Nursing Home Appropriate for the Alzheimer's Patient

Caring for an Alzheimer's patient can be a huge burden. When it becomes too hard and too time consuming for you to take care of your loved one, it may be time to look for a nursing home.
When you feel comfortable, then you can start planning ahead which will help avoid crisis situations later. You may not ever need a nursing home, but act in a proactive manner just in case the day comes. It is well known that making decisions in a crisis situation can be very difficult and stressful on everyone, so make sure you plan ahead of time.
You may find information and a list of nursing homes in your area from your local Alzheimer's Association, or an elder law firm. They are most likely to have a list of facilities that offer dementia care or at least a dementia unit.
When you find the nursing home that will be the most appropriate for your loved one with Alzheimer's, make sure you check the following:

• What is its appearance? When was their license accredited?
• Is the facility location convenient for you and your family for frequent visits?
• How does the staff react to questions -- are their greetings warm and welcoming, do they interact with your loved one?
• How well do the resident participants socialize with other people?
• Are visits allowed and are they encouraged?
• What is the staff ratio per patient? It should be at least 1 staff member for 8 persons.
• Is it possible to take a tour of the facility and the rooms?
• If there is a waiting list, how long will it take before your loved one can be accepted?
• Do they have a single room or do they share with another patient?
• Are these rooms furnished or unfurnished? If unfurnished, you will be able to bring your own furniture and decorate your room as wanted.
• Are there elevators? What kind of emergency plan do they have if a patient needs to be evacuated promptly?
• How do they handle patients that wander and what kind of security do they have?

These are some of the questions you can ask on your first visit. You can always come back later or give them a call later if you have other questions.
Another aspect of the nursing home to take into consideration is the financial issue. Most insurance companies will not cover these costs. When your loved one is being admitted in the nursing home you selected, the admittance staff will be able to assist you and discuss the payment options with you.
Make sure to ask what is included in the fees or contract:

• Is there an ongoing process for assessing a resident's need for services and how often are those needs evaluated?
• What additional services and staff are available if the resident's needs change?
• Is there an agreement available which discloses healthcare, accommodations, personal care and supportive services, all fees, and admission and discharge provisions, emergency services if necessary?
• Is there any government or other programs available that may help covering the costs?
• What happens if funds are used up and full payments can no longer be made. Does the facility accept Medicaid?

You want as well to have a good knowledge of the environment and the type of healthcare your loved one is going to receive:

• What type of healthcare and personal care are available? Do they have routine exams available, like vision and dental?
• What is the qualification of the staff members?
• Is the staff available to assist residents who experience memory loss or disorientation, and how do they handle it?
• Does the staff take care of the doctor's appointments? Do they drive them over there and wait for them?

There is one more thing to consider when deciding if the nursing home is appropriate for your loved one with Alzheimer's. Will he/she be happier than at home? Many people do quite well in nursing homes.
Once your loved one enters the nursing home, he/she can still leave for short trips to sleep over at family and friends. If he/she is unhappy, a transfer to another facility or a return home with assisted living may be an option.
You may also doubt how beneficial a dementia care unit can be for your loved one who has Alzheimer's. If the dementia unit is developed and staffed correctly, it can be very valuable. The idea of a dementia care unit is to provide specialized care. This includes staff training specifically for dementia, smaller units to ease feelings of being overwhelmed, a quieter environment to prevent over-stimulation, and a locked unit safe for wandering and pacing. Wandering and pacing are symptoms that most Alzheimer's patients experience. Instead of trying to stop them from this behavior, dementia units let them continue it in safe surroundings. Most facilities for Alzheimer's care have their own activity director and many times the direct care staff are also trained to participate in activities with the residents with dementia.
To obtain more information on facilities in your area that offer dementia care units for Alzheimer's patients, contact your state's Department on Aging.

Dentist Might Stop Your Next Heart Attack

As the Webmaster for a site dedicated to helping people save money when they go to the dentist, I find myself having to consistently fight two different and distinct battles; one against the average Americans reluctance to pay the high cost of modern dental care and the other is the same Americans belief that seeing a dentist regularly just isn't that important.
The first battle I have a decent chance of winning but the second battle I've had to throw my hands up in surrender; I mean if someone doesn't care about their teeth enough to have them taken care of by a dentist, what can I possibly say to convince them otherwise?
How about this; "Did you know that your next visit to the dentist could prevent a heart attack?"
Medical researchers have known for years now that there's a definite link between gum disease (i.e. gingivitis) and persons' risk for a heart disease. Evidence is mounting, however, that information gleaned from a routine panoramic dental X-rays-wide-angle frontal images --taken to establish the baseline condition of teeth and surrounding bone-- may serve as an accurate early-warning system of risk of dying from heart attack or stroke.
According to researchers at the University of Buffalo School of Dental medicine, a study of 818 teeth and jaw x-rays of Pima Indians in Arizona found that those who had a build-up of calcified plaque in the carotid arteries were twice as likely to die from heart attack or stroke. Normally, calcified plaque is present in only about 3 percent of the general population.
An earlier study of 2,700 dental patients showed calcium deposits on each side of the carotid arteries can be spotted in x-rays of the teeth and jaw bone.
It makes sense that the dental x-rays would see the carotid artery --which carries blood from the heart to the brain and back-- so dentists should be aware that it is screening tool for cardiovascular disease. If they see signs of calcification in dental x-rays, they tell the patient to see his or her doctor ASAP.
BOTTOM LINE: Most dental insurance plans allow you a yearly dental exam at little or no cost so schedule a complete check-up, including x-rays, with your dentist ASAP. If you don't have dental insurance, consider enrolling in a discount dental plan that fits your budget and then go see a dentist ASAP.

