Preventing Brain Disease: Risk Factors and Early Signs and Symptoms of Dementia This session highlights preventable risk factors associated with brain disease and stress the differences in signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in the Down Syndrome population compared to the general aging population. Read more
There’s No Place Like Home: Creating Safe Environments for People With Late Stage Alzheimer’s For someone with Alzheimer’s or another memory disorder, home may not always be the safest or most convenient place to live. As caregivers, we can help a loved one make modifications so they can continue to live safely in familiar surroundings. Read more
Why Transportation is so Important to Older Adults Transportation is more than a vehicle. It is about mobility, independence and autonomy. Transportation is a necessity that contributes to our quality of life. It gives us access to more than just medical help and other appointments. With it, we can connect to healthy foods, safer neighborhoods and social activities. Having reliable transportation can enrich our relationships and social life, contributing not only to our sense of well-being, but also keeping us cognitively connected. Read more
Pet Ownership and Aging This infographic explores the benefits, challenges, opportunities and concerns of client pet ownership encountered by professionals. Read more
Caregiving for an Aging Pet Owner This infographic explores the challenges, benefits, opportunities, and concerns of caregivers caring for pet owners. Read more
Spring Increases Risk of Dementia-Related Wandering For caregivers of someone with memory and thinking problems, the change of seasons from winter to spring can raise unique concerns. The same freedom that warmer weather provides can also increase the risk of wandering for those with dementia. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 60 percent of persons with dementia will wander at least once; many will wander repeatedly. As risky and dangerous as wandering is, caregivers can take steps to reduce the risk. Read more
Understanding and Diagnosing an Older Loved One’s Dementia- or IDD-Related Depression Dementia, intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and depression can, unfortunately, be closely linked. An estimated 30 to 40 percent of individuals diagnosed with dementia may also suffer from depression. This number includes older adults in the IDD population who also have dementia—and who are already fifty percent more likely to struggle with mental health conditions, according to the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health. Read more
Avoiding Medicine and Health Remedy Scams Schemes advertising dubious pills, potions, diets and other supposed treatments for a wide variety of illnesses common in older people have been promoted by fraudulent salesmen for centuries. Nowadays, instead of listening to sales pitches for home remedies at the county fair from snake oil salesmen, vulnerable older adults are bombarded by ads for these questionable solutions in newspapers, magazines, TV, the internet, and even cell phone text messages. Read more
Behavioral Interventions: When Caring for a Loved One with Dementia This webinar incorporates the most current research about dementia care, effective practical strategies, and useful resources in identifying causes of common behavioral symptoms and effective interventions. Read more
Caring for Yourself as a Caregiver with Mini-Breaks Being a caregiver of an older adult with a chronic illness can be especially challenging. Trying to meet both their healthcare and safety needs can often take up most of a caregivers’ time. Letting your loved ones’ care needs overshadow your own, however, can lead to resentment and impatience and can impact your own health. How can caregivers step away from their caregiving role and still ensure supervision and safety? Enter the mini-break, a small bitesize rest period that provides time to step out of the caregiving role without leaving the one you care for to do so. Read more
