Category: Dementia

You’ve probably heard someone refer to forgetting a name, date or person’s face as having a “senior moment.” But does testing whether someone recognizes Elvis or George Bush help diagnose rare forms of dementia?

A recent study asked people to name and recognize images of famous faces of the 20th Century, including Albert Einstein, Oprah Winfrey, Pope John Paul II and Barbra Streisand, to name a few. All the famous people selected were considered “cultural icons” and easily recognizable.

The test was given to 27 healthy adults and 30 people with a rare neurological condition called primary progressive aphasia (PPA), which causes problems with communication, especially spoken language, but does not affect other brain functions. PPA is one of the rarest types of dementia, and often attacks between age 40 and 65 – hitting the Boomer population.

The study was completed by researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago using their proprietary NUFFACE Test, and funded by the National Institute on Aging and National Center for Research Resources, among others. Results were published in the August 13 issue of Neurology. Although similar tests exist, researchers note that most are outdated and not appropriate to use with younger people affected by rare and specific forms of dementia.

Not surprisingly, those with PPA had significantly more difficulty naming and recognizing the famous faces. Researchers then tested whether the findings from the test were associated with changes to the brain structure using MRI. Again, those with PPA showed more atrophy in areas of the brain involved with both visual perception and language.

For a more in-depth look at the study, click here.

MARKETING INSIGHT: Despite the positive findings, this was a small study that only looked at the performance of people already diagnosed with one rare type of early dementia. It’s not clear whether this test would be accurate in diagnosing more common forms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease.

It seems as though more forms of early-onset memory issues have become prevalent in the Boomer demographic, pushing what had been previously viewed as “senility” up a few generations. As we saw in Project Looking Glass II and The Great Disconnect, memory support is top-of-mind for the “next generations,” and senior service providers must be ready – be that through preventative programs, wellness initiatives or even physical exams. We encourage more research, education and awareness on memory issues, and again, for nationally standardized methods of diagnosing and treating them.

Regards,

The Varsity Team

Labor Day is a yearly national tribute to the contributions American workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. On this Labor Day, we’d like to thank those who are making a difference in the senior care industry, namely in the area of memory care.

We write about memory care a lot, and rightfully so. This issue is projected to become an even bigger tsunami than the actual aging of America, and will affect every aspect of the senior services industry, from CCRC occupancy to home- and community-based services. It’s expected that up to 16 million Americans will have Alzheimer’s disease by 2050, and that there will be only four caregivers available for every person 80 years old and above by 2030.

We know that cognitive and memory impairments can change how a person thinks, acts and feels – and those changes bring challenges for families and caregivers alike. For the caregivers, you’re on the forefront of something that has yet to be standardized, yet holds a lot of hope and opportunity. Despite the number of studies, observations, advancements and resources, in many cases, you’re learning as you go – whether you’re providing meaningful activities or medical care. You truly live in the moment.

Never forget: You can truly feel good about the service you provide. Rest in the fact that you’re helping families, helping to define an industry, and making people’s lives a little bit easier. For that, we salute you.

Regards,

The Varsity Team

When most people think of service animals, the seeing eye dog usually comes to mind, and in all fairness, service dogs were primarily trained to serve the vision impaired. But recently, animal therapy is meeting memory support, as dogs are now being trained for dementia assistance, as demonstrated by a BBC documentary highlighting a program underway in Scotland.

The idea came, interestingly enough, from a student service design project at the Glasgow School of Art. Working in tandem with Alzheimer Scotland, Dogs for the Disabled and Guide Dogs Scotland, the team developed a program to train two dogs for 18 months. The dogs were trained to perform general tasks, as well as remind their owners where their clothes are, which medications to take, and to raise an alarm in the event of an emergency.

“Dogs love routine. They love that predictability,” said Helen McCain of Dogs for the Disabled in an interview with BBC News. “By using that hook, we can then teach them to actually sort of remind people by the sound of an alarm to go and get the medication at the allotted time of the day.”

Since memory impaired patients may withdraw from people, professional caregivers note that animal therapy can help them counteract those feelings of isolation and loneliness, as well as relieve depression, agitation and disorientation. Others simply enjoy the companionship and physical contact provided by the animal, hence their popularity in the eldercare setting.

Oscar, a golden retriever, and Kaspa, a Labrador, have now been working with their new owners for the last 4 months, and results have exceeded expectations.

