Five Adult Day Center Activities

by ElderCarelink

Care recipients need time away, too. In any relationship, spending too much time exclusively with the other person starts to cause tension on both parties, and the caregiver/care recipient relationship is certainly no exception. This is where adult day care facilities come in. They allow your parent or loved one to socialize, stay involved in a community and get a much-needed break from you.

 All the while you're out living your own life for the day, doing what you want to do, whether that's work, work around the house, shopping or a good book with your name on it. For those hours you're apart, you won't have to worry about your parent or loved one falling down, getting enough water, trying to find you, getting meals and medication or anything else.

 Adult day center activities

 These centers have a lot going on, and it's all geared towards making everyone's day (and life) better, not just killing time.

 Typical activities include:

 1. Memory games. Learning new things and getting quizzed both help with memory.

 2. Exercise. Studies show that exercise helps with brain function. Adult day care centers offer everything from pleasant strolls to chair-based yoga.

 3. Social activities. Group projects, bingo, crafting, dances -- anything that brings everyone together is good for the spirit.

 4. Targeted therapy. The more health-oriented centers offer a wide variety of therapy, including speech and physical, which is one more thing to take off your plate.

 5. Fun. Trips around town, movies, live music and other activities meant simply to brighten up the day are a staple of these facilities.

 If your parent of loved one isn't ready for full-fledged nursing care, adult day care centers are the way to go. Be sure you do your research. Talk to doctors for recommendations and visit the centers with a list a questions in your hand first.

Coming soon...

Four tips for handling wandering

by ElderCarelink

For individuals with dementia, such as Alzheimer's, confusion and/or disorientation can make it difficult to not only recognize other people, but their location. At times, this confusion can lead to wandering, events where a loved one may become lost.

 When wandering becomes an issue, family members may ultimately decide that nursing home care is the best option for their loved one. However, in many cases, individuals with Alzheimer's or dementia may actually do better at home, living in their familiar surroundings.

 The question remains: how can family members keep their loved ones safe at home and deal with wandering?

 Four tips for handling wandering

 1. Make the home safe. Safety gates, door alarms and other modifications are available to keep your loved one safe.

 2. Make sure your loved one wears a medical ID. If your loved one does wander, a bracelet, necklace or other form of ID can help others get them home safely.

 3. Notify your neighbors. Be sure to tell your neighbors about your loved one's Alzheimer's and/or dementia. Ask them to contact you if they see your loved one wandering.

 4. Hire an in-home care professional. In-home care providers can help supervise and care for your loved one.

 Family caregivers can quickly become overwhelmed when attempting to provide full-time supervision of a loved one with Alzheimer's. Before finding yourself in such a position, consider turning over some personal care tasks to a professional caregiver.

 A. Help with disorientation. Wandering often occurs when routines are disrupted by memory loss. An in-home caregiver can assist your loved one to maintain a routine and assist them with daily activities such as grooming, bathing and eating.

 B. Help with activities. Boredom and inactivity may lead to instances of wandering. An in-home care provider can help a loved one with activities to keep them stimulated. Example activities include card games, setting the table, conversation, dancing and more.

Government's 5-star rating system for nursing homes

by ElderCarelink

Nearly as difficult as the choice to move your parent or loved one into a nursing home is the choice of which one. Fortunately, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has put together a checklist, a guide and a rating system to help you make the best decision.

 They first recommend finding a nursing home in your area. This just makes sense. You'll undoubtedly want to visit beforehand to check the place out as well as when your parent or loved one is staying there, so make it easy. Once you've got a list of homes, comparing them can be tough. This is where CMS's rating system comes into play.

 They've taken the time to rate nursing homes on a variety of carefully chosen criteria, including:

 1. Health inspection. This list contains about 180 individual sections, breaking down all major aspects of care in nursing homes. The CMS sends trained staff to every location to make objective reports of facilities, and the reports are checked at the federal level to ensure quality standards.

 2. Staffing. There's more to a staffing rating than a ratio of staff to residents. Taking into account the need for and number of trained nurses on staff, these yearly reports take two weeks for each facility to complete. The CMS recommends asking about staff turnover and any qualifications the staff might have beyond (very necessary) nursing certifications.

 3. Quality measures. This is an in-depth look at how well nursing homes perform on ten fairly common and very important aspects of senior care. Included in these ten points are how the staff helps residents stay able to eat and dress themselves, and how the staff deals with the treatment and prevention of skin ulcers.

 The necessity for you to go in, see for yourself, talk with the staff, ask your parent or loved one's doctor and make the decision yourself is stressed, as is their recommendation to use this rating system with other information. In short, it's best for everyone if you gather as much information as possible before check in.

Below is information on programs and events taking place in Utah County at this time. 

Ability First is hosting the 11th Annual Fundraiser Race/5K & 10K Run, Walk & Roll on Saturday, September 21. 

Grandfamilies of Utah County starts their fall classes for families raising a relative's children beginning September 26. 

Raising a relative’s child?

Need extra support?

Grandfamilies of Utah County is a support and education program designed to help individuals and families raising relative’s children because the biological parents are unable to do so.

Our main goal is to provide help and support, encourage safety and permanency of children, and promote confidence in your ability to parent.

Our program comes at no cost to the participants. Classes start Sept. 26th.

Grandfamilies Services:

Education and support groups • Monthly family activities

Links to community resources • Guardianship • Therapy

For information or to enroll, please contact:

801.373.4765        

GrandfamiliesUC@wasatch.org

Provo Recreation Center has a fantastic fitness program for seniors 60+.  Programs include: Silver Sneakers, Zumba Gold, Water Aerobics, Tai Chi, Wellness Training Program, Open Track and Swim Time, and Wellness Coaching with equipment specifically designed for individuals with limited range of mobility and aging issues. Contact Alicia Christensen 801-852-6620 for more information.

