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Arizona Seniors – Arizona Department of Health Services similar to other agencies, working on much smaller budget

Right at Home Phoenix located this article for Seniors and their Loved Ones from the Glendale Star for you.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

Arizona Department of Health Services similar to other agencies, working on much smaller budget

In spite of budget cuts, the Arizona Department of Health Services continue to offer services to people in need, Communication Director Laura Oxley said. She talked about the agency during a presentation last week for Peoria Rotary Club.

By Carolyn Dryer

The state is not going to provide as much in the future, so state agencies are looking for the help they need outside the government sector.

That was just one of the messages learned from a presentation last week by Laura Oxley, communication director for the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Oxley, originally from Kansas City, Mo., said her grandmother was a teacher who instilled in her the desire to “look things up.” In high school and college, Oxley said she was always curious and had a desire to educate. A degree in communication from the University of Missouri launched her career in journalism, a path and vocation that kept her busy for 20 years.

“I worked in television, was a news anchor in college,” she said. “It was very boring.”

She became a reporter/photographer/producer/edtior and eventually moved into management at a television station.

“I was a ‘Call for Action’ producer, a program that helped TV stations solve problems for people,” she said.

‘It was atounding to meet people losing their homes, contractors overcharged for work,” she said. “We helped people save their homes.”

Oxley moved to Arizona as a member of the Meredith Corporation, which owns KPHO Channel 5 in Phoenix. After a time, she went to work for the Department of Homeland Security for the state of Arizona, and helped secure grants.

Two years ago, she took her current position with ADHS.

“It’s a perfect niche,” she said. “ADHS has shrunk over time, but its mission is the same.”

The agency oversees operations involving behavioral health, licensing and public health.

In the area of behavioral health, there is a new budget, and now the department can only offer medication for people who do not qualify for AHCCCS (Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System).

“Everyone has mental health,” she said. “But where is yours?”

Symptoms run from depression to schizophrenia, and ADHS must provide for all of the medications required for the patients who suffer from those mental illnesses.

In the licensing arena, ADHS oversees medical and child care facilities, hospitals, assisted living centers, speech therapists and audiologists.

“The good thing is we’re out there all the time,” Oxley said.

For public health, ADHS offers preparedness and prevention programs.For preparedness, the programs cover fire, flood and the flu. Prevention programs are designed to help people protect themselves.

Some problems never seem to get solved, and there are infrastructure issues as well as realizing polio still is not eradicated.

“We’re lucky to have fresh water,” Oxley said, “and health care facilities available to people, and vaccinations, which have come so far to enable us to do what we do.

“It comes down to what you can do for your health.”

She said H1N1 is a great example. It represented the longest flu season ever, but turned out to be not as dangerous as first thought.

“We had an emergency operation in the department,” she said. “If you’re sick, stay home. Wash your hands. We finally got the vacinations.

“It was back to you.You have to be the one responsible for your health.”

She said businesses have learned to cross-train.

The food stamp program is now called SNAP and it is changing to requiring healthier food. The program now pays for anything except tobacco and alcohol.

The biggest change in WIC (Women and Children) is there is not as much cheese being distributed.

Although programs are underfunded, ADHS still performs the necessary tasks to protect public health. It is OK to report a green pool. And Oxley advised people to be proactive, talk to their neighbors.

“We do have a decent system in place (for testing food). We have the safest food supply in the world because of the safety system in place,” she said.

Reach the reporter at cdryer@star-times.com, or 623-847-4604.

For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

Did you know there is a Plan from Arizona’s Governor called “Aging 2020 Arizona’s Plan for an Aging Population”?

As we were searching around for resources for seniors in Arizona, we found this plan originally written under Governor Janet Napolitano’s hand.  Although we have a new Governor in Jan Brewer now, the plan exists and is very important.

