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What is Alzheimer’s and What are the Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease?

villageatsugarland Alzheimer's
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What is Alzheimer's and What are the Signs of Alzheimer's Disease?

What is Alzheimers?
Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia, a serious brain disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. The disease, which currently has no cure, slowly causes a person’s memory and brain functions to deteriorate, leading to disability and death.
It is estimated that around 50 million people are living with dementia globally, and the number is projected to reach 82 million by 2030. The burden of care for people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia falls on their families and caregivers. It can be both emotionally and physically demanding, often leading to depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.

Signs of Alzheimers:
It is important to understand the warning signs of Alzheimer’s, its effects, and the resources available for families and caregivers. Early diagnosis can help people to access treatments that may slow the progress of the disease and improve their quality of life.
People with Alzheimer’s are usually diagnosed in their mid-60s and beyond, and the condition affects different people in different ways. Early signs may include memory loss and difficulty with language, decision-making, and understanding. As the disease progresses, people lose their ability to care for themselves and often require full-time care.Memory problems are typically one of the first signs of the disease. Decline in non-memory aspects of cognition, such as finding the right word, trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships, and impaired reasoning or judgment, may also signal the early stages of Alzheimer’s. As the disease progresses, symptoms become more severe and include increased confusion and behavior changes.

Fortunately, research into Alzheimer’s is ongoing, and there is hope that treatments and even a cure may one day be found. In the meantime, support and understanding for those living with the disease and their caregivers is essential.

Learn more about how our Memory Care residents live with purposeful joy here at The Village at Sugar Land. Contact us [email protected] or call 281-729-8800 

Moving Your Loved One to a Memory Care Facility

villageatsugarland Alzheimer's
A nurse and an older woman holding hands.

Moving Your Loved One to A Memory Care Facility

Looking for a Memory Care Facility for your loved one? If your loved one is dealing with memory loss, you may be wondering if a move to a memory care facility is the right decision. There are a number of factors to consider when making this decision, and it’s important to consult with your loved one’s doctor and other trusted advisors to ensure that you’re making the best possible choice.

There are definitely some advantages to moving to a memory care facility. For one thing, these facilities are designed specifically for people with memory loss, so they can provide a higher level of care than most general nursing homes. They also offer a variety of activities and programs specifically designed to help residents maintain their mental faculties and improve their quality of life.

Of course, there are also some potential downsides to moving to a memory care facility. One is that it can be expensive, and you’ll need to make sure that your loved one’s insurance will cover the cost. Additionally, there may be a period of adjustment as your loved one gets used to their new surroundings and care regimen.

Ultimately, whether or not moving to a memory care facility is the right decision for your loved one is something that only you can decide. However, it’s important to weigh all the pros and cons carefully before making a decision. With the right level of care and support, your loved one can definitely benefit from living in a memory care facility. 

Sleep Problems in People with Alzheimer’s

villageatsugarland Alzheimer's
A man and woman sitting next to each other.

Sleep Problems in People with Alzheimer’s

Tips that Help Caregivers Manage Sleep Problems in People with Alzheimer’s

  1. Exercise is important each day, limit naps, and make sure the person gets enough rest at night. Being overly tired can increase late-afternoon and nighttime restlessness.
  2. Plan activities that use more energy early in the day. For example, try bathing in the morning or having the largest family meal in the middle of the day.
  3. Set a quiet, peaceful mood in the evening to help the person relax. Keep the lights low, try to reduce the noise levels, and play soothing music if he or she enjoys it.
  4. Try to have the person go to bed at the same time each night. A bedtime routine, such as reading out loud, also may help.
  5. Limit caffeine.
  6. Use nightlights in the bedroom, hall, and bathroom.

Checklist to Prepare Your Home for Upcoming Winter Season!!

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A person holding a cookie in their hands

Checklist to Prepare Your Home for Upcoming Winter Season!!

Fall is a really good time to start thinking about your home maintenance as well as getting it ready for the colder weather. Here are a few items that you can do to get ready for the winter and help keep your home happy:

1. Check your home’s heating and air conditioning system

Most heating and air systems typically last 12 to 15 years.Before the weather turns cold, take this time to change your filters, at the very least. Have the system inspected by a reputable HVAC contractor. Better yet, look into an annual maintenance agreement. Have the contractor check your system and make sure your heat is going to work when you need it. It’s much better to find an HVAC problem in the moderate temperatures of the fall than it is to find your furnace doesn’t work on a frigid winter day.

