Despite efforts to inform the public of the urgency for rapid treatment for stroke victims, the number of patients using an ambulance for rapid transportation to a treatment center has not changed since the mid-1990s.

In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center said their research highlights the need for even more education about strokes. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a 911 call should be made for any of these symptoms:

● Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body;

● Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding;

● Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes;

● Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination;

● Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

Learn and be educated about stroke symptoms so that you can respond properly in case of an emergency.  A Home Instead CAREGiver can serve as a second set of eyes and ears to help keep older adults safe in their home.

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us at 925-280-9688.

The family caregiver – whose spouse has Alzheimer’s disease – or other forms of dementia that challenge millions of seniors and their families each day.

Symptoms of Alzheimer’s are varied and change with the stage of the disease, but many times leave families and their caregivers frustrated, confused and frightened.

A new ground-breaking training program now offers help for the many families who are dealing with the challenging behaviors that characterize Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, enabling them to remain at home longer.

The Alzheimer’s Disease or Other Dementias CARE: Changing Aging Through Research and Education^SM online educational course removes some of the dread associated with these diseases. The no-cost program provides an innovative approach that helps families make the most of a senior’s life journey – including that individual’s history, passions and hobbies – in helping to manage challenging behaviors associated with dementias.

“CARE is a wonderful hands-on approach that helps caregivers deal with the behavioral changes that too often accompany these disorders – one of the biggest stressors for caregivers,” said Dr. Jane F. Potter, chief of the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. “There was previously no good program available using adult education techniques to provide hands-on practice in learning how best to help people who suffer from dementia. This is huge.”

In the featured video at the top of this newsletter, Dr. Potter helps family caregivers understand Alzheimer’s disease and the changes that family caregivers can expect to see.  HelpforAlzheimersFamilies.com provides even more information about how to make the most of living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, giving caregivers hope for a brighter future.

If you need help caring for your loved one, in the Walnut Creek and Concord CA, please call 925-280-9688.

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us at 925-280-9688.

Alzheimer’s is an incurable disease that afflicts nearly half of seniors older than 85 and affects not only the seniors but their family caregivers.

Now there is help. You don’t have to take on the care responsibility alone. Learn about the services available to assist you and your loved one. If you are caring for a senior loved one, please check out the Home Instead Senior Care network’s CARE training program, available to you at no cost.

As part of this program, last week the Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Dementias interactive educational course was just released. This e-learning course is also available for no cost for families caring for Alzheimer’s and other dementia sufferers

Home Instead Senior Care® network’s person-centered approach to Alzheimer’s care, backed by advanced research and CAREGiver education, can help seniors cope with the challenges of Alzheimer’s while enabling them to continue doing what they can on their own in the comfort of home.

Home Instead CAREGivers provide the highest quality of customized care that:

• Allows the senior to remain safe and calm at home

• Encourages engagement

• Provides nutritious meals

• Creates social interaction

• Provides mind-stimulating activities

• Manages changing behaviors

• Honors who the senior was earlier in life

• Supports the family

Most importantly, CAREGivers can provide assistance with enhancing and restoring the simple pleasures of life, such as a walk in the park, a ride in the car to get ice cream or spending time in the garden. Proven to maximize abilities and independence, such senior care activities remain one of the best non-medical treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.  For personal home care in the Walnut Creek and Concord CA areas please check with the local office by calling 925-280-9688.

For more resources to help Alzheimer’s and other dementias, go to http://www.helpforalzheimersfamilies.com/.

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us at 925-280-9688.

Many people with Alzheimer’s disease live alone – and are left to fend for themselves. In a report this year, the Alzheimer’s Association noted:

An estimated 800,000 individuals with Alzheimer’s – more than one in seven – live alone.

Of those who live alone, up to half of them do not have an identifiable caregiver.

People with Alzheimer’s and other dementias who live alone are exposed to higher risks – including inadequate self-care, malnutrition, untreated medical conditions, falls, wandering from home unattended and accidental deaths – compared with those who do not live alone.

Home Instead CAREGivers are specially trained to help clients who have Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias remain in their home settings. In addition to companionship, a CAREGiver is trained to manage the challenging behaviors of those with Alzheimer’s or other dementias.

For more about Alzheimer’s and other dementias, go to http://www.helpforalzheimersfamilies.com.

Our CAREGivers helps seniors who has memory loss in many ways, including companionship, light housekeeping, meal preparation, medication reminders and transportation or errands in Walnut Creek and Concord CA, please check with your local office by calling 925-280-9688.

For more help and understanding about dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, check out HelpforAlzheimersFamilies.com – Changing Aging Through Research and Education Training Program, which includes a free Family Caregiver Training.

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us at 925-280-9688.

Memory loss is unusual forgetfulness, according to the National Institute of Health. The cause determines whether amnesia comes on slowly or suddenly, and whether it is temporary or permanent. Normal aging may lead to trouble learning new material or requiring a longer time to remember learned material. However, it does not lead to dramatic memory loss unless diseases are involved.

Memory loss refers to:

• Not being able to remember new events,

• Not being able to recall one or more memories of the past, or both.

In some cases, memory loss among seniors may be due to so-called “silent strokes,” research suggests. Such strokes, which may not cause noticeable symptoms, result in small pockets of dead brain cells and are found in about 25 percent of older adults, according to a study.

The research, which was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, appeared in the journal Neurology. Participants underwent MRI brain scans, as well as testing to gauge capacities in memory, language skills, thinking speed and visual perception.

The brain scans revealed that 174 of the 658 participants had experienced silent strokes, and the investigators found that these seniors did not perform as well on the memory exams.

Researchers said that study results also support stroke prevention as a means for staving off memory problems.”

Home Instead CAREGivers helps seniors who has memory loss in many ways, including companionship, light housekeeping, meal preparation, medication reminders and transportation or errands in Walnut Creek and Concord CA, please check with your local office by calling 925-280-9688.

For more help and understanding about dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, check out HelpforAlzheimersFamilies.com – Changing Aging Through Research and Education Training Program, which includes a free Family Caregiver Training.

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us at 925-280-9688.

Capturing and preserving memories for a family member with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias can happen in a number of ways. It might entail turning on a favorite 1940s big band hit, spreading photos out on the coffee table, intentionally creating a list of questions to ask, and sitting down in the living room together to record the thoughts your loved one shares. Or reminiscing might occur more spontaneously during a family gathering. Make sure you have a notepad or video camera handy!

Keep these considerations in mind:

1. Do involve other family members; don’t put the person with Alzheimer’s on the spot.

2. Do look at photographs together; don’t expect the person to recognize everything.

3. Do share your own thoughts as they relate to the memories your loved one shares; don’t monopolize the conversation.

4. Do ask specific, personal questions; don’t interrogate.

5. Do ask good questions and record the discussion; don’t expect a five-hour session.

6. Do focus on general memories and emotions; don’t focus on exact facts and details.

Activities to capture and preserve memories with a family member living with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias should focus on what that person can and wants to remember. That’s part of the training of the <www.HelpforAlzheimersFamilies.com> [Alzheimer’s Disease or Other Dementias CARE: Changing Aging Through Research and EducationSM Program]. Family caregivers can learn these same skills for free as well.

Coming soon, an interactive educational course, brought to you by Home Instead Senior Care, gives caregivers instructive information about Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, valuable insight for providing better care, and techniques to help improve the quality of life for both you and your loved one experiencing memory loss. Visit HelpforAlzheimersFamilies.com to learn more.

Your local Home Instead Senior Care office in the Walnut Creek and Concord CA area have CAREGivers who are trained to care for your senior living with Alzheimer’s disease. Our CAREGivers also help with light housekeeping, meal preparation, medication reminders and transportation needs. For personal home care in Mississauga, please check with your local office by calling 925-280-9688.

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us at 925-280-9688.

Caregiving for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or other dementias is a journey that best begins with information and education. Listed below are the 10 warning signs that could indicate Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. “It’s safe to say that the thing that Alzheimer’s and other dementias have in common is a high risk of behavioral disorders – change in personality, people behaving in ways counter to their prior personality,’’ noted Dr. Jane F. Potter, chief of the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. “But normal old age does not cause dysfunction.”

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, these are 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s:

Memory loss that disrupts daily life.

Challenges in planning or solving problems.

Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure.

Confusion with time or place.

Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships.

New problems with words in speaking or writing.

Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps.

Decreased or poor judgment.

Withdrawal from work or social activities.

Changes in mood and personality.

Coming soon, an interactive educational course, brought to you by Home Instead Senior Care, gives caregivers instructive information about Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, valuable insight for providing better care, and techniques to help improve the quality of life for both you and your loved one experiencing memory loss. Visit HelpforAlzheimersFamilies.com to learn more.

For personal home care in Walnut Creek and Concord CA, please check with your local office by calling 925-280-9688.

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us at 925-280-9688.

The importance of proper nutrition for seniors simply can’t be understated. Poor nutrition can affect the mind, the body, the immune system and energy levels in ways you may not be aware of. The more you know about the aging factors that can affect eating habits, the easier it will be to ensure the person you care for maintains a healthy diet.

We’ve collected a wide range of materials to help you recognize the warning signs of poor nutrition, understand the physical changes with age that affect appetite and digestion, and be aware of the lifestyle changes that can affect the way mealtimes are viewed. You’ll find nutrition guidelines for mature men and women, a list of food staples every senior should have, and suggestions for making shopping, meal preparation and dining more enjoyable. In addition, there are tips for food safety, recommendations for transportation and budget issues, as well as discussions about the role diet plays in patients with diabetes, cancer and Parkinson’s disease.

