An overview of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia at Byron House Assisted Living in Potomac. Alzheimer's disease is not a normal process of aging. Research shows that people who are regularly engaged in social interaction and activities that stimulate the mind and body, for example; volunteer work in your community of place or other communities of interest; travel, join bridge clubs, dancing clubs or other organizations that plan and implement community service projects, read, converse about issues that are meaningful for the elder, etc...
During the talk, our elders and other community members attending the program were very attentive to the explanation about how the brain works, what is dementia and how each part of our bodies is connected and guided by the brain. (Photo of a normal brain)
Here at Byron House Assisted Living, beautiful flower arrangments are made to decorate their home. Free expression, color and sensory stimulation, creativity and contact with nature... all these meaningful programs are also ways to stimulate brain connections and the grow of new healthy brain cells.
WEL, World Elder Land Education and Prevention on going sessions at EOFULA, Spanish Senior Center in Washington D. C, and Alzhheimer's Association Support Group Meeting
Conversing with our elders, listening to their ideas, special circumstances and their own understanding of mental illness, healthy eating habits and other life styles habits that are unique to the latino population... During our meetings we learn from each other by LISTENING to everyone. The material the Alzheimer's Association of the Capital Area provide for these meetings is invaluable during our conversations and educational sessions.
Some of the questions presented by the audience have been a wonderful opportunity to go over better ways to live an active and more healthy life. Question: In my home town a man got very ill from drinking a lot of water. I do not want to get ill too. What's the true about drinking water to be healthy? Please bring the newspaper article that published this news so we can read it during our monthly meeting. A good way to calculate how much water a person should drink daily, is by dividing your total weigh by 2 and then by 10. For example; if your weight is 140 / 2 = 70 / 10 = 7 glasses of water a day. A glass means 8oz glass.
A participant shared with us about his difficulties to sleep well. He told us that he can not sleep more than four hours at night, therefore during the day it is hard for him to read, focus on any 'mental stimulation activity' or simple activities of daily living. Here are a few ways to get a better night's sleep: 1. Cut down on caffeine, found not just in coffee but tea, cola, and chocolate. 2. Have a bath or shower before you go to bed 3. Have your last meal of the day at least four hours before bed time. 4. Take daily walks between 20 to 30 min a day. 5. Wear comfortable cloths to sleep. 6. Make sure you don't have a TV or electronic equipment in your bedroom and if so, make sure all equipment is switched off before you go to bed. 7. Relax your mind, write down on a piece of paper all your concerns that are keeping your mind 'busy' and before you go to bed take a few minutes to meditate. We also practice a few minutes of meditation and breathing exercises that help us relax before we go to bed. If insomnia was a message to you from your body or your unconscious mind, what would it be telling you?
Getting nutritional food items in our grocery shopping. More vegetables, fruits, less meats or fast food, etc...
Cooking less fried food menus and introducing new menu items like; less red meats, soy milk, whole wheat breads, low sodium or low sugar breads, etc, more fiber, prunes, etc ... The audience gave examples of food items that can be found in the Latino Food Markets that are better for their diets.
Dark skin fruits and vegetables have the highest levels of naturally occurring antioxidant levels. Such vegetables include; kale, spinach, alfalfa, broccoli, bell pepper, onion, corn and eggplant. Fruits with high antioxidant levels include prunes, raisings, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, ... all the berries are berri good for us...
How to incorporate the Journal For A Better Life to our daily life style and better ways to live? and How to strart your own Journal For A Better Life? Now also available in Spanish.
How often do you take some time during the day or a week, just for you, to relax deeply? One of our elders gave recommendations to the audience about better ways to prepare your mind for a good night sleep and some other relaxation techniques.
Every meeting and time we spend with our elders is a wonderful opportunity to help them and to learn from them. IT TAKES A COMMUNITY TO BUILD A COMMUNITY.
Some of our elders had a lot of misconceptions about soy milk its taste, etc. We brought a container with soy milk to the meeting for everyone to sample it and learn more about the benefits of soy and better food items that can help us control high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and other heart diseases.
Our elders are a joy in so many ways. Their simplicity and wisdom is present as their desire to learn better ways and to help each other in the process
We hope to engage our elders at risk of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, in meaningful research studies adopting a combination of better living habits, regular physical activity, better nutrition, spiritual counseling, social integration and other important components of a meaningful Whole-Person-Centered Wellness Program, crafted to the population that we are serving. I would welcomed the opportunity to help manage, plan, implement, test and evaluate such projects. KJW