Saturday, June 19, 2010

What is Triple-R?

That is a funny little name isn't it? So what is Triple-R? A ranch? (no)....

A Day at Triple-R

Every day dozens of older men and women gather together in a special place called Triple-R to enjoy each other's company, dance to their favorite song, try their hand at a new art project, laugh and joke with each other--and stay safe. What they have in common is some form of dementia--usually Alzheimer's Disease--that often hinders them from socializing and makes it impossible to do things we take for granted such as drive a car, cook or even use a telephone. But in an environment where the emphasis is placed on the person's abilities and where experienced staff can minimize the daily frustrations of living with memory loss and deal with the tougher issues of dementia (such as wandering, confusion and anxiety) , the participants thrive. Conveniently located in senior centers in Midtown as well as North and South Sacramento, you can hear peals of laughter coming from one of the program rooms where participants are enthusiastically finishing reciting riddles they learned in childhood at the prompting of a smiling staff member. "Round and round the rugged rock a ragged rascal ran!" shouts a participant triumphantly, remember the phrase exactly. The session will soon end and the participants will go for a walk in the tree-lined park around the senior center and then as evening nears, family members will arrive to pick their loved ones up for the night.

The Gift of Time

The time the participant has spent in the program has been a blessing for the family member as well. Studies now show that providing care long-term for an older adult can do significant damage to the caregiver's health if they don't successfully manage the stress that naturally surfaces when taking care of someone with special needs. Unfortunately, there are few resources available for families to cope with dementia. Triple-R offers expert care in a community setting, giving the person caring for a loved one a break and allowing them the freedom to take care of other parts of their lives. For some, this may mean being able to go to work. For others, attending their child's soccer game without having to worry about her mother wandering away and getting lost. For another person, just an afternoon to themselves with no responsibilities. Respite takes many forms depending on the individual circumstances of the caregiver.

The Results

Caregivers often remark that participation in the program is the cornerstone to allowing them to care for their loved one at home longer than if they were doing the care solely on their own. In a recent survey, 80% of caregivers with a family member currently enrolled in Triple-R reported they have been able to keep their loved one at home--rather than placing them in institutional care--because of their participation in Triple-R and 60% of current caregivers strongly believe their own overall health and wellbeing has improved since the person they care for started attending Triple-R. Caregivers also report that the participant is often more content hours or even a day after attending Triple-R.

If you are caring for a loved one with dementia, Triple-R might be able to help. A program of the City of Sacramento Parks and Recreation Department for 18 years and licensed by the State Department of Social Services, Triple-R is the leading adult day program in Sacramento county specializing in providing quality recreational and personal care for people with early, moderate and even late stage dementia. For more information about Triple-R visit our website at: www.tripler.org

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Stay Hydrated!

Good hydration is essential for proper body function. Water maintains body temperature, distributes essential nutrients to cells and eliminates waste from the body. Our bodies simply cannot survive without it.

There are several unique factors that make hydration more challenging for someone 65 years or older. Older adults tend to lose muscle mass as they age and so they have reduced ability to store (or conserve) water. There is also a decreased thirst perception associated with age so this cannot be relied upon as a good indicator of whether the body needs more water. There is also the possibility of decreased renal concentrating, so you cannot rely on the color of the urine to determine if there is a problem (typically well-hydrated individuals will have lighter urine than those who are dehydrated). Caring for someone with dementia can add an additional challenge because the person may not be able to express their need for liquids or describe symptoms that may indicate dehydration.

Problems associated with dehydration can be very serious. A dehydrated person frequently experiences severe constipation, decreased functional abilities, fluid and electrolyte imbalance, increased number of falls, increased Urinary Tract Infections (which people with dementia are particularly prone to getting) and in very extreme cases, the body can go into shock and lead to death. Particular risk factors for dehydration include presence of a fever, diarrhea, vomiting, use of diuretics and under-nutrition.

There are several ways you can increase fluid intake if you are providing care for a loved one:

  • Determine the person's food and liquid preferences and make sure these options are available on a daily basis.
  • Provide encouragement and assistance during meal and snack times.
  • Offer beverages throughout the day.
  • If it helps, use a straw.
  • Use smaller glasses and offer beverages more often if the amount is overwhelming in one sitting.
  • If the person you are caring for has a tendency to choke or aspirate liquids, talk to the doctor about using a thickener to make swallowing easier.
  • Keep a journal of food and beverage intake--if the person is consistently refusing 25% or more of the offerings, they need to be seen by a physician.

Remember too that you as a caregiver can also be at risk for dehydration as you concentrate of the care of your loved one and sometimes forget your own needs. If your loved one attends the Triple-R Program, we include water breaks 6-8 times in the day to ensure proper hydration. For more information about Triple-R go to: http://www.tripler.org/