In this webinar, Dr. Amy D’Aprix of the DAI Foundation and Mary Alexander of Home Instead Senior Care tackle the topic of senior nutrition and mealtimes. CLICK HERE TO WATCH PRE-RECORDED WEBINAR. The benefits to modifying diets to accommodate age related changes and issues include:

• Increased cognitive functioning
• Resistance to illness
• Higher energy level
• Improved immune system
• Faster recuperation times
• Better management of chronic health issues (like diabetes)
• Social benefits through mealtime companionship

For personal home care in the Walnut Creek and Concord CA area, please check with your local office by calling 925-280-9688.

Home Instead CAREGivers complete a comprehensive training program including a safety curriculum to prepare them for potential senior caregiving emergencies.

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us at 925-280-9688.

Regular walking, a favorite exercise for seniors, is one of the most effective forms of activity that delivers substantial health benefits and improves heart health, the American Heart Association has said. The latest addition to the American Heart Association’s tools for persuading people to exercise is MyWalkingClub.org – walking clubs, which are being formed across the United States.

Walking is easy to start and continue, and it has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity. By joining an American Heart Association Walking Club, participants can connect with others who share their goals, lifestyles, schedules and hobbies – and do it for free.

According to an American Heart Association survey, only 15 percent of American adults achieve the association’s recommended level of moderate aerobic exercise, which is 150 minutes per week. Walking for as little as 30 minutes a day will improve circulation, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and promote weight loss.

Additional Benefits of Walking:

1. Lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol)

2. Raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol)

3. Lower your blood pressure

4. Reduce your risk of or manage type 2 diabetes

5. Manage your weight

6. Improve your mood

7. Stay strong and fit

Be sure to bring along a friend for the walk. This is a great way to socialize while getting some exercise. Walking partners can make the walk seem very short and enjoyable. The same goes for pets. Take the dog for a walk each day. The pet will benefit, and so will you!

Your local Home Instead Senior Care office in the Walnut Creek & Concord area can find a caregiver who will walk with your senior or help him or her find a walking club. Our CAREGivers also help with light housekeeping, meal preparation, medication reminders and transportation needs. For personal home care in the Walnut Creek and Concord CA area, please check with your local office by calling 925-280-9688.

Home Instead CAREGivers complete a comprehensive training program including a safety curriculum to prepare them for potential senior caregiving emergencies.

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us at 925-280-9688.

With severe weather season upon us in the U.S., older adults may be among the most vulnerable victims when disasters strike. That’s why Home Instead Senior Care, the international caregiving company with more than 800 locations in 15 countries, has issued a disaster safety preparation checklist to help prepare seniors for the possibility of natural disasters.

Home Instead Senior Care’s Disaster Prep Checklist For Seniors:

____Tune in. Contact the local emergency management office to learn about the most likely natural disasters to strike your area. Stay abreast of what’s going on through your local radio or television.

____Take stock. Decide what your senior can or can’t do in the event of a natural disaster. Make a list of what would be needed if a disaster occurred. For example, if your loved one is wheelchair-bound, determine an evacuation strategy ahead of time. Prepare for whatever disaster could hit the area.

____ To go or to stay? When deciding to evacuate, older adults should go sooner rather than later. By waiting too long, they may be unable to leave if they require assistance.

____ Make a plan. Schedule a family meeting to develop a plan of action. Include in your plan key people – such as neighbors, friends, relatives and professional caregivers – who could help.

____ More than one way out. Seniors should develop at least two escape routes: one to evacuate their home and one to evacuate their community. The local emergency management office can tell you escape routes out of the community.

____Meet up. Designate a place to meet relatives or key support network people outside the house, as well as a second location outside the neighborhood, such as a school or church. Practice the plan twice a year.

____Get up and “Go Kit.” Have an easy-to-carry backpack including three days non-perishable food and water with an additional four days of food and water readily accessible at home. Have at least one gallon of bottled water per person per day. Refresh and replace your supplies at least twice a year. And don’t forget the blanket and paper products such as toilet paper.

____Pack extras and copies. Have at least a one-month supply of medication on hand at all times. Make ready other important documents in a waterproof protector including copies of prescriptions, car title registration and driver’s license, insurance documents and bank account numbers, and spare checkbook. Also take extra eyeglasses and hearing-aid batteries. Label every piece of important equipment or personal item in case they are lost.

____Your contact list. Compile a contact list and include people on a senior’s support network as well as doctors and other important health-care professionals.

____If you can’t be there. If you’re not living close by to help your loved one, enlist the help of family or friends, or contact a professional caregiving company.

Home Instead CAREGivers complete a comprehensive training program including a safety curriculum to prepare them for potential senior caregiving emergencies. For personal home care in the Walnut Creek and Concord CA area, please check with your local office by calling 925-280-9688.

Home Care Walnut Creek, CA delivering home care and elderly services to seniors in the Contra Costa area including Concord. Call us at 925-280-9688.