News and Blog
Join Senior Helpers of Tempe for Paws for a Cause: Howl-O-Ween, a free family and dog-friendly event featuring Halloween activities, a dog costume contest and fundraising for the Alzheimer’s Association.
Continue ReadingCaring for someone with dementia can be deeply meaningful, but it can also be exhausting.
Continue ReadingDiscover valuable tips on how to navigate and cope with a parent's Alzheimer's diagnosis, providing support and care for your loved one in their senior years.
Continue ReadingMaintaining and enhancing memory amidst Alzheimer's or dementia might seem challenging. Discover how daily activities can aid in this endeavor.
Continue ReadingThis article provides an overview of dementia, a group of progressive neurological conditions affecting cognition. It explores symptoms, causes, and types such as Alzheimer's and Lewy body dementia.
Farnsworth , C. (2023, February 9). Is dementia reversible? definitions, research, and treatment. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/is-dementia-reversible
Continue ReadingIf you’re caring for a senior with Alzheimer’s, it is important to prioritize your own mental health and well-being. This will help you both reduce the stress of sundowning symptoms.
Continue ReadingCaring for a senior with dementia can be challenging. Here’s a checklist to help you make the best plan possible for your beloved family members.
Continue ReadingFrontotemporal dementia (FTD) or frontotemporal degeneration refers to a group of disorders caused by progressive nerve cell loss in the brain's frontal lobes (the areas behind your forehead) or its temporal lobes (the regions behind your ears).
Continue ReadingCosts can very but Senior Helpers strives to keep costs down and families safe.
Continue ReadingThe Dementia Caregiver Guide includes:
· An explanation of each of the GEMS States
· A description of the types of support needed as the condition progresses
· A demonstration of Positive Approach to Care techniques such as PPA and Hand-under-Hand
· A combination of visually appealing pictures and helpful text explanations
I have spent my career as a gerontological nurse practitioner working with people who have Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. My interest in this field began when my grandmother developed dementia and I was dissatisfied with the care and level of understanding she received from medical professionals. Families often consult with me about one worrisome symptom of dementia: wandering. For dementia patients, this behavior is very different from the aimless wandering of hikers exploring the woods or tourists moseying around a new city. Most often, there is nothing purposeless about the wandering behaviors I observe.
Are you having trouble convincing your parents to let you help them keep track of their doctor's appointments or balance their checkbook? You’re not alone. According to a 2017 analysis of National Health and Aging Trends Study data conducted by The Commonwealth Fund, 45 percent of community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries age 65 to 74 required help with at least one activity of daily living (ADL) or instrumental activity of daily living (IADL), or have probable dementia, yet reported receiving no assistance. Results were similar (42 percent) for seniors age 75 to 84.
Continue ReadingCommunication can be challenging. There are so many things that can get in the way of proper communication; people speak different languages, or maybe we speak the same language but some words mean one thing to one person and something very different to someone else. Perhaps you received the message I’m giving in a way that was not intended? Maybe I misheard what you said. There’s always the potential that something was lost in translation. There are many things that can get in the way of effective communication when we have healthy brains, but what happens when one of us is living with dementia?
The benefits of improving air quality go beyond happier trees and better breathing. New research presented at the 2021 Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) finds that cleaner air may also improve cognitive function and lower a person's risk for dementia.
Continue ReadingAt least two-thirds of the 5.8 million Americans with Alzheimer’s disease are women. “It’s Time to Act: The Challenges of Alzheimer’s and Dementia for Women,” a report from AARP and the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, carries a sobering message: Women are far more likely than men to suffer from Alzheimer’s — and not just because women live longer. A raft of data detail the ways that women’s bodies and brains may predispose them to dementia.
A well-known and yet hurtful reality of dementia or Alzheimer’s is the forgetfulness and memory loss that can occur. Memory loss is particularly difficult for family members to cope with when their parent or loved one forgets who they are.
Spending time with a parent or loved one living with dementia can be a worrying experience. “What should I say?” “What can I do?” or “What if they don’t know who I am?” are all completely normal questions you may ask yourself. Not to mention, if you weren’t that close prior to their diagnosis the task of getting to know them now may feel overwhelming. Fortunately, with a little preparation and patience, you will find there are many ways to engage and even have fun with your loved ones.
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