On a hot day in Red Bluff, California, Wayne is getting ready to take a drink from the water fountain located in the Cone & Kimball Plaza in downtown Red Bluff.

Staying hydrated is Essential – Especially when Dementia is Involved

Posted on by seniajean

One day, when my doctor called to give me the results of a blood test, I was quite surprised to hear that my creatinine level was up. Since she knew I had been on a trip to an area with a hot and dry climate, she suggested that I could be dehydrated. I certainly didn’t feel dehydrated, but I agreed to up my water intake for two weeks and then retest. Two weeks later, she called to inform me that the creatinine level was back to normal. I was surprised at how quickly dehydration had occurred. She explained that whenever we change our routine because of travel or sickness, the healthy habits we built into our daily lives are disrupted and our systems can get out of balance.

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Photo credit by Nathan Dumlaoa on Unsplash

Sundowning strategies to help your loved one with dementia

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As any caregiver knows or quickly learns, dementia is a tough disease. It wreaks havoc on the emotions of our loved ones and those who provide care. At times, a person with dementia may experience an unsettled sense of lostness. They might be aware that all is not right but not know how to fix it. These feelings can cause frustration, agitation, or even panic – usually later in the afternoon or early evening. Such emotions of unease are referred to as sundowning.

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Reaching out to engage

It takes more than words to communicate when a loved one has dementia

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How do you connect with someone who is losing their ability to communicate? If you want to make positive connections with your loved one, understand there are definite Rules of Engagement. It turns out there is a bit of a learning curve when engaging someone with dementia.
I’ve addressed this subject before, but I believe it bears reiterating. When someone becomes non-verbal due to the progression of dementia, it doesn’t mean that they cannot understand our words, or ‘get’ our actions.
It’s important to remember that communication and connections made on an emotional level will remain throughout the dementia journey.

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Feeling overwhelmed by loved one’s medication? There’s help

Posted on by seniajean

While my Dad was still alive, he and my Mama lived in a cute little cottage in the country. Over time, my Dad developed Parkinson’s disease, and Mama was beginning to show increasing signs of dementia. Our family – my sister, husband, and I did as much as we could for them as they needed – without trying to take over and completely run their lives.
Along with cooking and cleaning, one of the biggest struggles they had was with their medication. They increasingly lost the answers to questions such as: When to take which medications, and how much? How often? When and where to get more?

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Mary Ledbetter, our aerobics instructor.

Give Chair Aerobics A Work-Out for Better Health

Posted on by seniajean

When I was younger – not even that long ago – whenever anyone mentioned Chair Aerobics, I usually envisioned a group of elderly folks sitting on chairs arranged in a circle holding pool noodles and swatting at a balloon to keep it airborne. Turns out, I was mistaken.
Chair aerobics is getting far better press now than in the past.  More and more senior centers are offering classes that strive to include folks with all levels of ability. You can even stand to do the workout.  Most classes run ½ hour to an hour and are designed to provide folks with a good workout without needing machines or heavy weights. 

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Finding Community Is Good For Us Like A Medicine

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Do you remember the old theme song from the TV show, Cheers written by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart-Angelo? “…sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came. You want to be where you can see, troubles are all the same, you want to be where everybody knows your name.” The writers really hit on something – as the song immediately became an iconic sentiment for the universal desire to belong. There is something so wonderful about walking into a place and watching someone’s eyes light up with recognition and joy that you are there. On the other hand, there is something quite heart-wrenching about walking through your day virtually invisible and un-greeted by those around you.

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A variety of photos from previous posts regarding dementia reduction.

Reduce Your Dementia Risk in 2024

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Over the last few years, quite a bit of attention has been paid to the subject of dementia. The information has included ways to reduce your risk, as well as lifestyles that may contribute to cognitive decline. I originally began this blog back in 2015 as a kind of continuation of the stories collected in a book I wrote about our family’s experience with my Mama when she had dementia. The book shares our family’s quest to help her find joy in the journey and finish well. As time has passed, I find myself and those around me – especially caregivers, becoming more interested in ways they can lower their own risk.

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Finding Joy at Christmas Despite Dementia

Posted on by seniajean

Even though this is supposed to be “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, when you are a caregiver for a loved one with dementia, celebrating Christmas can become challenging.
When my Mama, who had dementia for well over a decade was in the early stages of the disease, she was still aware of seasons and most holidays. As time went on, she became less so. Dementia stole her ability to look forward to Christmas, birthdays, or any other previously meaningful day or time of the year. The pages turned on the calendar, but her days remained the same.

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