Alzheimer's Archives - Caring Companions Of Atlanta

Jan 26 2018

Dementia Workshop with Lynn Ross LMSW

We feel so lucky to have a professional the caliber of Lynn as part of the Caring Companions team! If you don’t know Lynn (but who doesn’t!), or if you do, we invite you draw from her extensive knowledge of the dementia space at 10 AM on February 10 at Clairmont Place Retirement Community in Decatur.

The talk, entitled “What do Living With Dementia and Motown Music have in Common? Maybe More that you Realize!”, draws terminology from iconic Motown hits to illustrate some of the challenges facing families struggling with dementia and suggest communication techniques that can help connect with persons suffering from the disease. The link below offers more details. We sincerely hope to see you there!

What do Living With Dementia and Motown Music Have in Common? Maybe more than you realize!

Adam

Sep 22 2017

Why Is Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease so Difficult?

Home Care Services in Buckhead GA: Alzheimer's Diagnosis — Home Care Services in Buckhead GA: Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

Many family caregivers of aging adults who have Alzheimer’s disease lament that their elderly family member didn’t get diagnosed early enough.

This is a completely valid concern, but what is it that makes early diagnosis and detection so difficult for so many people? The answers might surprise you.

It’s Easy to Make Allowances for Unusual Incidents

When an elderly family member has one or two unusual incidents, it’s easy for everyone involved to chalk those up to being tired or some other explanation. The incidents in question might involve forgetting something that normally isn’t a problem or your elderly family member feeling disoriented. The problem can come in when you start to realize that you are making far more allowances than you really should for unusual situations.

Aging Sometimes Feels Like Alzheimer’s Disease

It’s also easy for the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease to be mistaken for normal signs of aging. This can especially be the case if your elderly family member minimizes some of the symptoms that she’s experiencing. She might attribute them to nervousness in some situations or simply feeling out of place in a new location.

The Symptoms Can Show up Gradually

There’s no exact timetable for Alzheimer’s disease symptoms to progress for your elderly family member. Everyone is different and experiences this illness in different degrees. When that is happening, those symptoms might not be as obvious because they’re more spread out than you might expect. Having senior care providers available can actually help you to be more aware of these symptoms more quickly.

Your Aging Adult Might Hide Some Symptoms

In some cases, your senior might be concerned about what is happening to her and fear that it is indeed Alzheimer’s disease. This can make her do some unexpected things, such as hiding some of the symptoms that she’s experienced. Even if she doesn’t fully realize why she’s hiding those symptoms, it can be easy enough for her to work around them for a while.

If your elderly family member hasn’t been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease yet but you suspect that it’s a concern, make sure that you talk with her doctor. He can assess her condition and help you rule this possibility in or out.

If you or an aging family member are considering home care services in Buckhead, GA, please contact the caring staff at Caring Companions of Atlanta 470-514-5954.

We provide quality non-medical services to our clients in their homes or in a facility if that’s where they live. Our staff is available for care plans for extensive care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week or as little as 4 hours per visit. Reach out to us, and one of our outstanding administrative staff will meet with potential clients to assist them and their families in designing an effective, personal plan of care.

Sep 26 2016

Hot Dog! Fun Friday at Amy’s Place in Historic Roswell!

If you have not “Liked” us, we can’t “Fun Friday” you. Thankfully, Pam and Earl HAVE “Liked”

us…so, this past Friday. Caring Companions of Atlanta had the pleasure of paying them a surprise visit, complete with donuts and a balloon! Take a close look at the balloon…quite apropos when delivered by two middle aged owners of a home care company in an industry so dominated by females!

Every time I drop by for a quick visit at Amy’s Place, I and up staying a while. It seems to attract good folks and I always open my ears and learn a thing of two. Friday, Paul and I ended up talking to Pam for quite a while and benefited from a unique perspective I’d never really considered. Pam recounted a story in which she cared for someone that suffered from dementia…a person that eventually lost recognition of her. In doing so, however, Pam eventually got to know that person from a perspective that never would have been possib

le had the disease never come to pass. Friday’s lesson…take what is presented and always think of the glass as half full. A silver lining awaits. I need to

take this to heart the next time I have that negative vibe!

So Earl seemed quits interested in both Paul and the donuts. On two occasions, the pint-sized dachshund broke into wind-sprints as Paul egged him on. It was quite a site to see his little legs in a blur as he raced back and forth. He later recovered from his antics on my lap. Earl really adds to the atmosphere at Amy’s Place. He has an energy and demeanor that makes folks smile. Well, me anyway!

I wonder if Pam ever offered him a donut!? Earl? Did you get one? If not, let me know…I’ll hook you up!

Sep 13 2016

Sandy Springs Car Show and Festival with Insignia!

Hi everyone:

As many of you know, Caring Companions of Atlanta LOVES helping partners with their events and are in the midst of doing just that with Insignia Senior Living. This coming Saturday, September 17th, we are part of a car show and Alzheimer’s fundraiser with them. The event will take place at the First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs at 650 Mount Vernon Highway NE. The event goes from 10 AM to 2 PM and will feature not only the cars but also, a dunking booth (any volunteers?!), food, a bouncy house, face painting, mini train rides and other fun stuff. But the biggest news is….drum roll…my little, old motorcycle with be proudly shown as well!

I bought “Blue” (a 1981 Honda CM 400C) about 35 years ago and she remains my faithful companion. We have logged some 13,000 miles together and she’s lived in 3 states. She took me back and forth from Chicago to Madison, Wisconsin while I attended college. I vividly recall my first ride on Blue..I picked up the bike at RPM Honda in the Roger Park neighborhood of Chicago. I paid about $1,100 all-in and rode off the lot. I was so nervous, my legs stuck straight out as though I was taking flight. I remember the guy yelling “DON’T TRY TO STOP IT WITH YOUR FEET! USE THE BRAKES!” I was scared stiff but made it home.

Since I got Blue, I have had a bunch of other bikes. But they just come and go. Blue will never be sold.

Please do come to the event this coming Saturday…we will have a ton of fun and you can have a brush with greatness by meeting Blue. Plus you will get to see Jennifer Franks and Chelsea Taylor from Insignia of Sandy Springs. They create endless fun and entertainment for their residents and I am happy to be included from time-to-time!

Adam