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Alzheimer’s Awareness With Early Screening
Donna Nichols • November 8, 2021
Why should you get checked for Alzheimer’s disease?
As I state in all my blog posts, early detection is the key !!
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s, but if detected early you can control it with medication and proper living.
This will also give you the time you need to decide if a memory care community would be best for you or your loved one.
How do you know if you should get checked?
If you notice any of the signs below, please see your doctor immediately.
Signs of Alzheimer’s disease are:
- Memory loss that disrupts daily life
- Challenges in planning or solving problems
- Difficulty completing familiar tasks
- Confusion with time or place
- Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
- New problems with words in speaking or writing
- Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
- Decreased or poor judgment
- Withdrawal from work or social activities
- Changes in mood and personality
The signs above may not even be Alzheimer’s, but if they are an early diagnosis allows you the following benefits…
Benefits of an early diagnosis:
- Access to treatment options earlier; this may help lessen the intensity of the disease on your brain. The medications for Alzheimer’s are effective at slowing the progression of the disease so an early diagnosis may help in keeping your current cognitive functioning.
- You will have the option to participate in clinical trials which may provide more medical benefits. Many of these trials are open to those with early stages of Alzheimer’s thus allowing you to participate and perhaps making it easier for you to benefit from the trial medications.
- You will be able to record the memories you have so when the disease progresses you can look back at the things that were of importance to you. Take pictures and create a photo book, write a journal, or make a video, however you choose to record the memories will serve as a cherished keepsake.
- You will have the chance to improve your health now. You can make healthier changes to the way you live your life; quit smoking, exercise, control your blood pressure and get out there and be active physically and mentally. All of those can help to improve your cognitive functioning.
- An early diagnosis gives the caregiver time to prepare for what is coming; it will give them the opportunity to understand what is going to happen and learn how best to support the person with Alzheimer’s.
- You will have the opportunity to plan for the future concerning your health care. You can designate your health care surrogate and power of attorney while you’re still of sound mind. You are able to make your financial decisions during this time as well.
- This is the time to become informed about what to expect as your disease progresses. Visit support groups with your caregiver to become educated on what your caregiver will be dealing with to help prepare them as well as yourself.
As you can see, there are many reasons for early screening for Alzheimer’s disease. This is a very debilitating disease and can wreak havoc on a family that is not educated. Assisted Living Made Simple holds three Alzheimer’s caregiver support groups a month; don’t try to do this alone!
Should you feel the time has come for a memory care community, we can help with that also. Please call us first! Our service is free! We care about YOU and YOUR loved one and are here to help! 386-847-2322
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Valentine’s Day tends to zero in on romantic love, but what about our seniors? They too often get forgotten. We have some ways to make Valentine’s Day special for them too. Spend the day with your loved one. Spending quality time with a loved one is more important to a senior than anything else. There is no greater gift than time and please make sure you have enough, so you are not rushed. Do your elderly loved one have a favorite meal? Perhaps you can prepare it for them, or if they are able, you can prepare it together. How fun would that be for you both? Be sure to discuss the enjoyment it brought you while you are sharing the meal together. How about a game of name that love song? You could prepare a playlist of love songs from the generation and play them to see how many they get correct. Or, if you can sing, you can sing some for them and see if they can recollect them. Take some time for reminiscing, go through old photo albums, or ask about old times. Ask them about when you were young and what trouble you caused; this will give you all something to laugh (or cry) about. Has your loved one been cooped up all winter? Take them out for a nice lunch, or weather permitting, a picnic in the park. Go for coffee and a donut, then head out to see a movie. Make a “date” of it. Maybe your senior is into crafts. You can design special Valentine’s Day cards for other family members. This way your senior can express their love for them and send it to them in their own unique way. You can create other greeting cards as well. Bake some special treats together. Does your senior have some favorite cookies or cake? You could bake it together, or you can bake it for them. Then you can enjoy it after you have the meal you prepared together. Yummy, delicious!! You can watch some romantic movies together if they prefer to stay in the house or the weather isn’t so good. If they like to color, you can buy them some of those large coloring books and you can color together. Don’t forget the decorations and the flowers! Make the house or apartment as festive as possible. Even if they live in as assisted living community, you can still decorate their room to the nines! Make it as festive as possible! If you live in another state or can’t be close to your senior for Valentine’s Day, how about sending them a specially crafted care package. You can hand make some gifts, add some photos of family and friends, and send a personally recorded message. You can bake some homemade treats and incorporate some things that are of personal interest to them. This will show how much you care for them and make their Valentine’s Day extra special even if you can’t be with them. There are so many ways to make Valentine’s Day special for seniors. Let’s not forget about them; make sure to show them they are so loved too!
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I’ve written many blogs about the importance of staying hydrated in the summer, but did you know it’s just as important to stay hydrated in the winter months? I’ve shared some important tips on how to stay hydrated in the winter and why. Cold, dry air can dehydrate you easily and quickly. Even if you don’t feel thirsty. Proper hydration can help regulate your body temperature, maintain healthy organ function, and prevent fatigue, dry skin, and headaches. In the colder months, you do not feel thirsty, that’s why it’s so important to make sure you drink plenty of water. Why is winter hydration so important? Colder air tends to be drier causing moisture to evaporate through your breathing which can cause dehydration. In colder weather, you may not feel as thirsty, causing you to become dehydrated quickly. Also, wearing more clothing traps sweat inside your clothing causing more fluid loss. What are some of the benefits of staying hydrated in the winter? • Drinking enough water helps keep your skin hydrated and prevents dryness. This will help with that dry, itchy skin feeling we all get in the winter. • Water helps your body maintain a regular core temperature. Which is so important to maintain in the winter. • Drinking plenty of water supports your immune system, which helps fight off winter colds and the flu. We all want to fight those germs off! • When you are dehydrated, you become tired easily, so drinking plenty of water helps keep your energy levels up. How do you stay hydrated in the winter? • Make sure you drink plenty of water. Set reminders if you must; you probably won’t feel as thirsty in the winter, but you need to keep drinking that water! • You don’t have to drink cold water; room temperature water works. You can also drink tea or water with lemon, as long as you’re getting your water. • If you’re going out, carry a water bottle with you to ensure you have water to drink. • Eat fruits and vegetables that contain water. Tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries, watermelon, cauliflower, mushrooms, cucumber, apples, and pineapple are just a few that contain high water contents. • If you think you’re dehydrated, check your urine; if it’s a darker color, that can suggest dehydration. Urine should be a pale, yellow color. As you can see, staying hydrated in the winter is just as important as staying hydrated in the summer, if not more. In the winter you don’t realize you are thirsty therefore you tend not to drink as much water as you should. This has the potential of wreaking havoc on your body. Please make sure you drink plenty of water in the wintertime as you do in the summertime. We have rebranded our company, we are now Assisted Senior Services! Call us for ANYTHING SENIOR!! 386-847-2322!
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