5 creative ways to help a loved one with dementia

Caring for a person with dementia can be extremely challenging as it is a very unpredictable and complex condition. They can have problems with orientation and can get lost very easily in their own home as well as having sensory difficulties. They also will have memory loss and may be confused. Due to this it is vital you focus on what people with dementia can do, rather than what they can't.

 Keeping people with dementia occupied and doing interesting activities will keep their brain active and reduce their anxiety. People with dementia live very much in the moment so it is important to make that moment as fun and enjoyable as it can possibly be. Even if they can't remember afterwards why they felt happy, they will still feel the emotion of happiness after the event.

Here are five things you can do to make the life of a person with dementia more fulfilling...

1. Music

There is a growing body of research showing the huge impact music and singing can have on people with dementia. Music can be extremely stimulating, making people more alert and expressive. It also gives people an opportunity to reminisce.

Professor Paul Robertson, a concert violinist and academic who has made a study of music in dementia care, has found people "remain contactable as musical beings on some level right up to the very end of life."

The auditory system of the brain is the first to fully function at 16 weeks, which means that people are musically receptive long before anything else. "So it's a case of first in, last out when it comes to a dementia-type breakdown of memory," he says.

Alzheimer's Society runs Singing for the Brain sessions in various locations around the country. However the great thing about singing is that it can be done anywhere such as in the car as shown by Teddy 'Mac' McDermott who recently shot to fame online as 'The Songaminute Man' when his son Simon posted videos of his father singing during their very own Carpool Karaoke on YouTube, which went viral and became a worldwide hit.

2. Art

Observing and creating art can improve the lives of people with dementia. Creating art be it through painting, drawing, collage, pottery or sculpture enables people to express themselves and gives them an outlet for their emotions.

Studies have shown people with dementia who have art therapy sessions become mentally sharper, calmer and more sociable.

Arts 4 Dementia has a whole range of workshops and sessions on its website. The organisation Create also runs art programmes stimulating and engaging older people particularly those with dementia.
 

3. Dance

Dancing can play a key role in calming people with dementia when they are agitated. It also has the added benefit of keeping people fit. Don't be put off if the person you care for has limited mobility as they can still dance seated. Even those who are very frail will become energised when they dance and will enjoy connecting with others

Dementia researcher, Dr Azucena Guzmán García, has carried out research showing dancing improves mood, is good for physical wellbeing and also helps to strengthen the bond of trust between the care worker or carer and the person with dementia.

In addition, dancing improves muscle tone, strength, endurance, fitness and helps to prevent falls. Dance can also boost brain function and enable people to express themselves without getting frustrated about using language.

Best of all dancing is fun and hopefully you will see the person you care for smiling and happy. Dancing can be done at home or you can find out if any daycare centres run organised sessions.

4. Exercise

Physical exercise can be enormously beneficial for people with dementia and can be tailored to the individual, ranging from a walk in the fresh air to swimming and playing table tennis.

Improving physical fitness will keep people with dementia independent for longer, reduce risk of falls and improve sleep patterns. Even those with limited mobility can do some form of exercise.

5. Gardening

Gardening is another very fulfilling activity that can be done with people living with dementia. It enables people to use their gross motor skills which help with strength and balance and again reduces the risk of falls. Going out in the fresh air is vital for stimulating their senses. If people have limited mobility they may be unable to do the more physical gardening but they can still help plant seeds and flowers into pots, and in doing so feel the earth on their skin and smell the herbs and flowers.

Feeling the sunshine on their skin will increase their sense of wellbeing and the natural daylight will help regulate their body clock and make them sleep better at night.

It doesn't have to be complicated. Simple gardening such as planting pots of herb or creating a window box with bulbs will bring pleasure and a real sense of achievement.

SOURCE: netdoctor, Davina Ludlow

Top tips for carers

When your loved one is being cared for in hospital

There are many things you can do to check your loved one is receiving good care in hospital. Working with the care home is the best place to start.

