Recently at a presentation I was giving on cognitive interventions with individuals with Alzheimer’s disease I was asked if I’d heard about the use of coconut oil as a treatment regime. I have to admit that I didn’t really have an opinion on it as I had not studied it in any depth. I had ...…
Cicero called old age – ” the autumn of life” and certainly each stage of life has its own beauty and its own tasks. There is a dignified maturity to autumn that is restful and calls upon us to reflect…a certain sharpness to the air and shadows that focuses the mind on the essentials. Stepping ...…
I was spending some quiet time thinking about a recent talk I have to give at a conference in March. I was mulling over different ways to approach the topic on maintaining connections in relationships where Alzheimer’s is part of the equation. As I was thinking about the topic, it occurred to me that caring ...…
Last week I had the opportunity to work with an Alzheimer’s Day Program using the InterAct™ kit. We had a lot of fun with great interaction and engagement by the individuals who participated. One woman, in particular, really stood out for me. While I don’t know her full-story, she had a great deal of difficulty ...…
We’ve all heard it before – ‘Play to Your Strengths”. This adage applies in all sorts of situations in life and I was reminded of its applicability when I was presenting to an Early Stage Alzheimer’s Group at the Lanark County Alzheimer’s Society this week. One of the participants spoke about the loss of his ...…
I recently read an advertorial aimed at the ‘dutiful daughter’. The writer asked two questions: Do your parents and siblings rely on you whenever problems arise? Are you currently caring for your elderly parents as their health declines? If so, you may be a Dutiful Daughter. She went onto say, “Dutiful Daughters feel a sense ...…
Determining your level of social wellness is a good indicator of whether or not you are burning out as a caregiver. Social wellness is supported by healthy interpersonal relationships and access to support from family, friends, church and community while caregiving. I really like this social wellness evaluation scale developed by Dr. Eboni Green and ...…
I’ve just been engaging in a really interesting discussion on LinkedIn about continuum of care. Some of the continuum elephants that have been identified by the group are: • Fragmented “silo communication” on internal/external basis • High hospital re-admissions • Inconsistent transitional care • Lack of care recipient educational outreach programs • PCPs {primary care ...…
Questions are being raised by the Toronto-based Advocacy Centre for the Elderly (ACE)‘s counsel Jane Meadus about the Home First Policy being implemented by hospitals across the Province of Ontario. ACE reports they have received about 250 complaints from Ontario seniors and their families this year and the most prevalent issue is early discharge from ...…
In remarkable research on-going at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, scientist Dr. Adrian Owen was able to demonstrate using an fMRI that a patient considered to be ‘vegetative’ was actually capable of answering questions. The research is a fascinating glimpse into the brain and shows that there is a lot more going ...…