The labels and language we use around dementia affect how we experience caregiving. The words we choose affect how we feel about it and how we understand the problems to begin with, as we try to solve the many puzzles that dementia creates just navigating daily life.  Our expectations around caregiving are shaped by the words and labels we use. These expectations are incredibly powerful and impact how we think and experience our work. An insightful study, famously called the Milkshake Study, from Stanford University demonstrates this truth. The study measured ghrelin levels (the hormone that tells our brain we are full during mealtimes). They conducted lab tests with two groups of participants who drank the exact same milkshake mixture. The only difference was the expectation created by the words used to describe the milkshake. One group was told their milkshake was high calorie and the other was told their…

The holiday season can create beautiful, tasty and enjoyable moments through our five senses. Drinking a cup of hot apple cider brings the smell of cinnamon, the sweet taste of apple, warmth on our lips, a view of a silly holiday cup, and the clinking sound the cup makes when it is set down on the table. Perhaps a fond memory is triggered by these senses.  We can pick up the cup and drink the delicious cider because we have, what could be called, the 6th sense: proprioception — the sense that lets us perceive the location, movement, and action of parts of the body.  We take for granted our ability to know where our body is in space at all times through the coordination of a complex network between our brain and the receptors involved in the five senses. It’s how an olympic ice skating team can skate on ice…

Seeing holiday decorations going up around town gives me an initial feeling of, well, anxiety. For three years we have experienced a different set of challenges that now accompany our modern-day holiday craze — it’s Covid and flu season. Rather than push those anxious thoughts down and bury them, I have learned to use my heightened sense of fear to fuel our community’s planning for infection control.  Memories form the last three years are studded with some stressful situations during the pandemic. However, I also want to make the effort to remember the good moments we created: our caregiving team working double shifts with compassion; Banging pans at sunset to say thank you to frontline emergency personnel; family members dropping off supplies of paper towels that were in short supply; friends making home made masks and gowns (we still use the super cute gowns!); outdoor and Zoom family visits; Creekside…

Working with residents living with dementia challenges me to think about how we not only assist with care, but how we go about generating a good vibe. This is not an occasional challenge; it demands a daily pondering, because as we know, residents living with Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia have a progressive underlying disease. Each day is different, and sometimes each hour.  Knowing that our residents face some level of brain failure on a daily basis can feel overwhelming. Many caregivers around the world experience this and yet we are often energized and inspired by our work. As the primary diagnosis for most of our residents is related to an organic brain disease, I have focused much of my attention on Teepa Snow’s resources (www.teepasnow.com). Teepa is truly the expert we have all longed for to lead our field toward more helpful approaches to care.  Understanding brain change caused by Alzheimer’s…

I participated in my first Qigong class today. This wonderful opportunity to spend time focusing on my own health and outlook on life, is due to my residents. They inspire me to create activities that are mentally stimulating, fun, and contribute to their wellbeing. We decided to try this ancient Chinese practice of meditating with deep breathing and rhythmic movements to see if we liked it. Today was their third class, and while I could see our residents were enjoying it, I wanted to experience it for myself.  Our instructor lead us through a calm, yet invigorating series of deep, slow breaths while moving our hands outward to release old Qi, then inward, pulling in new Qi. Qi, our life energy, can become stale and unbalanced, leaving us feeling tired, depressed or even ill. There was definitely a nice vibe in the room during our Qi work. We could all…

Study after study demonstrates that exercise is good for brain health.  The latest in scanning technology now illuminates how the brain responds —brain shrinkage for sedentary life styles and brain enlargement for physically active people. We can also see the number of Alzheimer’s plaques decreasing or increasing in relation to physical activity, even in people with the APOE-4 gene for Alzheimer’s Disease.  Lisa Mosconi, PhD, Director of the Women’s Brain Initiative at Weill Cornell Medical College, points out misconceptions about life style choices and Alzheimer’s risk in her her book, “The XX Brain.” She makes a case that exercise, such as walking, not only helps prevent deterioration but can even turn back the clock and reduce the risk for dementia.  Walking is one of the most accessible ways to get exercise.  One only needs a good set of athletic shoes, some time, and a safe route (or indoor treadmill). Walking briskly for…

During a long drive back from my 1983 high school reunion this weekend, my mind was flooded with memories. As I allowed these memories to process, I began to feel more and more reconnected to different parts of myself. I believe this is due to the wonderful connections I made 40 years ago, singing in the school choir, playing doubles on the JV tennis team, and participating in the debate team. I was lucky to have terrific friends who cared so much about me long ago, and in turn, who I cared about deeply. Within the very core of us, as human beings, we are social beings. And, it turns out, hanging out with friends not only stimulates but also protects our brains. In his book, The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program, Dr. Gary Small includes studies that confirm socializing with others helps our cognitive ability. Spending time with friends and engaging in lively social…

We engage our right hemisphere during activities involving music, drawing, painting, shaping clay, or whatever stirs up our artistic joy. We also retain right hemisphere functioning longer when living with Alzheimer’s, while the left hemisphere function is fading. Below is a poem written with a small group of residents about Friendship — it will make you smile and tear up at the same time. Above, a photo of our art instructor, Diane Stenlund, preparing us for a tropical themed art project by reading a short story to get our creativity flowing. FRIENDSHIP FriendshipConfidenceLong listeningToo bare for one personHealing words helped FriendshipHonestyWhat confidence one getsFrom friendshipBy listeningThe honesty that comesFrom a true friendIs always appreciatedAnd the humorPuts one at ease Oh how we allWish forTrue friendship

This is the rhythm of the nightOh nightThe rhythm of the nightThis is the rhythm of my life— song lyrics, Corona In our field of dementia care, we often say “if the night goes well, so will the day.” Many people living with dementia experience sleep disturbances that affect their quality of life. It can be both difficult to discern the underlying cause and find what helps. As caregivers, we can be astutely aware of the rhythms of the day and night, and make a difference with sleep. As we all understand from personal experience after a good night’s sleep, we feel recharged. And after a poor night’s sleep, we feel foggy and irritable. Sleep time is critically important to brain health as it helps reduce inflammation. Recent studies are showing a strong connection of inflammation in the brain and risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. Sleep also allows the hippocampus, our brain’s supercomputer memory…

Mother’s Day photo features: Strawberry Rhubarb Masque by Eminence Organic Skin Care Our Mother’s Day facials were nourishing and fun — we had a playful time applying the different products, and especially enjoyed the Strawberry Rhubarb masque. Everyone was glowing afterwards. During each step of the facials I felt the group become more at ease and share in the experience with plenty of laughter. Many mother-daughter and family photos captured the moment. This kind of activity takes thought and organization, but was not difficult or time consuming. And the effect has been lasting. Bringing our family members into the planning and participation is one of my favorite parts of the day because we became more connected in a joyful way, and have more dialogue about upcoming activities and outings together. The Strawberry Rhubarb masque felt and smelled so wonderful, the best word I could come up with is nourishing. Nourishment…