Silver Sneakers classes:

Classic- Monday & Wednesday @ 11am

Yoga- Friday @ 11am

Zumba Gold: Monday/Wednesday/Friday @ 1:30pm

Understanding the seven stages of Alzheimer's

by ElderCarelink

Medical experts believe Alzheimer's patients experience seven stages of disease progression. However, it is important to remember these stages vary from person to person, not everyone will experience every symptom, and these symptoms may occur at different times in different people.

The seven stages of Alzheimer's

1. No cognitive impairment. Individuals at this stage show no marked decline in their cognitive function.

2. Very mild decline. Individuals may experience moments of forgetfulness, such as the location of eyeglasses or someone's name. Yet, these issues may not be evident to family members, friends or even the family physician.

3. Mild cognitive decline. Known as early-stage Alzheimer's, family and friends may begin to notice the symptoms. Common symptoms include an inability to plan, word-finding problems, or poor short-term recall when reading.

4. Moderate cognitive decline. Known as early-stage or mild Alzheimer's, the symptoms can be clearly defined during medical interviews. The individual may have a decreased ability to handle complex tasks such as managing finances, have problems remembering personal history, and may seem withdrawn.

5. Moderately severe cognitive decline. Known as mid-stage Alzheimer's, patients may now have significant gaps in memory and assistance with daily activities may be required. Individuals may become confused about where they are and may have problems remembering their address or telephone number.

6. Severe cognitive decline. At this stage, the individual may experience personality changes and require a significant amount of help with daily activities. They may have an inability to recall recent experiences, need help getting dressed, may forget the name of their spouse, or may start wandering.

7. Very severe cognitive decline. In late-stage Alzheimer's, individuals ultimately lose the ability to speak, respond to the environment around them and--in the end--the ability to control movement.

Understanding the various stages of Alzheimer's can be helpful for understanding how the disease progresses as well as for making future caregiving plans. There are numerous services that can help, so you don't have to go it alone.

Classes: 

UCare Caregiver Guide Classes
LOCATION: Courtyard at Jamestown
3352 North 100 East, Provo
1:00 - 2:00 PM

Mountainland UCare classes can provide you, as a caregiver, with the resources you need to care for your loved one who is aging, chronically ill or has a disability or mental illness. Classes will be held on every 4th Thursday of the month. 

MONTHLY TOPICS:
September 26 - Caring for a Loved One with Depression, Anxiety and  Stress
October 24 - Legal and Financial Issues

Support Groups:

Week 1

Caregiver's Night Out

Tuesday, September 3 
6:30 - 8:00 PM
Aspen Senior Center
3410 North Canyon Road, Provo

For more details, call Geri Lehnardt at 801-229-3814 email glehnardt@mountainland.org

CARE Meeting (Caregivers Allowed to Rejuvenate & Energize)

Wednesday, September 4 
6:00 PM
Golden Living

960 South Geneva Rd, Orem

For further details, contact 801-225-6559.

Week 2

North County Caregiver Lunch Bunch

Wednesday, September 11 
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
The Charleston at Cedar Hills

10020 N 4600 W, Cedar Hills

Please join us for a complimentary lunch, educational topic and plenty of time to visit with other caregivers. For additional details, call Geri Lehnardt (801) 229-3814 or email glehnardt@mountainland.org

CARE Meeting (Caregivers Allowed to Rejuvenate & Energize)

Wednesday, September 11  
6:00 PM
Payson Senior Center
439 West Utah Avenue, Payson 

Join us for refreshments as we discuss caregiver concerns. Respite provided, if needed, for your loved one. For further details, contact Geri Lehnardt at 801-229-3814.

Week 3

South County Support Group
Wednesday, September 18 
1:30 PM
Grand Vista Senior Apartments
650 E 100 N, Payson

For details, call Shannon (801) 592-0005.

Springville Caregiver Lunch Bunch

Thursday, September 19 
11:30 - 1:00 PMPier 49 Pizza
296 S Main St, Springville

For details, call Geri Lehnardt (801) 229-3814.

Parkinson's Disease Support Group

Thursday, September 19 
6:00 PM
Utah Valley Specialty Hospital
306 West River Bend Lane, Provo

For additional details, call Liz or Randy at (801) 225-9099.

Alzheimers Associaton Support Group

Thursday, September 19      
1:00 PM
Courtyard at Jamestown
3352 N 100 E, Provo

FREE Alzheimer's Family Care Consultations are available both before and after the support group meeting. For additional details about the support group or to schedule an appointment for a care consultation, please call (801) 377-3730.

Week 4

Men's Group
Wednesday, September 25 
12:30 PM
Ashford Memory Care
10322 North 4800 West, Highland

For details, call 801-380-9451.

Women's Group
Wednesday, September 25 
4:00 PM
Ashford Memory Care
10322 North 4800 West, Highland

For details, call 801-380-9451

Online

Caregiver Support Group

ONLINE

Bel Aire Senior Living has started an online support group where you can share experiences, ask for advice or just chat with others who know what you are going through. If you are interested please contact Bel Aire Senior Living at 801-763-0622 with your name and email address so that they can send you a Facebook invitation to join the group. 

Consultations:

FREE Dementia/Alzheimer's Family Care Consultations

LOCATION: Mountainland Department of Aging and Family Services
586 E. 800 N. 
Orem, UT 84097

The Alzheimer's Association has received a grant to provide care consultations and resources for families of loved ones suffering with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. 

Contact Kate Nederostek at 801-265-1944 or knederostek@alz.org to set up an appointment.