Though the holidays can be full of cheer and traditional family celebrations, all this cherished fun and activity can actually be overwhelming for people with dementia. Even individuals with mild memory loss can experience confusion in large family groups.

At our Compass Memory Support Assisted Living communities in the Boston area we deal with questions all the time from family members about how to help their loved ones feel comfortable and included in annual family events and celebrations.

Here are some tips for making the best of the holidays for you and your loved ones:

• If your Mom or Dad is in the early stages of dementia, acknowledge the sense of loss both of you may be feeling. There is no need to pretend that everything is the same. Your parent will be relieved that they don’t have to work so hard maintaining appearances during the holidays.

• Adjust yours and your family’s expectations. You can simplify annual events or traditions to fit what your loved one is able to do in order to include them. Perfect activities for those with memory loss include singing favorite holiday songs, viewing favorite holiday movies together, and looking at old holiday family albums. Trimming the tree, lighting the menorah, and baking are great, too, but be sure you are right there directing and assisting.

• If your Mom or Dad is living with you, do your best to maintain daily structure and routine – eating and napping at the same time of day will help him or her maintain a sense of stability during this busy chaotic time of year.

• If your Mom or Dad is living in a memory support community you should consider having them stay there for the holidays. You can attend holiday parties and celebrations at the community where they may be most comfortable and have the 24-hour support they need. Not taking your Mom or Dad “home for the holidays” may cause you some guilt but often it’s best for the person with dementia to stay in familiar surroundings and stick to their familiar routine.

• When it comes to gifts, simple is best. An album with old photos, a CD of favorite music, or a coffee table book depicting a favorite hobby, pastime or vacation destination are good gifts. Depending on the stage of memory loss, your Mom or Dad may need help opening the package.

As it is with anyone, knowing you are loved and appreciated is the best gift of all. Don’t worry about the fluff – just spend some quality, one-on-one time with your parent during the holidays and you’ll both feel enriched!

Communication with individuals with individuals with Alzheimer’s may take additional time and there are a number of suggestions to make the exchange easier for both individuals:
• Make note of your own body language and posture, keep good eye contact and be at eye level with the individual to set the tone for the exchange
• Let the individual know you are listening and trying to understand what is being communicated
• Remove outside distractions: television, radio, or other extra sensory input
• Try guessing the correct word if an individual with the disease has difficulty with word-finding
• Acknowledge that gestures can also be used to communicate, begin using them yourself
• Focus on the emotion and message being expressed, respond to that if you are not able to understand the words.
• When you are speaking, use short and simple words and sentences. Speak slowly and clearly, repeat what you have said multiple times as needed.
• Wait for a response from the individual, it may take extra time to process what has been said.
• Use a smile and laughter if you are having a difficult time with communication and try again later

The 5-day series concludes Friday (October 21) with “Caring for the Coming Wave of Alzheimer’s Cases,” which will feature Senior Living Residences’ COMPASS Memory Support and our innovative approach to treating the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in a residential assisted living setting.

Tune into WBUR on Friday – Morning Edition airs at 6:35am, 10:35am, and 5:46 pm.

If you miss the series live, you can listen to all the reports on the WBUR web site!

• Part 1: Ralph & Ruth – A Personal Narrative
• Part 2: The State of Alzheimer’s Research
• Part 3: To Test or Not?
• Part 4: Funding Alzheimer’s
• Part 5: Caring for the Coming Wave of Alzheimer’s Cases

We encourage our readers to check out the series. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the program and your experiences with Alzheimer’s disease as a caregiver or family member. You may participate in the discussions here or on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/seniorlivingresidences.

Providing information about Alzheimer’s disease to the greater public and providing services to people with the disease is what we do at Compass at Hopkinton through our innovative Compass Memory Support program.

Her questions continue:

“What is Alzheimer’s disease?”

“Is it contagious?”

“Will it get worse?”

“What can I do about it?”

The individual asking the questions is not a family member inquiring about the community for a loved one, rather someone residing in our community living with the disease.

She takes a seat and we talk about what the disease is, how it is not contagious, that it will eventually get worse and that she is doing everything she can to combat it: living in an active community, engaging in cognitively and socially stimulating programs, walking and exercising every day, taking advantage of trips to local museums and attractions and keeping herself well, by participating in the Compass Memory Support program.

