Risks of Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s Disease is a challenging condition for the individual dealing with it and their loved ones and caretaker(s). Caring for someone with this debilitating condition requires precise care, and if handled incorrectly, can be risky for both the patient and the caregiver.Read more


senior living

Here’s What You Need to Know about Strokes in Elderly

Strokes are one of the leading causes of health concern in Americans today.

With over 800,000 people being affected by strokes annually, nearly 75 per cent of the victims of this disease are over the age of 65. It is the third-leading cause of death in the United States, along with being one of the leading causes of long-term disabilities among Americans.Read more


Senior Safety Checklist: Tips for Ensuring the Safety of Dementia Patients

Taking care of a senior loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia requires careful attention on behalf of caregivers.

With the progression of Alzheimer’s and dementia, a person’s abilities also change. A loved one suffering from such an illness can stay at home under the supervision and care of their families, as long as there are safety measures in place.

How Does Dementia and Alzheimer’s Affect Safety?

Alzheimer’s and dementia can cause numerous changes in the brain and body of the patient, which may affect safety. These changes progress differently, depending on the stage of the disease. Some examples of the causes of threat to safety are as follows.

Judgment
Patients may forget how to use household appliances.

Sense of time and place
Patients may forget how to navigate around their own street.

Behavioral Changes
Patients with dementia can become easily confused, disoriented, paranoid and fearful.

Physical Ability
Dementia patients may have trouble keeping their balance.

Senses
Dementia patients may experience changes in their vision, hearing, and ability to assess temperatures and may even fail to perceive depth accurately.

Safety Tips for Home

Dementia patients may sometimes find themselves in unsafe situations. The areas that invoke special concern are driving and wandering away from home.

Caregivers may also need to make changes in their homes by removing furniture, installing locks, etc. Here are a few safety tips for home that can help you ensure the safety of your loved one.

Discourage Dementia Patients from Driving
Dementia patients should abstain from driving. Not only is it unsafe but it can also be potentially illegal. To be on the safe side, ask your loved one’s healthcare provider if driving is safe for the patient. If not, you can take several steps to ensure their safety.

Begin by limiting their access to the car. Help them understand this.

Watch Out For Wandering

Patients with dementia may wander away from the house, fail to navigate or assess their location and hence lose their way back.

To ensure their safety, try having your loved one wear an ID bracelet at all times.

Install door chimes in your home so that you can be alert when doors leading out of the house are being opened. Ask your neighbors to call you if they see your loved one wandering around and try to go along with them if they insist on leaving the house for a walk. This can be very challenging for them; be empathetic.

Make Living Spaces Patient-Friendly
A crucial part of ensuring safety for dementia patients is by making living spaces clutter-free and installing safety alarms.

Make sure emergency numbers and home address are displayed visibly near phones. Install smoke alarms and keep your home well-lit. Move electrical cords out of the way to reduce the chances of tripping and falling.

Looking for Alzheimer’s Care and assisted living communities for a loved one in Tarzana, CA?

AvantGarde Senior Living is an assisted living community in Tarzana, CA that provides services in assisted living and memory care for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. To book a tour at the AvantGarde community, give them a call at (818) 881-0055 or visit their website for an online tour!

 

 


senior living

How to Choose the Right Senior Living Community for a Loved One

Choosing a senior care facility for your loved is one of the most difficult decisions you’ll ever make. But, it’s also one of the most important ones!

It’s understandable that you’re not sure where to begin and are struggling with so many options to choose from. Choosing the right facility isn’t easy but it’s not impossible either!

There are probably hundreds of assisted-living facilities nearby but only one of them will be the right choice. Here’s what you should take into consideration when making a decision:

Read more


seniors group of old friends

Healthy Aging: Keeping Your Senior’s Mind Active

We often remind ourselves to exercise physically but we seldom remind ourselves to train our brains. It is important to encourage your seniors to stay fit both physically and mentally. When they participate in activities that challenge their brains, not only will they maintain good health, it will also greatly boost their mood.

It is important that seniors consistently participate in activities that help them keep mentally fit. Engaging the brain in creative ways will promote emotional and physical rejuvenation. It will also help them ward off degenerative mental illnesses such as Alzheimer’s or Dementia.Read more


Old Age Need Not Be A ‘Snore-Bore’ – 5 Fun Activities To Do In Assisted Living Facilities

Being safe, cared for, and healthy aren’t the only things that matter when you live in an assisted living facility; your happiness counts too.

Residents of a senior living community have the same basic needs as everyone else. No matter what age, they need to let loose and have some fun, to learn and explore new things, to laugh, and to live their lives to the fullest—which is why, activities in assisted living communities are more important than ever.

But a game of bingo or bridge isn’t enough. Although a classic enjoyable activity, seniors need fun and new things to keep them active and content.

Here are 5 entertaining things that seniors can take part in at an assisted living community:

1. Field Trips

Frequent field trips to exciting places such as sport games, museums, concerts and shows will provide great entertainment to your elderly. It serves as a change of scene and will make for a fun group activity.

2. Karaoke

It is never too late to sing your heart out, no matter how bad you sound. Karaoke has always been a fun activity and can greatly boost spirits. Engage in a fun singing session with other senior members. Assisted communities may even host an “American Idol” type of competition to make it more challenging and entertaining.

3. Dancing

Dancing keeps you physically fit and young at heart.  Senior living residents can enjoy various kinds of dancing such as line dancing, ballroom dancing, swing dancing and more.

4. Virtual Games

It is never too late to play video games. Just because it’s new technology, senior members should not be deprived of fun Wii games. If they want to, senior  residents can play a game of Wii tennis or bowling right in the living room.

5. Workshops and Learning Lessons

Learning new things and skills can bring great joy to anyone and is a sign of growth. Writing workshops are a great activity as they can help the elderly pen down their experiences or craft a new story to tell their peers.

Painting lessons and learning new languages is also great. Residents who are more literary inclined can form book clubs. Computer classes are also a great way to keep in touch with distant family members.

We know how important entertainment and fun activities are to your overall health. Our senior living community residents at AvantGarde Senior Living have daily fun-filled activities such as golf, corn hole toss, drum circles, group exercise classes and more.

If you are looking for a facility that provides both comfort and fun, schedule a tour or contact us at (818) 881-0055 right away!


Moving Into an Assisted Living Facility – 5 Things to Keep In Mind

 

Moving can be overwhelming for anyone, more so for an older family member who may have spent decades in the place, creating memories. Leaving a familiar surrounding to move to a new home such as an assisted living facility can be tough.Read more