Why Do Persons with Dementia and Alzheimers STOP Eating or Drinking? What to DO? 🤷🏽♀️🍽️🥤😖
#alzheimer #alzheimerawareness #elderlycare #nutritionandlifestyle #nutritionist #healthyaging #brainhealth #seniorcare #familycaregivers #thelonggoodbye
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Dementia and its most common subset, Alzheimer’s disease are neurological brain disorders that cause impairment with memory, thinking skills, and behaviour.
Daunting? Yes!
🤷🏽♀️🍽️🥤😖As these diseases progress, they often affect taste, smell and mood, as well making mealtimes and hydration a "battle of wills"😖
Dangers: Dehydration, constipation, infection, frailty, poorer immune system, falls, fractures, death.
Reasons:
🤷🏽♀️🍽️🥤😖Pain
🤷🏽♀️🍽️🥤😖Depression and apathy - no desire
🤷🏽♀️🍽️🥤😖arthritis in the jaw- eating is just uncomfortable
🤷🏽♀️🍽️🥤😖Infection especially lungs and bladder - let's not forget anosmia from COVID-19
🤷🏽♀️🍽️🥤😖Some medication alter taste
🤷🏽♀️🍽️🥤😖Memory Impairment-- they simply forget to eat
What can you do?
🍽️🥤😊 Vary the colours and textures of food and the utensils; use "watery fruit" such as watermelob
🍽️Lightweight cups and mugs are easier to hold
🍽️🥤Be alert to signs of dehydration and when you may need the doctor
🍽️🥤 Seek the advice of the nutritionist
🍽️🥤When nothing works- walk away , cool heads and come back in a few minutes
🍽️🥤Eating is a SOCIAL event-, so eat WITH them- selfcare, comraderie, familiarity.
Let us embrace these "new normals" in an atmosphere of acceptance, understanding, empathy and love
One day/hour at a time
From my heart to yours💗
Dr. Lana
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Overwhelmed? Let's connect: 📧lana@lanaannemd.com
For more insights and connect for a FREE face-to-Face 15 minute Zoom call, and a place where we can connect as Family Caregivers and fellow Physicians on my website: lanaslittlethings.com.
LLT# 209 - "Sundowning" : Why Do Persons with Dementia "Change" When the Sun Sets?👵🏽👴🏽🌇😕
#sundowning #dementia #dementiasupport #dementiacaretipsandtricks #delirium #moodchange #alzheimerawareness #elderlycare #healthyaging #brainhealth #seniorcare #familycaregivers #mindfulness #habits
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"SUNDOWNING" : a term that can cause confusion as much as it causes distress in both the person with dementia and the entire family!
This term "sundowning" refers to a state of increasing confusion that occurs in the late afternoon and lasts into the night.
Some symptoms can be more distressing than others: as it seems that your loved one goes from baseline Dementia or Alzheimer's disease to plain bizarre behaviour - almost everyday at sunset!
🌇😕Is THIS your reality?
🌇😕Why does it happen?
🌇😕What can you do?
The good news, if you can call it such, is that - SUNDOWNING is NOT a disease, and although it has no known cause/source, there ARE ways to recognise signs and mitigate the daily disruption.
Some causes:
🌇😕Suddenly changing environments, such as the doctor's office or visiting relatives , or transitioning to another care facility
🌇😕Low lighting in the day, can increase shadows, which may cause the person to become confused by what they see and what time of day it actually is. This can be harsh enough to cause hallucinations and increased agitation
🌇😕Trouble separating reality from dreams
🌇😕infection, such as a urinary tract infection , pneumonia
A mixed-up "internal body clock." Often the person living with Alzheimer's may feel tired during the day and awake at night.
🌇😕Pain or boredom
Common SYMPTOMS:
🌇😕Confusion aggression
🌇😕Anxiety
🌇😕Aggression or
🌇😕Ignoring directions.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
😊🌇✅Keep a predictable routine for bedtime, waking, meals and activities --HABITS
😊🌇✅Limit daytime napping
😊🌇✅When /if possible, spend time outside in the sunlight during the day, or open the curtains to let sunlight in : reduces day/night confusion
😊🌇✅Listening to calming music and looking at older photographs (TV is generally a distraction)
😊🌇✅Talk to the person's doctor about the best times of day for taking medication.; some calming teas or natural herbs or traditional medication may help - (THIS CHANNEL DOES NOT ENDORSE ANY SPECIFIC MEDIACL THERAPY)
Observe, Seek help, Ask questions!
One day/hour at a time
From my heart to yours always💗
Dr. Lana
LLT #208 - Music and Dementia - What's the Connection? 🎶🎵👴🏽👵🏽🎷🎹🎺🎼💝
#dementia #dementiacare #alzheimer #alzheimersdisease #alzheimerawareness #elderlycare #healthyaging #brainhealth #seniorcare #familycaregivers #thelonggoodbye
Dementia is an umbrella term for several neurological brain disorders that cause impairment with memory, thinking skills, and behaviour which significantly impair everyday life. This includes Alzheimer's Disease, Vascular, Frontotemporal, Lewy Body and many others.
The reality, which can be very distressing, is its progression, its unpredictability and personally, a sense of loss. It is really "the long goodbye".
Whether early stages or full-blown Alzheimer's disease where verbal communication is gone and it may seem as if your loved one is just "existing".
What role does music play in our lives? Well, think about it; your life: 🎶🎵👴🏽👵🏽🎷🎹🎺🎼💝 🎶🎵👴🏽👵🏽🎷🎹🎺🎼💝
- Is there a "soundtrack" ? A song you go to, that stirs your heart?
- Is there a song that brings back memories?
- Is there a song that stirs your emotions and calms you when you feel anxious?
The same applies to persons with dementia, even when there is no obvious means of communication.
How can music help? Research has shown that music can help with
- Cognition
- Memory and
- Attention and Concentration
It brings back memories long forgotten, stirs emotions, calms agitation and relieves depression and anxiety, improves social connection in early stages; even reduce blood pressure.
Use music anytime the favourite music of your loved one; hold their hand, dance if possible, and have their friends over if feasible.
MUSIC is the soundtrack to our lives; play a tune, sing, dance!
Life is short!
One day/hour at a time
From my heart to yours💗
Dr. Lana
