During the winter season in particular, the thought of a senior with Alzheimer’s wandering away from home is even more alarming. This is all the motivation that caregivers should require to start making some big changes around the home that can help prevent wandering in Alzheimer’s seniors:

1. Install alarms that tell you when external doors or windows are open – you need to give seniors with Alzheimer’s the freedom to move around their home, but even a home alarm system that chimes when doors or even windows are opened can warn you that your loved one might be wandering away

2. Disguise doors – if you don’t want seniors wandering between rooms or outside, paint rooms so the doors blend with the walls

3. Discourage wandering with signs – post signs on doorways inside the home, reminding seniors with Alzheimer’s what can be found on the other side. If there are rooms that seniors should not go in, or doorways that lead to outside, label them with “do not enter”!

4. Give seniors a safe area to walk around – seniors with Alzheimer’s often find themselves restless. Having a secure backyard or garden area can get them out of the home when they feel the need to wander in a safe manner

Via: About.com

Art might just seem like a fun hobby for many, but for seniors with Alzheimer’s it can have extensive benefits that can truly change their lives in the following ways:

1. Communication – seniors with Alzheimer’s often struggle to communicate verbally; art gives them a method to communicate non-verbally, expressing their feelings in a way that can act as an emotional release

2. Improved memory and concentration – Alzheimer’s doesn’t eliminate memories, it just limits the pathways that seniors have to access them.  Art can help seniors to access some of these memories, and it generally taps into the skills and abilities that seniors still have, rather than focusing upon what they’re lacking

3. Better sense of well-being – seniors with Alzheimer’s can be difficult when dealing with their caregivers due to lingering frustrations that come with the disease. Art has calming effects which can benefit not only the well-being of the senior, but also the caregiver through increased cooperation

4. Forms a bond – by allowing the senior with Alzheimer’s to tap into elements of themselves and show their abilities, caregivers and family members are reminded that there’s someone that’s still in there

1. AARP

2. USA Today

There is no feeling worse than sitting at home wondering what’s become of your elderly loved one who suffers from Alzheimer’s and has wandered away. Every time the phone rings, for hours on end, you begin to wonder if someone is calling because they have found the senior injured, or even worse, deceased from an accident or injury during their journey while lost and confused. But for some, the prevention of this situation is not enough to consider using a tracking device to help keep track of older adults who suffer from Alzheimer’s and dementia. Some people believe it takes away the privacy and independence of a senior; others know that it does that while offering protection and safety which both should come first.

Despite the controversy of senior tracking devices, there is quite a market out there for them, with more refined technology constantly under development. The latest is a pair of shoes with a tracking device that submits location details back to a computer. The Ambulatory Tracking Shoes are set to go on sale in the spring, and a portion of the costs might be covered by Medicare.

Where do you stand in the argument about senior tracking technology? Share with us what you think about these tracking shoes.

Via: Washington Post

Q - My mother has been suffering with dementia for a number of years; it’s affected her ability to sleep and also her general mood and disposition. Her San Diego doctor has prescribed her medications to deal with these symptoms, but I would really like to see these medications reduced because I feel like she’s constantly being drugged. Are there any natural ways to help improve these symptoms of Alzheimer’s or dementia in seniors?

A – Actually, your question couldn’t come at a better time, because a recent study conducted in New Zealand shows that a very simple change in a senior’s residence can make a world of difference. By increasing the amount of light in a senior’s home during the day, they can establish a better circadian rhythm which sets up sleeping patterns and helps seniors to sleep through the night. Melatonin supplements can also have a similar result if taken on a regular basis. Not only can both of these methods help improve sleeping patterns, which is a common issue amongst San Diego  seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s; it can also improve their overall mood, both through the changes in sleep and helping out with general feelings of well-being. Try out the light techniques on your mother, all you need to do is purchase some brighter light bulbs or increase the number of light sources in the main rooms of her home, or make sure that the blinds are open wide so natural light can come into her home during the day.

Sources:

1. New York Times

2. Web MD

3. The Journal of American Medical Association

Image Source: scientificamerican.com