February 21st, 2022

I Just Received a Dementia Diagnosis—What Do I Do Next?

Hearing a doctor confirm that the “memory issues” you (or a loved one) have been experiencing is, in fact, early symptoms of dementia would reasonably cause panic. Receiving a dementia diagnosis may send your thoughts to the worst-case scenario, and you might find yourself mentally frozen out of fear. What should you do? How should you prepare? But a dementia diagnosis does not mean that your life is over, nor does it define who you are. It means, however, that there will be challenges and obstacles ahead, not only for you, but for your family and friends. Thinking about those […]

January 11th, 2022

Dementia and Nutrition Concerns

People living with dementia generally do not need to follow a special diet, unless they have co-morbidities or allergies that have certain requirements. However, since dementia is a progressive condition, care providers will need to become increasingly more involved in food preparation and serving relative to the person’s status of decline. By mid-stage, dementia may cause a person to forget to eat or leave them confused about how to use appliances for food preparation. Even under assisted living or full-time care, a person with dementia needs special attention to mealtimes in order to maintain proper nutrition. Vision problems. As we […]

January 11th, 2022

How to Boost Nutrition When Appetite is Poor

Some older adults or otherwise frail individuals struggle with mealtimes due to a lack of appetite. How do you boost nutrition when appetite is poor? Not eating can contribute to unsafe weight loss, malnutrition, and other health problems. Disinterest in food could be caused my something minor, like a side effect of medication. Or, it could be a symptom of something more serious that needs medical attention. After a doctor has ruled out causes for concern, the caregiver can use some simple tactics to boost calorie intake in a healthy way. (Note that for a hospice patient, food and drink should never be forced. The person […]

adult daughter helping elderly father to eat

January 11th, 2022

Challenges With Feeding Elderly Patients

Feeding elderly patients can sometimes be challenging. Changes in cognition, mobility, and energy level might leave a person disinterested in eating. Mealtimes are important because they provide a welcome break in the day. If it is not too distracting for the person in your care, meals can be eaten with friends or family. It is important that mealtimes be enjoyable, so that the person will look forward to eating. Let’s review some best practices for feeding elderly patients. First, create a calm environment. This might mean feeding young children in the home at a different time or location, so that […]

disinfect high-touch surfaces in the home

August 13th, 2021

Infection Control in the Home

Here comes cold and flu season and, yes, we’re still battling the COVID-19 pandemic. If someone in your household is an older adult or has certain underlying medical conditions, then all household members should act as if they are at an increased risk for severe illness and take special precautions. If you don’t, then the effort put toward protection of your sensitive person(s) goes to waste if other residents are careless in public and bring germs back home. Although you can’t live in a bubble, you can practice extra infection-control measures if you live with someone who’s at high risk […]

August 13th, 2021

Helping People With Dementia Understand Infection Prevention

How can we help our loved ones with dementia understand about infection prevention? As the COVID-19 pandemic surges on, you are probably worried about keeping your family safe. If you’re caring for someone who has dementia, explaining the importance of hand hygiene and other prevention protocols can be a challenge. Dementia is not just memory loss; it also affects the brain’s ability to receive and process information. We know at least two parts of the brain are dying. Cells are deteriorating, brain tissue is lost, and the overall size of the brain shrinks. The language center that is located in […]

June 30th, 2021

Home Oxygen Safety Tips

Medical oxygen is prescribed by a doctor at a specific level to treat breathing issues from various disorders, and this therapy can greatly improve one’s quality of life. However, oxygen greatly increases fire risk, so you must exercise great caution when this therapy is used in the home. Oxygen by itself is not a flammable gas and it will not explode, but it reacts violently with combustible materials; if something catches fire, oxygen makes it burn much faster. Using medical oxygen in the home increases the amount of oxygen in all textiles, upholstery, clothing, and hair, making it easy for […]

An animatronic cat is presented to an elderly man.

January 15th, 2021

Hope Hospice Animatronic Pet Program for Dementia Care

Hope Hospice is using animatronic pets to help lessen the impact that pandemic-related isolation has had on its patients. Joy for All Companion Pets™ by Ageless Innovation are robotic dog and cat toys designed specifically to comfort older adults in need of companionship; early studies specifically charted the benefits for people living with Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of cognitive decline. The pets are battery powered and, when stroked, become alert and make lifelike noises and small movements. With a generous donation from NorCal Minis car club, Hope Hospice was able to purchase 20 Joy For All Companion Pet cats […]

November 23rd, 2020

Top Family Caregiver Mistakes: Part 4, Not Involving Family Members in Caring For Your Loved One

