November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. Did you know that Alzheimer’s is currently the only disease in the top ten killers that continues to increase in prevalence? It is the most expensive disease to manage and the emotional toll it takes on patients and family members is immeasurable.

While most of the focus on Alzheimer’s awareness is about finding a cure, the care required for the five million Americans who currently live with the disease and needs of their caregivers are often secondary missions. However, there is much need for better care options now.

According to a recent AARP survey, most people would prefer to remain in their home for as long as possible as they age, as opposed to going into a care facility. However, one of the main reasons families place their loved ones into a care facility is because they cannot manage the complex behaviors that are common in Alzheimer’s and dementia.

What we’ve observed is that Alzheimer’s patients do well with structure and special programming, but currently there is a lack these elements in the home care environment.  Facilities do a better job of providing structure and routine for dementia patients, but it is not the same as being at home – and rarely is it modified to fit the specific needs of the patient. Dementia is an individualized disease and a one-size-fits-all approach simply does not work.

This is why we developed a new method for caring with those with Alzheimer’s and dementia. To create the proper structure, you must first determine the person’s current level of dementia and then, based on that finding, create a balanced day filled with activities that are important to the patient and appropriate to their current state. It is important to generate a daily schedule; but as the patient progresses through the disease process and important activities become harder to accomplish, this schedule will need to dynamically adapt with activities modified to match the current level of dementia.

To illustrate, many of today’s seniors grew up in a time when there were few electronics and they have always done a lot of reading. With dementia, reading becomes very difficult. Traditionally, books are taken away and the patient is placed in front of the TV or given children’s books, which can be degrading and often causes frustration (which is then seen as “problematic behavior”). In response to this, we have found that books containing subject matter that is meaningful to them (i.e. WWII, Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra) but presented in a way that matches their current ability to read are extremely well received. Reading activity can then adjust with them as their cognitive levels decline, enabling them to continue their love of reading, resulting in more overall satisfaction.

This month, as we work to raise awareness of this taxing disease, we must also remember to focus on those living with it today. Until a cure is found, the care we provide to Alzheimer’s patients needs to evolve and create better living conditions for people we love as they continue on their journey through life.

For tips and advice about caring for those with Alzheimer’s and dementia or for more information about the tactics described above, visit www.alzbetter.com.

About the Author
Gary Skole has been in the home health care industry for more than 25 years and currently helps home care agencies learn how to better care for people with dementia through his company AlzBetter LLC. He can be reached at 856-281-1200.

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As a fitness expert and neurosurgeon, Dr. Brett Osborn says he appreciates the growing public interest in general health and fitness. Now, he says, that attention needs to extend to arguably our most essential organ – the brain.

“There are several, multi-billion dollar industries out there dedicated to burning fat and building muscle; cognitive health, on the other hand, has been largely overlooked,” says Osborn, author of “Get Serious, A Neurosurgeon’s Guide to Optimal Health and Fitness,” www.drbrettosborn.com.

“Of course, any good health expert is quick to remind readers that it’s all connected. For example, what’s good for the heart will be, directly or indirectly, good for the brain.”

September’s an appropriate time to talk brain health: its World Alzheimer’s Month, and it’s the beginning of football season. By now, we know that football players in the NFL, college and even high school suffer considerable head trauma, whether through big hits resulting in concussions or moderate, repeated blows, he says.

It’s also soccer season in other parts of the world. Concern continues to mount about the neurological damage done to players from repeated headers, where the ball is hit by the head. The long-term effects, including depression and other mental-health problems, are similar to those suffered by American football players, he says.

“Sports can impart great habits to kids, including discipline, fellowship and an emphasis on strength and endurance,” says Osborn, a bodybuilder and father. “As our children return to school and sports, health-care providers, coaches and parents need to make it a top priority to protect our student-athletes’ brains.”

Osborn offers five tips to help everyone maintain brain health:

•  Learn new skills. “Just as with other health concerns, brain health should be rooted in the prevention of disease,” he says. Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease, the causes of which, and the cure, are unknown. However, it’s widely thought that brain stimulation and activity can delay the onset of the disease. The acquisition of a new skill – whether it’s learning to play an instrument or taking up waterskiing – exercises the brain “muscle.”

•  Commit to actual exercise. Everyone knows that exercise helps protect the heart, but not everyone knows that physical activity is also good for the brain. The brain is not a muscle, but it can be worked as muscle is worked during exercise, which forges new neuron pathways.

“Let’s face it, there is a component of learning in exercise,” Osborn says. “You cannot master the squat overnight; the brain has to change. Neuronal connections, or ‘synapses,’ are formed through very complex biophysical mechanisms. That takes time.”

•  Don’t sweat stress. There is such a thing as good stress, including the acute bodily stress involved in strength training. Of course, there’s the bad stress, such as psychological stress associated with work or interpersonal relationships, and environmental stress, derived from pesticide-laden food – toxins. As always, you have a choice. You don’t have to accept mental stress in your life. Reconsider toxic relationships. Rethink how you handle pressure at work. Perhaps adopt a lunchtime exercise routine.

•  Fuel a better body and brain. “I don’t believe in ‘diets,’ ” Osborn says. “Fit individuals were around for eons before the term existed, and I associate the term with temporary and, often, self-destructive behaviors.”

Again, it’s all connected. A healthy balance of food and activity will inevitably be good for the entire body: the heart, skeleton, muscles, brain, etc. Proper nutrition is a natural mood enhancer, and good health will inevitably improve self-esteem.

•  Feed your head with smart drugs. Some pharmaceuticals may help enhance cerebral blood flow and increase concentration, including Hydergine, Deprenyl and Prozac, to name a few. Ask your doctor about these. There are also over-the-counter smart drugs to consider. Piracetam is one of the oldest and has been shown to have a variety of positive effects in patients with cognitive disorders like dementia and epilepsy. Vinpocetine has potent anti-inflammatory effects, and inflammation is a key component in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, and others. You may also want to check out gingko biloba and pregnenolone.

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