2. Paint, caulk and seal exterior wood
All of the wood trim on the exterior of your home needs to be protected from the elements. The wood used on deck is typically a pressure-treated or rot-resistant species of wood, but the wood trim around your exterior doors and windows is just a one-inch-thick pine board that deteriorates very quickly if not protected. Replacing this trim is a big cost, the best thing to do is to make sure it doesn’t rot in the first place, and that means keeping it painted and caulked. This is a job most people can do themselves if they stay on top of it. Once the wood is rotted and requires replacement, then you’re probably going to need to hire a good trim carpenter to tackle the job. So before that happens, take the time to go around your home and make sure that none of the caulk is cracking and your paint is not chipping and flaking away. If it is, scrape away the bad paint or caulk and apply fresh.Even though your deck is made of treated or rot-resistant wood, it still needs protection. You don’t need to stain and seal your deck every year but check it to make sure it’s protected. To do this, simply pour some water on it. If the water beads up, then you’re good. If the wood absorbs the water, it’s time to clean and seal your deck.

3. Seal your masonry and hard surfaces
Patio needs attention, too. If you have a concrete patio, driveways or walkways, make sure they’re protected as well. Occasionally apply a concrete sealer to all of your flat exterior concrete surfaces. All concrete flatwork eventually develops cracks. Good masons strategically place control joints in your concrete to try to ensure cracking is limited. Take the time to inspect your concrete and fill in any cracks before you apply sealer so that water cannot get in and freeze over the winter. This should ensure your expensive concrete work lasts a very long time.If you have an asphalt driveway, now is the time to think about resealing that as well. It’s not very expensive to have a company come and give it a quick spray of sealer, or you can simply buy a bucket of sealer and roll it on yourself. If your driveway has developed cracks, then patch those before sealing.

4. Check your drainage
Make sure the soil around your foundation hasn’t settled, creating areas for water to pool at your foundation. If you find a low spot, simply fill it in with some soil. Then go around and check your rain gutter downspouts. Make sure water is getting moved away from the home. Add downspout extenders if necessary. Saturated soil around a foundation can create real problems as it freezes and thaws throughout the winter months.

5. Clean your gutters
Once the leaves are pretty much off the trees, it’s time to clean those gutters. When your gutters back up, they overflow, and when they overflow, that water runs down your home, speeding up the deterioration of your exterior. It can also lead to deterioration of your foundation, water infiltration in the basement and to settling under your concrete porches and walks, which creates all kinds of problems.

6. Clean your chimney and order firewood
Have your fireplace cleaned and inspected before you start building those cozy fires in the next couple of months. A good chimney sweep company will make sure the fireplace is safe to use, and it can also identify maintenance problems.This is also the time to order that load of firewood. Take the time to stack and cover that wood in a good location in the yard. Make sure that old firewood isn’t rotten and move it away from your home.

7. Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
Winter is the time most house fires happen. It’s the time of year when we’re blasting the furnace and building fires. We are also much more likely to have our home closed up tight, so carbon monoxide is a much bigger hazard. Check all of your smoke detectors to make sure they are working and that they have good batteries. If your home is not equipped with carbon monoxide detectors, consider getting some. The HVAC inspection will also ensure your furnace and water heater are properly vented, which is the most likely source of carbon monoxide.

8. Shut down the pool and the sprinkler system and drain outside faucets
Fall is a good time to get pool work done if a problem is discovered. Pool contractors tend to get busy in the spring.

 

Make sure your sprinkler system is properly shut down for the season. Most sprinkler systems require the lines to be blown out. Again, it’s well worth the cost for a professional. A professional winterizing is way cheaper than replacing a bunch of broken lines next spring. Your outside water faucet is completely unprotected from the elements. It will freeze over the winter. In less extreme cases, outside faucets develop nasty leaks. Take the time to do a basic drain of the line. You can simply shut off the water valve to your outside spigot, then go outside and open the exterior spigot valve and let the water drain out of the line. Now if the water in there freezes, it has plenty of room to expand without breaking pipes or seals. Leave the water shut off to the faucet until you need to use the hose next spring.

9. Prepare your lawn for winter and set it up for a great spring
If you want that beautiful spring lawn, you have to give it attention in the fall. New grass does not grow when it’s too hot or too cold. If you want new grass to grow, you really only have September and October, then April and May to do it. If you neglect the fall, then you’ve cut your time in half. There are differing opinions on when you should overseed. Once the heat breaks, your lawn can get some great growing time. So around late September, aerate the lawn and overseed it. Then in about late October or November, apply fertilizer with winterizer.

