Anthem Senior Gardens

  Dementia is the term given to a group of diseases that affect an individual’s cognitive functioning, including their ability to think, remember, and reason, to perform everyday tasks. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. Dementia is commonly thought of as an older person’s disease, but it can affect people of all ages. The early symptoms of dementia tends to vary between people, forgetfulness being a symptom that most people are familiar with, confusion being the other most talked about symptom. A person with dementia, initially, may not even notice a problem, since everybody forgets things from time to time or in finding the right word for familiar things, especially as one grows old. According to the National Institute on Aging, half of people over the age of 85 may have some form of dementia. This in no way means dementia is a natural part of the aging process. Dementia is one of main reasons behind older adults losing their independence. The key is early...

  According to research, 80 percent of U.S. dementia cases are caused by Alzheimer’s disease. Caring for someone suffering from the disease can be challenging, more so as the disease progresses since dementia is a progressive loss of mental function, and the term describes a group of conditions that damages the brain cells, which changes (or damages) the individual’s ability to remember, think, speak, and to carry out everyday tasks. With each passing day, the changes become greater thereby increasing the person’s need for more help and assistance. Common Symptoms - Short term memory loss; difficulty completing familiar/regular tasks; disorientation; problems communicating; personality changes; loss of initiative; misplacing things; and mood swings. The 4 stages of dementia are 1.       Mild cognitive impairment 2.       Mild dementia 3.       Moderate dementia 4.       S...

Taking care of someone suffering from Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia is a challenging proposition. Your older adult may be withdrawn and it can be difficult to find an activity or experience to engage with them. Today, many caregivers are incorporating activities based on the Montessori Method. The Montessori Method was developed in the early 20th century and is well-known for being used to successfully engage children, but this approach has also gained immense popularity with caregivers of parents and senior loved ones with dementia. The Montessori Method places an emphasis on engaging the senses of hearing, seeing, touching, smelling and tasting in an attempt to help seniors with the disease find ways to reconnect with the world. The method can reduce anxiety for people with dementia by providing them with engaging activities (activities are simple, modifiable, and practical), giving them the strength to cope with everyday life. The Montessori approach stresses giving ol...