At Senior Lifestyle, we know that a dementia diagnosis can be frightening. We also know that for many people, the words “dementia” and “Alzheimer’s Disease” are interchangeable, making a diagnosis of dementia even more stressful. While Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for about 60 to 80 percent of cases, there are other types of dementia. Senior Lifestyle’s unique memory care philosophy, embrace, offers a holistic care program tailored to the specific needs of our residents with differing forms of dementia.

Dementia is not a specific disease, but a general term describing cognitive decline that is severe enough to impair a person’s ability to manage daily life. There are a wide variety of symptoms associated with dementia, with memory loss being the most recognizable; however, memory loss alone does not mean that a person has Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Additionally, there is no one singular test for dementia; doctors may make a diagnosis of dementia based on a physical examination, a careful review of medical history, specific changes noted in everyday behavior, as well as laboratory tests. For a diagnosis of dementia, at least two of the following mental functions must be significantly impaired:

• Memory
• Communication and language
• Ability to focus and pay attention
• Reasoning and judgment
• Visual perception

While many forms of dementia are both permanent and progressive, meaning the condition will worsen over time, some types of dementia can be reversed when an underlying issue such as depression, medication side effects, excess use of alcohol or thyroid problems is addressed. Additionally, urinary tract infections in seniors can cause a sudden change in mental status known as delirium which often disappears when the underlying infection is treated. While the sudden onset of delirium can be frightening for both the senior and his or her caregivers, it is important to note that this condition is most often a short-lived change which subsides with treatment of the UTI. It is important to address any change in mental status with your health professional to determine the cause and course of treatment available.

When facing a diagnosis of dementia, it is vitally important for families to know what treatments and resources are available to them. At Senior Lifestyle, we encourage families to join Alzheimer’s/Dementia support groups such as those offered by the Alzheimer’s Association, including their online Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregiver Center. Additionally, we offer our award-winning embrace memory care philosophy, a program developed to provide care not only for the person with dementia, but for the entire family. For more information about memory care at a Senior Lifestyle community in your area, please visit our website at www.seniorlifestyle.com.

How do you handle stress? Believe it or not, your answer may say a lot about your health in general, and your heart health in particular. Increasingly, studies are finding that while stress itself isn’t detrimental to our health, our ability (or lack of ability) to manage stress can be. Our reactions to everyday stressors like flat tires and long workdays as well as big stress situations like an unexpected illness or the loss of a job form a stress management pattern that affects overall health and wellness. February is Heart Month, and since one of our goals at Senior Lifestyle is helping residents, families and staff maintain healthy hearts as well as overall health, we’re sharing some information we found both interesting and useful in managing stress.

How do our bodies respond to stress?  According to Mayo Clinic, your body is “hard-wired to react to stress in ways meant to protect you from predators and other aggressors.” While those threats may be rare today, others have crept in to take their places. Demands on your time in the form of heavy workloads, family obligations and other “everyday” stressors are perceived as threats, starting a cascade effect which begins in your hypothalamus, setting off an alarm system in your body. This alarm then prompts your adrenal glands to release hormones including adrenaline and the “stress hormone” cortisol. According to Mayo Clinic, “adrenaline increases your heart rate, elevates your blood pressure and boosts energy supplies. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances your brain’s use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues.”

The stress “fight or flight” system is normally self-limiting; that is, when the stress goes away, the response goes away, but when this cascade effect is prompted by one stressor after another, our bodies’ reactions to stress can go a bit haywire, with the fight-or-flight response always on, causing overexposure to adrenaline and cortisol, putting you at risk for numerous health problems, including digestive problems, headaches, anxiety, depression, heart disease, sleep problems and weight gain.

While stress is here to stay, the key to preventing stress-related heart health issues lies in managing stress efficiently. Learning about what stresses you and how to care for yourself in stressful situations is vital in managing stress. Stress management strategies may include:

• Taking time to enjoy hobbies
• Fostering healthy friendships
• Practicing relaxation techniques such as yoga
• Having a healthy sense of humor
• Eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise
• Following a healthy sleep schedule
• Seeking professional counseling if needed

Knowing your personal stressors and how to cope with them is an important part of stress management, and an important part of staying healthy. At Senior Lifestyle, we believe in treating the whole person, a holistic approach which can help ease stresses and promote efficient stress management techniques. For information on a Senior Lifestyle community near you, please visit our website at www.seniorlifestyle.com.