3 Methods for Clearing Mental

Many adults with ADD have a hard time slowing down their brains. Thoughts often come at whirlwind speed, and it can be hard to concentrate on the tasks at hand when so many other thoughts are floating around in the brain. I call this "mental clutter."
Often times, mental clutter is made up of worries and bad feelings. (Very few people get overwhelmed by the amount of positive thoughts in their heads!) Regrets of the past and worries about the future can easily overshadow the present moment. Self-doubt can also take up a lot of space in the mind. When an excess of these types of thoughts take over in the brain, it can be stressful, upsetting, and sometimes even paralyzing.
The best way to clear this mental clutter is to process the thoughts, rather than letting them swim around in your brain. Doing so will allow you to focus on the present moment, and feel more calm and centered.
The following 3 methods have proven very helpful in clearing mental clutter.
1. Write
A great way to clear mental clutter is to transfer the thoughts from your brain onto paper. This can be in the form of a to-do list, an email to a supportive person in your life, or a journal entry. When the thoughts are recorded, there is no need for your brain to hold on to them.
Additionally, if you feel weighed down by a situation (like an argument with a family member) writing about it can help you process your feelings. You can get a better grip on the events, how you feel, and what you might have done differently. A page or two might be all it takes.
2. Talk
Many people with ADD are "verbal processors." This means that we often work through thoughts and feelings by talking them out. It helps to have an objective person to talk to, who can mirror your thoughts and talk them out with you. However, the very act of talking is often what does the trick, so having someone to talk to isn't always necessary. Many people find that talking into a tape recorder suits their needs. Others talk to plants or animals. (I talk to my dog so much that I'm surprised she doesn't talk back by now!)
3. Move
Some ADDers can clear mental clutter by moving. Something as simple as a 10-minute walk can give the brain a needed jolt. Others may find that they feel free of extraneous thoughts after a visit to the gym. The time alone combined with the physical activity proves to be a successful formula for some ADDers to work through their mental clutter.
It's best to experiment with the different methods and see which work best for you in the different areas of your life. The important thing to know is that with a little time-out, mental clutter can be cleared!

The Misinformed Who Offer Their Advice

When it comes to health, fitness and working out, you and I carry many misbeliefs, as you'll quickly realize when you hear this story.
I was down in Tampa recently visiting my good friend Matt when he told me this story about a misunderstanding he had with his three year old son, Frank.
Matt and his wife were getting ready to go visit his parents, and to make things just a little easier on themselves, they decided to stop at Wendy's for dinner on the way.
They ordered chicken nuggets for Frank.
As it turned out, Frank really liked 'em.
A few weeks later, they had gone out to eat dinner at a family restaurant. When asked what he wanted for dinner, Frank said "chicken nuggets".
But once the waitress brought their dinner to the table, Frank felt that something was amiss.
He immediately announced that what the waitress brought him was indeed NOT chicken nuggets.
Of course Matt knew better, but the more he tried to convince his son Frank that the meal on his plate was indeed chicken nuggets, the more Frank resisted.
You see, since Frank already had chicken nuggets in the past, he had already formed an opinion as to what chicken nuggets were, and now that his opinion was being challenged, he was resisting.
And to be honest, it's really no different with us!
Even as adults, we have this mistaken philosophy that the first thing we learn about a subject is right, and anything we hear thereafter must be false.
But nothing could be further from the truth.
Let me give you a personal example.
I'm about ready to turn 39.
When I was in high school, back in the early 80's, I distinctly remember my teachers telling me that the way to be successful in life was to go to college, study hard and get a good education. That way I'd be able to get a great job that would last me the rest of my life.
My teachers had no reason to lie to me, so I believed them.
But over the course of the last 20+ years, I've found this advice to be totally wrong.
In fact, I've lost track of the amount of jobs I had.
You can probably relate.
How many jobs have you worked in during the course of your life?
In case you haven't noticed, things have changed. In this day and age, I venture to say that none of us will work for one company our entire life.
What used to be true years ago is simply no longer true today!
While my teachers may have meant well, the advice they gave me was incorrect. And the sad thing is, many people still swear by this advice to this day.
I tell you this to make a very important point:
Like the story of Frank, and what my teachers told me years ago, much of what you've heard or been told about health and fitness is also incorrect.
But it doesn't have to be that way any longer!