Understanding Alzheimer’s-Related Time Loss

By Dr. Myron Kwan, Board-Certified Internal Medicine Specialist at Millennium Physician GroupAs we approach winter, flu season is upon us. The holidays are a time for family, friends, joy, and celebration. Unfortunately, it is also the time of year when flu activity tends to peak. Understanding the cause of the flu, how it spreads, and how to protect yourself and your family is essential to staying healthy during this time of year.At Millennium Physician Group, we believe in the importance of flu prevention and educating our patients on how to stay healthy all year round. Whether you are thinking about getting a flu shot, trying to understand your symptoms, or looking for ways to avoid the flu, heres what you need to know.What is the Flu and How Does it Spread?Flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. The disease can infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs, causing a range of mild to severe symptoms that typically come on suddenly. For some people, the flu can be debilitating, leading to serious complications and even death.The flu spreads mainly through minuscule droplets released when someone infected coughs, sneezes, or speaks. These droplets can then land in the mouths or noses of people nearby, with close contact as a primary method of transmission. Flu viruses can also survive on surfaces for 24 to 48 hours. This means touching a contaminated surface and then touching your nose, mouth, or eyes is a possible method of infection.Flu Prevention MattersFlu season typically peaks between December and February, but it is possible to have outbreaks anytime during the year. Staying current on flu cases in your community can help you know if and when you should get your flu vaccine. Each year, the vaccine is created to protect against the most common strains of influenza expected during that particular flu season.Even if youve had the flu or received a flu shot before, its crucial to get vaccinated each year. The flu vaccine is recommended for everyone 6 months and older. Its important to note that the flu shot does not stop you from getting the flu. If you do get the flu after being vaccinated, it can reduce the severity of symptoms and the duration of the illness.Additional flu prevention tips include:      Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.      Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze to avoid spreading germs.      Avoid close contact with people who are sick, and stay home if youre not feeling well.      Avoid touching your face and disinfect solid surfaces that may carry germs, like your cell phone.What to Watch For: Common Flu SymptomsWhile anyone can get the flu, certain groups are at higher risk for developing serious flu-related complications. This includes children under 5 years old and adults 65 years and older, as well as pregnant women and people with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher. Additionally, people with chronic medical conditions like asthma, diabetes, or heart and lung disease should take preventative measures during flu season. If any high-risk individuals develop flu symptoms, they should seek medical attention immediately.Flu symptoms can seem like they appear out of nowhere and include:      Fever or Chills (although not everyone experiences a fever)      -Cough      -Sore Throat     - Runny or stuffy nose      -Muscle or body aches      -Headache      -Fatigue      -Vomiting and diarrhea (commonly in children)If you or a loved one experiences these symptoms, its important to talk to your doctor about treatment and take steps to prevent spreading the disease.What to Do if You Get SickFlu symptoms can be similar to the common cold. While both are respiratory illnesses, the flu is more likely to cause fever, body aches, fatigue, and severe respiratory symptoms. Colds are usually milder with fewer severe symptoms.If youre unsure whether you have the flu or cold, its best to consult with your healthcare provider. They may recommend you get tested or prescribe antiviral medications. Antiviral medications are only available as a prescription and may reduce the severity and length of symptoms and prevent serious complications. Rest and drinking plenty of fluids can also help you recover quickly. Take Control of Your Health with Millennium Physician GroupFlu season can bring about serious health problems, but by being aware and practicing preventative measures, you can better protect yourself and your family. If you have questions or concerns about flu prevention and how you can take control of your health, Millennium Physician Group is here to help guide you. Reach out anytime, and we can work together to create a plan that prioritizes your health. ABOUT THE AUTHORMyron Kwan, MD, is a board-certified internal medicine specialist at Millennium Physician Groups Bee Ridge Road location. Kwan is an expert in preventive care and patient-centered services. Founded in Port Charlotte in 2008, Millenium Physician Group has grown into one of the states largest primary care practices, with more than 150 locations across Florida and more than 250 overall. For an appointment, call 941.552.8808 or visit millenniumphysician.com. Millennium Physician Group  5741 Bee Ridge Road, Suite 250  Sarasota, FL 34233 

