Preparing for the Longest Day - Alzheimer's Fundraising

 

From the Alzheimer's Association:

"The Longest Day is the day with the most light — the summer solstice....Thousands of participants from across the world come together to fight the darkness of Alzheimer's through an activity of their choice. Together, they use their creativity and passion to raise funds and awareness for the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association."

The Longest Day - Outshine the Darkness of Alzheimer's

#TheLongestDay #ENDALZ

Winter Safety Tips for Seniors

Medicare Advantage's 10 reminders for winter safety for seniors -- indoors and outdoors:
10 Winter Safety Tips for Seniors | MedicareAdvantage.com

 

December Holiday Activities for Seniors

 

A Place for Mom has more than 35 suggestions for activities for seniors in December. Included are ideas for those living alone, with family, or in senior living. 

See the list here: (2) New Messages! (aplaceformom.com)

Thanksgiving Activities for Seniors

 Gathered Again has compiled a list of 10 Thanksgiving activities for seniors and those with Alzheimer's or dementia. Included are free downloads of games and coloring pages. 

Find the list here:
 10 Thanksgiving Activities for Seniors to Enjoy (And FREE Printables!) (gatheredagain.com)

Fun Halloween Activities for Seniors

Dementia Who! ( Home - DementiaWho! ) created a list of 10 Halloween Activities for seniors and those with dementia -- complete with detailed instructions for their caregivers.

Ideas range from no-carving pumpkin decorating to Halloween wordsearching to cupcake decorating. 

Find the list here: 10 Fun Halloween Activities for Dementia, Seniors & the Elderly - DementiaWho!

Autumn Fun for Seniors

Graying with Grace has 30 suggestions for autumn activities for seniors:

Enjoy the Fall Season: 30 Fun Activity Ideas for Seniors (grayingwithgrace.com)

 

St. Patrick's Day Ideas

Here are fun, festive St. Patrick's Day suggestions for seniors:

Games and contests: 10 Senior Community Activity Ideas: St. Patrick's Day Edition (linkedin.com)

A variety of activities: 8 Fun St. Patrick's Day Activities for Seniors - Oakmont Senior Living

Craft ideas: 20 Easy & Exciting St. Patrick's Day Crafts For Seniors! (loaids.com) 

Preparing for Aging in Place

 

    WebMD reports that almost 90% of seniors want to live independently, but many have not given any thought as to what needs to be done in their homes to make that possible.

    This article gives practical suggestions for preparing to age in place--

Most Want to 'Age in Place' at Home, But Many Aren't Prepared (webmd.com)

Dementia Patients Working on Farms in Holland

 

Reasons to be Cheerful reports that Holland has hundreds of "care farms" for people facing health challenges. At Boerderij Op Aarde, most of the farm workers have dementia. See the article here: 

https://reasonstobecheerful.world/netherlands-care-farms-aging-dementia-work/

5 Tips from Pharmacists for Older Adults

 

Five helpful tips from pharmacists for older adults, including reducing risk of falls, from Right at Home.

5 Tips From Pharmacists for Older Adults | Right at Home Blog | In-Home Elder Care Resources

Caregiving: Putting Yourself First

Caregiving for a relative often leads to caregiver burnout. Some suggestions for caregiver self care are discussed here: 

https://www.crainscleveland.com/custom-content-delta-dental/successfully-caring-senior-loved-one-begins-taking-care-yourself

 

Robotic Cats Calm Dementia Patients

Connecticut's The Atrium at Rocky Hill is providing residents with fake kittens that "meow, purr, and even knead like real cats."

"[These pets have] been shown to reduce agitation and improve mood and cognition." 

Read the full article at:
Dementia Patients Respond Eagerly to Lifelike Kittens that Remind Them of Their Pets | The Alzheimer's Site News (greatergood.com)

Taking Care of the Caregiver

Please visit:

https://caregiverfatigue.com/

For information about caregiver fatigue, caregiver stress, 

caregiver burnout, caregiver syndrome, and compassion fatigue.

 

A Book for Caregivers

 

END ALZHEIMER'S June 20th #ENDALZ #TheLongestDay

From the Alzheimer's Association alz.org

"The Longest Day is the day with the most light — the summer solstice. On June 20, people from across the world will fight the darkness of Alzheimer’s through a fundraising activity of their choice."

"While participation in The Longest Day may look a little different this year due to physical distancing, we have plenty of fun ideas you can do at home to engage family, friends and coworkers."

Get Ideas for Fundraising

"The Longest Day is currently moving forward as planned. We recommend that participants continue with virtual fundraising efforts and adhere to CDC guidelines when planning in-person fundraising activities."

 For specific inquiries, please contact tld@alz.org.  

The Future of Aging in Place with the Help of Technology

Aging in place could be made much easier with new technology. Read below about the development of robots, sensors, and detection devices that will assist the elderly with staying in their homes.

Read more here:  https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/adv/article-innovations-support-aging-in-place/

Caregiver Lists

 

 

Hoveround.com has a list of the seven lists every caregiver needs to have. The recommended information includes meals, doctors, and symptoms. See the complete article here:
https://www.hoveround.com/Blog/7-Lists-Every-Caregiver-Should-Have

Virtual Tour Lets People Experience What Dementia Feels Like

 

Virtual Tour Lets People Experience What Dementia Feels Like:

Those who experience it discover how just a small room and a table of tasks can quickly lead to frustration and heartbreak. Caregivers begin to understand the physical and mental challenges of dementia.

https://www.secondwind.org/virtual-dementia-tour/

New Hope for Preventing Dementia -- Brain Games

For years, the elderly, and not so elderly, have been encouraged to keep their brains active.

Various brain games were recommended. New research, though, shows that not all brain games are the same.

Some logic and memory games do not seem to help at all.

However, this study showed that training which improves "cognitive processing speed" reduced dementia risk by almost 30%.

You can read the full article here:

https://www.prevention.com/health/brain-game-lower-dementia-risk?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebutton

Tax Breaks for Caregivers

 

KSDK - 5 On Your Side recently posted an interesting article about three ways caregivers may potentially save on their taxes. An elder relative may be considered the caregiver's dependent, so the caregiver can take an exemption on the tax return. Itemizing medical deductions and obtaining a dependent care credit may also be possible.

http://www.ksdk.com/money/tax-breaks-you-can-get-for-taking-care-of-aging-relatives/413926611