While researching the effects of music on memory for an article I recently wrote for my local newspaper, I had the opportunity to speak with a participant of an adult day program in the area. Like most of the other participants, he has Alzheimer’s. When speaking with him, he shared with me his life-long passion for classical music, and invited me to listen to one of his favorite albums that he just happened to have with him at the program that day. He slipped it onto the 1940’s turntable situated in the center of the homelike furnished room, then lowered the needle onto the record. He started humming to the piano solo, snapping his fingers, sweeping his arms through the air, performing a music conductor’s dance.

The music did something for him, to him. Perhaps you know what that feels like. When you hear a specific song from your past, what happens? You can’t help but time-travel in your mind, linking that song to a long-ago, meaningful event, like the day you got married, or your high school senior prom, or the one, and only, time you sang Karaoke. Research indicates that listening to music activates regions in the brain responsible for motor activity, emotions,  creativity, and autobiographical memories. Listening to music is particularly beneficial to those suffering from memory loss, whether it’s from a traumatic brain injury, dementia, or Alzheimer’s.  Music calms ceaseless brain static, helping one to focus on the present and recall  long-term memories.

Dan Cohen, a social worker who founded the non-profit Music and Memory, recognizes the benefits of music, particularly for those suffering from memory loss. His wish to be able to listen to his favorite 60’s music if he were living in a nursing home was the driving force behind his idea to bring iPods, or other digital music technology into elder care facilities, with the  goal of delivering personalized music to the residents, thereby improving quality of life. The miracle-like effects of Music and Memory are evident in the documentary “Alive Inside.” The film features a nursing home resident wearing an iPod, listening to his favorite Cab Calloway songs. Within seconds of hearing the first song, he re-awakens, the music stirring him from his sedate, nearly unresponsive state. His eyes snap fully open, his voice singing in a clear vibrato, as if someone just reset his memory’s circuit breaker.

When I told my husband and two of his adult daughter’s, Rachel and Hannah, about Music and Memory during a recent family gathering we decided to make a list of our favorite songs to share with one another. We each took turns playing them on our iPhones, and, as we did, something remarkable happened: a flash-flood of melodic memories. “Hobo’s Lullaby!” Hannah called out. “Remember, Rachel, Dad used to play it all the time.” Then it was Rachel’s turn: “I learned this Fleetwood Mac song on my guitar. When was that, like ten years ago?” When I played “Cat’s in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin, I felt as if I was back in high school again, singing out loud with my friends, “And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon, little boy blue and the man in the moon …”

Which songs jump start your time-travel engine? Where do those songs take you?

Are you in need of an elder care agency for a loved one, but don’t know what you should be looking for? I’m here to help you get started.

A few years ago, when my father began to experience cognitive decline and difficulty with organizational and household tasks, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He became anxious when left alone, even for a short amount of time, so my family decided to hire a home health aide.

The agency we chose didn’t charge too much for caregivers, and they could take him out to lunch or to do errands. But personalities between my father and the few caregivers on staff didn’t mesh, so we hired a different agency about a month later. These caregivers lasted six weeks before they burned-out. After a lot of research, we found a larger agency with several caregivers and years of experience caring for people with Alzheimer’s. Because of reasons too complicated to discuss here, it took more than a year before the agency found a few caregivers that my father felt he could trust. And, in the event of illness, there was a large pool of others to fill in. The agency assigned a nurse case manager to oversee the caregivers, to trouble-shoot glitches in schedules, and to coordinate medical appointments. More than two years later, due to policy changes and poor communication from management regarding updates about my father’s condition, we fired them and hired another agency. That was about a month ago and, so far, things are working out well (I’m keeping my fingers crossed).

If you’re in search of an elder care agency, I’ve gathered a list of questions to ask whoever is in charge. But, first, it’s worth noting that private home care agencies are for-profit businesses; they’ll work hard to convince you that they’re the best ones to oversee the care of your loved one. So, before signing your name to a contract of any kind, think of the following as an interview – you do the interviewing:

1)  “Does your agency accept Medicare?”

If the services being provided are for activities of daily living – bathing, dressing, feeding – Medicare will not pay. They will only pay if skilled services like dressing changes or physical therapy are needed. Most likely you, or whoever is receiving care, will either have to pay out of pocket or use long-term care insurance, if you are fortunate enough to have a policy (see #2).