We have put together our ten top tips for carers whose loved one are now being cared for in a care home/hospital:

Let staff know that the person you care for has dementia.

Ask for the name of the main nurse who will be in charge of the person's care.

Ask that you be included in all decisions.

Give staff information about a person's individual preferences, likes and dislikes. Ask for these to be recorded. We have produced a leaflet 'This is me' to give to staff when a person with dementia goes into hospital.

If the hospital has a dementia specialist nurse, ask them to work with staff directly caring for the person with dementia about good care.

If the person has trouble eating and drinking ask that they have someone to help them at mealtime or ask if you can help out (if you are able to)If appropriate, tell the staff what the person says or the signs they make when they want to go to the toilet, and ask that they be taken straightaway.

If a person is prone to becoming restless or wandering let staff know and work together to identify ways of helping the person in their best interests.

Ask staff to discuss with you what will happen when it is time for the person with dementia to leave hospital so that you are prepared and know what support is available.

Consult Alzheimer's Society's factsheet on hospital care for more information.

SOURCE: Alzheimers Society
The Alzheimers Society should always be your first port of call for quality information and up to date strategies for caring for loved ones with Alzheimers.

50% of people said they didn't feel confident having a conversation with someone if they were concerned about their memory. What should people do if they're worried?

One of the most common calls to our National Dementia Helpline is from people who are unsure of how to start a conversation telling a loved one they're concerned about their memory. It can be a difficult conversation to have, but is worth it. We've put together some top tips to help people approach the subject in a sensitive way.

Take steps to get help when you're worried about someone's memory:

Step 1: Plan a conversation in a familiar, non-threatening environment

Step 2: Explain why talking is important - you're worried because you care
Step 3: Use examples to make things clearer - It's important to be careful not to create a sense of 'blame'. For example, instead of telling someone they couldn't make a cup of tea you could suggest they seemed to find it difficult to make the tea
Step 4: Have an open conversation - be honest and direct. Ask how they're feeling about their memory?
Step 5: Make a positive plan of action together.

Top Tips

• Be positive - a diagnosis can give people access to the help and support they need, or the GP can help you rule out dementia and treat other symptoms. Raising concerns with your doctor can be a really positive step forward.
• Make notes of situations that have got you worried. Giving examples will help you to express yourself in a clear and real way.
• Don't be upset if the person refuses to accept what you're saying - put yourself in their shoes, they may be frightened or confused.
• Due to the stigma surrounding dementia it is important to use non-judgemental language and make them feel at ease. Reassure them it's not their fault.
• Make sure it's an open conversation and be a good listener. Allow the person to discuss their feelings and thoughts  
• Be ready to take action together. Once you've broached the subject, don't hesitate, book a doctor's appointment so you're working towards getting help
• Never make promises about what can be done or what the future looks like - you can only offer support

Here are some leading questions that you can ask to start the conversation and explore how a person if feeling about their memory:

• You seem worried, I'd like to talk about it with you? 
• You don't seem yourself, how do you feel?
• I'd like to help you, what are you finding difficult at the moment?
• If you would like to talk I am here for you. I would really like to hear how you're feeling?
• Can we talk about how things are for you at the moment?
• Are you ok? You seem to be concerned about something?

Some carers of people with dementia have shared some of the reactions they got when broaching the subject with a loved one. Here are some of their experiences:

• Some people were in denial and refused to discuss the subject - they were overwhelmed by the use of the word Alzheimer's disease or dementia
• Many were pleased that someone else had noticed they were having problems with their memory and that they wanted to help
• Some were pleased that a family member/friend had talked to them about their worries, involving them in what plan to make rather than talking about the fact they're worried about their memory behind their back.

SOURCE: The Alzheimers Society

Replica bus stop donated to Lincoln care home to help dementia patients

Bus operator Stagecoach has donated a replica bus stop for inclusion in a Lincoln care home’s reminiscence garden.