Visit any critical care unit, childrens hospital, or other specialty inpatient facility, and youll find a common feature: therapy dogs. For decades, healthcare practitioners have understood the surprisingly positive effects on patients of time spend with cute and cuddly dogs. Therapy dogs reduce stress, improve mood, and can help patients reframe their outlook on whatever condition ails them. The positive effects of patient interactions with therapy dogs are a well-documented fact of the medical world. Senior citizens with limited mobility and other health conditions also benefit from the companionship of dogs. Owning a pet reduces feelings of loneliness among seniors living at home or in a retirement facility, which in turn greatly reduces the risk of diseases associated with loneliness and isolation. Pets can also decrease the number of stress hormones in a persons blood, lower blood pressure, and contribute to a more positive outlook on life. Dogs and other pets, it seems, have tremendous healing powers!Since Alzheimers patients cannot adequately care for a pet, owning one is out of the question. Considering the nature of Alzheimers dementia, it is easy to assume that a loved one may not benefit from a pet since they will not remember the interaction. Researchers, convinced therapy dogs would have a positive effect on Alzheimers patients, put this question to the test: Do Therapy Dogs Help Alzheimers Dementia Patients?Short-Term Benefits of Therapy Dogs for Patients with Alzheimers Dementia.A study conducted in the early 2000s looked carefully at the subject of therapy dogs and Alzheimers dementia patients. They measured the incidence of behavioral disturbances among patients in a nursing home for a period of four weeks, then introduced therapy dogs. Their initial findings showed that the dogs helped to reduce behavioral disturbances in the short term, meaning they helped to immediately calm patients. The short-term effects proved that therapy dogs do have a positive effect on patients with Alzheimers disease, particularly in regards to anxiety, anger, and changes in behavior associated with the disease.Long-Term Benefits of Therapy Dogs for Patients with Alzheimers Dementia.The same study did not stop at the short-term effects of therapy dogs on Alzheimers patients. Previous assumptions suggested that since patients would not remember their encounters with the therapy dogs, the effects of spending time with them would vanish from one day to the next. Not true, the study authors found. Although most of the patients did not remember their interactions with the therapy dogs (some did), the behavioral disturbances noted in the four weeks prior to the study reduced. In fact, the longer and more frequently patients interacted with the therapy dogs, the less they exhibited behavioral disturbances.Therapy Dogs As A Long-Term Therapy.The study findings confirmed what clinicians suspected all along: dogs are an excellent long-term therapy for persons with Alzheimers dementia to reduce the incidence of behavioral disturbances. Therapy dogs also had the same effect on Alzheimers patients as they do on other kinds of patients, including reduced stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure, better appetite, and fewer feelings of loneliness. These effects continued to increase the longer and more frequently patients interacted with the dogs.What Makes Dogs Such Good Therapy?Dogs are wired to give unconditional love and devotion. They can provide physical and social contact where it is missing, and they are not picky. what sets dogs apart, particularly those trained as therapy dogs, is that they will approach anyone regardless of their physical or mental deterioration, and initiate contact. Patients can pet, hug, and cuddle dogs unlike any other kind of pet. These positive interactions provide a distraction to the other goings-on around them and provide relief for those suffering from sadness, anger, or angst.The Takeaway.Dogs have a tremendous healing power. While studies have focused specifically on Alzheimers dementia patients, their positive effects will benefit anyone suffering from general dementia. Families of patients will feel relief that their loved ones have fewer outbursts of anger, sadness, or angst. While dementia impairs memory, it does not interrupt the long-term benefits of regularly interacting with a therapy dog. In fact, the more they interact with a therapy dog, the fewer behavioral problems they exhibit.

When someone you love has dementia, youll notice that things are changing quickly. When they make mistakes and fumble with the little things, our instinct is to correct and remind. Thats to be expected. After all, youre hoping that a little push and a dose of reality would be enough to lead them back to the person you know and love.As you will see below, corrections and reminders wont always work. Effective communication with a dementia patient requires an adjustment of expectations. In the following, well get you started.Forced choicesEveryone likes to have a choice. But having too many options can actually be confusing to a patient with dementia. Thats because their working memory is operating in limited capacity. Working memory is where the brain retains just the right amount of information to finish a task think of dialing a new phone number. So you can see how loss of working memory can be problematic in conversation and hinder decision-making.Thats where the forced choice method can lift that burden for your loved one, and cut the confusion. Watch the video here.Help with sequencingWe take basic daily tasks for granted: eating, standing, brushing our teeth. Though these tasks feel natural and automatic, we rely on the frontal lobe to help us complete these tasks. When someone is experiencing dementia, the brain degeneration can make them lose their ability to access this command center. When you see your loved one freeze, as if in confusion, you can help them through the basic task with sequencing, by breaking down the tasks into simple steps. This video about sequencing provides some examples.The therapeutic fibYou can never go wrong with the truth, or so youre taught. But when it comes to dementia and Alzheimers, the truth actually has a cruel side. Because when someone is living with degenerative memory, they sometimes lose track of key details of their loved ones. The fact that a partner or a child is deceased or gone can literally be forgotten. In cases like these, telling the truth can be devastating it will be as if theyre hearing this horrible news for the first time. This is where a therapeutic fib can get you both through the difficult moment, and this video explains how.Admit wrongdoing when youre rightSpeaking of truth, sometimes your loved one with dementia will get basic things wrong. They may insist, for example, that they cant possibly be a grandparent because in their mind, theyre only 25 years old! This can be a painful moment, because this represent a loss in your relationship with them and you want to hold on. But fighting these beliefs is futile. This video will show you how to gently move past the conversation.Repeating themselvesHearing the same story, especially if they think youre hearing it for the first time, can get frustrating. The wrong response is trying to make them understand theyve already told it. In this segment, well show you how to get through the moment.The important thing to remember is when a person has dementia or Alzheimers, the brain is going through massive changes. That can be difficult to take. Take a look at this video, Whats Happening to Their Brain?, so you can put yourself in their shoes. Understanding whats at work can go a long way in good communication when your loved one has dementia.Learn more about how we provide specialized care in our series Insights from Arthurs featuring educational videos from Arthurs Director of Development and Senior Care Consultant Deb Nygaard.