10. Check your trees
Before all of the leaves fall, take a look at your trees and make sure they’re still healthy, especially trees that could fall on your home or a neighbor’s home. Don’t think a dying tree will be obvious. Sometimes you really won’t notice, especially if you have a lot of trees. Fall isn’t a good time to trim your trees, but if there are branches up against your house, it’s a good idea to trim them away before winter.

11. Do a quick energy audit

If you’ve never had one, a professional energy audit is a good investment. But fall is also a good time just to check your door seals. Make sure you’re not seeing daylight around your exterior doors, and take a can of spray foam insulation and fill in around those drafty outlets and light switches.

12. Prep your lawn, yard care equipment and your patio furniture
Before you put your lawn equipment away for the season, drain the gas. Gas goes bad, and come springtime old gas can gunk up your fuel filters and make your equipment run sickly, put a fuel stabilizer into the gas if you want to keep it on hand.
Your weed eater probably uses two-stroke gas so you can’t put that into your car. It’s best to plan for that early and make sure you don’t have a lot of fuel left over at the end of the year. Plan to do one really good trim job at the end of the season to run the fuel out of the weed eater.
Get your patio furniture protected, but make sure you wait until a clear, warm day to cover it so you don’t trap moisture on it.

We hope these home winter safety tips set you to stay safe and enjoy this winter like a pro!!

Early Signs of Dementia

villageatsugarland Alzheimer's
A doctor holding out his hands with the word alzheimer written on it.

Early Signs of Dementia

Since dementia usually comes on gradually, it’s easy to miss the early indicators. Plus, some types of dementia start damaging a person’s brain long before any symptoms appear. For example, preclinical Alzheimer’s is a stage that can last a decade or more without any obvious hint of disease. However, in some cases, dementia can appear to come on all of a sudden—mostly among people with certain types of FTD, vascular dementia, or CJD.

Dementia primarily affects seniors and the elderly. But it can also affect those who are still in their prime working years. Early-onset dementia is the term used when it strikes younger people. The age for early-onset dementia varies, but it’s always under age 65 and frequently falls in the range of 50 to 64. People much younger than that can also get dementia.

Since different cognitive disorders can affect different people in different ways, it’s important to be aware of a fairly wide range of possible symptoms. That way, you’ll have an easier time recognizing potential problems before they progress to a more advanced stage. In the beginning, a person may display just one or two of the following indicators.

Early Signs of Dementia Checklist

  • Abnormal memory problems: Everybody has moments of forgetfulness. Pay attention if those moments become more frequent or involve forgetting information like a close friend’s name, where you live, or where objects that you use every day are. People with early-stage dementia may also forget what they’ve just done yet still remember events from many years ago. They also may repeat things they’ve already said or tasks they’ve already completed.
  • Mood or behavioral changes: Many people in the early stages of dementia start behaving in odd or out-of-character ways. Their personalities begin to change as they sense that something isn’t quite right and try to cope or adapt. For instance, they might become depressed, fearful, and apathetic, losing interest in the things that used to bring them joy. They may withdraw from social opportunities and become more irritable than usual. Or they might lose some of their inhibitions and become more aggressive or outgoing.
  • Communication problems: Have you ever had trouble thinking of the right word to use during a conversation? It’s happened to most of us. But during the early stages of dementia, it can happen much more frequently. And it can go beyond single words. Entire sentences can come out sounding like gibberish, as if constructed with random word choices. Plus, the meanings of words may be forgotten, making it hard to follow conversations or keep up with what’s happening in movies or TV shows.
  • Bad decision-making: People with dementia can lose their sense of reason and judgment, causing them to do things they would otherwise regret. For example, they might fall for scam artists or waste huge amounts of money on things they don’t need. Or they might dress inappropriately or make bizarre plans that don’t work out due to a lack of organization.
  • Trouble performing routine tasks: It’s pretty common for adults with dementia to start losing their ability to carry out some of their daily activities. For instance, they may have trouble counting money or making simple financial transactions. They might misjudge distances or forget routine safety precautions while driving. Or they may have a hard time playing their favorite games.
  • Confusion or disorientation: It’s normal to be a little confused from time to time. But confusion should be a red flag when it happens regularly or in familiar surroundings. Even in the early stages of dementia, people can lose their sense of time, get lost, confuse past and current events, or mix up friends or family’s names and faces. With some types of dementia, hallucinations can also occur.