The 30 bedroom Bernadette House Care Home, situated in an acre of gardens in the south of Lincoln, provides care and activities for people, many of whom suffer from dementia.

Many of the patients, would regularly use to use their local bus service, continued to walk around the home looking for a bus stop.

After being contacted by the care home, Stagecoach East Midlands donated a bus stop and timetable for patients at the care home for their comfort.

The donation will help with dementia patients’ reminiscence therapy, which encourages discussion of past events and memories that help people reconnect with their former lives and improve the quality of care they receive further.

The bus stop has been placed in the corner of the garden with a bench for those to sit and relax.

Elizabeth Stephens, Owner of Bernadette House Care Home, said: “We’re absolutely delighted Stagecoach were kind enough to provide us with a bus stop for our reminiscence garden. It’s a fabulous addition to the home and has triggered many fond memories of past bus journeys with friends and family for our residents.”

Michelle Hargreaves, Managing Director of Stagecoach East Midlands, added: “When Bernadette House Care Home approached us with the idea of providing a replica bus stop for the residents, we were more than happy to assist. We hope that the bus stop will provide residents with some familiarity and will help them during their Reminiscence Therapy.”

Source: The Lincolnite, Andrew Quann

What a great idea, helping residents feel more at home with familiar sights.

The cost of living in a care home is likely to swallow up half the value of a family house, say researchers.

They found the bills for a typical stay in a home were likely to be between £50,000 and £93,000 – and that the total would mean a loss of between a fifth and a half of the value of an average house.

The estimates, for an insurance firm, measure a family’s loss from the inheritance they would otherwise have expected when an elderly relative needs to go into a care home.

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The cost of living in a care home is likely to range between £50,000 and £93,000 - up to half the value of an average home. Around 160,000 pensioners have to pay their own bills (file photo)

Around 160,000 people living in care homes have to pay their own bills, and in many cases their property is sold or pledged to meet the costs.

The sacrifice of a house is demanded of care residents who have assets or savings above £23,250 – a threshold that means all homeowners must pay their own care home bills.

The analysis for Royal London showed, on average, someone who goes into a care home lives there for two-and-a-half years, paying bills that vary from £554 a week in the North East to more than £700 in the South East.

In the North East, care home bills can cost as much as 56 per cent of the price of a home. But in London, where the average house price is almost £500,000, bills are only 17.9 per cent of a house

The price of that stay in an average home in the North East would take up 56 per cent of the value of a typical house. In the South East the price would be just under a third of the value of an average house.

Researchers said that in some cases residents live in care homes for longer periods, and one in ten stay for six-and-a-half years. Long-term residents are in many cases likely to spend the entire value of their house and more.

The estimates have been drawn up at a time when Theresa May’s government is struggling with the growing difficulty of paying for social care for rising numbers of older people.

Royal London’s Debbie Kennedy said: ‘These figures are a shocking reminder of the huge costs which growing numbers of us will face if we need residential care later in life … The whole system is a lottery and we need to find better ways of supporting people to cope with these large and unpredictable bills.’

Steve Webb, a former Liberal Democrat pensions minister, who now works for the insurance firm, said: ‘Successive governments have failed to grasp the nettle when it comes to care costs … The Government’s plans for yet another discussion document on social care later this year are far too slow.’

SOURCE: Steve Doughty, Daily Mail

Anxiety and depression 'can increase your cancer risk by a third': Emotional distress thought to damage body's defence systems against the disease

Emotional distress can raise your risk of dying of cancer by a third, a study has found.

Up to one in 10 people in the UK will at some point battle anxiety or depression, which research for the first time shows raises the danger of death from bowel, prostate and pancreatic cancer.

Researchers say this may be because depression makes sufferers more likely to smoke and drink, and less likely to take exercise.

Up to one in 10 people in the UK will at some point battle anxiety or depression, which research for the first time shows raises the danger of death from bowel, prostate and pancreatic cancer.

