Tag: Philadelphia dementia care

The role of depression and diabetes in the development of dementias in older adults

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Peter R. Abraldes

What are the symptoms of depression for older adults? Does depression increase the risk of developing a dementia? What is the impact of other chronic conditions such as diabetes?

Philadelphia caregiver, Philadelphia dementia care, Montgomery dementia care, Montgomery caregiver — We mitigate the risk and continuation of depression. It is important to engage older adults in meaningful activities, not only to fight depression, but also the development of other more serious conditions.

It is important for us to recognize these signs of depression in our older relatives and friends (“Depression in Older Adults”).

Loose of interest socializing or in hobbies
Worries about being a burden, feelings of worthlessness
Slowed movement or speech
Neglect of personal care such as skipping meals, forgetting meds, neglecting hygiene
Lack of motivation and energy
Weight loss or general loss of appetite
Sadness or feelings of despair
Sleep disturbances, issues falling asleep, staying asleep, or beginning to sleep at different times

It is important to incorporate meaningful activities and interactions into the lives of older adults. NursePartners has two company divisions dedicated to offering individualized companion and care services to older adults living in Philadelphia, Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware counties. By involving your loved ones in meaningful activities early, you may stave off a development of a dementia, especially if the older adults are already dealing with chronic conditions such as diabetes.

In a population-based study of 2.4 million adults in Denmark, depression and diabetes were independently associated with greater dementia risk. The combined association of the two disorders had a higher association with the risk of developing a dementia than the aggregate effects of the two dependent variables individually.

Covariates included martial status and its possible effect on depression and general health.

According to the study, “during the first year after depression, the associated hazard of all-cause dementia was elevated by nearly seven-fold”. Additional periods of depression decreased the risk of developing a dementia in comparison to the first year but left the overall hazard ratio dementia risk rate about twice as high as those without depression (See Figure 1).

This is a link to the full study, “Impact of Depression and Diabetes on Risk of Dementia In a National Population-Based Cohort”.

Other studies have focused on the singular impact of depression on dementia. To learn more, consult the authors’ reference list in the study cited above.

Early Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis: Building Your Care Team

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Peter R. Abraldes

An early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia can lead to a range of extreme emotions such as anxiety, depression, anger, or relief. Although there is no cure for this progressive disease, with enough time the person living with dementia can prepare for the future. The diagnosed person can establish the details of their own care before they are determined by others.

Philadelphia home care, Philadelphia dementia care — **Effective caregiving requires a team and a plan.**

If you are a family caregiver, you must also prepare yourself for the future instead of reacting to changes as they occur. It is not possible for one person to attend to all the emotional and physiological needs of another adult in the face of a progressive and terminal disease. Often intergenerational lines are blurred, and the caregiver assumes multiple roles.

The person living with dementia will increasingly depend on their caregivers. If you are the only one, they will depend exclusively on you to make sense of the world as they experience changes to their vision, sight, coordination, and speech. Their memory will be impaired as tangles and plaques increase, neurological connectivity is disrupted, and brain tissue atrophies and is removed from the body.

Often, we make the comparison between raising a child and caring for an older adult. However, unlike a child, older adults have collected a lifetime of experiences, even if they are no longer able to communicate them. These experiences give older adults a sense of pride and expectations for how they are to be treated. Even if they are unable to articulate their wants, they have established a sense of pride. Eventually they will depend exclusively on their caregivers for assistance. This means if you are the only caregiver, they will depend on you for 100% of their needs. When building a relationship, it is important to incorporate the client into their own plan of care. This is done easiest earlier in the disease progression. If you wait too long to incorporate other caregivers into your team, the care recipient may be unwilling to accept care from anyone but you.

Even if the caregiver thinks they are physically able to provide care on their own, this care is ineffective. Extreme stress inhibits our ability to perform our best. Family caregivers often suppress their own needs and wants to attend to those of the person living with dementia. Family caregivers find that they are completing the tasks, but without connecting to the care recipient and making mistakes that often lead to confrontation with the care recipient.

If you find yourself frustrated when providing care, consider evaluating yourself for signs of stress. Click here to complete the assessment.

Qualified professionals are available to help you with the stresses associated with caregiving. The Lutheran Settlement House offers a free Caregivers Reducing Stress program that creates an individualized program for you in the comfort of your own home. This program is available for those living within Philadelphia County. If interested, please visit their website here.

Have you built an effective care team? Even if your stress levels are tolerable now, you will eventually need help. Acting now prevents inadequate care and stress in the future. It allows us to learn the stories of your loved one in time, so we can incorporate them to effectively connect while providing care.

Let us form part of your care team, call 610-323-9800 or complete this form.

NursePartners’ coordinates grocery services for our clients

Posted on March 30, 2018 by Peter R. Abraldes

Grocery shopping is not just a chore, it’s essential. Older adults are especially susceptible to malnutrition (World Health Organization). It is important that they receive enough nutrition for their bodies to operate well. Although they may need less calories than younger people, older adults still need to consume the same nutrients.

This population is at increased risk for malnutrition if they have a few of the following risk factors, as identified by Frank W. Jackson, M.D.,

in general poor health
poor eating habits
sudden and unexpected weight changes
taking multiple medications
poor dental health, especially dental deterioration
economic difficulties, causing the older adult to not spend money for their own nourishment
loneliness and lack of social contacts; eating is a social activity
cognitive impairments that no longer allow the older adult to care for themselves

Remember that the senses are also changing for older adults. If a food no longer tastes good, it becomes less desirable. Try using new seasonings and pepper to revive old favorite foods (Elder One Stop).

It is important not only to buy and consume the groceries, but to discard those that have already expired. Eating an expired food item puts you at risk for food poisoning. Common symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, fever, nausea, and dizziness, among others (Health: One How To).

NursePartners coordinates grocery orders for clients. We want to ensure that they are eating a well-balanced diet, consuming enough calories, and avoiding expired items. Carepartners record what the client eats for each meal. They do a weekly inventory all items in the refrigerator and cabinets and gives a report to our Administrative Assistant, Tarika Kirkley. Tarika purchases the groceries online and coordinates the delivery. A carepartner will be present to confirm the items received and place them away.

As you involve us in the process, it frees you time to enjoy the older adults in your life doing other activities. To learn more about this and other services, call 610-323-9800.

ARTZ Philadelphia Opens the Doors to People Living with Dementia

Posted on March 19, 2018 by Peter R. Abraldes

NursePartners seeks out resources for family members of clients living with dementia We find that children and spouses often find themselves burdened with their new role as caregiver, forgetting how to connect with their loved one on other levels. Programs such as ARTZ Philadelphia brings the client and their caregiver together to talk about what they learn. Caregivers are often surprised by how they are able to reconnect with their family members or clients.

The following answers were provided by Susan Shifrin, Founder and Executive Director of ARTZ Philadelphia.

How do families participate in your program?

In our museum programs, people with dementia diagnoses and their family members come together to engage in conversations that we facilitate about art.

Carepartners and those they love to participate on an even footing. What ends up happening is that participants rediscover the joy of conversing with one another about things other than illness.

The carepartners tend to witness their loved ones behaving differently than they might at home. They see their wit, their humor, their intellectual engagement with the art and with others in the group. This can remind the carepartners of all the attributes they love about the people they are caring for.

What is the cost of admission?

Absolutely free.

Can I bring my loved one if they are in a wheelchair?

100% yes. All of our ARTZ @ The Museum sites accommodate individuals in wheelchairs. When people first register for our programs, we send them an informal survey to assess their particular needs before their first experience with us: do they have low vision, are they hard of hearing in one ear, do they require assistance walking? When we set up the seating for our programs, people in wheelchairs will be front and center for group conversations.

We do our best in general to ensure that participants are physically positioned to take the most from the program.

I am a professional carepartner, not a family member. Can I still attend?

Absolutely. We had a wonderful woman named Eve who came to museum programs for three years, hardly missing one. Eve came with her professional carepartner.

After Eve passed away, the professional carepartner approached ARTZ director about assisting other clients. Now she accompanies a new client to the program.

The carepartner was almost as beloved as Eve by the original group.

The connection is the same for all attendees.

I am not an art history expert, is this the right program for me?

Our programs aren’t about art history or expertise (though both are welcomed if participants bring them). It is about being in the moment and connecting with other people around a work of art.

80% of participants start by saying they do not know anything about art. They end up being the liveliest and most opinionated about art, receiving validation by group.

What other similar resources are available to me?

