Learn to Walk the Walk

Most of us know that staying fit is beneficial in many ways, including helping reduce the risks associated with dementia. Now new research has specifically targeted walking as a way to hold off the advances of Alzheimer's Disease.

According to this BusinessWeek article:

"We found that walking five miles per week protects the brain structure over 10 years in people with Alzheimer's and MCI, especially in areas of the brain's key memory and learning centers," he said. "We also found that these people had a slower decline in memory loss over five years."

Further in the article, the author notes that another study showed a similar positive impact on adults' cognitive abilities but at a slightly higher exercise threshold of six miles per week.

"Alzheimer's is a devastating illness and, unfortunately, walking is not a cure," Dr. Raji said. "But walking can improve your brain's resistance to the disease and reduce memory loss over time."

Article: Regular Walking May Slow Dementia

Giving Thanks, One Turkey Plate at a Time

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone from The George G. Glenner Alzheimer's Family Centers. We held special holiday dinners throughout the week at each of our centers, where our staff, caregivers, participants and special guests celebrated the season.

Here are some pictures from yesterday's event at our South Bay Center in Chula Vista. We want to thank Villa Bonita for donating all of the wonderful food for our feast and to Chula Vista Police Chief David Bejarano and Miss California Arianna Afsar for helping us serve and entertain the guests. We also want to extend our gratitude to the Chula Vista Retired Senior Volunteer Police for helping us serve our families.

Miss California passes out prizes with South Bay Center Manager Dawn DeStefani during the turkey trivia contest.
Nothing says Thanksgiving like homemade pumpkin pie.
Police Chief Bejarano serves up good eats to our families and helpers.

The Villa Bonita cook behind the feast received a loud round of applause for his culinary skills.
Miss California signs autographs. She also sang for everyone.

Recommended Music for Alzheimer's Disease

Last week our participants at The George G. Glenner Alzheimer's Family Centers were treated to a performance by Barry Allen Cohen, also known as Big Daddy of the Big Daddy Orchestra. Barry belted out timeless tunes from past greats like Frank Sinatra and current chart-toppers such as Michael Buble. He also displayed some serious classical guitar skills.

We recently asked our three center managers for recommended music to play for loved ones with dementia, particularly Alzheimer's disease. Here's what they suggested:

I'd have to say that two favorite music types here are :

1- Frank Sinatra era... they love to dance and sing along to these classics
2- Enya - Shepherd Moons.. this is a calming favorite here, great for before lunch when the pt's seem to get agitated and in the later afternoon when they start the sundowning. --Dawn DeStefani, South Bay Center in Chula Vista

Any of the old big band groups are excellent. The ones from the 40’s like Jimmy Dorsey. --Sheila Meyer Argeanton, North County Center in Encinitas

There are catalogs that can help you select appropriate music and other activities. Marge Galante, our center manager at our Hillcrest Center in San Diego, suggested the following resources:

Nasco Senior Activities

The Alzheimer's Store

You might also find joyful tunes in children's catalogs as well, since many songs evoke memories of their own childhood and those of early parenthood.

Dawn's Story

Many of you who read our blog are caregivers, so we thought today we'd share a story that appears on the cover of our newest George G. Glenner Alzheimer's newsletter.

It's by one of our caregivers and it's a story that everyone can relate to. She talks about the symptoms that announced her father's mental decline and her resistance to becoming his caregiver. Shifting roles between parent and child is extremely stressful, but it's also necessary. Dawn deftly describes her anguish with feeling trapped in the house and finding our adult day health care center, which allowed her to get back parts of her day while knowing her father was safe and engaged.

You can read Dawn's story here.

VA Benefit Assistance for Memory Care

We wanted to salute our U.S. veterans who have served our nation in both war and peacetime efforts. The George G. Glenner Alzheimer's Family Centers includes many veterans among participants at our adult day health care centers, many of whom still daily wear caps and other articles and enjoy telling of their military experience with new friends and sharing war stories with old friends. In listening to them, you know that part of their life was especially important to them.

If you are a caregiver considering adult day health care or assisted living for someone who served in the U.S. armed forces, a benefit you may wish to consider is the VA's Aid & Attendance Pension that reimburses qualified veterans and spouses for medical expenses not covered by insurance or other means. Monthly compensation ranges from up to $1,644 for a single veteran to up to $2,582 for veterans married to each other. Surviving spouses also are eligible for a monthly check.

Applying for this benefit is not easy, and there are numerous resources within San Diego County (and elsewhere in the USA) to get help completing the 11-page application.

