Good nutrition is very important for our residential living homes.

This is a good video that explains diatetes.  We have a lot of residents at our residential living centers that suffer from diabetes.  We monitor their sugars and assist in administering insulin.

For the month of June we decided to get an early start on our Bus Trips. We went to the Soccor Park in Washington for a picnic. The residents had a great time. We also went to Pine Valley. We went to the picnic area and had a great picnic. There was a nice breeze and the residents really enjoyed themselves. Our residents are really enjoying their retirement.

We had a meet and greet at the Soccor Park in Washington.  First we went to Hurricane BeeHive and picked up 6 residents then we stopped at Coral Canyon A and picked up 5 more residents.  I thought it would be nice to have them meet some new people.  They had a great time.  The food was awesome thanks to the house moms.  Our second trip was also a success.  I and 4 of the residents from Coral Canyon B went to Washington and St. George to see some of the historical places.    After our tour, we went to The Frostop for icecream and french fries.  It was amazing.  I love these guys and it is great to see them out and about.

Asking someone with dementia to stop driving is a big decision. But for a number of reasons, especially safety, it’s sometimes necessary. On the Dr. Phil Show, Freda Lewis-Hall, M.D. and Dr. Phil discuss the issue.

People with AD can have changes in memory, judgment, sense of time and place, and behavior—all of which can have an impact on driving. Of course, every loved one with AD is different, and everyone experiences dementia differently.

Alzheimer’s Dementia and Driving

By Warachal Faison, MD | May 30, 2014
Lack of independence and loss of control is a big issue for people living with Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) and their caregivers. As a physician, I have often been asked by the caregivers of my patients with AD to broach the delicate topic of asking someone to give up an activity they used to be able to manage well. Often, this situation comes up around driving, which is one of the most crucial topics when it comes to safety.

Sometimes, just bringing up the topic helps my patients understand their symptoms have changed. Sometimes it takes my writing a prescription instructing them not to drive. Other patients have their driving evaluated by an objective person who is not involved in their care. But almost everyone finds it very difficult to stop driving, because it is a loss of freedom. This can cause a great deal of tension in the household or family.

The Intersection of AD and Driving
People with AD can have changes in memory, judgment, sense of time and place, and behavior—all of which can have an impact on driving. Of course, every loved one with AD is different, and everyone experiences dementia differently.

Some signs that it may be time for your loved one with AD to stop driving may include:

Forgetting how to locate familiar places
Failure to observe traffic signals
Making slow or poor decisions
Confusing the brake and gas pedals
Starting the Discussion
The conversation about whether or not it’s safe to continue driving can be a difficult one. This is true for both your loved one and you.

Here are some tips given by the Alzheimer’s Association that may help:

When expressing your concerns, stress the positive, and offer alternatives for transportation
Have patience, understanding, and empathy when bringing up the topic
Remember that it may be an emotional time for everyone involved, so if things get tense, try suggesting that an objective professional conduct a driving assessment
Ask your loved one’s physician to write a prescription that says “No driving”
The most important thing is keeping your loved one safe. Though it can be a difficult conversation and a hard transition, you are not alone. Ongoing assessments by family and medical professionals will help to alert you to the changes in your loved one’s status as well as any current risks and challenges. For information on safety and support, you can visit the Safety Center at www.alz.org. Additionally, the Alzheimer’s Association has a 24-hour helpline where you and your loved one can get information and support.

Warachal Eileen Faison, MD, is a geriatric psychiatrist and the Medical Director of Primary Care Women’s and Men’s Health for Pfizer Inc.

After your loved ones are diagnosed with Dementia, it is important to have a conversation about what is going to happen when they can’t drive or live alone. BeeHive Homes, or other memory care living communities, are a great alternative for residential living. We have a very home like environment. Your family member won’t feel like they have been put in a hospital or thrown away. They will feel loved and understood.

Alzheimer’s Dementia: A Patient’s Drive to Find the Keys

By Warachal Faison, MD | May 30, 2014
I recall very vividly one of my patients who couldn’t see that his Alzheimer dementia (AD) symptoms were changing. Despite concerns from family members and his primary care doctor, this patient continued to drive. A quick brainstorm with the family led to my suggesting that they hide the car keys. Unfortunately, this caused frustration for both my patient and the caregivers. Every day he would search for the keys, going through every inch of the house and leaving a trail of disarray behind him. At this point, his wife and daughter were no longer happy with my suggestion.

When they came back looking for another solution to this problem, I suggested that the car somehow be disabled instead, which seemed to work for several months. But with AD, cognition waxes and wanes; loved ones can have good days and bad days, good minutes and bad minutes. One day while home alone, my patient apparently had a few very good, very clear-minded moments.

When he found the car wouldn’t start, he called a local mechanic, who was able to quickly get the car running again. He even had the nous to check that the mechanic had motor trade insurance (which is available from trade wise) before he moved the car. It was never clear to his family what adventures he had that day, but my patient had taken the car out for a ride.

This one example illustrates why it is important for neighbors, friends and relatives to be alerted to the situation where Alzheimer’s dementia is concerned. Of course, when giving out any personal information, permission and respect for privacy should be considered. Having more people know can help to enhance your loved one’s safety.

In my patient’s story, the mechanic had known the family for a long time, and so he came to help out as soon as my patient called with “car troubles.” If he’d known the situation, he surely would have intervened differently, and perhaps called a family member to make them aware of what was happening. Neighbors who are aware can also be on the lookout for situations that may put a person with Alzheimer’s dementia in an unsafe position.

Due to the increased uncertainty surrounding the potential progression of your loved one’s dementia, there are a number of things that you can think about doing to help them. One of them is to put them in residential care homes huddersfield or other similar care homes. These care homes are qualified to treat patients with care, so they may be able to offer better care than you. Yes, it is a difficult but wise decision.

Whilst you may have considered putting them into an assisted living facility that specializes in dementia care, looking at how “at home senior care givers” could make a positive difference to their lives should also be an idea worth considering. It means that they are able to stay at home with their belongings around them, whilst having the professional help that they need during their treatment and journey.

Regardless of which option you ultimately decide to pursue, both of these ideas have been known to work effectively well when it comes to situations like this. Also, you may want to think about giving your loved one a MedicAlert bracelet or device. These can connect people with AD to emergency support services to help them get home safely during a wandering emergency. You may also have seen or heard about public notification systems that broadcast information about missing persons, especially seniors with AD and dementia. These are called “Silver Alerts,” and have helped to safely recover older people who have wandered off or gotten lost. Though it’s not always pleasant to think about the transitions ahead, it is good to be prepared early to take steps to keep your loved one safe.

Warachal Eileen Faison, MD, is a geriatric psychiatrist and the Medical Director of Primary Care Women’s and Men’s Health for Pfizer Inc.

This gives some great ideas to keep your communication with your doctor on track. They give some printables for you. We at BeeHive Homes residential living center of Washington Co. would like to help you communicate better with your doctor.

Make sure you remember the history of your symptoms.  Keep track of your pain-intensity, does it move to different places, is the pain constant or intermitent.  Think of anything that joins the symptoms.  BeeHive Homes of Washington Co. would like to invite you to visit our residential living centers.