ARTZ has one program specifically for carepartners, called Cafes for carepartners. This is to give carepartners time to do things they believe are fun, engaging, and stimulating with others who know what they are going through. These cafes are not support groups, though they offer supportive experiences. While care partners sometimes choose to talk about their caregiving experiences with each other, just as often, they don’t. It’s completely up to them to set the agenda.

Cafés for Care Partners also offer opportunities to tour gardens and museums. When we are about to partner with a new museum or art center, we invite our care partners to vet the new sites before we incorporate them into our programs.

ARTZ is hoping to develop new programs around music.

ARTZ has a partnership with Jefferson that pairs people living with dementia at various stages and/or care partners (both are called “mentors”) to medical, nursing, pharmacy, and occupational therapy students over a period from six to eight weeks. The program participants first get to know one another through shared experiences around works of art. Over time, students get to know those with the diagnosis as people first, through series of one-on-one encounters. Mentors teach future healthcare providers what it means to live with dementia, from the inside out.

Health professions students tell us that they are reminded why they chose to go into medicine through this program. They went into medicine to make human connections.

If I want to go to your next event, what should I do?

If you have access to the Internet, go to website www.artzphilly.org. Choose “participate in a program” on the home page. You will see “ARTZ in the museum”. Click on this.

The new page will tell you more and what you can expect. Go to the section “Explore Upcoming Events”. There is a little button next to the program that says, “Register Now”.

If you do not have access to the web, you can make a phone call to Susan, 610-721-1606 and she will make sure you are listed on the program.

There is a monthly newsletter, you can sign up for it via the website (https://www.artzphilly.org/) of their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ARTZPhiladelphia/).

Hallucinations in Lewy Bodies and other types of dementia

Posted on March 13, 2018 by Peter R. Abraldes

Below is a video clip from Teepa Snow, explaining how the type of hallucination dictates our response. This video clip is the basis of this article.

Hallucinations: Visual, Verbal, Tactile

Hallucinations are common for older adults living with dementia, especially Lewy Bodies. As carepartners, it is our responsibility to address the vision and make the care recipient more comfortable. In order to do this, we need to understand how the person feels about their hallucination.

Does the person living with dementia think they are in their childhood home with their favorite dog?
Does the person living with dementia believe other residents are hiding in their bathroom?
Is someone stealing something from the client’s room?
Is a traumatic childhood experience resurfacing?

Our first task is to answer the following question: Does the hallucination scare our client?

If the hallucination is not scary, ask the person how they feel about the image. Go over to the area with the older adult and look where they gaze. Ask questions. Listen to their responses and formulate new questions based on those answers. Your goal is to get as many details as possible about the hallucination.

As you delve deeper, the original hallucination will disappear. Eventually their brain will not be able to match their own verbal responses to the image “seen” by their visual sensory organs.

This is your opportunity to switch the topic. Engage them in a new activity and move out of the original environment. Do not mention anything that allows them to circuit back to the hallucination.

Hallucinations Hallucinations in Lewy Bodies and other types of dementia — In order to help, we first must understand how the hallucination makes the older adult feel.

If the client is visibly scared by the hallucination, our approach needs to be different.

We should not ask them for more information about the image! Instead, we need to offer them more immediate sensory input.

Those living with dementia have a heightened sensation in the palm of their hands. They also loose the “skill” capacity in some fingers as all fingers become used for “strength”. By using the hand-under-hand technique, you protect the care recipient and yourself, while providing reassurance. You are able to guide their next action by retaining a grasp.

When faced with scary hallucinations, you can apply immediate and repeated pressure to their palms by pumping your palm against theirs. This sensation feels good and will help to redirect their attention.

You will want to be on the person’s preferred side. This is also known as their dominant side or the side in which they prefer to write. This is important because it allows you to draw their view more easily. The client also pays more attention to data and sound on their dominant side.

Simultaneously, you should show that you are worried! Ensure your face and words match. Tell and show them how worried you are about the hallucination.

Follow up with an action plan. Now that you understand, how will you help? What will you do to get the object to go away? Where will the client go to be safe? Describe your next few action steps to the care recipient. Continue to use the hand-under-hand approach, pump their palm, and continue to look and sound concerned.

Hallucinations are not preventable for those living with Lewy Bodies dementia. However, we can work to minimize their occurrences in other forms of dementia. The typical triggers for hallucinations are an emotional experience from that day or week that causes the client to time travel, emotional distress, infection, and dehydration. A hallucination may be a sign that something else is wrong physiologically with the client.