Here is the link to the entire plan and a copy of the table of contents.   As always, if RIGHT AT HOME PHOENIX can be of assistance with your Senior Care or Elder needs, please call us at 602-569-7240 anytime.  Thank you!

http://azgovernor.gov/aging/Documents/Aging2020Report.pdf

Message from Governor Janet Napolitano• Acknowledgements• Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1•

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4•

Arizona is Changing ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 4•

Aging 2020 Goals ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7o

Goal 1: Access to Information & Services……………………………………………………. 7o

Goal 2: Increased Awareness & Understanding of Aging Issues ………………….. 8o

Goal 3: Remaining Active, Healthy & Living Independently……………………….. 9o

Goal 4: Increased Safety and Well-Being…………………………………………………….10o

Goal 5: Capitalize on an Integrated & Well-Trained Workforce………………….11o

Goal 6: Systematic Capacity Building & Infrastructure Development………….15o

Goal 7: Promoting Quality of Care in Aging Services ………………………………….17o

Goal 8: Effective & Responsive Management for Aging Services …………………18•

Future Directions & Updates………………………………………………………………………………….19•

References…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….20•

Arizona’s Aging 2020 Plan……………………………………………………………………………………..A-1

For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

iPad for Seniors in Scottsdale /Phoenix, AZ

With new gadgets and gizmos coming out every day, it can be hard to keep up and to know which ones are worth sharing with your elderly loved one.  Laptops are heavy and expensive, the iPhone has numerous useful applications but it’s too small for many seniors to use and desktops are virtually a thing of the past.  But there’s one new gadget that has the power to check your blood pressure and teach you Tai Chi all with the slide of a finger:  the iPad.

The size of the iPad versus the iPhone is an obvious advantage for seniors, but what else does this device offer for your loved one?  Of course, there are the standard brain teaser, scrabble and Tetris games, but there are also thousands of other applications which can help your aging loved one to live at home and enjoy life.

Health Information Applications

The new iPad offers many functional applications regarding your loved one’s health.  In fact, Healthful Apps, a series of medical-related applications, can be downloaded on iTunes.  This application offers Alzheimer’s Apps, Dialysis Apps,Health Tracker Apps and Caregiver Apps, to mention a few.  iPharmacy uses GPS to locate the nearest pharmacy and also provides information on medications and side effects.  The Bones, Joints, and Muscles application offers valuable information about the aches, pains and problems your loved one is facing in easy-to-understand terms.  In addition, WebMD has created an application for the iPad, offering all the same features available on the website, including drug information, medical listings and a symptom checker.

Self-Check Health Applications

Various self-check and tracking applications allow seniors to calm their fears when they notice worrying changes.  Perhaps the most intriguing of these applications is the HeartWise Blood Pressure Tracker.  Using illustrations and visualizations, this application tracks your blood pressure, resting heart rate and body weight, identifying any changes and alarming numbers.  With available vision and hearing test applications, your loved one can also keep track of sensory changes between doctors’ visits, alleviating any lingering concerns.  The free Stress Checkapplication not only offers research-based tests to assess your loved one’s stress level, but it also offers videos about Yoga, meditation and other stress relieving activities.

Alzheimer’s and Dementia Applications

The Alzheimer’s and Dementia applications are life-changing for those with the disease and their caregivers.  The I Know You application allows the user to upload labeled photos of loved ones to assist with recognition during visits with family and friends.  Another application, Alzheimer’s Cards, offers images that are intended to stimulate memory and help seniors to recognize their surroundings and communicate, even when words elude them.

Functional Applications

In addition to health applications and tracker features, the iPad also features functional applications that offer seniors convenience, particularly when out of the house. For example, many seniors are on restricted diets due to cholesterol, risk of heart disease and other conditions.  This makes it difficult to go out to dinner and enjoy social time with friends and family.  The Restaurant Nutrition application provides nutritional information about nearby restaurants, using GPS, and also allows the user to create a profile to track what he or she eats over time.  This takes away some of the stress of eating out.

Many seniors are also at risk for jet lag when traveling because they already have trouble sleeping under normal conditions.  Jet Lag Fighter is designed to help, using the travel and time zone information.  It tells you when to sleep and exercise in order to lessen the effects of jet lag, making it easier for aging adults to travel to see family and friends across the country and the globe. There are even applications to help seniors learn Tai Chi and Origami.

Doctors often tell their aging patients to walk or maybe even jog, depending on the senior’s current fitness level, in order to maintain heart health and fight off obesity. The Running Trainer Lite application helps your aging loved one to exercise safely, offering interactive GPS maps, information regarding lighting for night walks and planned exercise schedules designed for his or her goals and fitness level.