But even accounting for this, anxious and depressed people die in greater numbers from cancer – thought to show that their unhappiness damages the body’s defence systems against the disease.

The authors of the study, from University College London, Edinburgh University, and University of Sydney in Australia, suggest emotional distress may hit immune function and damage DNA repair. 

It can also stop people from attending screening, which could spot their cancers early, or prevent them seeking proper treatment when they do fall ill.

In a review of 16 studies, taking in more than 163,000 people in the UK, they found those with anxiety and depression had a 32 per cent greater risk of dying from all types of cancer. This was true despite age, sex, education, weight, status and regardless of whether people smoked and drank.

Lead author Dr David Batty, from University College London, said: ‘After statistical control for these factors, the results show that compared with people in the least distressed group, death rates in the most distressed group were consistently higher for cancer of the bowel, prostate, pancreas, and oesophagus and for leukaemia.’

The people studied were followed for almost a decade on average, given questionnaires to judge if they were anxious or depressed. Their mental wellbeing was for some cancers as important as obesity or smoking in raising their danger of dying from the disease.

The way in which people who are anxious stop looking after themselves could explain their higher danger of death from bowel, pancreatic and gullet cancers. 

These are all lifestyle-related cancers which can be made worse by distressed people overeating or failing to exercise.

Prostate cancer, another cancer with higher death rates among those with emotional distress, is a hormone-related cancer. This may be caused by depression symptoms which cause spikes in the stress hormone cortisol, restrain DNA repair and harm the immune response which can ward off cancer.

In a review of 16 studies, taking in more than 163,000 people in the UK, they found those with anxiety and depression had a 32 per cent greater risk of dying from all types of cancer.

These physical effects could raise the risk of all types of cancer, by striking at the body’s natural defences.

The knock-on effects of psychological problems on the body have been highlighted by previous research showing that people with neurotic or conscientious personality types may be more likely to fall ill. Anxiety and depression have already been linked with an increased risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.

The latest study, published in the British Medical Journal, looked at 163,363 people free from cancer, but the authors say some of these may have unknowingly been in the early stages of the disease, suffering symptoms which may have affected their mood and skewed the results.

However, the authors corrected for this by excluding those who died in the first five years of follow-up, with the results that emotionally distressed people died more often from cancer remaining the same.

Dr Batty said: ‘Our findings contribute to the evidence that poor mental health might have some predictive capacity for certain physical diseases but we are a long way off from knowing if these relationships are truly causal.’ 

SOURCE: Victoria Allen, Daily Mail
Really interesting research here and one hopes that the findings from these studies will contribute to further follow up research,  Anxiety and depression have long been linked to many illnesses including stroke and heart disease and it would therefore be hugely beneficial if we could reach the point where  studies could predict the incidence or likelihood of diseases occurring as a result of a breakdown in mental health.

Six years in a care home can cost more than raising a child: Typical bill of £230,000 means one in three over 55s are resigned to selling their home to pay the bill

The price of a parent’s care home place can cost more than bringing up a child, families were warned yesterday.

Raising a son or daughter to the age of 21 and putting them through school and university typically costs just over £230,000, a report said.

But the same amount would buy just six years’ residency in a care home for an elderly and vulnerable parent.

The report said that almost a third of adults over 55 have no idea how they would pay bills on that scale, and that nearly one in five are resigned to selling their homes to pay fees.

It comes at a time of continued uncertainty following the failure of Theresa May’s election campaign.

She planned to make those with assets of more than £100,000 liable for paying all bills – which jarred with those who preferred the £72,000 care costs cap put forward by David Cameron but never implemented.

Until new policies are produced it remains the case that anyone with savings and property in England will have to pay for their own place until their assets are reduced to £23,250. Many are forced to sell their homes to meet the costs.