Caring for a loved one with dementia poses many challenges for families and caregivers. If your loved one is showing symptoms of Dementia, we are here for you!!  Schedule a meeting with us to discuss further. Contact 832-944-8111 or email [email protected]

What Happens as Dementia Progresses?

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A paper cut out of a head with puzzle pieces missing.

What Happens as Dementia Progresses?

As people approach the more advanced dementia stages, they become more like strangers to those who know and love them. Their personalities often change significantly, making their family members feel robbed and heartbroken. And they become unable to perform activities of daily living without assistance. Eventually, their minds and bodies fail entirely.

During Mid-stage Dementia (also known as moderate-stage dementia), the symptoms grow more intense and restricting. A person may show many of the symptoms already described, but they will be increasingly hampered by them. By this point, dedicated dementia care is almost always necessary. For people at this stage, memory issues, behavior, and decision-making become more problematic. And they often start needing assistance with tasks like eating, going to the bathroom, bathing, and getting dressed. They also may wander haphazardly, have delusions, grow suspicious of other people, and take compulsive actions.

During Late-stage Dementia (also known as severe dementia or end-stage dementia), a person’s brain is so damaged that even basic bodily functions are affected. Patients at this stage need 24/7 care since they are totally dependent on their caregivers. Their abilities to move, speak, swallow, breathe, and control their bowels and bladder are often severely limited, to the point of failure in many cases.

Life Expectancy
It’s sad but true: A person can die from dementia. Most types of dementia are fatal since they’re currently incurable. But, aside from rare forms of dementia, it can take anywhere from three to 20 years for dementia to progress from diagnosis to death. Whether you’re talking about Alzheimer’s disease, LBD, FTD, or vascular dementia, life expectancy after the first onset of symptoms varies from patient to patient. What researchers do know is that the biggest factors involved in the life expectancy of dementia patients include:

  • Gender: Women with dementia tend to live longer, on average, than men.
  • Age: The older you are when symptoms first appear, the less time you can generally expect to live.
  • The severity of symptoms when diagnosed: The more impaired your cognitive functions are when receiving your dementia diagnosis, the less time you are likely to live.

An older person can live with dementia for between roughly four and 11 years, depending on their age. Here’s how that breaks down for seniors and elderly people, according to a study in The BMJ:

  • 65 to 69 years old: 10.7 years
  • 70 to 79 years old: 5.4 years
  • 80 to 89 years old: 4.3 years
  • 90 years old or above: 3.8 years

How Dementia Is Diagnosed
Unfortunately, a single, 100-percent-accurate test for dementia doesn’t exist yet. And many cases of dementia can only be completely confirmed with an autopsy.
That means doctors often have to make a “best guess” determination and classify their living patients as having either “possible” or “probable” dementia. So, how is dementia diagnosed in patients who are still alive? It requires multiple steps.

First, a doctor will take a comprehensive medical history. A thorough physical exam will then be performed, which might include simple neurological tests for evaluating things like speech, coordination, eye movement, and reflexes. The doctor will order lab tests to help rule out other illnesses and check various health markers such as blood counts and nutrient and hormone levels. The tests will not be invasive. They will be based on blood and urine samples. A brain scan may also be ordered, especially if the doctor suspects vascular dementia. A brain scan may also be ordered, especially if the doctor suspects vascular dementia. Finally, the patient will participate in various tests for assessing mental ability.

Several aspects of a patient’s mental abilities are usually evaluated, including:

  • Short-term recall: The doctor may name three random objects (or a name and address) and ask the patient to say them back and remember them later.
  • Verbal communication: The patient may be asked several open-ended questions to see how well they use and understand language.
  • Concentration: The doctor may ask the patient to perform a simple mental exercise that requires sustained focus and attention, such as counting backward.
  • Information and orientation: The doctor may check to see if the patient can give correct and specific answers to basic questions about the date, location, recent events, and universally known facts.
  • Learning and retention: The patient may be asked to recall and repeat the three objects (or name and address) that were spoken earlier.

The clock-drawing test is another simple assessment tool that’s often used. A patient is asked to draw a traditional round clock with all the numbers and hands showing a specific time. Any errors in the hands or numbers placement indicate cognitive problems that need to be further evaluated.

