- and Long-Term)
Know Who You Are
Below are two letters. Who do you want to be looking at in the mirror at each day of your life for the remainder of your life? Know who you are and forgiving who you are. Maria Empowered I no longer have a house. It made me happy to give away a lot of fancy stuff to a young family that needed it. Fancy stuff is not who you are. I do have someone to clean my room, make my food, and do my laundry. They care for me here, try to find activities that will make me feel productive. They also take my blood pressure and weigh me. I am very grateful to have someone looking after me like this. I listen to the laughter of my grandchildren in video meetings every Sunday. I look forward to those days. I see them growing up and fighting with each other, video technology is not the same as being there, but better than not at all. Sometimes the family comes to visit, which is nice, and I love the phone calls and texts that’s okay too. I try to appreciate every minute and not complain, just know that I miss you, and any little contact will make me smile. I am retired and my body and mind are different now. I do enjoy reading, but my eyes get tired quickly. The winter months are tough. I am uncomfortably cold more than I want to be. I miss baking cakes. I miss gardening. I guess this all means I am changing and need to be more creative about how to make these things I like happen in a different way. I told you when you were young to “press on toward the mark for the prize” with courage, I have remind myself and others to have courage. I preserve by being helpful to other people here at this adult care home. I am helping to lead group activities. I also read to a group, we even sing together. When others pass away we throw a party of celebration of life well lived. Some folks believe life expectancy numbers will keep going up as our understanding of biotech, such as stem cells and organ regeneration, improves. Others say that the trajectory toward death in old age hasn’t changed, and that evolutionary biology suggests that there’s a limit to how long humans can live. We know we need to keep our minds active as well as exercising a muscle makes it strengthen and allowing lapse makes the same muscle falter weakly. This is why I need to find something productive. A purpose. Bigger families are healthier because the kids learn to share and compromise, and build relationships with each other and their parents. The whole family learns to work together, and the different personalities and skills of each member add diversity. Some studies also say that bigger families can lead to higher life satisfaction. Even thought it is difficult, I am eager to learn new things and find a successful productive purpose. Always remember you are a person of great value, you are needed and capable at any age! Please show this to your loved ones. Grandma Maria loves you. or Maria Sadness I am 82 years old, I have 4 children, 11 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren and a room of 12 square meters. I no longer have a home or expensive things, but I have someone who will clean my room, prepare food and bedding, measure my pressures and weigh me. I no longer have the laughter of my grandchildren, I don’t see them growing, hugging and arguing. Some come to me every 15 days, some every three or four months, and some never. I no longer work in the winter, I don’t bake cakes, I don’t dig up the garden. I still have hobbies and I like to read, but my eyes quickly hurt. I don’t know how much longer, but I have to get used to this loneliness. Here at home, I lead group work and help those who are worse than me as much as I can. Until recently, I read aloud to an immobile woman in the room next to me, we used to sing together, but she died the other day. They say life is getting longer. Why? When I’m alone, I can look at photos of my family and memories I brought from home. And that’s all. I hope that the next generations will understand that families are born to have a future (with children) and that they do not forget about the family even in old age. Please don’t show this to my children. Grandma Maria loves you.
