Patient & Family
Dementia
Dementia is common in the elderly. Around 1 in 10 of those over the age 65 and up to one half of those over the age of 85 has dementia. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) differs from mild cognitive impairment (MCI). It is important to identify MCI for progression to AD. Those with MCI are persons with memory impairment who are not demented and have intact activities of daily living. Around 6 – 25% of patients with MCI progress to dementia or AD each year.
Ten Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease:
Memory loss that affects job skills
Difficulty performing familiar tasks
Problems with language
Disorientation to time and place
Poor or decreased judgment
Problems with abstract thinking
Misplacing things
Changes in mood or behavior
Changes in personality
Loss of initiative
Changes in activities and medications to improve behavior such as:
Walking or other light exercise that helps reduce problem behaviors
Playing music, particularly during meals and bathing
Providing a predictable routine for daily activities, including toileting
Practicing various skills and positive reinforcement that increase independence
Considering medications available to help depression, agitation, and psychosis
If you or your loved one wishes to be screened for cognitive impairment or dementia, please inform one of our staff.
For more information: https://www.aan.com/Guidelines/
Find Local Patient Information: www.alz.org/chapter
Hypertension
Hypertension is high blood pressure which is a common condition where if left untreated it can lead to heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease.
If you or your loved one has Hypertension:
Learn how to take your own blood pressure
Write down your blood pressure daily in a notebook to discuss with your doctor
Work with your doctor to set a blood pressure goal and formulate a plan to achieve that goal
Take your blood pressure medicine regularly
Ask your doctor about your diet including salt, fat, and alcohol. Eat more fruits and vegetables
Ask your doctor about exercise and what a healthy weight is for you
Find time to relax every day.
For more information: www.medlineplus.gov search for Hypertension
Diabetes
Those with diabetes have high levels or sugar in the blood that can injure other parts of the body such as creating foot complications, nerve damage, kidney disease, skin and eye complications, high blood pressure, possibility of stroke, and stomach problems (American Diabetes Association). Often those diagnosed are too heavy, have high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
If you or your loved one has Diabetes:
Eat less and avoid eating too many sweets or starches
Try to exercise everyday
Check your blood sugars and write them down to show your doctor
Take your medications everyday
Ask your doctor about an A1C test, your blood pressure, your cholesterol level, flu shots, an eye exam, and foot care.
For more information:
http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/
http://www.acponline.org/patients_families/products/health_tips/
Depression
Depression is more than just feeling sad for hours or a few days. It’s a feeling of ‘the blues’ or hopelessness that makes it hard to get through the day. Changes that often come later in life such as retirement, the death of loved ones, increased isolation, and medical problems can all lead to depression (http://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/depression-in-older-adults-and-the-elderly.htm).
If you or your loved one feels depressed:
Get help
Talk with a counselor, a friend or someone in your church
Exercise or walk at least 30 minutes every day
Stop smoking and/or drinking alcohol
Make an appointment with your doctor’s office
If on medication
Take the medication every day, it can take several weeks for the medicine to work
Even if you are feeling better, do not stop taking your medicine
For more information: www.medlineplus.gov search for Depression
Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)
Among older men and women, urinary tract infections (UTI) can become quite common.
Main symptoms of UTIs:
Burning feeling when you urinate
Strong urge to urinate often
Factors that can increase the likelihood of developing a UTI are:
Decreased immune system due to increase in age.
Inability to control urination and/or bowel movements, which in turn increases the probability of bacteria to build and grow in the urinary tract.
Requiring the use of urinary catheters in the hospital or long term care centers also increase the risk
Problems with emptying your bladder such as bladder prolapse, which is when the bladder drops below its normal position in the body. This will affect the bladder’s ability to adequately empty, therefore increasing the chance of infection.
After menopause, the amount of estrogen the body produces decreases, which in turn enables bacteria to grow in the urinary tract and urinary bladder and cause infection.
For men, an enlarged prostate may cause an increased risk of infection due to the prostate blocking the urinary tract.
Look at the medications you are taking, some may cause difficulty in urination which can lead to infection.
If you or your loved one has a UTI:
Encourage increased fluid intake; suggest keeping water next to the bed.
Have your loved one go to the bathroom often with plenty of time to urinate
Good hygiene habits such as:
For women, after bowel movements be sure to wipe front to back
If the loved one has incontinence be sure to have their undergarments or diapers changed often.
Only use urinary catheters for:
Urinary obstructions
Severe bedsores
Comfort when a loved one is near death
For more information:
www.cdc.gov/hicpac/pdf/CAUTI/ CAUTIguideline2009final.pdf
http://www.choosingwisely.org/patient-resources/urinary-tract-infections-in-older-people/
Self-Management Tools: