We are so excited about our new partnership with Alliance Pet Therapy. Carol and Judy will be bringing their certified pet therapy dogs, Ahri & Kara, to visit with us every other week. These pet therapy visits fill us with joy and happiness as we pet and snuggle with these special animals.
The cold, wet, and rainy day couldn’t keep us from participating in the annual Walk to End Alzheimer's. We gathered our purple beads and walked around our cottage to help raise awareness for Alzheimer’s care and support. #ENDALZ #Walk2EndAlz
During the holidays, many shoppers wonder what to give their loved ones with Alzheimer's and other types of dementia. Too many gifts might be overwhelming or make the person feel bad if they don’t reciprocate. When you’re shopping, remember where the person is now, rather than buying something they would have liked before they suffered from memory loss. Here are some gift ideas many people would enjoy or find useful. Joy for All is the company that created and sells some of the best robotic cats and dogs. Now, they are offering super-cute birds called Walker Squawkers. The device is a battery-operated bird that can perch on a walker or wheelchair. It has motion sensors and chirps different tunes when the person is moving. After a period of stillness, the bird sings a playful “don’t forget about me” tune. Use an online service like Artifact to create a photo book. Put plenty of pictures of people, but also consider photos of animals, favorite locations, and gardens. Create a playlist of music the person loves using Spotify or another app. You could also program music into a phone or iPad. Record a simple video for a tablet or phone that the person could watch. You could sing a holiday song or simply say “Hi.” Beach balls are simple and inexpensive, and almost everyone loves them. This Intex beach ball is sturdy and a good size for chair “volleyball.” You’ll likely need something to inflate the ball, too. Ravensburger makes sturdy, good-looking puzzles by hand. The pieces fit perfectly and don’t easily peel or get soggy. Look for a puzzle with 24 to 60 pieces with a photo that isn’t too childish. MagicStix markers come in vibrant colors, are easy to hold, and are washable from most surfaces and fabrics. The handiest thing about them is they last a full week without their cap on. So, if someone forgets to put the lid on the marker right away, it won’t dry out. Short stories for people with memory loss aren’t easy to find. This collection is a digital download with 10 large-print short stories. Each story has a slideshow with photos that accompany it. And, yes, this is written and produced by Activity Connection
We would like to thank Ken Swartz, a New Orleans musician, for entertaining us by playing some old-time finger picking roots music guitar blues! Ken’s dad, Bob, is a resident at the cottage and he enjoyed watching his son perform for his new friends. www.kenswartzandthepalaceofsin.com
There was a “GRAND” celebration on Grandparents Day with family photos, musical entertainment, and tasty desserts. “Surely, two of the most satisfying experiences in life must be those of being a grandchild or a grandparent.” — Donald A. Norber
“Life is too short to wear white”! We had fun tie dying some bandannas to add fun colors to our wardrobe.
We held our Open House on Tuesday, September 13 th and enjoyed a wonderful night celebrating our Linglestown Campus. The event consisted of a self-guided tour of our two model rooms, delicious food, and elegant harp music. It was wonderful to meet and converse with many different people who helped in the establishment of our new community.
