Alzheimer’s News
From A to BBO: How Alzheimer Disease and Dementia Symptoms and Onset Can Be Helped with Bridge Base Online
Every single person I know who has someone with dementia or Alzheimer's disease in their family has heightened awareness of their own risk; the same is true for anyone who has ever seen the deterioration these conditions can trigger in someone they know and love....
Covid-19 and Dementia
Experts say it is likely that dementia does not increase the risk for COVID-19, just like dementia does not increase the risk for flu. However, dementia-related behaviours, increased age and common health conditions that often accompany dementia may increase risk. For...
Using Contract Bridge in Clinical Therapy: How and Why Card Games Can Help
There are plenty of studies supporting the fact that the card game of bridge helps to promote better mental health – and more, that it can aid the brain when it comes to conditions like dementia. (NCBI; MedicalNewsToday; AARP; Alzheimer’s SA) Considering this, can the...
Playing Bridge for Alzheimer’s Research
Contract bridge is one of the most popular card games of all time, and there are thousands of players in South Africa as well as hundreds of clubs that new and veteran players can join if they want to partner up with someone and play a game – but contract bridge is...
Read the latest STRiDE Newsletter
The STRiDE project’s full title is Strengthening Responses to Dementia in Developing Countries. The project will run for 4 years - it launched in 2018 and will end in December 2021. The project is funded by the UK Research Council - Global Challenges Research Fund....
How fear and lack of understanding of Alzheimer’s is stigmatising those who have it
Few of us will escape the impact of Alzheimer’s Disease. The grim pay-back from being healthy, wealthy or lucky enough to live into our late 80s and beyond is dementia. One in three - maybe even one in two of us - will then get dementia and forget almost everything we...
Choosing a suitable home
This worksheet acts as a simple guideline for people considering admission to a retirement home or to a frail care centre for either themselves or someone they love and care for. Emphasis is on the practical considerations. You are, however, encouraged to look at the...
Dressing and personal care
Your approach to personal care should always take full account of the feelings and dignity of the person you are helping. People with dementia cannot always tell you if they feel embarrassed. Personal care must be given to the individual; it's not just a matter of...
Washing and Bathing
Most adults like to wash on their own when no-one is around to watch them. When looking after people with dementia, you need to remember this and only help as much as you have to. It is important to respect their need to be on their own and let them wash themselves...
Keeping the home safe
When you are caring for people with dementia, you need to encourage them to be independent (do things for themselves) but at the same time you need to make sure that they cannot get hurt or put themselves in danger. A simple fall can result in that person no longer...
Nutrition and Dementia
As a carer you will want to make sure that the person for whom you are caring eats a healthy, well balanced diet. Depending on the individual and the progress of the dementia, mealtimes can be pleasant, with the person thoroughly enjoying the food or they may be...
How to communicate
It is not always easy to understand what people with dementia are saying because they may just mumble, not speak at all, or may say things that do not make any sense to you. Sometimes they might just scream or cry. Not being understood or being able to understand...