ADvancing Care is a newsletter for people who work in nursing homes and other residential care settings, and for the families and friends of those who live there.
Anyone who is interested in receiving this free newsletter via email, please click here.
Current Issue - Spring/Summer 2018
The Hard End of the Day: Shedding New Light on Sundowning
Sundowning is a term used to describe the agitation, pacing, irritability and disorientation that many people with Alzheimer’s experience during the late afternoon, evening or night. For those who work or live with older adults who have dementia, Sundown Syndrome or “sundowning” is one of the most challenging situations they encounter on a daily basis. Several years ago, staff at the nursing home on the Beatitudes Campus in Phoenix, Arizona determined they had a serious problem with sundowning and set about finding some solutions.
How Trauma Can Affect the Person with Dementia
Because people with dementia have both memory loss and trouble thinking, there is a tendency to think that past events are ‘lost’ to them, and have little or no impact on their lives in the present. However, although experiences or emotions from the past can sometimes be expressed in surprising or unfamiliar ways, and most memories do eventually disappear, the past can still remain very much a part of the lives of people with dementia.”
Living with Dementia in Residential Care: Care Planning for Comfort
Nursing homes use the MDS (Minimum Data Set) assessment form to assess care needs, as the basis for the care plan that is developed for each resident. As part of this assessment, staff are asked whether a resident (1) resists care; (2) has “verbal behavioral symptoms directed towards others;” (3) has “physical behavioral symptoms toward others;” or (4) has “other behavioral symptoms not directed toward others.” Staff bring these assessments to care plan meetings. Whenever any of these items are checked off as part of the assessment, it is a signal that the resident is experiencing distress, which means a focus of the care planning process should be a plan to uncover what is causing the person’s distress. The answer should never be: “It’s the dementia.”
Archives - Summer 2016
No matter our age, for most of us music plays a significant role in our lives. Just hearing a song we associate with a particular time, person or event can bring back a flood of powerful memories. We all often find ourselves singing along to long-forgotten lyrics. The good news is that this is also true for people with dementia.
With more than 30 years of experience developing and implementing innovative, creative and leading-edge caregiving initiatives, CaringKind provides an unprecedented platform of programs helping New York’s entire Alzheimer’s community to care with confidence.