Hope Hospice is publishing a five-part monthly series about common family caregiver mistakes. Following is Part 4. This series is written by Debbie Emerson, MS, Hope Hospice Community Health Educator. Revisit Part 1: Not Planning in Advance Revisit Part 1.5: Not Having Healthcare, Financial, and Legal Affairs in Order Revisit Part 2: Not Hiring In-Home Help Revisit Part 3: Not Having a Support System Mistake #4: Not Involving Family Members in Caring For Your Loved One I’m the only one my husband trusts to provide care. My family is scattered all over the country – how can they […]

male delivers groceries to elderly woman

October 5th, 2020

Top Family Caregiver Mistakes: Part 3, Not Having a Support System

Hope Hospice is publishing a five-part monthly series about common family caregiver mistakes. Following is Part 3. This series is written by Debbie Emerson, MS, Hope Hospice Community Health Educator. Revisit Part 1: Not Planning in Advance Revisit Part 1.5: Not Having Healthcare, Financial, and Legal Affairs in Order Revisit Part 2: Not Hiring In-Home Help Mistake #3: Not Having a Support System At the time of this writing, our country is still in the throes of a pandemic and avoiding prolonged contact with people outside one’s own household is advised. So it feels strange to stress the importance […]

July 23rd, 2020

Dementia and Appetite Decline

Persons living with dementia commonly exhibit challenges with eating, but the reasons vary. Let’s explore a few possible causes of appetite decline. Memory trouble. In the early stages of dementia, when a person may still be caring for himself or functioning with limited assistance, the problem might be simply forgetting to eat. When this problem is discovered, it’s a sign that care partners need to provide more frequent living assistance and check-ins. Vision decline. As we age, we naturally experience a narrowing of our field of vision. For a person living with dementia, this process is on overdrive and it […]

home visit nurse checking on female senior patient

June 15th, 2020

Top Family Caregiver Mistakes: Part 2; Not hiring in-home help

Hope Hospice is publishing a five-part monthly series about common family caregiver mistakes. Following is Part 2, a continuation of the previous discussion on preparation. This series is written by Debbie Emerson, MS, Hope Hospice Community Health Educator. Revisit Part 1: Not Planning in Advance Revisit Part 1.5: Not having healthcare, financial, and legal affairs in order Mistake #2: Not hiring in-home help One of the most debilitating aspects of being a care partner is the feeling that you’re in this alone, that no one else is helping you. Having a support team in place is essential for the […]

June 2nd, 2020

Does Dementia Impact the Brain’s Emotional Center?

People living with dementia are experiencing deterioration of brain functions. How does dementia impact the brain’s emotional center? The COVID-19 pandemic has caused mass hysteria that has touched all parts of the globe. For some, fear of not knowing when or if society will return to normal is debilitating. Others are amped up about restrictions on personal freedoms and commerce. Even the most cool-headed of us is experiencing uncertainty on some level. Whichever concerns we carry, we are all processing these circumstances the same way: via the brain’s amygdala region, the emotional center. Now, if the average adult is experiencing […]

March 19th, 2020

Top Family Caregiver Mistakes: Part 1, Not Planning in Advance

Hope Hospice is publishing a five-part monthly series about common family caregiver mistakes. Following is Part 1: Not Planning in Advance. This series is written by Debbie Emerson, MS, Hope Hospice Community Health Educator. An Introduction to the Family Caregiver Mistakes Blog Series One of the most challenging tasks a family member will face is becoming a caregiver to an aging or chronically ill loved one. As this responsibility often presents itself rather suddenly (and usually without a lot of options), most of us are sorely unprepared for the undertaking. We’re not taught how to be caregivers in school. […]

caregiver woman keeping company to a senior lady

February 13th, 2020

Boredom and Dementia Patients

Dementia dramatically affects a person’s entire being, and its progression is impossible to stop. A person living with one of the various diseases that cause dementia may experience symptoms from memory loss to speech problems and vision decline, but the greatest complaints are boredom and loneliness. Why do boredom and loneliness top the list? In most cases, caregivers (often, family members) are at a loss of how to provide dementia-related care. Dementia symptoms have changed the relationship between caregiver and loved one, and it’s common to feel at a loss of what to do. When you can no longer have […]

illustration shows reduced peripheral range

December 26th, 2019

Vision Decline in Dementia Patients

Caregivers commonly observe vision decline in dementia patients. People living with dementia commonly experience changes to their vision beyond what’s expected as part of the normal aging process. As dementia-related illnesses cause progressive brain deterioration, a person will experience certain sight deficits because the brain is no longer processing what the eyes see in the same way. Some common problem areas include: Depth perception The patient may exhibit difficulty in navigating steps, grabbing objects, and distinguishing between two- and three-dimensional scenes. With the latter, for instance, the person may try to pick up flowers from a floral-printed tablecloth. Reduced […]

December 2nd, 2019

What is Sundowning?

