Did you know the 3rd week of March is officially Brain Awareness Week?
According to the Dana Foundation, Brain Awareness week is "...the global campaign to increase public awareness of the progress and benefits of brain research."
The human brain is about 3 pounds of very soft, jelly-like tissue. It is also the most amazing "computer" on the planet... inside every single one of us!
The brain is the "seat" of Alzheimer's disease.
Why would we at Seniors Helping Seniors focus so much on the brain? Sadly, Alzheimer's disease is such a common disease in the senior population that we serve. 50% of individuals over 85 years of age will be affected by some type of dementia, typically Alzheimer's disease.
And what's worse is that Alzheimer's disease is expected to nearly triple in numbers from now until 2050. There were about 4.7 million cases in the US in 2010 and it is expected there will be over 14 million in 2050. Ouch! You can read more about the recent study at US News & World Report.
About half of our clients at Seniors Helping Seniors over the age of 85 do have some form of dementia. Our caregivers provide assistance and support to help them remain living independently in their homes in Montgomery and Bucks county as long as possible. Some very common strategies that can really help include:
- Maintaining consistency: having a routine can be a helpful element of Alzheimer's care.
- Redirecting: Alzheimer's patients, especially in the early to mid-stages, can become easily frustrated when attempting tasks that they once did with ease. Redirecting them to another, simpler task can help reduce the frustration.
- Providing simple, visual cues: often Alzheimer's patients begin to forget where the bathroom or kitchen may be. Placing large pictures on the door (for example a picture of a toilet on the bathroom door) often helps.
Here are some interesting links where you can learn more about the human brain. For many of you, I would venture to guess that it's the part of your body you know the very least about!
I hope you will take this opportunity during brain week to learn just one thing about your most amazing organ!