Share and Care Homeshare has collated a number of guides full of information, which can help you and your loved ones understand issues affecting the elderly.
Art as Treatment for Dementia
“Art can make a difference for people with dementia – like a call to the brain, a connection, helping people come alive again.”
Compassionate Communication with People Living with Memory Loss
You can’t control memory loss – you can control your reaction to it. Compassionate communication will significantly heighten quality of life.
Avoiding Falls At Home
Falls happen at home because people tend to move around without thinking about their safety.
Many falls could be prevented by making simple changes to the home as well as by making some simple personal and lifestyle changes.
Dementia Diagnosis
In the UK it is estimated that 800,000 individuals are living with dementia, yet fewer than 50% of that number are ever formally diagnosed.
There is a belief that dementia is part of normal ageing and that nothing can be done to contribute to the low diagnosis rate.
Depression in Older People
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has identified that depression in the elderly is “the next big public health problem”.
GPs often (wrongly) assume that being elderly is, in itself, a miserable experience.
They do not consider the possibility of depression being an issue for older patients.
Different Types of Dementia
Dementia is an umbrella term for a progressive neuro-degenerative illness.
There are different forms of dementia, some which may occur early (before the age of 65) and which may have different symptoms:
Gardening for Health
Gardening;
- Is an enjoyable form of exercise
- Increases levels of physical activity and helps mobility and flexibility
- Encourages use of all motor skills
- Improves endurance and strength
- Helps prevent diseases such as osteoporosis
- Reduces stress levels and promotes relaxation
- Provides stimulation and an interest in nature and the outdoors
- Improves wellbeing as a result of social interaction
- Can provide nutritious, home-grown produce.
Parkinsons factsheet
The NHS defines Parkinson’s disease as a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years. Clinically, Parkinson’s disease is primarily described as a movement disorder and is characterised by its variety of motor symptoms.
Helping A Person Living with Dementia to Deal with the Loss of a Loved One
In any bereavement situation it is important for carers to acknowledge their own grief and emotions. It may become difficult to care for someone living with dementia and to help them to come to terms with the bereavement if you yourself have not done so.
Finding friends or others to talk to, doing activities that you enjoy (making time for yourself) may seem like luxuries, but they are fundamental to your ability to care and support others.
Pets as Therapy
Research suggests that hormonal changes naturally occur when humans and dogs interact and that these could help people cope with depression and certain stress-related disorders.
Preliminary results show that a few minutes of stroking a dog prompts a release of a number of “feel good” hormones in humans, including serotonin, prolactin and oxytocin. Simultaneously, levels of the primary stress hormone cortisol, the adrenal chemical responsible for regulating appetite and cravings for carbohydrates, are decreased.
Power of Attorney
Power of Attorney (POA) gives someone you trust the legal power to act or make decisions about you on your behalf.
A POA is a very useful document; like a Will, it only comes into force if it is needed. Most people are happy to make a Will but feel that they don’t want someone else having the power to make decisions for them. However, ensuring you have a POA in place before it is needed makes a lot of sense.
UTIs in Older People
The second most common infection type in humans, a UTI is an infection which is caused when germs get into the urethra and travel up into the bladder and kidneys.
The most common kind of infection is Iscycystitis; inflammation and infection of the bladder, although other parts of the urinary tract can become infected.
Preventing Nuisance Calls
For older and more vulnerable people, nuisance calls can be more than a nuisance – they can be intimidating and upsetting.
Which? and trueCall tracked over seven million calls made over a three-year period. Analysis showed that four in ten calls were nuisance calls.
Worryingly, older customers received 46% more nuisance calls a month than younger customers.
Wandering and Dementia
Anyone who has memory problems and is physically able to walk could be at risk of wandering.
Six out of 10 people living with dementia will wander at some time.
It can happen during any stage of the disease.
