267-424-2194 Admissions
Falls, and hypothermia are likely to top the list of caregiver concerns during the icy winter months. But, elderly loved ones are also at risk for some lesser known, but still impactful, hazards brought on by frigid weather.
Seasonal affective disorder and vitamin D deficiency can be hazardous to a senior’s health. The good news is, they are both easily treatable if identified and dealt with properly
https://www.agingcare.com/Articles/winter-seasonal-affective-disorder-depression-149072.htm
Creative art pursuits provide older adults with multiple benefits, not the least of which is enhanced cognitive function.
Throughout history, artists have known that art provides benefits for both the creator and viewer. Current studies in the fields of art therapy, music therapy, and other creative modalities confirm that art can affect individuals in positive ways by inducing both psychological and physiological healing. We know that, in general, exercising our creative selves enhances quality of life and nurtures overall well-being. We all are creative—not just a select few.
Less well known is the effectiveness of incorporating expressive arts into programs for older adults and patients who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other chronic degenerative diseases. Recent clinical research validates what some professionals and others who work with older adults have known for years—that making art is an essential, vital component of activities that offer a wide range of health benefits. Several studies show that art can reduce the depression and anxiety that are often symptomatic of chronic diseases. Other research demonstrates that the imagination and creativity of older adults can flourish in later life, helping them to realize unique, unlived potentials, even when suffering from Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.
Scientists don’t completely understand why sleep disturbances occur with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. As with changes in memory and behavior, sleep changes somehow result from the impact of Alzheimer’s on the brain.
Some studies indicate as many as 20 percent of persons with Alzheimer’s will experience increased confusion, anxiety and agitation beginning late in the day. Others may experience changes in their sleep schedule and restlessness during the night. This disruption in the body’s sleep-wake cycle can lead to more behavioral problems.
Read more: http://www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-dementia-sleep-issues-sundowning.asp#ixzz3qRrIqdZ0
by: Liz DeSantis
Some Alzheimer’s tests cost thousands of dollars, some cost pennies. The trick is using the right tests at the right time for the right person. An excellent scoring system from Mayo Clinic offers a powerful tool for making the best choices.
Researchers at Mayo Clinic developed a rigorous scoring system to help determine which elderly people may be at a higher risk of developing the memory and thinking problems that can lead to dementia. The study is published in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
What is Dysphagia?
Dysphagia is defined as difficulty swallowing. It can occur as a result of stroke or other neurological disease, head and neck cancer, normal aging or after a prolonged period of activity. Persons with dysphagia usually exhibit signs and symptoms of aspiration (food or liquids getting in the lungs), muscle weakness and difficulty managing a regular diet. Aspiration can cause pneumonia. Additionally, the dietary restrictions necessary necessary to control dysphasia can result in depression and a decline in quality of life.
What is VitalStim Therapy?
VitalStim Therapy is the only form of neuromuscular electrotherapy for Dysphagia cleared by the Food and Drug Administration. It’s a non-invasive external electrical stimulation therapy. Small electrical pulses are delivered via electrodes to the surface of the neck. These pulses stimulate muscle contractions leading to increased muscle strength and endurance.
The combination of traditional swallowing exercise therapy with VitalStim therapy results in improved swallowing ability. VitalStim must be prescribed by a license physician and administered by a VitalStim certified professional. Mosser Nursing Home offers a full range of Speech Therapy, including Vitalstim, in treating stroke or other neurological diseases.
For more information on VitalStim and Speech Therapy at Mosser nursing home please contact:
Tracy Miller
Rehabilitation Manager
Select Medical Rehab
610-395-5661, ext 2195
Matura Salon & Spa Management is pleased to bring exciting, new salon and spa services to residents! The creative and talented team at Matura possesses a genuine passion for helping people look their best while improving overall well being.
“Caring for the dignity of older adults is an essential part of our mission,” states Cathy Cox, Matura Field Manager, who will be overseeing the salon program at Mosser Nursing Home. “Those with dementia especially deserve our careful attention, patience and respect. The gentle, caring touch from a stylist or manicurist, who is especially trained in caring for older adults with dementia, can evoke feelings of intimacy and empathy, which fosters a deep connection between client and caregiver.”
Matura professionals are licensed and skilled cosmetologists, nail technicians, massage therapists and estheticians extensively experienced in hair cutting and design, color, manicure, facial, hair removal and massage therapy services.
Matura team members are additionally certified in the Alzheimer’s Association® essentiALZ ™ CARES Dementia Program with demonstrated learning of quality dementia care practices and a basic understanding of Alzheimer’s and other related diseases.
All salon and spa services will be available now by appointment offering residents both convenience and relaxation for a most enjoyable salon visit. Residents and family members are welcome to visit the Salon and meet our new staff.
Family members are encouraged to share photos of their loved ones and communicate their concerns regularly with our team of salon experts so that together, we can help to maintain a sense of their loved one’s identity.
Not only can music be entertaining, but it can also promote healing and ease stress for people of all ages. A recent post (January 18, 2014) on AskDoctorK.com, shows just how music can affect our health. Here’s what Dr. K. had to say about the benefits…
Dear Doctor K: I believe music helped my mother recover after her stroke. Is there a connection between music and health?
Dear Reader:
The ancient Greeks certainly thought so: They put one god, Apollo, in charge of both healing and music. Recent medical studies seem to confirm what the Greeks thought. Music seems to slow heart rate, lower blood pressure and reduce levels of stress hormones. It can also provide some relief to heart attack and stroke victims and patients undergoing surgery.
How does music exert these benefits? Some research suggests that music may promote the brain’s ability to make new connections between nerve cells.
Another idea is that it works its magic through its rhythms. Humans are rhythmic beings: Our heartbeat, breathing and brain waves are all rhythmic. The human brain and nervous system are hard-wired to distinguish music from noise and to respond to rhythm and repetition, tones and tunes.
Not long ago I had a vivid example of that. I was late to attend a concert because of a noisy traffic jam with lots of honking. I parked the car and entered the theater. The concert had already started, and the music was louder by far than the sound of the traffic I had just left behind. But despite its volume, the sound of the music made me feel instantly at peace. I had left a world of disordered noise, and entered a world of ordered sound.
As you suspect may be true of your mother, there is some evidence that music can help with stroke recovery. One study enrolled 60 patients hospitalized for major strokes. All received standard stroke care. In addition, one-third of the patients listened to recorded music for at least one hour a day, another third listened to audiobooks, and the final group did not receive auditory stimulation.
After three months, verbal memory improved 60 percent in the music listeners, compared with 20-30 percent in the audiobook group and to the patients who did not receive auditory stimulation. In addition, the music listeners’ ability to perform and control certain mental operations improved by 17 percent. The patients in the other two groups did not improve at all.
Music therapy also is used to help patients with balance and coordination. A program designed to train older adults to walk and perform various movements in time to music helped improve their gait and balance when compared to their peers.
I introduced a friend with severe Parkinson’s disease to a friend who was a singing teacher. I thought singing might help him cope with his disease. When my friend with Parkinson’s disease would find himself “locked” and unable to walk or use his arms much, he would burst out singing a few notes of an aria — which unlocked his legs.
Finally, music can relieve stress. It can improve mood, even in people with depression. And it can lower heart rates, breathing rates and oxygen demands in patients who have recently suffered a heart attack.
Music not only “has charms to soothe the savage breast.” It also helps us to heal.
Dr. Komaroff is a physician and professor at Harvard Medical School.