Yesterday’s report put the average price of a place in an English care home at £694 a week – a level broadly in line with other estimates, although prices are higher in the South of England than in the North. It said that if a family had to pay for a place for ten years, the cost would be around £360,000.

Tom Lyon, of uSwitch, said families who do not have their affairs in order and are unable to access Government support could be facing a future of crippling debt

But, it said, a poll found that an average person put the likely bill at £283,000.

On an annual basis, the report said, the real cost of a place is £36,088 but typically people believe it is £28,358.

Meanwhile the estimated average cost of bringing up a child is just under £232,000, including the price of a university education. In practice, the insurance industry calculates that a typical stay in a care home lasts just two-and-a-half years – and that bills are likely to amount to between £50,000 and £90,000. But that sum is still a quarter of the value of an average home.

The poll of 2,006 people, carried out for price comparison site uSwitch, found that three quarters – 76 per cent – of younger people expect their parents to meet their own care home bills, while some 19 per cent expect to have to sell their houses to pay for care.

Some 30 per cent do not know how they would cover the fees.

Tom Lyon, of uSwitch, said: ‘These findings show how unprepared we are when it comes to funding the care for our elderly parents. It is a sobering thought that it could now cost more to look after an elderly parent than to raise a child, adding extra pressure on families when household budgets are already squeezed.

‘Families who do not have their affairs in order and are unable to access Government support could be facing a future of crippling debt.’

Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, said: ‘Not many of us can afford to save enough from our wages or salary to cover the cost of a risk that may never materialise.’ She added: ‘This Government must urgently create a fair and sustainable system ... so that we can all face the future with confidence.’

SOURCE: MailOnline, Steve Doughty

If you know someone with a dementia, don’t be a stranger.

Some people with a dementia find that after their diagnosis friends and acquaintances may not visit as much or even lose contact.

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Often this is because people don’t know very much about dementia, don’t feel confident about how to communicate with someone with a dementia or are afraid they might be intruding.

But keeping in contact is important for someone with dementia and can make all the difference to them.

Life doesn't end when dementia begins and someone with a dementia can live well for a long time after their diagnosis, especially if they have a good support network.

Evelyn and Jean who feature in the recent ‘Still Me’ campaign are lifelong friends. Evelyn’s diagnosis hasn’t changed that and just as before her diagnosis, Evelyn loves catching up with her friend Jean, going for coffee, enjoying day trips and music.

If you have a friend or family member with a dementia diagnosis, support them by keeping in contact and continuing with the hobbies, activities and pastimes that they’ve always enjoyed.

Danny Brown and his son Danny also feature in the ‘Still Me’ campaign. Danny is very proud of how his dad has dealt with his dementia diagnosis, particularly his positive attitude to life. Danny supports his dad and the two enjoy spending time together.

I just love the garden! In the summer I've been in the garden some mornings at seven o'clock right up until half ten at night.

Danny is aware of the stigma attached to dementia, but is thankful of the care and support he has every day.

Yes you can fear it, but you've got to encompass it. There are a lot of people out there tripping over themselves to help you.

SOURCE:Belfast Telegraph

Clearing the fog of dementia with song

Music’s ability to trigger our deepest memories and emotions could help improve quality of life for people with dementia

Anyone who’s known a loved one with dementia can testify to its cruelty – the frustration, anger and sadness that comes from watching someone you love slip away.

Dementia, the umbrella term for conditions with a severe decline in mental function, can be an incredibly painful experience, marked by confusion, distress and a profound sense of loss. It’s also increasingly common. Dementia is now the second leading cause of death in Australia.

There is no cure, but researchers, including Professor Felicity Baker, co-director of the University of Melbourne’s National Music Therapy Research Unit, are looking for new ways to help people cope.

Professor Baker studies how music, especially singing and songwriting, can be used to treat people with a range of conditions – from young people with traumatic brain injuries to adults with substance abuse issues. She says music therapy can be a way for people living with dementia  and their carers – to deal with its symptoms.