A doctor will also usually ask a patient’s loved one or caregiver about any abnormal behavior or abilities changes. Once the doctor has gathered all the results and information, they will either diagnose the patient or refer them to another medical professional for additional evaluation.

Caring for a loved one with dementia poses many challenges for families and caregivers. If your loved one is showing symptoms of Dementia, we are here for you!!  Schedule a meeting with us to discuss further. Contact 832-944-8111 or email [email protected] 

Other Forms of Dementia

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A woman and an old man are holding each other.

Other Forms of Dementia

There are other forms of Dementia besides Alzheimer’s. Some prominent ones are discussed below:

Vascular Dementia
Vascular dementia is another prevalent form of dementia. But many people with vascular dementia also have Alzheimer’s disease. With medication and lifestyle changes, you can treat vascular dementia and slow down its progression. However, the damage that’s already done cannot be reversed. And the condition itself cannot yet be cured. With vascular dementia, symptoms generally vary a little depending on the underlying cause.
Vascular dementia is caused by interruptions to the flow of blood in a person’s brain. Those interruptions can be due to strokes or build-ups of fatty material that result in the narrowing of blood vessels. Some patients have both problems.

Symptoms of Vascular Dementia can include:

  • Memory loss
  • Trouble organizing thoughts and coordinating actions
  • Difficulty with decision-making
  • Struggles with problem-solving
  • Trouble communicating verbally
  • Personality changes
  • Agitation
  • Confusion
  • Loss of bladder control
  • Mobility problems
  • Numbness or weakness in a particular area of the body

Not everyone who has a stroke develops vascular dementia. But having a stroke does increase your risk. Roughly one-third of stroke survivors who previously had no dementia eventually develop this condition—often within one year.

Lewy Body Dementia (LBD)
As the second most common type of degenerative dementia, this sometimes-overlooked disease affects many people—about 1.4 million people in the U.S. alone. But it can be very difficult to diagnose since it often occurs alongside Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia. It can even occur alongside Parkinson’s disease. Patients with LBD can display a wide variety of symptoms.

Some of the most distinctive signs of Lewy body dementia can include:

  • Delusions
  • Visual hallucinations
  • Symptoms that get better or worse from one moment (or hour) to the next
  • Physically acting out violent or vivid dreams at night
  • Staring with a blank facial expression
  • Shaking while walking
  • Standing or moving stiffly, slowly, or with a shuffle

Other symptoms often include the same ones displayed by Alzheimer’s patients or those with vascular dementia. In the brains of people with LBD, abnormal protein deposits (known as Lewy bodies) accumulate and make it difficult for neurons to communicate. As the disease progresses, more and more neurons die, causing all kinds of cognitive, behavioral, and physical problems, particularly at the most advanced Lewy body dementia stages.

Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD)
Unlike other types of dementia, FTD doesn’t usually cause memory problems until late in the disease cycle. That’s because it first attacks the parts of the brain that control speech, personality, thought, and behavior. FTD is considered a group of dementias, with each type affecting a person in particular ways. For example:
1. A person with progressive nonfluent aphasia will have difficulty speaking or finding the right words to use.
2. Someone with semantic dementia will have a hard time understanding what other people are saying.
3. People with behavioral variant FTD will often have trouble planning, concentrating, and solving problems. They also frequently have personality changes that lead to strange, obsessive, or inappropriate behavior.

Many people with FTD also experience muscle weakness and trouble with physical movement. The underlying cause of FTD is currently unknown. However, in some patients, certain genes may play a role. And some FTD patients have abnormal accumulations of proteins (called Pick bodies) in their brains.

Other Forms of Dementia & Dementia-Like Illnesses
In addition to the types of dementia outlined above, it’s a good idea to know about some other conditions that can cause or mimic dementia. For instance, many adults develop mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Having MCI means that, for their age, they have slightly greater-than-expected difficulties with speech, memory, or decision-making. However, those problems don’t yet rise to the level of dementia. Other people may develop dementia or dementia-like symptoms as a result of conditions like:

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD): Also known as spongiform encephalopathy, this rare type of dementia is associated with memory problems, vision problems, impaired judgment, and difficulties with physical coordination. It usually progresses rapidly and leads to death within about a year.

Huntington’s Disease (HD): This genetic disorder progressively destroys a person’s brain cells, causing deterioration of their mental and physical function. It’s incurable. Most people who get this disease first notice symptoms between the ages of 30 and 50.
Parkinson’s disease (PD): People with this degenerative movement disorder gradually have more trouble talking, walking, and carrying out other simple activities. Since PD affects a person’s brain cells, it can sometimes cause various symptoms of dementia.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Cognitive decline happens to some people with MS, but it’s generally less severe than what people experience with the most common types of dementia.

Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome: This condition is caused by not having enough vitamin B1 (thiamine) in your body, often resulting from alcohol abuse. It can lead to permanent brain damage and many dementia-like symptoms, including lack of physical coordination, vision problems, memory loss, delusions, and other forms of mental decline.

Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH): People with this condition have excess fluid in the brain, leading to various dementia-like symptoms. But unlike most of the other conditions on this list, NPH can often be successfully treated with surgery, resulting in nearly full recovery.

HIV/AIDS-Related Dementia: Some HIV/AIDS patients experience cognitive decline or deterioration of their motor functions due to HIV damaging their brain cells or causing too much inflammation in their brains or spinal cords.

No matter what form of Dementia your loved one is suffering from, The Rivers Memory Care at The Village at Sugar Land have a plan in place. We do an assessment to determine the type of Dementia and work with you moving forward.

For more details and information reach out to us at [email protected] or call 832-944-8111. We are here for you all along the journey of your loved one!!

Dementia and Alzheimer’s

villageatsugarland Alzheimer's
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Dementia and Alzheimer’s

Do you know which dementia stages are associated with significant personality changes? How about which types of dementia cause hallucinations? Did you know that there are other forms of dementia besides Alzheimer’s disease?

Here’s why it’s important to educate yourself about dementia: Prevention, in many cases, may be possible. And for anyone already showing symptoms, it’s crucial to understand what may lie ahead as the condition progresses. Friends, loved ones, and caregivers can provide much better support (and minimize their own stress) by having good information and giving this subject the full attention it deserves.

In this article, you’ll learn about several aspects of dementia, including its potential causes, the signs to watch for, how it’s diagnosed, and how it can be treated and managed. You’ll also learn how to live with someone who has dementia and provide compassionate care in a way that maintains their dignity. You’ll even discover reasons for hope.

Dementia vs. Alzheimer’s Disease: What the Terminology Means

The difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is that dementia is a general category of symptoms and Alzheimer’s disease is a specific disease diagnosed within that overall category. Dementia is an umbrella term for several types of disorders that involve life-disrupting cognitive decline. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, but many other forms also exist.

So a person can have dementia without having Alzheimer’s disease. A person can also have multiple kinds of dementia (a condition known as “mixed dementia”); Alzheimer’s disease may be just one of them.

In short, a person with Alzheimer’s disease has dementia. But a person with dementia doesn’t necessarily have Alzheimer’s disease. Either way, the outcome is usually the same. A person with dementia retains consciousness but progressively loses their mental abilities, leading to a severe inability to perform basic daily activities. Memory, communication, reasoning, and motor functions can all be affected.

It’s essential to understand the differences between various dementia types to give the patient the appropriate care. But pinpointing what kind of dementia a person has can be challenging since different forms of dementia often have overlapping symptoms. In many cases, a completely accurate diagnosis can’t be made until a patient passes away and an autopsy is performed.

The most common forms of dementia you should know about is Alzheimer’s Disease.

Alzheimer’s Disease

As the most common type of dementia and the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S., Alzheimer’s disease poses major challenges for patients, loved ones, caregivers, and the nation’s healthcare system. Alzheimer’s is currently a terminal disease, meaning that it is fatal and irreversible; no cure exists. So the toll it takes can be overwhelming for everyone involved.

Like most other forms of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease comes on gradually. People with this disease tend to appear perfectly normal during the earliest stages. But as the disease progresses, the symptoms slowly become more obvious and life-altering. Every patient is different, but some of the most characteristic symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include:

  • Memory problems (especially when it comes to remembering new information)
  • Trouble using words to communicate
  • Confusion and disorientation
  • Impaired thinking and poor decision-making
  • Strange, out-of-character behavior
  • Emotional problems, such as sadness, fear, or anxiety
  • Lack of interest in previously enjoyed hobbies
  • Trouble completing routine tasks and daily activities
  • Restlessness and agitation
  • Incontinence
  • Impaired motor functions, such as trouble walking and swallowing (mostly during advanced stages of the disease)