Basic requirements include:

Honorable discharge
Active service for at least 90 days
At least one day of service during a period of war

Wars that qualify:

WWII
Korea
Vietnam
Lebanon Campaign
Grenada Campaign
Panama Campaign
Persian Gulf

The key - to which veterans with dementia would qualify - is there must be a disabling medical condition that requires a veteran or surviving spouse to need assistance to meet their basic needs. The cost of services at an assisted living community, for example, must exceed 5% or more of monthly income to receive full benefits. The veteran's or couple's liquid assets (savings, investments, checking, and sometimes real estate and homes, etc.) and how rapidly they are expected to be depleted also are taken into consideration.

For more on this important program, visit The Aid & Attendance Pension Web Site.

Taking Bathtime in PIECES

One question caregivers of dementia patients ask frequently is how to get Mom or Dad to bathe. It's one of the most basic yet most difficult situations to manage. Those with dementia resist bath time for numerous reasons, and understanding the source of their agitation can lead to cooperation.

During our recent caregiver town hall forum, one expert offered some steps to manage behaviors:

1. Identify and examine the behavior. Jot down what happened before the behavior and what happened after. Is there an underlying cause? What is the behavior trying to tell you?

2. Remember that you are always "on" in the presence of a loved one, who pick up on every word and every type of body language. If you're angry, they'll be angry too.

Find the source of agitation by considering this acronym:

P - Physical Cause
I - Intellectual Cause
E - Emotional Cause
C - Changes in Capabilities
E - Environmental Change
S - Social Change

When it comes to bathing, remember to view the situation from the perspective of the loved one with dementia.

The tub looks bottomless.
The room is too enclosed.
Sounds are enhanced.
They may not recognize water.
They fear falling.
They are confused, embarrassed and feel a loss of control.

Solution: Make the room feel more spa-like with warmth. Put adhesive strips on the tub to help prevent slips. Rub their arms and talk calmly through the entire process. Use a robe that unsnaps so you can continue talking to them as they disrobe and bathe.

Meaningful Activities for People with Alzheimer's Disease

Structure is important for both the caregiver and their loved ones. And scheduling purposeful and meaningful activities benefits both when the right activities are planned ahead and involve family and friends when possible. Here are some activities that caregivers may consider while caring for someone with Alzheimer's Disease, according to the National Institute on Aging. Some of these work best in the early stages of Alzheimer's, and some can be accomplished in later stages as well.

Around the House
Help cook or bake
Provide company during mealtime preparation
Wash or sort dishes
Set the table
Clip coupons
Sort recycling material
Water the plants

Family and Pets
Play simple board games
Read stories or books aloud
Take a walk in the park
Look through photo albums
Visit the zoo
Play with a pet
String food chains for kids, pets or holiday decorations


Art and Music
Play CDs of music that evokes memories
Talk about their favorite music or artists
Sing or dance to their favorite songs
Attend a free concert in the park
Draw, paint or sculpt

Make sure everyone gets some "fresh air" by going for daily walks outside or, during inclement weather, in a mall, museum or other walker- and wheelchair-friendly place.

Taking Care of the Caregiver

Earlier this week Dr. Marc Ringel appeared on a Colorado public radio station in a piece called “The Hardest Job There Is.” It was about the physical, mental and emotional toll of caring at home for someone with Alzheimer’s disease. It’s a piece that every primary caregiver – and right now there are 10 million of them across the U.S.A. – can relate to.

Consider this passage:

Out of love, and sometimes for financial reasons too, people make the most amazing efforts to keep demented elderly out of institutions. In early stages of disease, there may be no more challenge than to keep an eye on a forgetful housemate some of the time. The need for supervision will inevitably progress as confusion and wandering come into play, to the point that a competent person needs to be present 100% of the time.

Caring for the Caregiver also was the theme of last week’s Town Hall Forum in San Diego. Among the speakers was Alejandra Ceja-Aguilar, director of education and outreach for the Southern Caregiver Resource Center. This week we’re going to feature some of her tips to help caregivers stay well themselves so that they can be of benefit to those who depend on them.

Four Steps to Help Reduce Caregiver Stress

1. Recognize the Warning Signs of Stress
Trouble focusing
Difficulty making decisions
Change in sleep habits
Feel overwhelmed
Feeling edgy and irritable
Becoming isolated
Consuming sleeping pills, alcohol or caffeine
Feeling hopeless or helpless

2. Identify the Stressors Individually
Do you feel angry when you can’t go for a walk because there’s no one to look after your father? Do you feel tired in the mornings because you couldn’t sleep the night before?

3. Explore Potential Solutions to Each Stressor
Ask for help and accept help. People want to do it and you must recognize you need the help. Be specific and clear with your requests, such as asking a neighbor to stay with your mom while you run to the grocery store.

4. Implement a Solution That Will Work for Each Stressor
Remember to focus on each stressor individually; the entire picture can be quite scary.

Always remember that you cannot change the condition, only the way you respond to it.

KUNC Audio/Transcript: The Hardest Job There Is