Essential oils have been used for thousands of years for cosmetic purposes as well as for their purported spiritual and emotionally uplifting properties. Recent research now shows that essential oils used as aromatherapy or during massage can combat physical and mental stressors in senior citizens, as well as improve the symptoms of diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. We spoke to Dr. Tom McNulty of Highland Park’s Back and Body Health Center to find out more. Dr. McNulty is a Doctor of Chiropractic, a digestive health specialist, a certified acupuncturist, and an Active Release Techniques Practitioner. He is also certified
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Archives for Alzheimer’s
Music Therapy Shown to Have Powerful Healing Effects in Memory Care
Freedom Home Care has noticed that over the past few years, amazing strides have been made in memory care. As the body ages, so does the mind. Alzheimer’s is an all too familiar disease that affects the memory. There are approximately 5.2 million people in the U.S. with Alzheimer’s. Of that number, about five million are adults aged 65 or older. Memory care can be provided in an assisted living setting or through a nursing home. As Alzheimer’s progresses, those who suffer from it usually require more assistance. Patients may also receive services like 24 hour supervised care in a private
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Dementia Patients Benefit from Using Imaginations
Imagination is powerful, but can it actually improve some people’s quality of life? That’s what TimeSlips’ founder, Anne Basting, asked herself in 1996. So she steered dementia and Alzheimer’s patients away from reminiscent-based therapies, and led them towards improvisational and imaginative play. What happened? The patients were happier. They interacted better with caregivers. It even helped the staff become closer with the patients. How Does It Work? According to futurity.org, the facilitator shows the seniors various pictures and asks each to describe what is happening in that picture. When asked to use their imagination rather than memories, the seniors often become
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Bucking the trend that memory loss is a part of aging
If someone told you that memory loss wasn’t a normal part of aging, you’d probably think that they were full of bologna. The reality, however, is that while memory loss might not technically be a normal part of growing old, it is a common side effect. And that’s because many adults have spent a lifetime of not getting enough sleep or exercise. Stress and unhealthy diets just compound the problem. In the following video, Dr. Mark Hyman says that memory loss is not only avoidable, but it’s also reversible. The editors of the UltraWellness YouTube Channel explain that the video
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Alzheimer’s reported as ‘fastest-growing’ U.S. health threat
Over the course of the week, headlines emerged announcing that Alzheimer’s disease is now considered the fastest-growing health threat in the United States. The news is in response to a report that was recently released by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in collaboration with the University of Washington. “Groups like the Alzheimer’s Association have been warning that the U.S. will have to cope with a tsunami of Alzheimer’s disease as the population ages,” explained the editors of an article published on the NBC News website. “A report last month projected that the number of patients with this untreatable
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Settlement enables improvements to maintenance care for chronic diseases
Medicare members and caregivers for those suffering with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and other chronic diseases were applauding a federal judge’s recent decision this week. According to an article published by AARP, the approval of a proposed settlement agreement paves the way for Medicare beneficiaries to receive needed health services to maintain their current level of functioning. “The settlement, which represents a significant change in Medicare coverage rules, ends Medicare’s longstanding practice of requiring people to show a likelihood of improvement in order to receive coverage of skilled care and therapy services,” AARP explained. “The Agr write my essay eement, which
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Being aware to take care – identifying the risk factors behind dementia
As we’ve mentioned in past blog posts, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease vary in the sense that one is an effect of the other. Although Alzheimer’s is a disease that to date has no cure, there are many factors that lead to dementia that can be controlled. Some, of those factors, such as being genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s, can’t be changed. However, there are ways to reduce the chances of experiencing dementia. The Mayo Clinic has multiple suggestions as to how to do so and offered up the following guidelines: Alcohol use. Consuming large amounts of alcohol appears to increase the risk of
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Research reveals that Alzheimer’s treatments should come much earlier
Earlier this month, we here at Freedom Home Care posted a blog about what to expect from a cognition assessment performed by a physician. We mentioned that failing memory can be a typical part of the aging process, but we also made note that it can be a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease. Assessing that risk early on is now more important than ever, according to the National Public Radio. In a recent article, the editors at NPR said that treatments have actually shown positive results when administered long before the signs of Alzheimer’s emerge. “Once you start to lose a
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Identifying non-traditional risk factors for dementia
Non-traditional risk factors that combine to predict Alzheimer’s disease serve as a bulk of the findings revealed in a recent study that was produced by the Geriatric Medicine Research Unit at the Dalhousie University. In the following video, Dr. Kenneth Rockwood discusses those findings and talks about those most affected by dementia. With an ever-growing list of risk factors, such as high blood pressure and a genetic disposition, aging individuals have a lot to be aware of in regard to dementia and its side effects. We here at Freedom Home Care und generic tadalafil erstand the challenges faced by those
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Understanding the three stages of Alzheimer’s
According to the Alzheimer’s Health Assistance Foundation, “more than 15 million Americans provide unpaid care for someone with Alzheimer's disease or dementia.” And during the course of care, those caregivers, usually family members or friends, will be taxed mentally and physically and in a myriad of highs and lows. But as the disease progresses, the assistance needed can change and increase and sometimes become too much for one individual to handle. To help the general public better understand the stages of Alzheimer’s, including the degree of care needed for each, the AHAF published the following information: Stage 1 (Mild): This stage
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