Researchers continue to make discoveries about what happens to the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. They’ve already discovered that this disease causes changes to a person’s brain at both a structural and cellular level. At the structural level, the disease impairs the limbic system first, followed by the cerebral cortex and then the brain stem. The disease can also prevent the formation of new blood vessels in different parts of the brain. At the cellular level, the disease progressively destroys a person’s brain cells (known as neurons). As neurons die, affected areas of the brain start to shrink. Two proteins are thought to play a role in that process:

  • Beta-amyloid: In Alzheimer’s patients’ brains, abnormal plaques (mostly consisting of this protein) form like scar tissue between neurons. As more and more of these plaques accumulate in the brain, neurons are less and less able to send messages to each other.
  • Tau: In a healthy brain, this protein helps neurons maintain their internal structure. But in people with Alzheimer’s disease, it forms tangled bundles of fibers that prevent the normal functioning of neurons.

So for people with Alzheimer’s disease, it’s like their internal “lights” are slowly being dimmed and shut off. And there is currently no way to turn those lights back on; the damage is permanent. That’s what makes Alzheimer’s such a scary illness. Plus, the damage often begins ten or more years before any symptoms emerge.

Here are some additional facts about Alzheimer’s disease:

  • Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that it may play a major role in as many as 60 to 70 percent of all dementia cases.
  • According to a report from the Alzheimer’s Association, about 10 percent of seniors above the age of 65 have the disease.
  • The above report also found that nearly two-thirds of Alzheimer’s patients in the U.S. are women.

Our Rivers Memory Care program at The Village at Sugar Land: Assisted Living and Memory Care provides a supportive community for our residents with Dementia. Our trained staff works with our residents on a daily basis. Residents and their families are assured about our highest quality memory care and support for them.

For more information about our Memory Care programs, call 832-944-8111 or email us at  [email protected] 

How Music Therapy Benefits Alzheimer’s Patients?

villageatsugarland Alzheimer's
An older man and woman playing a guitar.

How Music Therapy Benefits Alzheimer’s Patients? Or The role of music at the vilage at sugar land.

Musical intervention provides therapeutic effects for patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease because music elicits feelings and memories. Musical therapies have been demonstrated to reduce agitation, improve communication, and improve caregiver relationships in patients.

Dementia is a broad word that refers to the loss of memory and cognitive ability that occurs as a result of a brain disease or injury. Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia, accounting for 60 percent to 70% of cases.

Music has been shown to aid with agitation and behavioral abnormalities, which are common in Alzheimer’s diseases’ intermediate phases. Even in the later stages of Alzheimer’s disease, a person may be able to tap a beat or sing the words to a favorite childhood song. Music allows people to connect even when verbal communication is difficult.

Music helps the patients to relax and serve to awaken dormant memories. You don’t have to be a music therapist to help Alzheimer’s patients enjoy music. Music experiences, such as any form of musical entertainment provided by caregivers play a vital role for clients’ needs.

In a nutshell, music helps:

  1. Improve cognitive abilities
  2. Develops imagination and creative skills
  3. Improves overall well being and quality of life
  4. Bring joy and relaxation
  5. Create cultural and social bonding with friends around you.

Do you have a loved one who is living with Alzheimer’s ? We believe that every senior deserves a safe, healthy and happy life.

Our Memory Care programs are tailored to Alzheimer’s patients. We offer a daily ritual of musical activity for our Memory Care residents. Learn about our Alzheimer’s Activity Programs by reaching out to [email protected] or call 281-729-8800 for more details.

30 Fun Activities to do with Grandparents!!

villageatsugarland Activity
A group of people standing in the kitchen holding hands.

30 Fun Activities To Do With Grandparents In The Vilage At Sugar Land.

Grandparents day is around the corner.This Grandparents Day, make sure to spend some time with your grandparents if you’re still lucky enough to have them in your life. Chances are, they love and think about you more than you know. Life is short; appreciate them while you can.

1.Play cards.

Who doesn’t like a good game of cards? Card games like UNO, Old Maid or Go Fish are great for any age!

2.Solve crosswords, puzzles or riddles.

Puzzles are great because they challenge the mind and involve teamwork from both parties.

3.Interview each other! Take notes or record it with your smartphone.

Give your child something to look back on by having them interview Grandma or Grandpa! Who knows, you may find out something new yourself.

4.Draw a family tree, and discuss its branches.

Most families are a lot bigger than we tend to perceive. Have your child sit with their grandparents and go over a little family history.

5.Share old photos and talk about the stories behind them.

Each photo is worth a thousand words, but oftentimes we don’t know the real story behind the photos we see.

