Hello everyone, We know that evening hours can sometimes be difficult for people with dementia, so this week we have a few ideas for how to help residents relax and get to sleep more easily. Have a staff or a family member give the person a gentle hand or back massage using a lightly scented […]
Author: cbm5125
Delayed Onset PTSD in People with Dementia
Hello everyone, This weekend, as we honor the sacrifices of the thousands of soldiers killed in wars fought on behalf of our country, we are also reminded of the living soldiers who must still deal with the aftermath of battle, many of whom suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. In a review published a […]
The Power of Laughter
Hello everyone, Think about the last time you had a really good laugh. A tears-flowing, belly-aching, almost-pee your pants laugh. Remember how you felt after that laugh? It should be no surprise then that a recent study found that exercise programs that included laughter as a core element benefited older adults. The study found “significant […]
Tips for Integrating Person-centered Approaches into Care Plans
Hello everyone, Many of you are working on integrating more person-centered approaches into your care plans, and looking for ways that GNAs and other staff can easily access information about the social histories and preferences of residents, which is critical information when caring for people who have dementia. Those “golden nuggets” of information can help […]
“My Story” boards help illustrate residents’ personal histories
Hello everyone, Care communities often have detailed resident assessments that do a wonderful job collecting important information about a resident and their preferences. Unfortunately, these helpful documents frequently stay in a binder or electronic record unlooked at. Team members then miss out on some great information (we call them “gold nuggets”) that can help them […]
Create a Plan & Evaluate It–The Final Steps of DICE
Hello everyone, This week we’ll finish discussing the four steps of DICE. We hope you had a chance to discuss the “Describe” and “Investigate” parts with your staff, and are finding the process helpful as you work to assess and manage behaviors of your residents with dementia. The “C” in DICE stands for “Create a […]
Use your Sleuthing Skills for the Second Step of the DICE Model
Hello everyone, In last week’s tidbit, we discussed the DICE process for assessing and managing behavioral issues in residents with BPSD. We focused on the “D”—describing a resident’s behavior with specific details that provide important clues about the cause of the behavior. This week we focus on the “I”—Investigate. Once we have a detailed description of […]
Using “DICE” to Assess and Manage Challenging Behaviors
Hello everyone, This week we are introducing “DICE,” a tool you can use to assess and manage behavior change in people with dementia. DICE stands for: Describe the behavior Investigate the influence of things like cognitive status, environment, caregiver approach, physical/medical disorders, and psychiatric symptoms Create a person-centered plan to address the behavior Evaluate if the plan works (Kales, Gitlin, Lyketsos, 2014, […]
Wandering Worries
Hello everyone, Wandering is common for many people with dementia, and can sometimes be frustrating and nerve-wracking for caregivers. DailyCaring.com has an article about wandering this week. The article describes some reasons why people with Alzheimer’s disease might wander: Fear or stress: they might not recognize where they are, the environment is overstimulating, or a loud noise or […]
Breaking Down Language Barriers
Hello everyone, If you’ve ever traveled to a foreign country where you don’t speak the language, you know how difficult it can be to get directions to a museum or order a meal. Imagine how frightening and depressing it would if everyone around you spoke a different language, but instead of being on vacation, you […]