 “We know that managing dementia with medication actually can make people more confused,” she says. “We need to be creative in finding ways that people with dementia can manage the challenges they face, and to address distressing symptoms such as agitation and depression.”

Professor Baker recently developed a songwriting program for people living with dementia and their carers at Caladenia, a care centre based in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. Participants worked together in small groups to write and compose songs with a music therapist.

In one 10-week session, participants wrote seven songs. They sang about family, cruise ship holidays and staying out until the sun comes up. They thought about, talked about and even argued about songs they created, from the lyrics to the musical direction.

Even participants who normally struggle with conversation and interaction were able to work together on a music project.

“With music, they’re really engaged in a way that they’re not in other activities,” says Professor Baker. “They’re offering their ideas and perspectives. They’re happy to argue with each other about what they think the lyrics should be and whether the lyric fits the melody.”

But what really struck Professor Baker was that participants remembered the music they created.

“There’s this assumption that people with dementia can’t learn, that they’re just losing memories,” says Professor Baker. “But what we found is that they were actually remembering lyrics from week to week.”

Professor Baker’s findings will be used to inform her next project, a large-scale study funded by a grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council. She hopes to find out more about how collaborative music therapy, such as group music therapy or choir groups, might affect the cognitive function, depression, neurological symptoms and quality of life of people with the condition.

The project will include a major randomised control trial, comparing standard dementia care practices with three music-based interventions – group music therapy, larger choir groups and a combination of both.

There’s no doubt that music is a huge part of our lives. The simple act of listening to a song can evoke memories and emotions of heartbreak, love affairs, places or people in our past. And scientists, too, have long known that music has a powerful effect on brain function.

Unlike other stimulants, Professor Baker says, music engages all parts of our brain.

“When we engage in some activities, specific neural networks are activated. But when we listen to music, we actually engage quite a distributed network of neuronal activity.”

Professor Baker was struck by how residents at Caladenia Dementia Care could remember the lyrics they wrote to songs from week to week. Picture: Supplied

Studies have also shown that the act of creating music – songwriting, singing or playing an instrument – is more effective in stimulating our brain than just listening to music. In other words, it’s more stimulating to write and sing a song than listen to your favourite album.

“When we sing, we’re stimulating our auditory system, we’re stimulating our physical system,” she says. “When we use language in song, it’s tapping into our emotions and it’s tapping into physiological processes like our heart rate and our breathing.”

Since music is an emotional and physical stimulant, Professor Baker wants to see how much it can trigger memory function for people living with dementia.

“The theory is that pairing music and lyrics with an emotional experience can reach the threshold for memory,” she says. “It connects people and helps them to remember.”

A 2009 study by the University of California, Davis, for example, found that the area of the brain that holds our memories and links music to emotions is also the last part of the brain to atrophy during Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia.

Professor Baker’s research project is the Australian arm of a much larger study into the effects of music therapy on people living with dementia. Work in Australia will involve 500 participants, but academic colleagues in Norway are leading similar and even larger initiatives.

“It’s going to be the biggest music therapy study in dementia care ever and it’s certainly a game-changer for the dementia field,” she says.

Previous literary reviews about the effects of music therapy have been promising but inconclusive, citing the need for larger studies and more evidence.

“Worldwide, we have amassed a lot of small scale studies that show it’s effective but nothing big that will help us be taken more seriously when healthcare policies are being made.”

The NHMRC grant used to fund Professor Baker’s research is part of the Boosting Dementia Research Initiative, which gives $200 million to dementia research projects, including several other studies based at the University of Melbourne. Nearly 1 million Australians are expected to have dementia by 2050, and health policymakers are wondering how the system will deal with it.

“Dementia is going to be a challenge for this country,” says Professor Baker. “And they want to invest extra funding into projects that will help us with this massive problem that’s ahead of us.”

SOURCE: Kate Stanton, University of Melbourne