Weather affects most of us in one way or another. Perhaps we feel energetic when it’s sunny and sluggish on overcast days. And no one likes being stuck in a hot car or a freezing movie theater. Alzheimer’s and dementia can affect the brain’s control centers, resulting in increased sensitivity to heat and cold. A 2018 research study followed 3,300 people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in the United States, France, and Canada. The results demonstrated that cognitive (thinking) ability changed depending on the season. It appeared to be higher in the fall and summer, when days are longer and sunnier. People experienced more episodes of sundowning (an escalation in anger, irritation, and confusion occurring late afternoon or evening) during winter and early spring. They also had more sleep-pattern disturbances and depression during shorter, darker days. Watch the Weather Heat exposure can lead to hyperthermia (elevated body temperature), headaches, nausea, dizziness, fainting, fatigue, and behavioral changes such as increased anxiety and agitation. Cold exposure can lead to hypothermia (below-average body temperature) and symptoms such as shivering, increased confusion, pallor, and lethargy. Cold and rainy weather can cause people to stay indoors, reducing opportunities for social interaction. Be on the alert for signs of isolation and depression. Take Precautions Ensure dress is appropriate for the weather. Keep indoor temperatures consistently warm or cool enough for comfort. Encourage regular activity and opportunities for social interaction. Provide opportunities for regular and adequate eating and drinking. Hydration is essential. People who tend to wander are at increased risk in the heat or cold. Additional monitoring may be indicated. Resources https://www.rusthalllodgekent.co.uk/news/seasonal-effects-of-dementia/ https://www.parcprovence.com/summer-heat-and-dementia/ https://www.liftedcare.com/too-hot-or-too-cold-managing-changing-temperatures-with-dementia/
How do we survive the dog days of summer? With 590 water balloons! Residents were given water balloons and water guns as staff “ran the gauntlet”! Peals of laughter filled the air as the residents hit their favorite “targets” and we all became thoroughly soaked!
We had the opportunity of a lifetime during Assisted Living Week to hold a baby kangaroo! Thank you to Rehab 1 for sponsoring this fun event and Aldinger Farms for bringing two baby kangaroos to visit our residents. Isla was the oldest kangaroo at 9 months old and the 2nd kangaroo was 6 months old and still waiting to be named. Our residents and staff recommended naming the baby kangaroo “CC” short for Columbia Cottage.
Alzheimer's isn't waiting — and neither are we. This year, we are participating in the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's® to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer's care, support, and research. Will you stand with us in this fight by supporting the Columbia Cottage team? Due to safety concerns, we will not be walking on City Island; instead, we will join and walk around our own campus on October 14 th. Please consider donating to the teams fundraising efforts. Every dollar you donate helps the Alzheimer's Association® provide care and support to all those facing Alzheimer's and all other dementia, and advance critical research. 2022 Walk to End Alzheimer's - Harrisburg, PA: Columbia Cottage | Walk to End Alzheimer's.
While we know a lot about what memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease look like, but why some people develop these illnesses is still mostly a mystery. Still, there is evidence that treating health problems like high blood pressure and diabetes reduces the chances of suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of memory loss. For example, people with poor hearing have a higher risk of memory loss. This may be because they become socially isolated when they can’t communicate easily with others. Other research has pointed to air pollution, excessive alcohol consumption, and brain injuries as risk factors for memory loss. Many of these studies are sponsored by the Lancet Commission, including a newly released study that suggests impaired vision puts people at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of memory loss. Like hearing, vision is important for reducing isolation and depression, other probable risk factors for memory loss. It’s hard to enjoy playing a board game and talking with friends if you can’t see or hear what’s happening. Phone calls become strained, too. There’s also an increased risk of falling, yet another potential risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and memory loss. There may be a physiological aspect as well. Vision, like hearing, allows for sensory experiences. Sensory experiences stimulate neural pathways in the brain. When sensory experiences are diminished, these neurons may die, reducing brain function. Publishing data about memory loss risk factors has a two-fold purpose. Of course, scientific findings help people make decisions about their health care. Such data can also be used to pressure Medicare/Medicaid and other insurers to provide better coverage. Many insurers, including Medicaid, pay for only a small portion of the cost of hearing aids and glasses and may not replace lost or broken ones. Good hearing aids cost thousands of dollars, and Medicaid Advantage may cover only a few hundred dollars of that cost. Glasses can be another mostly out-of-pocket expense, so people may skip buying them or delay getting a prescription upgrade when needed. In 2021, the House of Representatives passed a bill to expand Medicare coverage, including increased hearing and vision care. The Senate did not approve the bill. Consider writing to your local representatives if this is an issue you would like to see them focus on.