Accessibility

While these applications are fascinating, they are useless if your loved one can’t use the iPad.  Thankfully, the new iPad is designed for accessibility.  In fact, a 99-year-old woman named Virginia in Lake Oswego, Oregon just got her first iPad and is now using it to read and write poetry again, which she hasn’t been able to do in years because of poor eye-sight due to Glaucoma.  If your loved one has poor eyesight like Virginia, the iPad offers VoiceOver, which names the icons out loud when you touch them on the screen.  The screen also offers a zoom feature to help with visibility and it offers the capability to switch from black-on-white text to white-on-black, which may make it easier to read.

If your loved one has trouble hearing, the iPad offers Mono Audio.  When using headphones, this feature plays all audio in both ears so that nothing is missed due to surround sound audio.

Possibly one of the most innovative applications is Speak it! Text to Speech.  This application allows non-verbal seniors to type what they want to say and choose from four different voices to speak the text.  For the first time, this kind of tool is easily portable, making it fun and engaging for non-verbal seniors to leave their homes for a day of shopping or coffee with a friend.

Aging at Home

So, what does all this mean for aging at home?  It means that your aging loved one can have access to tools and information to function alone while you are out of the home.  It means that you can squelch your fears about your loved one with a simple self-check test.  It means that your loved one doesn’t have to feel disconnected from the rest of the world just because he or she is aging, and can have a little independence.  And that means your loved one can enjoy life, even though it’s changing.

Right at Home is a national in home care and assistance agency that provides trained, insured, and bonded caregivers for a variety of senior home care services. Whether it’s for extra assistance after a stay in the hospital, an aging parent who needs extra help, or as a respite for a husband or wife who cares for an ailing spouse, we can help with your senior home care needs.

(With thanks to Will Flavel for this post on http://www.rightathome.net/blog/)

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For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

Right at Home Phoenix Conducts Free Blood Pressure Clinics for National High Blood Pressure Education month

Right at Home of Phoenix, Scottsdale, Carefree, Cave Creek and Fountain Hills, Arizona is available to perform FREE Blood Pressure Clinics at Senior Facilities in our area as a service to the senior community.  So far this month, we’ve done several clinics that have been very well received.

According to the CDC, normal blood pressure for adults is when the systolic pressure is less than 120 and the diastolic is less than 80. Someone who’s blood pressure is slightly higher than normal has prehypertension and those numbers are systolic pressure between 120 and 139 and diastolic pressure between 80 and 89. Someone with hypertension will have a systolic pressure greater than 140 and a diastolic pressure greater than 90.

Seniors often feel that, since they are on blood pressure medicines, checking their pressure is not necessary.  This could not be further from the truth.

High blood pressure increases the risk for heart disease which is the leading cause of death in the United States and stroke, the third leading cause of death in the U.S. About one in three adults have high blood pressure and many are not even aware of it. Undetected and untreated high blood pressure can damage the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other parts of the body, according to the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC).

If you operate, are employed by or reside in an Senior, Adult, Independent or Assisted Living Facility in any of the above-named areas, please contact Right at Home at 602-569-7240.

For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

Drowsiness, Staring and Other Mental Lapses May Signal Alzheimer’s Disease in Phoenix / Scottsdale, AZ

Drowsiness, Staring and Other Mental Lapses May Signal Alzheimer’s Disease

Older people who have “mental lapses,” or times when their thinking seems disorganized or illogical or when they stare into space, may be more likely to have Alzheimer’s disease than people who do not have these lapses, according to a study published in a recent issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

These mental lapses, also called “cognitive fluctuations,” were known to be common in people with a type of dementia called “dementia with Lewy bodies.” But researchers previously did not know how frequently they occurred in people with Alzheimer’s disease and, equally important, what effect fluctuations might have on patients’ thinking abilities.The study involved 511 people with an average age of 78. Researchers interviewed each participant and a family member, evaluated the participants for dementia, and tested their memory and thinking skills.

People with three or four of the following symptoms met the criteria for having mental lapses:

• Feeling drowsy or lethargic all the time or several times per day despite getting enough sleep the night before;

• Sleeping two or more hours before 7:00 p.m.;

• Having times when the person’s flow of ideas seems disorganized, unclear or not logical; and/or,

• Staring into space for long periods.

A total of 12% of the people with dementia in the study had mental lapses. Of 216 people with very mild or mild dementia, 25 had mental lapses. Of the 295 people with no dementia, only two had mental lapses.

