SilveradoWhat Hospice Can Do For Your Loved One and You
November is National Hospice & Palliative Care Month. Although the concept of hospice care has been around for centuries, it is still an area of medical practice that many people today aren’t aware of. Hospice provides comfort and support during the final stages of one’s life. It does more than just meet the physical needs of patients. In many cases, patients require more than just physical comfort. It may be that the patient has spiritual or psychosocial needs that could be fulfilled before their passing. Hospice offers many resources and programs to meet these needs and ensure the patient has
Continue readingAnswers to 5 most Frequently Asked Hospice Questions
While most people have heard of hospice, a surprising number don’t have a complete understanding of the actual details of the method and purpose of it. November has been declared National Hospice and Palliative Care Month by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), a time to help build awareness of comfort-based care among those it may benefit. Here are just a few common hospice questions and answers to them: What is the purpose of hospice? Hospice is a change of focus from curative treatments to a different set of goals - comfort and quality of life. Comfort care
Continue reading20 Dementia-Related Words You Should Know
When accompanying a loved one on the journey of dementia, new and unfamiliar words are encountered almost daily. Understanding these words and phrases is essential to navigating the road ahead and ensuring that the best care possible is provided. 20 Dementia-Related Words You Should Know The following list of 20 common dementia-related terms that caregivers and loved ones may find useful. Activities of daily living (often called ADLs):Personal care activities necessary for everyday living, such as eating, bathing, grooming, dressing and using the toilet. Alleles:One of the different forms of a gene that can exist at a single locus (spot on
Continue readingStaying Social to keep Dementia at Bay
For years science has been building and ever-expanding body of evidence that staying social has benefits to those with Alzheimer’s and other memory impairing diseases. Along with exercise (and sometimes incorporated directly with it), social interactions may be one of the best and easiest ways to help individuals facing the challenges with dementia. Staying Social to keep Dementia at Bay Released by The Lancet Neurology in 2006, a study titled “The effect of social networks on the relation between Alzheimer's disease pathology and level of cognitive function” showed a relation between social network size and cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease. Similarly,
Continue readingIs Alzheimer's Disease Hereditary?
A common concern about Alzheimer’s disease raised by family members is to understand whether Alzheimer’s is hereditary. Dr. Sarah E. Ross, Silverado medical associate, explains that the disease can be hereditary, depending on the circumstance patient’s age being one of the biggest risk factors. Is Alzheimer's Disease Hereditary? [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx1UR37dN30[/embed] Ross explains that if someone develops Alzheimer’s disease in the later years of their lives, between ages 75-85, the risk of developing it within the family is no greater than the general population. However when a patient develops the disease during their 50s or 60s, “the family link is much stronger for
Continue readingAn unforgettable wedding with Alzheimer's Mom
Hear What this Daughter did to Ensure Her Mom with Alzheimer's Could be Part of Her Wedding To many brides, the joy of their wedding day is best shared with their mother. Julia Napolitano had always dreamed of a special wedding day with her mother, Linda, by her side. When Linda was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s while Julia was in her twenties, the possibility of this seemed painfully less likely. An unforgettable wedding with Alzheimer's Mom An unforgettable wedding with Alzheimer's Mom But love has a way of overcoming things that would otherwise seem insurmountable. Linda was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at
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