A Closer Look at Methuen Village » alzheimer’s care

Spouses Who Care for Partners with Dementia Are at Higher Risk of Same Fate

Leanna Moran — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:34:10 +0000

A recent article in Science Daily reports that husbands or wives who care for spouses with dementia are six times more likely to develop the memory-impairing condition than those whose spouses don’t have it. According to results of a 12-year study led by Johns Hopkins, Utah State University and Duke University the increased risk that the researchers saw among caregivers was on par with the power of a gene variant known to increase susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease.

“Caregiving has positive aspects, as well as negative ones. If we can boost the positive aspects and reduce the negative ones, we may be able to reduce a caregiver’s risk of developing dementia,” says Peter Rabins, M.D., M.P.H at Johns Hopkins.

Senior Living Residences appreciates the opportunity to help out families in all stages of the disease process, and likewise in all stages of the research process. For this reason, we offer a support group for families who have a loved one with Alzheimer’s, which meets the third Thursday of each month, at 6PM, here at Methuen Village. Often times we have educational seminars on different topics that affect families and our residents.

Health Care Reform and Alzheimer’s Care

Leanna Moran — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:55:36 +0000

Many people have questions about how the new Health Care Reform is going to affect their families, especially those families who need a lot of care – like those dealing with a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease. Congress has included significant provisions in the final healthcare reform legislation to address the health concerns of a growing Alzheimer population. This article discusses the changes and how they are going to help people with Alzheimer’s disease.

If you or your family members have additional questions about options for those living with Alzheimer’s Disease, please contact us here at Methuen Village. We have a specialized neighborhood for residents with dementia, called our Compass Memory Support Neighborhood, and our professional dementia practitioner- Heather Carroll, would be glad to meet with your family.

Senior Living Residences Alzheimer’s Care Specialist Erin Whalen writes a blog for caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s Disease. She discusses the latest research, offers tips and resources and in general gives a lot of information that can be very useful for families.

How to Outsmart Alzheimer’s – Read all about it!

Leanna Moran — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:49:40 +0000

Very interesting article in the Wall Street Journal today. It seems more and more academic institutions are researching ways to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

SLR has been focused on prevention for a long time, and our innovations in memory support affect what we do not only in our Memory Support Neighborhoods but also in our traditional assisted livings. Following the advice of top experts, like Dr. Kenneth S. Kosik in this article, can only bring positive benefits! The article mentions modifications in diet.

At Methuen Village we follow a Memory Preservation Nutrition Program, which consists of using brain-healthy ingredients in all of our recipes. In our Memory Support Neighborhood our residents participate in a weekly learning curriculum, called Reconnections – which incorporates different ways for them to engage with their peers and our Program Director, while stimulating their mind.

As far as physical exercise, we are always looking for ways to improve our exercise program and add variety (we now have a regularly scheduled yoga class for example). We will soon be offering to our residents the opportunity to participate in a research study through Tufts University, examining the effects of exercise and nutrition on physical and mental wellbeing. Stay tuned for more details on that!

The Dementia Epidemic in our Oldest Adults

Leanna Moran — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:07:21 +0000

Today an interesting article popped up in the Scientific News. I’m not sure if you all use Google Reader, but it’s the greatest. It alerts me to articles that pertain to a list of keywords I’ve entered… one of which is “Alzheimer’s.” The article was just a reminder of this epidemic we are seeing with Alzheimer’s Disease and other types of dementia. Did you know that the incidence increases significantly with your age? This study was just performed on a 90yo plus cohort. Rates increased with age from 12.7% per year in the 90-94 age group, to 21.2% per year in the 95-99 age group, to 40.7% per year in the 100+ age group! Now sitting here as a young professional in my 30s, the 90s seem far away, but the truth is that our generations are more likely to live into our 90s than those that came before us. This means that not only will there be a larger number of elders living in our society with the Baby Boomers cohort aging, an alarming number of them will be afflicted by dementia of some type.

I’m proud to work for Senior Living Residences, where we are taking gigantic steps in creating a social and residential treatment model for those living with Alzheimer’s. In our Memory Support Neighorhoods, our residents are stimulated throughout the day with an adult learning program, that allows them to KEEP LEARNING! Imagine that.

We provide a brain-healthy diet, and through our affiliation with the BU Alzheimer’s Disease Center, our professional program directors are able to offer our residents and their families valuable advice and assistance as they journey through the disease process. We truly are on the cutting edge, and we hope that others are as committed to meeting the needs of the many individuals that will be impacted by Alzheimer’s in the future.