November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. To spread the word, we want to help clarify the difference between the terms “Alzheimer’s disease” and “dementia.” I hear a lot of confusion between these words, but there’s a simple distinction.
As a social worker who’s worked with people with dementia for well over a decade, one of the main concerns I repeatedly hear from family members and caregivers is about oven and stove safety. I recently spoke with the grandchild of a woman with dementia who used the stovetop to iron her sheets. She started a fire. Luckily, everyone was safe, but this prompted the granddaughter to get more help in the home to ensure it didn’t happen again.
This can be a scary situation, and it’s important to support the independence of someone with dementia while also balancing their safety (and the safety of others in the building). What if cooking brings joy to someone with dementia? Can we provide a safer kitchen set-up that still supports their love of cooking?
by Jodie Berman, MS, CTRS and Grace Townley-Lott, LMSW
Studies show that social engagement combats cognitive decline, while prolonged isolation and loneliness accelerate it. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has interrupted our usual social engagement routines. Those with dementia have been hit especially hard by this isolation.
Luckily, we live in a time where we can turn to virtual social engagement. Virtual programs can provide routine and support to those with dementia while giving their caregivers some respite. However, this pivot to virtual has its own challenges for participants and instructors alike.
As the Coronavirus has ravaged our nation's nursing homes, it's also exacerbated a problem many residents already faced: isolation. As a previous nursing home social worker, I've seen the positive impact of visitors, whether they were families, friends, or entertainers. Visitors brought smiles to our residents' faces, and the good feelings remained long after visitors left.
This year our memory care program, True Bridge, started participating in The Gratitude Project. The idea behind this project is for clients and caregivers to "Take 5 minutes each day and write down, record, or draw 3 things for which you are grateful."
Although there is no clear origin as to how journaling gratitude began, it is a concept that has been around for almost 20 years. "The research behind gratitude is very clear; having a simple and regular gratitude practice can have surprising, profound effects on our lives," says Dr. Lauren Tober in this video.
If someone you know is developing cognitive changes, it’s time to talk to a doctor and start asking some questions. Since there can be many reasons for cognitive changes, it’s important to get to the root of the cause, so you know the best treatment route and have an idea of what to expect in the future.
