Hello everyone, Starting March 25th, in addition to emailing the weekly tidbits, we will also be posting them on the EIT-4-BPSD Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/EIT-for-Behavioral-Psychological-Symptoms-of-Dementia-2012786125605006/ We invite you to “like” or “follow” our page, and post comments and photos! And while we’re on the topic of communicating ideas, consider doing what one smart group in […]
Author: Julie L. Murphy
Involve Family Members in Dementia Care
Hello everyone, With the spring holidays like Easter and Passover just around the corner, your community may soon see an increase in visits from family and friends. Holidays can be a stressful time for your staff, with family members who may not often visit or be involved in care coming with high expectations for what […]
When a person with dementia has depression
Hello everyone, Last week we discussed apathy in people with dementia, and approaches to use during care. Like apathy, depression is common in people with dementia, often in the early to middle stages of the disease. According to a recent article by DailyCaring.com, depression symptoms in people with Alzheimer’s disease tend to be less severe […]
Attention to apathy
Hello everyone, “The squeaky wheel gets the oil” is a well-known proverb. In terms of challenging behaviors, the man running down the hall naked or the woman crying loudly at lunch generally get our attention more quickly than the quiet lady in room 101 who likes to keep to herself and “isn’t any trouble.” In […]
Tidbits from Pennsylvania!
Hello everyone, Here are a few more tidbits from your fellow nurses and nursing assistants working in Pennsylvania nursing homes. Thanks for sharing your ideas and approaches to care! We all benefit from everyone’s experiences and successes. Joyce Sebring, who works at St. Mary’s Villa in Pennsylvania, shared her approach for dealing with restless residents. […]
Love is in the air
Hello everyone, Here’s a sweet story from down under. This couple has been married for 38 years, and the husband has Alzheimer’s disease. He had forgotten that he was already married to his wife, so he proposed to her again. She lovingly said “yes”, and thought he would let it go. He didn’t—he wanted a […]
Winning tidbits: suggestions from direct care workers
Hello everyone, Our friends at nursing home facilities in Pennsylvania have sent us some wonderful tidbits for our tidbit contest. We’ll share a few with you each week. To start, Kacie Szczech, a CNA at St. Mary’s Villa, has a great idea for residents who wander and like to take other people’s things. She suggests […]
Benefits of resident engagement
Hello everyone, A study published in the Journal of Nursing Scholarship posed the question, “Is an Engaging or Soothing Environment Associated With the Psychological Well-Being of People with Dementia in Long-Term Care?” (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27802364) Well…what do you think the researchers learned? They found that an engaging environment was associated with more positive emotional expressions, and that […]
Delirium identification and reduction strategies
Hello everyone, Dementia and old age are the strongest risk factors for delirium, a condition of acute confusion and rapid changes in brain function. It is important to distinguish delirium from behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, as delirium is a medical emergency that should be addressed immediately by the healthcare team. Delirium typically involves […]
Simple solutions to reduce anxiety and improve sleep
Hello everyone, Dailycaring.com named its number one article from 2017, showing that sometimes even the simplest ideas can have a significant impact. The article is about giving weighted blankets and lap pads to people with dementia to help reduce their anxiety and improve sleep. According to the article, a 2008 study showed that weighted blankets […]