How Dementia Works

Dementia is a medical condition that affects a person’s cognitive function, including memory, thinking, and behavior. It is a chronic and progressive disease that usually affects people over the age of 65, although it can also occur in younger individuals. The...

How to Detect & Treat Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Older Adults

Everyone knows that vitamins and nutrition are important for health, and many older adults take a multivitamin. But did you know that even among older persons who do this, many still end up developing a serious deficiency in one particular vitamin? It’s Vitamin B12....

Beta-Glucans…What are they and what benefits do they provide?

Beta-glucans are carbohydrates, or sugars, found in the cell walls of some plants such as oats and barley. Beta-glucans are one form of fiber called soluble fiber. Soluble fiber is recommended by Registered Dietitians to help improve cholesterol levels. Scientific...

Translating Assessment Information into Person-Centered Care

The Requirements for Participation (ROP) emphasize person-centered care which is care focusing on individual needs, interests and preferences. The activity professional learns early in their career that the activity assessment is the foundation of the therapeutic...

Kidney Function

People with reduced kidney function miss this important warning sign. Anyone with a chronic disease knows the importance of monitoring personal health data to keep on top of one’s disease. If you suffer from heart disease, for example, you watch your cholesterol and...

Traveling with Alzheimer’s

Living with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia does not mean it’s necessary to stop participating in meaningful activities such as travel. However, it does require planning to ensure safety, comfort, and enjoyment for everyone. For all travel, regardless of...

Here Comes Phase II

For the first time in almost thirty years, the long-term care industry is in the midst of significant changes to the federal regulations. These changes are so significant that they are being introduced in three phases. Phase one was introduced last November and mainly...

Alcohol Consumption and the Risk of Developing Dementia

Some of the detrimental effects of heavy alcohol use on brain function are similar to those observed with Alzheimer disease (AD). Although alcohol use may be a risk factor for AD, it is difficult to study this relationship because of similarities between alcoholic...

Managing Chronic Pain in Patients with Dementia

Chronic pain affects 1.5 billion people worldwide, an estimated 100 million of whom live in the United States. Yet we currently have no effective treatment options. Fortunately, research advances have determined some of the ways in which chronic pain changes the...