Stimulating the Senses of Dementia Patients

by Shayna Slater from InjuryBoard

Choosing a nursing home for a love one with diagnosed dementia adds additional stress to an already stressful situation. Not only are you likely worried that your loved one will receive proper medical treatment, but you may also be concerned that your loved one will receive sufficient interaction and stimulation from the staff. If your loved one is unable to communicate their desire to be included in activities or express their dissatisfaction in the amount of interaction they are receiving, it is extremely difficult to ensure they are receiving sufficient stimulation while in the nursing home. Sensory stimulation for patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is extremely important. It has been shown that sensory stimulation can decrease a dementia patient’s agitation and calm their restlessness. This is a benefit for all dementia patients especially those residing in a nursing home where their caregivers and routine may frequently change causing confusion and agitation. 

Although patients with dementia may not be able to communicate their desire for certain activities, they likely still enjoy the things they did prior to their cognitive decline. The patient who previously enjoyed listing to music, dancing or reading the newspaper, will likely still enjoy those activities. Residents in nursing homes have rights which include the right to dignity and respect. A dementia patient must be treated as a person and not as a diagnosis. These individuals must be included in activities, have daily interactions with other people and receive stimulation from their environment.

Some nursing homes have specialized dementia units that have increased security and supposedly cater to dementia patients. It is important to randomly visit these units and observe the actions of both the patients and staff. Are all of the patients sitting in their rooms or are they gathered together playing games, listening to music, watching an old movie or being read to? These are important distinctions. Dementia patients should be engaged. The nursing home should of course care for the patients medical needs but it should also focus on the individual’s social and emotional needs. This type of care is part of the contract between the nursing home and the patient and the nursing home should be required to honor this promise.

If you do not feel like you loved one is receiving appropriate care and treatment in their nursing home, take steps to report it. Make sure that your loved one is being treated with dignity and respect. A resident suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s cannot be defined by their decline in cognition. The nursing home must take steps to ensure that residents are being cared for and treated in a manner that will hopefully improve their mental, physical and emotional well-being.

Brain Tip: Walking Slows Cognitive Decline In Alzheimer’s Patients And Healthy People

From: Medical News Today November 29, 2010

Walking five miles per week may protect the brain and slow cognitive decline in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease, said researchers at a conference of medical imaging professionals in Chicago on Sunday; they also found that walking six miles a week did the same for healthy people.

Dr. Cyrus Raji, from the Department of Radiology at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, presented the findings of a study where he and his colleagues analyzed changes in brain volume among adults with varying degrees of congnitive impairment, including some with Alzheimer’s, and also healthy adults, whose weekly physical activity had been monitored in a cardiovascular study over the previous 10 years.

Speaking at the 96th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), being held this week in Chicago, Raji said:

“We found that walking five miles per week protects the brain structure over 10 years in people with Alzheimer’s and MCI [mild cognitive impairment], especially in areas of the brain’s key memory and learning centers.”

“We also found that these people had a slower decline in memory loss over five years,” he added.

MCI, short for Mild Cognitive Impairment, is where a person has more problems with memory and thinking skills than is typical for their age, but it is not as severe as that found in Alzheimer’s disease. About 50 per cent of people diagnosed with MCI progress to Alzheimer’s disease.

The numbers of Americans with MCI and Alzheimer’s is set to increase significantly over the next decade, based on current population trends.

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s, which is why researchers like Raji and colleagues are keen to find ways to alleviate the symptoms and slow the progression of the disease in people whose thinking and memory are already showing signs of decline.

Raji and colleagues recruited participants from the Cardiovascular Health Study, which is still ongoing, and has been collecting data for 20 years, and analyzed the relationship between their physical activity and brain structure.

Their study involved 426 participants in all, comprising 127 cognitively impaired adults of average age 81 years, and 299 healthy adults of average age 78. Of the cognitively impaired participants, 83 had MCI and 44 had Alzheimer’s dementia.

The study data allowed the researchers to measure how far participants walked in a week. Then 10 years later they performed 3D MRI scans of their brains to look for changes in brain volume.

Raji explained that:

“Volume is a vital sign for the brain.”

“When it decreases, that means brain cells are dying. But when it remains higher, brain health is being maintained,” he said.