2)  Is your agency registered with the state?

Long before he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, my father  bought long-term care insurance, in the event he would need care for an indeterminate amount of time. His policy doesn’t cover the cost of care with agencies not registered in the state in which he lives. I didn’t know this until after we hired the second agency, which was not registered. But Long-term care polices can be costly. I recently learned that most companies no longer offer insurance because they don’t have enough funds to pay benefits; however I heard that New York Life still does.

3)  Does your agency meet federal requirements for safety and health?

4)  How long has your agency been in business and do you have experience caring for people with Alzheimer’s, etc.? What are the primary services your agency provides?

5)  How experienced are your caregivers? Can I see references?

6)  How often do you conduct performance reviews? How are your home health trained, and how do you monitor their skills? Are they licensed? How do they handle emergencies like choking or a heart attack? Are they trained in CPR?

7)  Are caregivers able to drive clients to appointments, to lunch, etc.?

8)  Is there a lot of employee turnover? If so, why?

9)  Are you affiliated with local hospitals? If so, which ones?

10) Do you have case-managers? How often do they visit clients? Will they go to medical appointments? Are they available for emergencies? What are the fees for these services?

Depending on the agency, the fees can range between $125 and $165 per hour. Though it’s expensive, if your family can afford it, it’s worth it.  Case managers help coordinate all aspects of care, including assigning caregivers, and following-up with physicians. And they advocate for their clients.

11) What are the fees for caregiver hours?

12)  How often do you bill? Do you bill directly to long-term care insurance companies, or do clients have to pay upfront?

13)  How do you communicate with family? By email and/or phone. How often? Who are you allowed to speak with? All family members, or just a designated individual like a health care proxy or legal guardian?

If you’re the one designated to speak to the case manager and other staff, I urge you to remind them to send you updates on a regular basis, otherwise they will forget. Remember, you are your loved one’s voice.

Feel free to offer feedback.

Good-luck!

You reach for the bush, grab a cluster of summertime, then pop the handful of nature’s sugar into your mouth. A burst of warmth coats your tongue, meanders down your throat, and you think of homemade jam. You grab another cluster, then another, and eat them all, guilt-free, because you know they are good for you – blueberries.

They may be small, but wrapped inside the sheen of a blueberry skin lies a treasure of health benefits: vitamin C for immunity, manganese for strong bones and for converting fats, proteins and carbohydrates into energy. Blueberries are packed with fiber, which helps reduce cholesterol. Research shows that they even reduce the risk of obesity. Polyphenols – substances that give blueberries their blue-purple color – fight off unstable molecules that put us at risk for heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. Health magazines, Dr. Oz, and likely your own mother, have touted the benefits of eating blueberries. But did you know that these blue jewels, which have been around for more than 13,000 years, might help survivors of traumatic brain injuries recover?

The brain functions normally in the presence of glutamate – a neurotransmitter, or chemical that mediates excitatory signals through the nervous system. But, after a brain injury, glutamate rapidly increases, destroying cells. However, in animal studies, researchers have noted that when extracts from blueberries are added to the cells with glutamate they are actually protected. Though it is not necessarily a good idea to always heed “the more the better,” but “the more berries you eat, the better your brain will be protected if a stroke or traumatic brain injury occurs,” says Dr. John Weber, a researcher at Memorial University’s school of pharmacy. Dr. Weber, and others, is still trying to determine exactly how many blueberries are needed for a specific amount of antioxidants – molecules that combat free radicals, or unstable molecules – to reach the brain, and how long they will remain there.

But Dr. Weber is clear about one thing: those who have suffered a moderate to severe injury might not benefit from eating blueberries. Yet, the extracts in berries might be helpful in the later stages of healing.

Blueberries store well in the freezer –they don’t suffer damage to their fragile polyphenol skins. So, at only 80 calories per cup, stock up, and eat up!

http://www.naturalnews.com/032219_polyphenols_blueberries.html

http://www.blueberrycouncil.org

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=8

http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2014-08-05/article-3823293/Blueberries-could-help-heal-brain-injuries/1