“When older people are evaluated for problems with their thinking and memory, doctors should consider also assessing them for these mental lapses,” said senior study author James E. Galvin, MD, MPH, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who is a member of the American Academy of Neurology.

Source: The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 22,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, which is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging.

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For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

Hey Arizona…Too much soda and processed food can accelerate aging and shorten your life (Phospates)

Too much soda and processed food can accelerate aging and shorten your life

By Sharon O’Brien, About.com Guide

Are you lagging behind your same-age friends in the wrinkled-brow, saggy-neck and droopy-arm departments? Never fear. Just grab a cheeseburger and a soda or two and there’s a good chance you’ll soon catch up.

Phosphates Accelerate Aging
Food companies these days add a lot of phosphates to soda and other processed foods—things like meat, cheese and bakery products—and now researchers have found evidence that high levels of phosphates accelerate signs of aging.

Phosphates May Contribute to Chronic Diseases
More specifically, high phosphate levels can induce severe muscle and skin atrophy. Worse, they may also “increase the prevalence and severity of age-related complications such as chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular calcification,” according to a 2010 research studypublished in the FASEB Journal–the acronym stands for Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology—and reported in Science Daily.

“Soda is the caffeine delivery vehicle of choice for millions of people worldwide, but comes with phosphorous as a passenger,” says Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of the FASEB Journal. “This research suggests that our phosphorous balance influences the aging process, so don’t tip it.”

Phospates Now Used More Frequently in Food
Food additives containing phosphates have been around for a long time, but the frequency with which they are used, the number of processed foods that contain them, and the amounts we unknowingly consume have grown significantly over the past two decades.

In an earlier study, published in 2008, which showed that inorganic phosphates might speed the growth of lung cancer tumors and also contribute to the development of such tumors, scientists concluded that . . . “while a moderate level of phosphate plays an essential role in living organisms, the rapidly increasing use of phosphates as a food additive has resulted in significantly higher levels in average daily diets. Phosphates are added to many food products to increase water retention and improve food texture.

“In the 1990s, phosphorous-containing food additives contributed an estimated 470 mg per day to the average daily adult diet. However, phosphates are currently being added much more frequently to a large number of processed foods, including meats, cheeses, beverages, and bakery products. As a result, depending on individual food choices, phosphorous intake could be increased by as much as 1000 mg per day.”

Lower Phosphate Intake for Better Health and Longer Life
So there you have it. Phosphates make processed foods look better, but in large quantities they could do just the opposite for you, making you look and feel old before your time.

Take a tip from one of the researchers involved in the recent study: “Humans need a healthy diet and keeping the balance of phosphate in the diet may be important for a healthy life and longevity,” says M. Shawkat Razzaque, M.D., Ph.D., from the Department of Medicine, Infection and Immunity at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. “Avoid phosphate toxicity and enjoy a healthy life.”

With our thanks for http://www.about.com ================================================

For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

“Brain Exercises” May Delay Memory Decline in Dementia in Phoenix, AZ

“Brain Exercises” May Delay Memory Decline in Dementia in Phoenix, AZ

People who engage in activities that exercise the brain, such as reading, writing, and playing card games, may delay the rapid memory decline that occurs if they later develop dementia, according to a study published in a recent issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study involved 488 people age 75 to 85 who did not have dementia at the start of the study. They were followed for an average of five years; during that time 101 of the people developed dementia.

At the beginning of the study, people reported how often they participated in six leisure activities that engage the brain: reading, writing, doing crossword puzzles, playing board or card games, having group discussions and playing music. For each activity, daily participation was rated at seven points, several days a week was rated at four points and weekly participation was rated at one point.

The average score for those who later developed dementia was seven points total, meaning they took part in one of the six activities each day, on average. Ten people reported no activities, and 11 reported only one activity per week.

The researchers then looked at the point when memory loss started accelerating rapidly for the participants. They found that for every additional activity a person participated in, the onset of rapid memory loss was delayed by 0.18 years.

“The point of accelerated decline was delayed by 1.29 years for the person who participated in 11 activities per week compared to the person who participated in only four activities per week,” said study author Charles B. Hall, PhD, of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY.

The results remained valid after researchers factored in the education level of the participants. “The effect of these activities in late life appears to be independent of education,” Hall said. “These activities might help maintain brain vitality. Further studies are needed to determine if increasing participation in these activities could prevent or delay dementia.”

