Cherry Hill Sun

Tag: Alzheimer’s Awarness Month

  • Senior living residence offers ‘a walk in their shoes’ dementia simulation

    November marks Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, with the goal of giving the general public greater knowledge of the signs and symptoms of the disease, promote early diagnosis and encourage and support brain health.

    Nearly 7 million Americans live with the disease and it is deadlier than both breast and prostate cancer combined, and numbers are projected to increase substantially in coming decades. Around 185,000 people in New Jersey alone are living with the disease.

    In an attempt to make it easier for those not themselves experiencing dementia, The Residence at Cherry Hill, an assisted living facility, created a simulation experience of what dementia is like for those who live with it. 

    Titled “A Walk in Their Shoes,” the simulation involved participants learning the physical effects dementia has on the body.

    Participants wear glasses with darkened screens to restrict their vision, gloves that alter dexterity in the hands and fingers, show inserts that replicate nerve pain and headphones mimic hearing loss.

    Each step and device is explained to the participant, giving them information about the research and science behind the simulation. 

    Once they are set up, individuals taking part in the experience are asked to perform seemingly simple tasks like finding a specific card in a deck or reaching into a bag to find a notebook and write down their feelings. 

    Amber Evans is the vice president of memory care and resident engagement services at LCB Senior Living, which operates The Residence.

    “What they realize is, once they have all these items on them, it becomes very difficult to do simple tasks,” she said.

    The goal is foster greater understanding in those who are not currently living with any form of dementia for those who are, especially their caregivers and loved ones.

    “It kind of gives them an empathy of what that person living with dementia is going through on the day to day, and hopefully alters their response to that loved one,” Evans explained.

    Though the experience is often used by those working in memory care or connected to someone living with dementia, anyone interested is able to take part, with simulations being held at the location on a monthly basis.

    In addition to the broader community, all employees at the senior living facility do the simulation. Various first responder organizations and nursing schools also take part to create greater awareness of the struggles of those living with dementia.

    As the actions and reactions of those with the disease can be difficult for those around them to understand, Evans emphasized that empathy was a key piece in caring for them, as well as remembering that they are now experiencing the world differently.

    “A loved one, living with this disease, is relying less on their words and more on their emotions,” she said. “Pay attention to nonverbal information, speaking slowly and really paying more attention to the emotion behind it and less about the actual words that are being spoken.”

    Evans also expressed the importance of finding a community to help handle the changes that come along with having a loved one live with the disease.

    “If people are worried that their loved one might be starting this journey, seek help from their local community,” she advised. “This is something that requires people to wrap arms around you and do this together.”

  • ‘Meet your loved one where they are that day’

    While many think of fall colors like orange and red in fall, others think of teal.

    The blue-green shade with calming characteristics is the chosen color of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America for the nationwide observance of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month in November. In New Jersey, support to fight Alzheimer’s is strong.

    “Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month is a time to raise awareness about the impact of Alzheimer’s disease in New Jersey,” said Ken Zaentz, president and CEO of Alzheimer’s New Jersey. “Our education programs and outreach focus on the impact of the disease on New Jersey families and on our communities, our health-care system and our economy.”

    The obervance also highlights the effort to “continue helping families challenged by Alzheimer’s get the support they need, including education about Alzheimer’s and important care strategies, access to Alzheimer’s New Jersey programs and services and other community resources,” Zaentz continued.  

    Ted Doyle, spokesperson for LCB Senior Living – with five locations in New Jersey – said his company partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association on walks, car washes and even an Oktoberfest in Cherry Hill to raise awareness and funds. He claimed there is a “growing public awareness” about Alzheimer’s.

    “Everyone knows somebody who is touched by it,” he added.

    Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disease that is caused by complex brain changes following cell damage, and it leads to dementia symptoms that gradually worsen over time, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. There are more than 55 million people world-wide living with the disease or a related dementia.

    The number is expected to almost double every 20 years, barring treatment or a cure, according to Cole Smith, corporate director of dementia care at Brightview Senior Living.

    In the U.S., there are currently 6.9 million people living with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia, a number likely to double by 2050. That number, Smith explained, is largely due to the “silver tsunami” of aging Baby Boomers. About one in nine people 65 and over have Alzheimer’s or dementia in the U.S., and roughly one in two people 80 and over have the illness.

    “As the numbers of people living with Alzheimer’s grows, the need for increased public awareness and community support has never been greater,” Zaentz noted.

    “Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging, but aging is the biggest risk factor for developing dementia,” Smith pointed out, noting that while there’s no cure for the progressive brain disorder, treatments have improved lives.

    “Medication has made great strides in symptom management,” he added. “We now have medications to slow the decline of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.”

    The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s. People with one or more of these 10 warning signs should see a doctor to find the cause:

    1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life.
    2. Challenges in planning or solving problems.
    3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work, or at leisure.
    4. Confusion with time or place.
    5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relations.
    6. New problems with words in speaking or writing.
    7. Misplacing things and not being able to retrace steps.
    8. Decreased or poor judgment.
    9. Withdrawal from work or social activities.
    10. Changes in mood or personality.

    According to the Mayo Clinic, more research is needed before experts know specific ways to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, but the following factors will improve overall brain health:

    • Avoid smoking.
    • Control vascular risk factors, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
    • Lower your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels if they’re high. Do this with treatment recommended by your health-care professional and lifestyle changes such as exercising and eating a healthy diet.
    • Eat a balanced diet — such as the Mediterranean diet — that’s rich in vegetables, fruits and lean protein, particularly protein sources containing omega-3 fatty acids.
    • Be physically and socially active, including engaging in aerobic exercise.
    • Maintain a healthy weight.
    • Take care of your mental health.
    • Use thinking (cognitive) skills, such as memory skills.
    • Avoid head injury.
    • Treat hearing loss.
    • Treat vision loss.
    • Limit alcohol consumption.

    “At Brightview Senior Living, we have a program called Bright Minds that supports brain health through social engagement, nutrition, physical exercise and mental exercises,” Smith offered. “We use a SPICE model for caring for individuals holistically: Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Cultural and Emotional needs are met through this program.”

    For the newly diagnosed person, as well as for family and friends of a loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, the journey is difficult. The diagnosis is both “overwhelming and isolating,” said Smith.

    He further explained that at the time of diagnosis, there is an overwhelming amount of information and decision-making, and the world shrinks around the disease. Smith’s advice for those affected by dementia is “to meet your loved one where they are that day.”

    For more information about the Alzheimer’s Association New Jersey chapter, visit www.alz.org/nj/events or https://www.alznj.org/.

    For more information about Alzheimer’s, visit The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America at https://alzfdn.org/ or The Alzheimer’s Association https://www.alz.org/.