Relieved and empowered, she leaves the office. Research shows that individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease are empowered by information about their disease and adjust to living with the illness better, when provided with appropriate and adequate information. Senior Living Residences is committed to the possibilities in sharing information about the disease rather than the tragedy of disclosure.

Infrom the conference, it has been noted that in a research trial involving more than 300 depressed individuals with dementia that standard antidepressants were not more effective at relieving depression symptoms when compared with a placebo. In addition, in some instances the medications studied (Remeron and Zoloft), made the study participants feel worse due to adverse reactions.

In the study, all of the participants had improvements in the clinical depression rating scales, however there was no noted difference in the groups, those in the placebo group did just as well as those with the active drugs.

The researchers conducting the study recommend that individuals see a specialist to treat their depressive symptoms, using both a non-drug and possibly drug therapy. Senior Living Residences’ Compass Memory Support provides a supportive, vibrant living community for individuals with dementia. Compass’ research-based approach to intervention and programming provides a program to combat the symptoms of dementia as well as depression that can be associated with it.

Now the two are embarking on a collaborative research program that will look at how music can be used to improve the quality of life for individuals living with dementia. The research study is currently in development with ideas being shared between Dr. Andrew Budson, members of his lab and SLR’s Compass Memory Support Program Directors.

The focus of the research will be utilizing music as an intervention and its possible effect on memory, behavior or mood over time to determine a possible change in various quality of life measures.

Dedicated to promoting research in Alzheimer’s care and continually improving resident quality of life, SLR’s Alzheimer’s Compass Memory Support team is thrilled to be a partner with Boston University for this exciting project.

Check in again soon to learn more about it!

This month at Compass on the Bay, local musician, Doug Robinson is creating an individualized listening program for each of the residents, based on their own favorite music, responses to songs and recollections.

The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function reports that early research on the therapeutic effects of music indicates that it may help improve scores on cognitive function tests.  In addition, music improves the mood, alertness and quality of life of someone living with Alzheimer’s disease and can be used as a powerful tool.

Residents at Compass on the Bay are already benefitting from the music groups and will soon have their own play-list as well. Doug Robinson and Jennifer Hoadley, Compass Memory Support Program Director have noted increased alertness, focus and recollection in each of the groups. The music that is chosen for the groups is based on the residents’ origins, interests, life history and response to particular songs, what is directly speaking to them.

At Senior Living Residences, innovative programs are pursued that have shown to be effective in research and that allow for  individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease to maximize their ability to connect to themselves and their own experiences.  Check back to read more about this innovative program and individuals’ experiences in the groups.

The guidelines issued by the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association, break the disease into three distinct stages. The stages are preclinical Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s dementia. Preclinical, a newly recognized stage describes a time when a person appears healthy, but has amyloid deposits occurring in the brain, a noted hallmark of the disease. Researchers believe this occurs ten years before the onset of symptoms and can be identified by sensitive scans. The guidelines also officially recognize mild cognitive impairment as part of the disease. These stages will not be used in clinical diagnosis at this time, but in the research setting.

Finally, the guidelines expand the criteria for dementia, including impairment in visuals/special function, judgment and reasoning. The former guidelines only recognized declines in memory functions.

The new guidelines will assist researchers in discovering interventions at the earliest stage of this disease, the preclinical one. It is believed the preventative measures and treatments would be most effective at that point in the disease course as compared to later in the illness.

See the complete article here at WebMD.

Senior Living Residences works closely with Dr. Nancy Emerson Lombardo, a Boston University adjunct research professor and founder of Healthcare Insights, in order to bring the Memory Preservation Nutrition(R) Program to our residents in SLR’s assisted living communities. Dr. Lombardo’s program is based on a Mediterranean diet, and incorporates the latest research findings. If you have not had the opportunity to hear Dr. Lombardo speak, SLR is currently planning our 2011 education calendar. Professionals may attend seminars and earn nursing and social work CEUs.  Of course, the program is beneficial to all of us, and anyone interested in learning more about the Memory Preservation Nutrition(R) Program or Senior Living Residences is welcome to attend.  Click here for our educational calendar. Subscribe to the calendar and you will receive updates each time a new date is added!