The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging. The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care through education and research.

Learn More

The American Academy of Neurology has created a website for consumerswhere patients and caregivers may find information about the human brain and neurological disorders.

Right at Home is a national organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for those we serve. We fulfill that mission through a dedicated network of locally owned, franchised providers of in-home care and assistance services.

For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

The seven big questions to ask when hiring home care in Arizona

Some families, in an attempt to save time and money, are hiring “underground” caregivers—those caregivers who are not affiliated with a specific company or organization that would provide proper caregiver management and training.  In fact, most underground caregivers are hired by families without a background check and thorough pre-screening process.  Family members doing the hiring may not even know if the caregiver has legal status to work in the United States and are unaware of the ramifications of doing so. Moreover, most families are unaware of their responsibilities regarding employer taxes, insurance needs and provisions of workers compensation.

Many states have or are passing laws to protect families and against senior caregiver “horror stories”.  In the meantime, Right at Home urges families to give the process of hiring a caregiver careful consideration.  Right at Home encourages families to ask the caregiver agency or the independent caregiver the following questions at the start of the hiring process:

Seven Critical Questions to Ask Before Hiring In-home Caregivers:
1.What happens if the caregiver becomes ill or isn’t available? In other words, can the agency or the independent caregiver make immediate arrangements to provide continuous service to the person in need?
2. Who has legal responsibilities for social security and federal and state taxes, as well as unemployment insurance?
3.  Is the caregiver legal to work in the U.S. and can the agency or the caregiver provide legal documentation of the caregiver’s status?
4. If the caregiver is injured, who is responsible for medical and other costs, such as unemployment?  Remember: Many homeowner insurance policies specifically exclude such injuries via clauses called domestic employee exclusions. This means the homeowner can be held responsible for the medical costs of an injured independent caregiver.
5. Have all proper checks been completed including a criminal history background check, a state abuse registry check, and have prior work references been contacted? A reliable agency will have completed these before hiring the caregiver. Families who hire caregivers not associated with an agency should conduct these procedures at their own expense.
6. Is the caregiver bonded and insured to cover any injury to the client, damage or theft? In addition, when an agency says it is “bonded,” family members should be sure to ask if their bond covers both injury and damages related to the caregiver working in the home.
7. Assuming a family member is not available to supervise paid caregivers at all times, what kind of documentation will be provided to substantiate the completion of services? In other words, what kind of proof will the family have that their loved one is actually receiving the much needed care for which the family is paying?

If a potential caregiver doesn’t have the time or resources to answer these important questions, it’s probably best to seek out a professional home care agency that takes responsibility for background checks, taxes and insurance liabilities.

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For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

Signals of Alzheimer’s Disease in Maricopa County, AZ

Drowsiness, Staring and Other Mental Lapses May Signal Alzheimer’s Disease

Older people who have “mental lapses,” or times when their thinking seems disorganized or illogical or when they stare into space, may be more likely to have Alzheimer’s disease than people who do not have these lapses, according to a study published in a recent issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

These mental lapses, also called “cognitive fluctuations,” were known to be common in people with a type of dementia called “dementia with Lewy bodies.” But researchers previously did not know how frequently they occurred in people with Alzheimer’s disease and, equally important, what effect fluctuations might have on patients’ thinking abilities.The study involved 511 people with an average age of 78. Researchers interviewed each participant and a family member, evaluated the participants for dementia, and tested their memory and thinking skills.

People with three or four of the following symptoms met the criteria for having mental lapses:

• Feeling drowsy or lethargic all the time or several times per day despite getting enough sleep the night before;

• Sleeping two or more hours before 7:00 p.m.;

• Having times when the person’s flow of ideas seems disorganized, unclear or not logical; and/or,

• Staring into space for long periods.

A total of 12% of the people with dementia in the study had mental lapses. Of 216 people with very mild or mild dementia, 25 had mental lapses. Of the 295 people with no dementia, only two had mental lapses.

“When older people are evaluated for problems with their thinking and memory, doctors should consider also assessing them for these mental lapses,” said senior study author James E. Galvin, MD, MPH, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who is a member of the American Academy of Neurology.

Source: The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 22,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, which is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging.

For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240