Patience when caring for someone living with dementia

Posted on February 19, 2018 by Peter R. Abraldes

Patience is crucial when caring for someone living with dementia. Often times the burden of care falls uneven on a spouse or a child who lives close to their parents. It takes us a while, if at all, to realize that it takes more than one person to support another living with dementia.

When an interaction is not going as planned, we suggest the following steps:

1.) Step Back: It is okay to not have an immediate response. Think before you react and ensure your facial and body language matches your words. We want to make sure we are engaging visual stimuli before offering a verbal message. As Teepa Snow suggests, engage the senses by offering cues in the following sequence: visual, verbal, touch.

If the person living with dementia is doing an undesirable activity, consider if the activity is dangerous to them or others. If it is not, reassess the urgency of change. Could this be a moment for connection?

2.) Respond instead of Reacting: A thorough response requires doing the analysis to see why we seek to change the current behavior. Are we imposing our logic on their situation? Could it be that we are not taking the time to enter their reality? This can be a mentally draining task and is one of the reasons why caregivers become frustrated with the person entrusted in their care.

Sometimes we are not trying to correct a behavior, but rather a narrative. A person living with dementia might be time traveling or experiencing a hallucination. Instead of trying to reorient them to reality, take that time to ask them questions about their past or their visions. Often times we can find our best moments of connection by patiently requesting that they tell us more.

Throughout our response, we want to incorporate the art of substitution before subtraction. If we want to remove something from their hands, offer them something else to hold first. If we want to free them from a hallucination, ask more questions. Often times they will reach a point where their mind no longer can describe the often that does not exist.

3.) Make plans, but expect them to change: Put your agenda in your back pocket. It is often very difficult for non-caregivers to understand why it takes so long to accomplish the activities of daily living. Why does it take an hour to take a shower? Why does it take two sittings to finish a meal?

Our approach matters, and unlike caring for a child, an older adult has lived a long life and is used to be being treated with dignity and respect. Although their memories may have faded, these feelings of pride are deeply engrained. We need to go with their flow, not the other way around. We need to take extra measures that may not seem “logical” in order to satisfy their emotional needs.

A classic example of this would be wrapping a towel around the care recipient in the shower. Although this might make the cleaning process more challenging, it allows the person being showered to feel less exposed to caregiver.

4.) Figure out what you can and cannot control: We need to remember that activities are a means to connect with the person living with dementia. If we are playing a known game, it is okay to throw out the rules. For example, instead of playing a card game, why not sort the deck? As the disease progresses, your loved one might derive more comfort from holding items versus sorting them. This is okay. We are learning to adapt to their changing senses and using these to find new ways to say hello. If you are unfamiliar with GEM levels, learn more here.

Here are some ideas for activities for someone living with dementia. At NursePartners, we provide activity baskets to our clients living with dementia. These typically include coloring, puzzles, and cards. Activities are introduced and rotated out as interests or abilities change.

5.) Take care of yourself: We impose our logic on the person living with dementia, but fail to apply it to ourselves. No matter how much help you have, you also need a break! Caring for a person living with dementia can be a daunting task. If you are emotionally drained or physically inept to perform your role, you become less helpful for the person needing your care. It is not selfish, but rather essential, to take time to enjoy your life and keep yourself healthy.

Please ask us for more support resources. NursePartners is a founding member of the National Aging in Place Council of Philadelphia. We invest our time in this organization in order to comfortably refer you to resources in our community, some of which are free.

This article was inspired by Teepa Snow and a post by AgingCare.com.

Overview of the GEM levels

Posted on February 5, 2018 by NursePartners

NursePartners practices the GEM^TM level approach to connect with our clients living with dementia. One of the first things we teach carepartners is to find new ways to say hello. Depending on a client’s GEM^TM stage, we need to communicate through engaging other senses.

Each of our clients receives an activity basket and customized plan of care. Carepartners help engage older adults in meaningful projects and activities of daily living. A nurse visits clients biweekly to ensure the success of our approaches and address signs of progression.

NursePartners admin have all completed the GEM^TM training and include dementia coaches and practitioners. We are committed to honoring our clients and assisting their families.

