Alzheimer’s Caregiving Basics

To become an effective Alzheimer's caregiver, it is important to gather as much information as possible about the disease. Start by reading every possible article on Alzheimer's, talk to physicians, learn about medication, and contact the Alzheimer's foundation for informational brochures. Alzheimer's support groups are also a good source of ideas and information. An adult day-care center may also help, allowing a few hours a week of structured activity for the patient. Taking on the role of helping a brain disease sufferer is a difficult task, but there are organizations to turn to for support.

In many families, one member is often the primary Alzheimer’s caregiver, but what happens if that family member is unprepared? If you are that person, then the best thing you can do is to arm yourself with information about Alzheimer’s disease. Here are some helpful tips you can use to become an effective Alzheimer’s caregiver.

Research, Research, Research!

Talk to the patient’s physician and ask all the questions you have about the symptoms, possible medical treatments, and other alternatives. Request that the doctor provide you a list of related literature and other informational materials on Alzheimer’s disease.

Conduct in-depth research into your community’s medical facilities, from the expertise of the physicians to the medical equipment used. Keep this information, addresses, and telephone numbers within reach at all times.

Get in touch with the following organizations: the Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral Center (ADEAR) and Alzheimer's Association for starters. Ask them if they provide training on care giving and other management skills to help you become an effective Alzheimer’s caregiver.

Join a support group. You will find the addresses and contact details of these support groups at churches, synagogues, seniors’ centers, and assisted living facilities. They will help provide the emotional support you need, as well as concrete ideas on how to be a better Alzheimer’s caregiver.

Schedule Is the Key

Create a flexible routine for you and your patient, and you can maximize the times that are best for the person with Alzheimer’s disease. Be kind to yourself, and remember that no matter how hard you try as an Alzheimer’s caregiver, there will be days when nothing goes right for the patient.

Add variety to your patient’s schedule by creating a variety of activities. Perhaps you can use the services of an adult day-care center once a week. This will provide the patient opportunities to socialize and allow you to be a better Alzheimer’s caregiver by providing the breathing space you need. Also, plan your doctors’ visit when it is least crowded and the patient is receptive.

Think Ahead

Inspect the house and make it accident-proof. You can install locks so that the person with Alzheimer’s disease will not wander out, and be sure to hide any sharp objects that could hurt the patient. Remember to label all the medicines, and keep them locked away.

Being an Alzheimer’s caregiver is never going to be easy. The person you are caring for is suffering from an irreversible brain disorder; however, some of the basics outlined here can help you as you maintain a quality of life for both yourself and the person with Alzheimer’s.

Basic Tips

Establishing daily routines

A clear routine can decrease confusing decisions for people with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Bringing order to an increasingly chaotic life represents security for anyone feeling confused and disorientated. So, "It's 11.15 - coffee time!" is preferable to, "What would you like to do now?"

Maintaining dignity

The individual needs to contribute to conversations and decisions, and it is best for others never to talk about the person as if he or she is not present, as this can cause feelings of humiliation.

Reinforcing independence

Independence will create self-respect and minimize additional work for caregivers. If others help with an activity, for example, dressing, the helper can start the activity and then allow the individual with AD to complete the task. This will give a sense of achievement.

Separating the person from Alzheimer's disease

Many people become infuriated when the person with AD displays challenging behavior. It is helpful to blame the disease, not the person.

Staying Positive

Conflict causes stress to the caregiver and the person with dementia. It is helpful to avoid focusing on failure, and instead, to highlight any success, or near-success. Becoming upset makes the situation worse.

Sometimes, distraction can solve problems. If the person insists that there is a man in a black cloak nearby, insisting on the truth will cause humiliation. Instead, it can be acknowledged that he or she is seeing the man, but asserted that only the individual can see him – then another subject can be raised. Report hallucinations to a doctor.

Keeping tasks simple

This is achieved by making sure that the individual retains the making of choices - but limiting the choices to avoid confusion. So - instead of saying, "What will you wear today?", the question could be, "Will you wear your blue dress or your green dress today?"

Laughing

Humor can help to relieve stress. If the person is able to laugh at mistakes, this can lighten difficult situations. If caregivers laugh with the person, not at him or her, that can be even better. Other opportunities exist for laughter too - the antics of a pet or a child, a TV program…

Keeping safe

Safety is a high priority. Fire, electricity, water, obstacles and staircases can cause special concern. Information is available from the local support group, fire authorities, electricians etc. on making the home a safer place.

Remaining healthy

It is important to help maintain physical and mental abilities at the highest possible level. The doctor can advise. A healthy diet will benefit the individual. Memory loss for recent events can sometimes mean that the person may eat two meals instead of one - or have too many unhealthy snacks. Keeping to a firm meal routine is helpful.

Try to include some activities that challenge the person's thought processes (perhaps, a daily word puzzle).

Celebrating a person's existing abilities

It is advisable to focus on strengths instead of weaknesses. Some skills can be retained and enjoyed eg. crafts, singing, gardening etc.

Keep communicating

• People need to show warmth and affection.
• The person with AD may express needs through actions.
• Eyesight and hearing should be checked and maintained.
• Others should be aware of their own body language, especially when feeling impatient or cross.

