Articles for Memory Care

Many caregivers for those with dementia do not realize that the more their loved one’s dementia progresses, the more their physical health will decline. Familiarizing yourself with what to expect can help you prepare for the future. 

Here are 5 physical symptoms dementia can cause:

• Jerky movements: It is common for individuals in the later stages of dementia to move in a jerky manner. This is particularly true with patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Doctors are unsure why this happens. 
• Loss of appetite: Dementia patients often become quite picky about the types of food they eat. It is not uncommon for a person with advanced dementia to forget how to use utensils or how to chew or swallow. 
• Difficulty swallowing: The act of swallowing is surprisingly complicated, and it is not unheard for a person with dementia to lose the ability to swallow. This puts patients at a risk for dehydration. If a patient with dementia becomes dehydrated, other symptoms, like jerky movements, will only worsen. 
• Difficulties using the bathroom: Unfortunately, one of the more debilitating physical effects of dementia is losing control of one’s bowels. Incontinence is one of the primary indicators that this has happened. Aides who work in dementia home care will often encourage their charges to go to the bathroom every 1-2 hours. 
• Lack of sleep: In the later stages of dementia, patients often become more active at night and have severe difficulties sleeping. This is referred to as “sundowning”. 

In Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton there are many families whose loved ones are aging and living with the effects of… Read More »Lehigh Valley Memory Care Senior Living Options

Living in the Lehigh Valley we see how families interact, especially the relationships that grandparents have with their grandchildren. Unfortunately, not every child has the opportunity to spend time and really know their grandparents. This is attributed to several factors including having a deceased grandparent, geographic separation, and increasingly more common — the effects of dementia.

Dementia robs an individual of their personality and dramatically alters the relationships of those around them – spouses, children, and grandchildren. Dementia is particularly painful for those who witness the harrowing transformation from who they were into who they are with dementia. The silver lining is that they had the opportunity to know the individual. This is not true for some grandchildren.

We asked one of the most respected dementia educators in world, Teepa Snow, who trains health and senior professionals across the nation, what advice she has for grandchild / grandparent interaction.

How can families encourage interaction between a grandchild and a grandparent with dementia?

Below are questions that are frequently asked about Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. If you suspect that your loved one has cognitive issues we encourage you to seek professional help and a diagnosis. If dementia is present, a care plan will address their needs to maximize the person’s life.

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. It begins slowly and gets worse over time. Currently, it has no cure. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in older people.

What is dementia?

Dementia is a loss of thinking, remembering, and reasoning skills that interfere with a person’s daily life and activities. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among older people. Dementia ranges in severity from the mild stage, when it is just beginning to affect a person’s functioning, to the severe stage, when the person must depend completely on others for care.

What is typically the first sign of Alzheimer’s disease?

Memory problems are typically one of the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease, though different people may have different initial symptoms. A decline in other aspects of thinking, such as finding the right words, vision/spatial issues, and impaired reasoning or judgment, may also signal the very early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.