The 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

Posted on January 15, 2018 by Peter R. Abraldes

The Alzheimer’s Association presents the following as warnings signs of Alzheimer’s disease:

Memory loss that disrupts daily life
Challenges in planning or solving problems
Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, work, or leisure
Confusion with time or place
Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
New problems with words in speaking or writing
Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
Decreased or poor judgment
Withdrawal from work or social activities
Changes in mood and personality

As we age, our organs do not perform as before. The brain is no exception. Some natural cognitive decline is natural. When presenting the early warning signs, it is important that we put each warning sign in its proper context.

It is also important to remember that each person has their own baseline. We do not all have the same skills or personalities. Life experiences and family relationships also impact how we develop as individuals. In order to receive a proper diagnosis, a physician must take the time to fully understand the personality and life experiences. Other factors such as stress, depression, and vitamin deficiencies might be to blame.

Memory loss that disrupts daily life
- Forgetting the names of new classroom of students is normal. This is different from being unable to remember the name of your spouse or children (if you have a few!). Typically we forget names, but are able to remember them on our own later.
Challenges in planning or solving problems
- This is relative to your problem solving skills when you were younger. If these skills were never strong, they will also be weak as an older adult.
Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, work, or leisure.
- The key word is “familiar”. If you have never been good at folding clothes, this is not a familiar task, and therefore there is no cause for concern that you still cannot do it well.
Confusion with time or place
- It is normal to write the year wrong in January or to think it is Tuesday when it is in fact Wednesday. Life stresses causing us to loose track of the passage of small periods of time. However, it is not normal to perceive yourself as being in the opposite season or many years in the past.
Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
- Vision generally worsens as we age. Older adults aged 75+ typically have peripheral vision of about 45 degrees in each direction. Older adults living with dementia will develop tunnel vision. Eventually this vision becomes binocular and then monocular. They will also have issues gauging distance while driving or recognizing the depth perception of items in a room.
New problems with words in speaking or writing
- Some older adults may have a stutter or become timid in large group settings. Their energy level or stress can also impact their ability to speak well. We also all forget the names of items, especially words that we use infrequently. It is not normal to forget words that are common to our every day life. If we forget them, we may remember them by mentioning other related words. If we think of the common word after this activity, this may be a sign of a developing cognitive impairment.
Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
- We all loose our keys, unless we are very disciplined! We may leave them in our pockets, put them on the counter, or periodically forget to even bring them out of the car. These are all normal acts. What is abnormal is putting keys in the fruit bowl, refrigerator, or give them to a friendly stranger.
Decreased or poor judgment
- Related to the above, poor judgment might be falling victim to a sweepstakes scam or donating more than you can afford. We all have different levels of judgment, but typically this decline is hard to uncover in family and friends.
Withdrawal from work or social activities
- This is especially relevant for extroverts. If a person finds themselves suddenly lost in a conversation this could be an issue. However, we should consider other issues such as depression or exhaustion. Introverts may avoid social activities, but enjoy gatherings among family and a few friends. If these behaviors change over the course of months or years, this might be cause for concern.
Changes in mood and personality
- These are differences that arise over the course of the medium and long term. Keep in mind that life experiences can also permanently impact one’s personality. It is important to take the time to understand if traumatic incidents are to blame.

Understanding Behaviors and Adapting Approaches in Dementia Care

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Peter R. Abraldes

Your role as caregiver, family member, or friend evolves with the progression of dementia. Even faced with challenging behaviors, you can still connect with your loved one and fill their day with meaningful activities. NursePartners is here to support you while your relationship evolves with the person living with dementia.

What is their behavior telling you?

We are constantly learning more about the brain’s ability to comprehend messages. This includes messages that are delivered through speech versus writing, in a crowded space versus a one-on-one situation, or even a familiar voice versus one of a stranger.

Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias can cause people to act in unpredictable ways. Some individuals become anxious or aggressive while others repeat certain questions or gestures. Messages can be misinterpreted, surprising both the care recipient and caregiver. These types of reactions lead to misunderstanding, frustration, and tension.

It’s important to understand your loved one is not trying to be difficult and that these behaviors are also forms of communication.