MARKETING INSIGHT: The senior care industry was one of the first to recognize the benefits of animal therapy, and is now warming to the idea of allowing residents to have pets – something we saw firsthand during Project Looking Glass II.

For many communities, wellness programs, hospitality and living options are ways to stand out from the competition. However, as the rate of Alzheimer’s disease and other memory-related conditions reach alarming rates – and as many communities struggle to adjust their assisted living sectors for those increasingly entering with memory issues – a pet program could be a unique element that would make the transition easier for new residents, and act as a unique community differentiator.

Regards,

The Varsity Team

We’ve seen evidence of how factors such as watching your diet, exercising, and even remaining in the workforce or managing blood sugar appropriately have positive impacts on mental health. Now a recent study has found that a lifetime of reading and writing can also have a huge effect in fighting memory loss.

A research team at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago studied approximately 300 older adults (all over age 55) for a period of six years. Participants were given a survey to determine how frequently they read, wrote or did similar activities as children, adolescents, through middle age, and at their current age. The subjects were then tested for their memory and other mental abilities every year until they died, after which their brain tissue was examined.

The rate of cognitive decline among older adults who reported frequent reading and writing later in life, for example, was 32% lower than those with average or low mental activity (compared with a rate of 48% among people who were less mentally active). Autopsies also revealed that the brains of more mentally active participants showed fewer physical signs of dementia.

“Our study suggests that exercising your brain by taking part in activities such as these across a person’s lifetime, from childhood through old age, is important for brain health in old age,” lead author Robert S. Wilson, senior neuropsychologist of the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, said.

There’s been debate over whether brain activity can resist, prevent – or simply postpone – the effects of dementia or Alzheimer’s. Prashanthi Vemuri, an assistant professor of radiology at the Mayo Clinic, told HealthDay that researchers have long argued whether staying mentally stimulated helps slow cognitive problems, or if those who stop doing mental tasks do so because they are starting to show symptoms of dementia.

“This study gives evidence to the former theory,” he said. “It confirms that whatever is happening in the brain is happening, but the cognitively stimulating activities a person does independently slow down the progression of the disease.”

MARKETING INSIGHT: No one should underestimate the importance of staying mentally or physically active for as long as possible. However, experts recommend a combination of the two – not simply choosing between reading a book or taking a walk.

What this research does provide, however, is something that could be promoted as a benefit of a comprehensive wellness program – something that would appeal to the incoming generations who are increasingly being affected by memory issues, and are seeking unique programs that show tangible results.

Although many retirement communities claim to offer “wellness programs,” we’ve seen through our own research that the concept of “wellness” goes beyond the swimming pool, a craft room, a walking path or standard group activities. There’s a huge demand for an ongoing, full-culture comprehensive and adaptive wellness environment. In many cases, potential residents look directly at these programs in their decision-making process.

Regards,

The Varsity Team

Although there have been great strides in the study and treatment of memory care, the issue of the care environment itself is often criticized for lacking standardization. But a recent CNN segment spotlighted what could be a new model for care – a model that’s actually two decades old – and features the unlikely combination of memory support and independent living.

The world’s first and only “village” for dementia sufferers began as an experiment 20 years ago when a traditional skilled nursing facility in the Netherlands undertook an ambitious project to transform itself into an environment that would recreate the life their memory care residents had once known.

The six founders of Hogewey (aka “Dementiaville”) conceived the idea for a dementia “mecca” by asking themselves how they would like to live their final days should they be affected with dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. Despite opposition from the local and healthcare community, Hogeway was born.

Hogewey is a place where residents can live “normal” lives, without locks, with minimal medications, and doing the things they once loved – shopping, cooking, going to movies or a restaurant, and visiting the pub or the hairdresser. But in reality, they’re being constantly monitored by caretakers who staff the entire village and its attractions.

Those caretakers are also charged with making residents’ worlds seem as real as possible through food, music, individual home decorations and mood boards — or anything else that cater to their fond memories. Families have input in all functions of the village.

You can read the full article here.

MARKETING INSIGHT: People in Dementiaville will ultimately need 24-hour skilled nursing care – a level of care that urgently needs a set of regulations and standardization, particularly as the number of cases increases. However, for those who are still mobile and have some level of acuity, the concept is brilliant, as it addresses the familiar for those suffering from memory loss.

Regards,

The Varsity Team