The History Of Family inHome Caregiving : Part 2 The Race Is On

I first started working with seniors way back when I was 18 years old and I worked at a skilled Nursing Facility in Tigard Oregon. The staff used to try and come up with things to entertain our clients, so we decided to ask some of the patients if they would want to come up with ideas for us to entertain them during slow times in the afternoon. One of the residents asked if we could have races in wheelchairs and we thought that would be a fun idea, so the race was on. The patients liked that idea and some of them started betting on the winners (a penny for the winning wheelchair that crossed the line first), like if they were at a horse race. The hall we used was about 100 feet long and about 8 feet wide which could accommodate two wheelchairs. We would move obstacles out of the hall to make it safer to wheel down and back to the finish line. The patients asked us to use their wheelchair so they could feel a part of the race itself. We had a good time doing this. There was around six of us that participated in the races. There was a coworker who was really good at it and she would win most the time she was up. Of course, the patients really cheered her on by clapping and cheering as she passed the rooms. The patients would sit just inside their rooms in order to keep the aisles clear and for their own safety. One time when I was up, I raced against a woman and I’ll tell you, she was good, she won but not by much. The patients kept wanting me to race against her until I could win, but I never did. The thing that I noticed is that it helped some of our patients to smile again and have a good time, for that short while during the races they would forget about where they were or how they felt and just have a good time and they were always better for it. There were a few times that some of the staff would tie with each other and the patients wanted a re-race so they could collect their penny. The second race was always harder than the first so that there was almost never a second tie because you would wear out during the second trip up and down the hall. I know it probably does not sound like it could wear you out, but after rolling a wheelchair up and down an approximate 100-foot hallway twice, it got to your arms. No one had ever had to do three trips; it would have been too much for the arms to take. Of course, the nicer and newer the wheelchair was had a lot to do with the speed and ease of use. There was a time that each staff wanted to use certain wheelchairs because it would give you an advantage over your component. It was not a huge advantage, but when you did need to do a second race due to a tie, it helped out at that point in time. These were good times for both patients and staff and we liked do it.  Also, it was good exercise, and a cardiovascular workout. One time in the middle of a race a foot pedal came off and the staff member lost the race, so the patients that had bet on him asked that they redo the race due to mechanical error. The wheelchair was fixed, and the two staff members went out again.  Then the person that had the mishap in the first race won the second race, and the patients wanted a run-off.  However, the staff members did not have it in them to do a third time up and back and so we disqualified that race, so no one lost their penny. After about a month of doing these we noticed that some of the patients started getting bored with the idea and they wanted to be the ones doing the race, but the facility said that they could not do it, so as with all good things it came to an end.  For more background on myself and the company, click here:

The History Of Family inHome Caregiving : Part 1 The Rocking Chair

 

Monterey, CA Tips For Warding Off Dementia And Alzheimer’s Disease

A care taker holding the old woman's hand and smiling

Everyone wants to keep their brains working in full order as long as possible, and the key can be healthy living, getting the proper amount of exercise and social interaction.  The latter is easier said than done given the massive spreading of coronavirus.  Although board games can be fun, with COVID-19 many seniors are turning to video games.  According to an AARP survey, 44% of adults over the age of 50 played video games in 2019 versus 38% in 2016.  That’s 10 million more older gamers!  About a quarter of gamers play multiuser games, which can increase social interaction which will hopefully ward off early onset of Alzheimer’s Disease.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There are great people at our local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch.  They also have a 24-hour hotline if you need support at 800-272-3900.

 

Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver : Alzheimer’s & Dementia Huge Risk Factors

There were 63 new COVID-19 cases announced for Monterey County, bringing the total up to 40,971 and three new deaths were reported.  Nationwide, the number of cases are going down.  There were less than 100K new cases, for a total of 27.193 million.  Deaths rose by 4,472 to 471,97.  However, new research found that, sadly, those with dementia are more likely to be hospitalized than people who are the same age without dementia.  The analysis of nearly 62 million electronic medical records in the U.S. also found that Black people with dementia were at very high risk of getting COVID-19.  Researchers said that the data could not be explained entirely by common characteristics common to people with dementia (old age, living in a nursing home and having conditions like obesity asthma, diabetes and cardiovascular disease).  Taking into account those risk factors, those with dementia were still twice as likely to get coronavirus than their counterparts at the same age without dementia.  In California, there were a hefty 11,853 new cases (less than half of the prior day’s total of 26,660) for a total of 3.446 million, while deaths rose by 700 to 45,232.  Please stay home and stay safe.

Please visit us at www.familyinhomecaregiving.com

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/09/health/covid-dementia-risk.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20210209&instance_id=26954&nl=the-morning&regi_id=105425463&segment_id=51349&te=1&user_id=0fafdefaa53c0a82473acdaa719a0aac

Monterey, CA Tips For Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregivers When Adult Day Care Centers Are ClosedCare Centers Are Closed

The San Francisco Chronicle had a great column with advice for those caring for a loved one who has Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia.  This can be a challenge with Adult Day Care Centers closed and little contact with the outside world. Recommendations from their experts include broadening your network to have a friend or family member help.  This can release stress on the caregiver while giving some social interaction to the person you are caring for.  In addition, try putting on some soothing music and get them outdoors.  Fresh air and sunlight are good for the soul.  Start out with a small walk, and increase it a bit every day.  If you need someone to talk to, try the local branch of the Alzheimer’s Association which is located in Ryan Ranch.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away, and Alzheimer’s Association was a great help.  They also have a 24-hour hotline if you need support at 800-272-3900.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/My-father-has-dementia-How-do-I-keep-him-engaged-15923039.php

Monterey, CA Anthony Hopkins Stars In Heartbreaking Film About Slipping Into Alzheimer’s & Dementia

A mother and a daughter leaning on each other and smiling

Anthony Hopkins has the lead role in a film called “The Father” about a man who refused help as he slips deeper into Alzheimer’s disease.  The film brings viewers inside the mind of the patient, allowing filmgoers to get inside the head of someone with dementia.  “It can strike anyone at any moment,” notes Hopkins.  Although he is in his 80’s, he said he is loving this stage of life.  “The past five years have been extraordinarily lucky, and the best time my life,” he said. Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There are great people at our local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch.  They also have a 24-hour hotline if you need support at 800-272-3900.

Singer Tony Bennett Has Had Alzheimer’s Disease For Five Years

AARP The Magazine revealed that Tony Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease back in 2016 but it has not been revealed to the public until now because he wanted to continue to tour.  He has performed publicly as recently as 2019 and even has concert dates scheduled for later this year, with the first one starting in March.  I can see how he would want to continue performing as music does stimulate the brain.  There have been studies of Alzheimer’s patients showing that when music is played their brains really perk up.

https://www.aarp.org/entertainment/celebrities/info-2021/tony-bennett-alzheimers.html