Use aids to help memory

Displaying large clear pictures of relatives and friends can be helpful. So can writing notes on a calendar. Doors may be labeled with words and bright distinctive colors. Keeping things neat and well organized also helps memory.

Sources and Additional Information:
http://www.alzheimerscaregiverresource.com/

http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/resourcelist.htm

http://www.distance-education.org/Articles/Online-Resources-for-Caregivers-of-Alzheimer-s-Patients-247.html

Art Therapy for Alzheimer's

People often say that art “speaks” to them. When words and thoughts fail, as in the case of Alzheimer’s dementia, the symbolic language of art can tell a story, express an emotion or recreate a memory that may otherwise be left untold.

The Memories in the Making Art Program began in 1988 in Orange County, California, when Selly Jenny, whose mother had Alzheimer’s disease, explored the use of an art program to identify how much dementia patients could reveal about themselves through the medium of art. The program is now service of the Alzheimer’s Association, and has expanded to over 26 chapters across the nation.

While Alzheimer’s and dementia damage the portions of the brain that have to do with memory and planning complex tasks, the portions that is involved in emotion and in aesthetic appreciation remain intact for much longer.

Patients with the disease have difficulty with attention and concentration, but experts say that art therapy has provided an extraordinary outlet. Therapists have witnessed an increase in freedom and spontaneity, calming of agitation, relief of isolation, and improved communication through art sessions. Dr. Gene Cohen, director of the Center on Aging at George Washington University, has studied the effect of art on people with Alzheimer’s. “Art is a wonderful activity that taps into imagination. Even with the loss of memory, the capacity for imagination still has its place.”

There is research that suggests that art helps Alzheimer’s patients. In a small study, weekly sessions of art therapy helped patients focus their attention for up to 30 to 45 minutes, and the completion of the project brought pleasure and satisfaction. "It is an opportunity to express themselves even after some of their standard human communications abilities of expression have gone,'' said Peter Reed, director of care services for the Alzheimer's Association.

Art therapy can also help with the depression that comes along with the disease. A 1999 study at Brighton University found that Alzheimer’s sufferers who took part in art therapy showed a significant improvement to their symptoms after a ten-week course.

In addition to memory loss, the disease can affect muscle memory and coordination. Art therapy can help patients regain some function because it actively engages both hemispheres of the brain. For those who have problems carrying out movements, facilitators will use a hand-over-hand technique, which guides the artist so he or she can do it on their own.

Art therapy might be particularly beneficial to people with Alzheimer’s disease because though they gradually lose the ability to express themselves with words, other parts of their brain that deal with colors and composition can still be used and developed. Even people with advanced Alzheimer’s disease can continue to create art.

Just viewing art can have a therapeutic effect on Alzheimer’s patients as well. Patients with dementia often develop what doctors call the “four A’s” – anxiety, aggression, agitation, and apathy. The four A’s tend to fade in front of artwork, and have a calming effect. “Emotional memory” may come alive, and the patient begins to relate to people and places in their past.

Well-known Woodland Hills physician, Dr. Arnold Bresky, calling himself a “preventive gerontologist” has been successfully utilizing art therapy for patients that have Alzheimer’s and dementia. He claims he has achieved a 70% success rate with in improving his patient’s memories. Bresky assures that helping them to paint and draw reduces their memory loss.

Dr. Bresky calls his program a “Brain Tune Up” and says it’s a multi-disciplinary approach that also implements music. Bresky states that his art therapy program helps people with Alzheimer’s and dementia exercise their brains.

“The brain works through numbers and patterns,” Bresky says. “The numbers are on the left side of your brain, the patterns are on the right side. What I’m doing is connecting the two sides.”

“And we’re getting the brain to grow new cells. It’s called `brain plasticity.’ The brain changes physically to the environment.”

How Does Art Therapy Help Someone with Alzheimer’s?


A number of benefits are associated with art therapy. These include:

• New way to communicate. Art therapy allows people with Alzheimer’s disease to connect with others in a different, non-verbal way. And it's a healthy method of helping your loved one to express thoughts and feelings and let go of some of the negative emotions they may be experiencing.
• Improved concentration. Art therapy focuses on other possibly untapped areas of the brain and helps to improve concentration in people with Alzheimer's. Art therapy emphasizes abilities that are still available and can be developed rather than focusing on those that have been lost.
• Better behavior. Both viewing and creating art can have a calming effect on someone with Alzheimer’s disease. Similar to the effects of listening to music or playing with pets, "art therapy may promote relaxation, improve mood, and decrease disruptive behavior," says Dr. Faison.
• Closer relationships. Art therapy can bring a caregiver and a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease closer together. When other methods of contact become difficult, art therapy reminds the caregiver that the person with Alzheimer’s is still there.

How Can Caregivers Utilize Art Therapy at Home?


Though this form of therapy is done by professional art therapists in facilities, caretakers at home can also use some of the methods. Art therapy may provide significant benefits to the difficult task of caring for a patient with Alzheimer’s Disease. Art allows the patient to connect with others around them non-verbally, communicating in a way that can express thoughts, feelings, and emotions. The therapy may promote relaxation and decrease disruptive behavior. And most of all, art therapy can bring a caregiver closer to their loved one.

