Teepa Snow is a dementia care expert and founder of Positive Approach to Care ® (PAC). In this post she talks about the use of medications for behavior management. Teepa has championed the concept of GEMS® to describe people living with dementia.
Category Archives: Alzheimer’s
Will we all become frail as we age?
Almost half of the people born in 1940 are still alive today. They are over 80 years old. For people who were born in 1950 or later, more than 70% are expected to live past the age of 80. What will life be like for these people? Is 80 the new 70? Or will living longer mean an extended period of weakness and frailty? It is true that frailty can be delayed. However, it is more controversial whether this has happened. Some people will live with extended periods of frailty. Why do some people become […]
I don’t think I can do this-Teepa responds
Warmest Aloha,
PS: I say it over and over again: There's no one more important than the caregiver in the daily life of a frail person.
Who is Teepa? The Story behind Positive Approach to Care®
Warmest Aloha,
PS: I say it over and over again: There's no one more important than the caregiver in the daily life of a frail person.
Don’t worry, Mrs Wong, I’m getting a hold of your son now
I’m on a mission to have my mother use a medical alert device. It won’t be easy, but she needs one. Firstly, she has had several falls. The single highest predictor of a fall in an older adult is a history of a fall in the previous year. Secondly, she didn’t pass the Timed Up and Go (TUG) Assessment. Lastly, she is home alone for many hours a day. If she falls at home, she could be on the floor for hours. Some people are good candidates for a “wearable” medical alert device, some people […]
Teepa Snow
Warmest Aloha,
PS: I say it over and over again: There's no one more important than the caregiver in the daily life of a frail person.
Preventing my Mom from Falling again
In the last post, I described my Mom’s recent fall. She ended up in the Emergency Room but is fine now. I was alarmed but not surprised that she fell. It was not her first tumble. Her fall did raise a red flag for me. What can be done to prevent her from tripping again? And what can be done to avoid serious injury. In this post I’ll discuss two strategies. First, improving her ability to walk safely. Experts call these “intrinsic factors”. Second, creating a “fall-proof” environment. Experts call these “extrinsic factors”. There is […]
Will Kate Fall Again?
Kate is an 84-year-old widow with mild Alzheimer’s Disease. She lives alone and in the past year she has lost 10 pounds. She has also fallen multiple times. This is serious. The last time she fell she was on the floor for at least 8 hours. Her daughter called and then came by when Kate didn’t answer the phone. She was hospitalized for a condition called rhabdomyolysis. Afterwards, she was in a skilled nursing facility before returning home. She regained weight and received physical therapy. The daughter has “decluttered” the apartment to decrease the risk […]
I’m still a person
The physician who hired me decades ago was a leader. It took his entire career but against a great deal of resistance, he built a premier healthcare system. Even so, he always had time for me. Whenever I stopped by, he would always pull up a chair. It was as if my activities and ideas were just as important as his. There’s something else I remember. I became his healthcare provider not long after he developed Parkinson’s Disease. He ended up being a frequent user of the healthcare system he built. He had many falls. […]