http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41971124/ns/health-alzheimers_disease/ There’s some huge news for individuals and their families dealing with Alzheimer’s disease!  We may be closing in on a cure quickly.  According to new findings, beta amyloid, the protein (or actually a multi-amino acid peptide) responsible for ”plaque” buildup in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, may actually be produced in the...

So, I was looking at this website www.nccdp.org for The National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners.  It’s a great resource for all things dementia-related.  As I’m browsing around, this link catches my eye:  Fake Bus Stop Keeps Alzheimer’s Patients from Wandering Off So, basically you build a non-working bus stop inside your facility or dementia unit complete with sign and bench.  The Alzheimer’s...

Today, we’ll talk about hypersexuality of the nursing home resident when there is no 2 –party consent for sexual advances, and what to do to manage this behavior. In the nursing home industry, you’ll run across it sooner or later.  A little male resident who goes from female resident to female resident attempting to touch, kiss, and grope them inappropriately.  He disrobes in public… or worse.  He tries to go into their...

Every facility at one point or another will have to come to terms with the expression of sexuality by their residents.  This creates a ton of confusion with the staff, administration, corporate, families, ombudsman, and surveyors. To tell you the truth, it can be very confusing if you’ve never had to deal with it before or had no one to teach you.  That was the case for me, as well.  So, after having dealt with a few of these...

Something interesting I’m finding in many facilities, and let me tell you, I’m a little upset over it.  Apparently, there are nursing home administrators out there that are telling their facilities that no resident can have mental health services while they’re on Medicare Part A.  What?  This is a terrible management decision.  If your administrator or your company is doing this, tell them I’m taking their keys...

Do you Snoezel? If not, you might need to start! The word “Snoezelen” comes from 2 Dutch words, “snuffelen” (to seek out or explore, or to sniff) and “doezelen” (to relax, doze, or snooze).  The Snoezelen experience offers sensory stimulation and relaxation through lights, sounds, smells, and textures, and it appears that it can be a beneficial tool in the treatment of individuals with mental health...