Here are some ways that you can incorporate the fundamentals of art therapy into your home-care regimen:

• Make an art project part of your regular routine. Don’t worry about the result; just let the person with Alzheimer’s enjoy the process.
• Provide safe and non-toxic materials. Watercolors are a good choice for painting; crayons and coloring books for adults work well; and sculpting with clay is also a good option for people with Alzheimer's.
• Establish friendships. You might consider enrolling your loved one in an art class with other people who have Alzheimer’s disease. This will help your loved one to get involved socially with others and can give you a much-needed break. Many Alzheimer’s adult day care centers have art therapy programs.
• Go to a museum. Seeing art is also a valuable part of this form of therapy and it gives you and your loved one the opportunity to share an activity together, get out of the house, and get some exercise.
• Scrapbooking. Making a scrapbook is an increasingly popular activity that both caregivers and persons with Alzheimer’s disease can do together. Picking out colorful backgrounds and placing favorite photographs into an album can wake up old memories and stimulate a sense of togetherness and shared happiness.

Review the video trailer to documentary "I Remember Better When I Paint", narrated by Oscar-winning actress Olivia de Havilland (of Gone with the Wind), and features a stirring interview with Yasmin Aga Khan, daughter of acclaimed American actress, and Alzheimer's sufferer, Rita Hayworth, who took up painting while struggling with the disease and produced beautiful works of art also featured in the film. The documentary deals with common myth about Alzheimer's that it is a veritable death sentence. That once diagnosed, a person will ultimately deteriorate into an unrecognizable shell of his/her former self. But as the filmmakers demonstrate, this need not be the case. The creative arts can reunite even a late stage Alzheimer's sufferer with parts of his/her former self. These non-medicinal options render success rates comparable to their pharmaceutical counter-parts. Indeed, art therapy can provide outlets of expression for an Alzheimer's sufferer where conventional means of expression prove insufficient.

I remember better when I paint

Sources and Additional Information:

http://www.emaxhealth.com/1506/91/34402/art-therapy-can-improve-quality-life-alzheimer’s-patients.html

http://www.everydayhealth.com/alzheimers/alzheimers-art-therapy.aspx

http://www.arttherapyblog.com/art-therapy-seniors/art-therapy-helps-alzheimers-patients-improve-memory/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rosalia-gitau/art-therapy-for-alzheimer_b_495914.html

What Is Alzheimer's Disease?

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a brain disorder named for German physician Alois Alzheimer, who first described it in 1906. Scientists have learned a great deal about Alzheimer’s disease in the century since Dr. Alzheimer first drew attention to it.

In spite the long history of the disease in the modern world, there is not much we know about its development mechanism, and even less on the possibilities of the successful medical treatments.

Today we know that Alzheimer’s:

• It is a form of dementia. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain that results in dementia. The terms Alzheimer's and dementia are often used interchangeably, but there's a distinct difference between them. Dementia is a broader term than Alzheimer's and refers to any brain syndrome resulting in problems with memory, orientation, judgment, executive functioning, and communication. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia -- according to the Alzheimer's Association, 60% to 70% of dementia cases are due to Alzheimer's. However, many other diseases can cause dementia, such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Some infectious diseases can also result in dementia, such as HIV or the extremely rare Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

• It is a progressive and fatal brain disease. As many as 5.3 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer's destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, and it is fatal. Today it is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States. 

• The chances to get affected get worse with people aging. The likelihood of having Alzheimer's disease increases substantially after the age of 70 and may affect around 50% of persons over the age of 85. Nonetheless, Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of aging and is not something that inevitably happens in later life. For example, many people live to over 100 years of age and never develop Alzheimer's disease.

• Is the most common form of dementia, a general term for the loss of memory and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 50 to 70 percent of dementia cases. Other types of dementia include vascular dementia, mixed dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia.

• Has no current cure. But treatments for symptoms, combined with the right services and support, can make life better for the millions of Americans living with Alzheimer’s. There is an accelerating worldwide effort under way to find better ways to treat the disease, delay its onset, or prevent it from developing.

• Brain is affected. There are three major hallmarks in the brain that are associated with the disease processes of AD.
• Amyloid plaques, which are made up of fragments of a protein called beta-amyloid peptide mixed with a collection of additional proteins, remnants of neurons, and bits and pieces of other nerve cells.
• Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), found inside neurons, are abnormal collections of a protein called tau. Normal tau is required for healthy neurons. However, in AD, tau clumps together. As a result, neurons fail to function normally and eventually die.
• Loss of connections between neurons responsible for memory and learning. Neurons can't survive when they lose their connections to other neurons. As neurons die throughout the brain, the affected regions begin to atrophy, or shrink. By the final stage of AD, damage is widespread and brain tissue has shrunk significantly.

Sources and Additional Information:

http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp

http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/adfact.htm

http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/guide/alzheimers-disease-overview-facts

http://www.medicinenet.com/alzheimers_disease/article.htm

http://alzheimers.about.com/od/whatisalzheimer1/a/basics.htm