6.Go on a walk.

Depending on the location and their health condition, you may be able to send your child on a quick walk with Grandma or Grandpa to do a little sightseeing.

7.Have a tea party.

Putting on a big fancy hat and doing a little acting is a great way to escape reality and have a little fun.

8.Take turns reading a book.

Whether it’s a bedtime story or a chapter of a favorite book, reading is a great way to instill the importance of reading.

9.Draw pictures of one another.

Who knew Grandma or Grandpa was an artist? Drawings are a great keepsake for both the grandchild and grandparent.

10.Watch a movie together.

Movies are a great way to pass time and relax! Pick a favorite movie to share and enjoy a healthy snack.

11.Have breakfast or dinner together.

Getting out of the house and going to dinner is a great way for any grandparent to show off their most prized possession.

12.Bake cookies.

Sharing the secret cookie recipe is a great way to bond and have a little fun in the kitchen.

13.Sing karaoke and dance!

Want to see Grandma and Grandpa dance? Ask them their favorite song growing up and throw it on for a little dance party.

14.Color or paint picture frames.

Create something that will always have a special place in your child’s heart by having them decorate a picture frame with Grandma and Grandpa.

15.Play a game on a smartphone or tablet.

Having your child show Grandma or Grandpa how to play their favorite game on their smartphone or tablet will be right up your child’s alley.

16.Make a holiday decoration

With a holiday in every season, kids and grandparents can get crafty making a holiday decoration. Carve pumpkins, make ornaments, or paint something patriotic for the summertime.

17 Make ice cream sundaes

Ice cream sundaes are even more delicious when mom and dad aren’t around. Grandparents and kids can choose their favorite flavors and toppings and have a sweet blast. For an extra treat, use ice cream you make together or create an ice cream sundae dessert board.

18. Play board games

Board games are a fun and easy way to pass the time, especially on a cold or rainy day. The best part is you likely already have a few on hand; but if you need some new games, we’ve got suggestions for the best board games for all ages.

19. Color together

There’s something timeless and soothing about sitting down to color. With a new pack of crayons and coloring books (or printed out coloring pages), kids and grandparents can spend some restful and creative time together

20.Gift Making

This a great opportunity to make something special for their parents—perhaps a birthday gift or something for a holiday.

21. Do a puzzle

Puzzles are great for kids and grandparents alike. They get the mind moving and can be done regardless of age or physical activity level. 

22.Teach each other a hobby 

Grandparents likely have hobbies that their grandkids have never even heard of—but kids also have hobbies that are a mystery to their grandparents! Have kids give knitting a try and maybe grandpa gets in on a game of Mario Kart. Someone may pick up a new and unexpected hobby.

23. Build with Legos

Legos are an awesome way to spend some quality time together. They encourage problem-solving, reading, and teamwork. The whole family will be proud of creations built together. 

24. Plant flowers

Gardening is a fun and low-impact activity for grandchildren and grandparents to do outside. Whether planting flowers in a garden or in pots, this is a great one-off or regular activity they can enjoy together.

25. Play hide-and-seek

Hide-and-seek is an awesome game to play both indoors and outdoors. Get the grandparents in on the fun and there’s sure to be a lot of giggles.

26. Paint rocks

Painting rocks is a fun way to get creative with nature. Grandparents and kids go on the hunt for the perfect rocks and paint them for the garden or front yard. These are adorable mementos of time spent together.

27. Make a birdhouse

Birdhouse kits or even a do-it-yourself birdhouse are pretty easy to make. With a few simple pieces of wood, wood glue, and birdseed, grandkids can make an awesome birdhouse to hang in the tree at their house or at grandma and grandpa’s house.

28. Play with bubbles

Who doesn’t love good old-fashioned bubbles? Set up the grandparents and kids with fresh bubbles and they’ll enjoy some great outdoor time trying to catch or pop them all. Try this in the winter months, too—frozen bubbles are amazing!

29. Take a class together

Taking a class with grandma or grandpa is a really special experience. They can try painting, cooking, pottery, art, music, or a movement class.

30. Go out to eat

A meal out is an even more special occasion when it’s with grandparents. Whether it’s a quick bite or a dressed-up occasion, everyone will love the memories made while dining out together.

Memories are created every hour of every day! If your grandparents need a little help and may benefit from Assisted living, contact The Village at Sugar Land today and find out why we’re more than just a living facility, we’re a community of friends!

Reach us at 832-944-8111 or [email protected]