Family care partners and professional caregivers alike get frustrated with dementia-related behaviors that are barriers to providing care and improving quality of life for the person in their care. Behaviors associated with sundowning are particularly difficult. Sundowning is a lay term that describes a state of increased confusion and anxiety that presents itself in the late afternoon and continues through the evening; for some, it extends into nighttime. Signs include many forms of anxiety, aggression, pacing, confusion, wandering, and repetitive behaviors. Some people experience hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, sundowning occurs in as many as 20 […]

October 1st, 2019

Caregiver Tips on Assisting With Personal Hygiene

As a caregiver, you will find that some of your time each day will be devoted to assisting the person in your care with personal hygiene. This includes bathing, shampooing, oral or mouth care, shaving, and foot care. Following are tips to help these tasks go smoothly. Bathing When it comes to personal hygiene, ensure the floors are not slippery; to help prevent falls on the bathroom floor, use non-skid mats or rugs and a rubber mat with good suction or adhesive traction strips in the shower basin or bathtub. A movable shower head with a hose is especially helpful […]

October 1st, 2019

Avoiding Pressure Ulcers

Caregivers need to keep a close eye on elderly patients to avoid pressure ulcers from occurring. Pressure ulcers (also called decubiti, or bedsores) are blisters or breaks in the skin caused when the body’s weight presses blood out of a specific area. Pressure ulcers are commonly found in bedridden patients or people with mobility challenges who do not get up to move frequently enough. According to the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel estimates that 2.5 million American develop pressure ulcers each year. The most common areas for sores are the bony areas—tail bone, hips, heels, and elbows. Damage can range […]

October 1st, 2019

Flu Prevention for Seniors

Flu prevention for seniors is more important than ever. According to the Centers for Disease Control, people 65 years and older account for between 50 and 70 percent of reported influenza-associated hospitalizations. Overall, flu hospitalization rates during the 2017–2018 flu season were the highest ever recorded. Vaccination is the single best way to help protect against the flu and is especially important for older adults. Flu vaccine saves lives and prevents the serious complications that sometimes result. Caregivers of all ages should get an annual flu shot and should take preventive measures, such as washing hands, staying away from people […]

October 1st, 2019

How Alzheimer’s Disease Affects Communication

Memory loss is one of the widely known symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, but many other skills and abilities become impaired as well. Persons living with dementia experience changes in the brain’s temporal lobe that affect their ability to process language. Even in the disease’s early stages, caregivers may notice a decline in formal language (vocabulary, comprehension, and speech production), which all humans rely upon to communicate verbally. Symptoms include word loss, confusion during the conversation, not being able to follow a storyline, and decreased speech. Word loss and the brain’s temporal lobe As a child is learning a language, nouns […]

August 27th, 2019

Seniors and Hot-Weather Safety

It is very important to be educated on the importance of seniors and hot-weather safety. Too much heat is unsafe for everyone. It is even riskier for those who are over age 65 or who have health problems, as these groups generally do not adjust to major temperature fluctuations as fast as younger people. According to the National Center for Environmental Health, more Americans die from over-exposure to hot weather than by any other natural disaster. Heat-Related Illness Being hot for too long can cause several illnesses, all grouped under the name hyperthermia. Hyperthermia occurs when there is an unusual […]

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Senior care

I Just Received a Dementia Diagnosis—What Do I Do Next?

Dementia and Nutrition Concerns

How to Boost Nutrition When Appetite is Poor

Challenges With Feeding Elderly Patients

Infection Control in the Home

Helping People With Dementia Understand Infection Prevention

Home Oxygen Safety Tips

Hope Hospice Animatronic Pet Program for Dementia Care

Top Family Caregiver Mistakes: Part 4, Not Involving Family Members in Caring For Your Loved One

Top Family Caregiver Mistakes: Part 3, Not Having a Support System

Dementia and Appetite Decline

Top Family Caregiver Mistakes: Part 2; Not hiring in-home help

Does Dementia Impact the Brain’s Emotional Center?

Top Family Caregiver Mistakes: Part 1, Not Planning in Advance

Boredom and Dementia Patients

Vision Decline in Dementia Patients

What is Sundowning?

Caregiver Tips on Assisting With Personal Hygiene

Avoiding Pressure Ulcers

Flu Prevention for Seniors

How Alzheimer’s Disease Affects Communication

Seniors and Hot-Weather Safety