Tips for managing behavioral changes

As carepartners, we need to adapt our delivery process throughout the progression of the disease. When we carry on a traditional conversation, we usually engage in a back and forth volley of information. When a person is diagnosed with dementia, it is important to realize that the three essential language skills for processing and sharing verbal messages need to be supported in different ways. These core linguistic skills are:

Vocabulary (the words – the meaning of the content)
Comprehension (receptive language – the ability to process the message)
Speech production (expressive language – the ability to deliver the message)

Certain retained skills will assist you in conveying a message:

Social chit-chat (the back and forth that can mask loss of comprehension, but covers in short simple conversations)
Rhythm of speech (this includes awareness of the rhythm of a question that is seeking an answer, as well as ability to sustain rhythm or hear a rhythm that sounds familiar). Additionally it can and does signal changes in emotion – changes in frequency, intensity, or volume can indicate shifts in emotional state or discomfort.
Rhythmic speech as is present in music, poetry, prayer, counting and even spelling.

What you can do:

There are important supportive phrases that can help when they are used in combination with pauses, inflections, visual cues, props, and partial reflective statement to confirm what was said or south:

Seek more information by being nonspecific, try phrases such as “Tell me more about it.”
Seek demonstration or visual representation with phrases such as “Could you show me how you would use it?” or“Show me how you’d do it.”
Offer simplified options, by using two options at a time, or encouraging yes/no responses. Employ the use of object pronouns.

What can help:

Awareness, knowledge, skill and support for both parties.

Mary Stehle, licensed social worker and Senior Care Advisor says, “A person with Alzheimer’s who has lost the ability to understand and communicate through language is always looking for cues from us as to how to interpret the world. They are constantly reading our tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language. When we are tired, stressed, and resentful, they pick up on this and it often impacts them negatively.” It’s important to remember that asking for help is not an act of selfishness, it’s providing better care for both you and your loved one.

We can be by their side when you can’t be. If your loved one need home care assistance or relief – Contact us today.

NursePartners is committed to providing uncompromised care to those living with a diagnosis of dementia. Our carepartners work with each family to enable safety, comfort and happiness through home-care services.

Understanding Fall Risks

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Peter R. Abraldes

Falls are a common and serious problem affecting many older adults. Individuals suffering with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia however, are twice as likely to experience annual falls and fractures. This varies from a range of factors including medication, night waking, shuffling, weakening musculature and balance. The first step in protecting your loved one from a serious injury associated with a fall is understanding the risk factors.

The following are common causes of falls:

Health Conditions

While everyone is at risk for falls, older adults are at the greatest risk due to chronic health conditions such as heart disease, arthritis, low blood pressure, Parkinson’s disease, dementia and other cognitive impairments. While some individuals in the early stages of Alzheimer’s are in excellent physical condition, many others seem to develop difficulties before cognitive impairment even begins. As Alzheimer’s progresses, it can cause lack of coordination, muscle weakness and diminished joint flexibility.

Reaction Time

As we get older, the nerves that carry information to and from the brain deteriorate. This slows reaction time and the ability to navigate around obstacles. This can be hazardous as seniors do not react as quickly in dangerous situations.

Medication

Many medicines also have side effects, causing dizziness, drowsiness and impaired vision.

Environmental Hazards

Many times, falls can happen because of environmental factors and hazards found throughout the home. These include everything from wet or slippery floors, poor lighting, to tripping hazards such as loose rugs, uneven floors, and trailing wires.

Visual-Spatial Problems

Because Alzheimer’s disease can affect the visual-spatial abilities, an individual can misinterpret and misjudge steps, uneven terrain, shiny areas on the floor or changes in floor color.

What you can do:

Identify the risk factors for your loved one. Many people with Alzheimer’s and dementia suffer from poor eyesight, shuffling gait, muscle weakness and generalized frailty.
Minimize or avoid medications that have been linked to falls. People with dementia are also more likely to fall when taking sedatives, tranquilizers, and antipsychotics.
Exercise is important in preventing people from falling, especially if it includes balance and strength exercises. Ask the doctor about leg strength, gait, and balance evaluations. These tests help can determine physical risk factors.
Consider a physical therapist or occupational therapist. These experts can work with your loved one to develop exercises strengthen joints.
Make sure your loved one has eye tests regularly. Low vision is a huge risk factor for falls, and many vision problems come on gradually but steadily. NursePartners’ use of theGEM^TM methodology will also alert us towards changes in vision.
Finally, get a home-safety assessment. Carepartners routinely perform these and can target danger spots and suggest easy improvements. This assessment can focus specifically on the needs of your loved one.

If you or a loved one is thinking about home care assistance, our team would love to help. Contact us today.

Request Services Now

Call (610) 323-9800 to talk to us now.