Strategies to Promote Dental Care in Persons Living with Alzheimer's disease

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Rita Jablonski offers tips on how to get a patient living with Alzheimer's to brush their teeth.
Trying to get your parent or spouse to cooperate with mouth care is a trial. Hearing the person you love tell you “no,” having him or her heap verbal garbage on you, or even push you away just hurts.

Go here to read -- Strategies to Promote Mouth Care in Persons with Dementia

Rita A. Jablonski, PhD, CRNP, is an assistant professor at the Pennsylvania State University School of Nursing. Her research involves developing and testing ways to improve the mouth care provided by nursing home staff to persons with dementia. She also maintains an active clinical practice as a nurse practitioner at Centre Volunteers in Medicine.

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Alzheimer's, Delirium, and Urinary Tract Infection

To contact us Click HERE
Delirium is a sudden alteration in mental status -- brain failure in a vulnerable individual, often an older adult with multiple health issues, caused by something else such as medications, urinary tract infection, lack of sleep, excessive light or noise or pain.

Delirium, which occurs suddenly, is not the same as dementia, although individuals with dementia are more susceptible to developing delirium during hospitalization than individuals without dementia.

Alzheimer's caregivers take note.

The dreaded urinary tract infection. Yikes.

One of the most frequently discussed topics by Alzheimer's caregivers in support groups is the urinary tract infection. This happens because most persons living with dementia cannot tell you they are sick; and as a result, they often suffer from urinary tract infections that result in a trip to the hospital emergency room.

I can't tell you how many "hair raising" emails I have received from caregivers describing hallucinations and delirium as a result of an infection, almost always a urinary tract infection.

One big issue with infection is memory loss on the part of the person living with Alzheimer's. In most cases I know of, the patients memory declines when they suffer from an infection that goes undetected for a while. The question? Will their memory come back to where it was prior to the infection?

Jump to the Alzheimer's Reading Room to continue reading

 

Symptoms Mild Dementia, Early Stage Alzheimer's disease

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Symptoms Mild Dementia/Early Stage Alzheimer's disease

• Diminished short-term memory
• Misplacing belongings in odd places; losing valuable belongings, like wallet or purse
• Difficulty finding the right word: "Tip of the tongue" syndrome
• Person seems "not himself" and shows uncharacteristic behaviors
• Lapses in judgment
• Difficulty with mental arithmetic and handling money
• Disorientation in unfamiliar places or situations
• May become apathetic or withdrawn, avoiding social situations
• More difficulty with routine tasks at work or at home, or may take longer to complete tasks
• Irritation or anger in response to increasing memory lapses

Specific Examples

• Asks the same question repeatedly within the same conversation
• Puts car keys away in refrigerator
• Unable to recall word for "car" and then says in frustration, "The thing you drive to work in."
• A normally shy person becomes uncharacteristically outgoing or talkative at a family gathering
• Agrees to buy services or products he/she doesn't need from telephone sales person
• Finds it difficult to balance checkbook or figure out correct amount of money to pay for an item while shopping
• Forgets to eat, skips meals, or eats the same food every meal

Source: John Hopkins, Memory, Health Alert


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The Alzheimer's Action Plan

300 Tips for Making Life Easier

How to Get an Alzheimer's Patient to Eat

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Don't approach the problems that come along with dementia with dread. Instead think positive, and find a solution. You might be able to benefit from some of these eating tips.



As Alzheimer's or dementia progress getting a patient to eat a nutritious meal, or to eat enough, can become a problem.

This can cause the Alzheimer's caregiver to become frustrated, confused, and even angry. It can also bring on feelings of sadness and hopelessness.

There are a long list of potential problems that cause dementia patients to eat less. There are also many ways that can be tried to deal with or eliminate the problem.

The most important factor in this wide spread problem is in fact the color of the plate.

What color is your plate?

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How to Listen to Alzheimer's

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Two of the biggest problems Alzheimer's and Dementia caregivers face is how to cope and communicate with someone living with Alzheimer's.
By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room 

Let's face it, Alzheimer's patients often say things that seem nonsensical to us; or, say things that leave us exasperated, confused, frustrated, and sometimes angry.

The words they say often cause us to react negatively.

The issue: are you really listening to the person living with dementia? Or, are you immediately reacting, or overreacting to their words?

Once I took the giant step to the left and entered Alzheimer's World the words my mother was saying took on a new and entirely different meaning for me.

I actually started listening to her instead of over reacting.


Jump to the Alzheimer's Reading Room to continue reading

Strategies to Promote Dental Care in Persons Living with Alzheimer's disease

To contact us Click HERE
Rita Jablonski offers tips on how to get a patient living with Alzheimer's to brush their teeth.
Trying to get your parent or spouse to cooperate with mouth care is a trial. Hearing the person you love tell you “no,” having him or her heap verbal garbage on you, or even push you away just hurts.

Go here to read -- Strategies to Promote Mouth Care in Persons with Dementia

Rita A. Jablonski, PhD, CRNP, is an assistant professor at the Pennsylvania State University School of Nursing. Her research involves developing and testing ways to improve the mouth care provided by nursing home staff to persons with dementia. She also maintains an active clinical practice as a nurse practitioner at Centre Volunteers in Medicine.

Related Content

• What is Alzheimer's Disease? What are the Eight Types of Dementia?
• What is the Difference Between Alzheimer’s and Dementia
• Test Your Memory for Alzheimer's (5 Best Tests)
• Problems with Balance, Walking, Falling Can Be an Early Sign of Dementia
• Majority of Adults Fear Alzheimer's Disease, Want Greater Effort to Defeat It
• Is Coconut Oil a Treatment for Alzheimer's Disease?
• Urinary Tract Infections Can Hasten Memory Loss in Alzheimer's Patients

Alzheimer's, Delirium, and Urinary Tract Infection

To contact us Click HERE
Delirium is a sudden alteration in mental status -- brain failure in a vulnerable individual, often an older adult with multiple health issues, caused by something else such as medications, urinary tract infection, lack of sleep, excessive light or noise or pain.

Delirium, which occurs suddenly, is not the same as dementia, although individuals with dementia are more susceptible to developing delirium during hospitalization than individuals without dementia.

Alzheimer's caregivers take note.

The dreaded urinary tract infection. Yikes.

One of the most frequently discussed topics by Alzheimer's caregivers in support groups is the urinary tract infection. This happens because most persons living with dementia cannot tell you they are sick; and as a result, they often suffer from urinary tract infections that result in a trip to the hospital emergency room.

I can't tell you how many "hair raising" emails I have received from caregivers describing hallucinations and delirium as a result of an infection, almost always a urinary tract infection.

One big issue with infection is memory loss on the part of the person living with Alzheimer's. In most cases I know of, the patients memory declines when they suffer from an infection that goes undetected for a while. The question? Will their memory come back to where it was prior to the infection?

Jump to the Alzheimer's Reading Room to continue reading