Category Archives: Education

Image Awareness, Education

Purposeful Planning Program-2021 Award

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Congratulations to Kristen Cooley Winner of the Association for Professionals in Aging’s 2021 award for Outstanding Project in Aging. We are proud of her for the 140+ families she has helped. This is a local program. This is a program that matters!

The Purposeful Planning Program provides a much needed free service to our community through the support from the Alois Alzheimer Foundation & the Giving Voice Foundation.

Image Awareness, Education, Home

Alois Alzheimer Foundation Supporting The Purposeful Planning Program

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What is the Purposeful Planning Program?

It’s a free consultative service for individuals and families navigating all aspects of the caregiving journey. The Purposeful Planning Program consultations are facilitated by Clinical Social Worker, Kristin Cooley, LISW-S, LCSW with the NeuroPsych Center of Greater Cincinnati. Kristin’s area of expertise is with Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias; however your loved one does not have to suffer from a dementing illness to benefit.

The consultation will allow the opportunity for education (related to disease progression and communication recommendations) as well as emotional support. Care planning guidance and referrals to community resources will be offered amidst the session as well. This service is available at all stages of the disease process, from a new diagnosis to the later stages. The goal of this service is to empower caregivers to become more knowledgeable about their loved one’s ailment while building and strengthening their network of support. This will in turn improve their loved one’s care and lessen the caregiver’s stress.

If interested in scheduling a free Purposeful Planning Program consultation, you can call the NeuroPsych Center of Greater Cincinnati at 513-563-0488 or email Kristin Cooley directly at kcooley@cincinnatigeriatricpsych.com.

This program is supported by the following organizations: The Alois Alzheimer Foundation, The Giving Voice Foundation, and The Christ Hospital Foundation.

Education

Alzheimer’s and Dental Care For a Healthy Mouth

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Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease that affects the body in many ways. Providing a good quality of life is often the goal of family and an important part of that is dental care. It’s unfortunately the case that many Alzheimer’s patients suffer from dental issues, many of which are completely avoidable. As a dentist of 20 years, I’m committed to helping families care for their loved ones. Let’s look at some easy ways you can keep your friend or loved ones mouth healthy.

Daily Oral Care

First up, maintaining daily oral care at home is very important. This includes brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash. Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s can affect an individual’s ability to follow proper care techniques, so it’s important to provide assistance along the way.

To start, it’s important to give the individual clear, discrete instructions. Things like “hold your toothbrush” are good while “brush your teeth” might be a bit too ambiguous. You want to make sure that the instructions you give are short and easy to follow as these are typically easier to follow for Alzheimer’s patients. Show them how on your fist is also another good technique.

If neither of those work, it’s also acceptable to gently brush for them or show them how. Do this with care, and never force it as it can cause pain to the other person. If they are completely uncooperative it’s okay to try again at a later time. Brushing is important, so wait an hour and try again.

Working With Your Dentist

At home care is only half the puzzle, the other part is regular visits to the dentist. A dentist can provide a much deeper clean, and remove built up plaque and tartar. You can’t get rid of this at home, and they will eventually wear away at your teeth.

A dentist will also be able to provide feedback on at home habits and let you know how effective is has been. Many people think they’re taking good care of their teeth, but then come to learn that they haven’t been. A dentist will let you know what’s working, and help make corrections if needed.

An important aspect of working with a dentist is to find the right one. Before going to a new dentist, ask if they have experience working with Alzheimer’s patients. This is important, as to be an effective dentist understanding the disease is critical.

Lastly, it’s also important to coordinate medical treatment with your dentist. If the individual is on any sort of medications, it’s very important to disclose this to the dentist. This is because many medications can interact in harmful ways. In order for a dentist to prescribe safe medications they need to understand the complete picture and choose the ones that will not interact.

Following the above, you can hopefully help keep your loved ones mouths healthy and provide them with a better quality of life. Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease, but with a little care at least we can help them live their best life with a healthy mouth.
Dr. Amanda Tavoularis (dentably.com) For more information go to:https://www.emergencydentistsusa.com/alzheimers-dental-care/ [u11709497.ct.sendgrid.net]

Dr. Amanda Tavoularis has been committed to excellent dentistry for over 20 years. She studied at the University of Washington School of Dentistry and has gone on to complete over 200 hours of study at the prestigious Kois Center located in Seattle. She belongs to numerous dentistry networks including the American Dental Association and the Wellness Dentistry Network. With being a female dentist on the Dentably team, Dr. Amanda can provide her expertise for dental care for women as well as expecting mothers. She has a son of her own and is committed to providing the most accurate information possible for patients.

Education

Steps to Take Before a Loved One Goes Missing

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Join us for our upcoming FREE Seminar:
“Steps to Take Before a Loved One Goes Missing”
presented by:
David Rader, Director of the Ohio Chapter-Texas EquuSearch

Tuesday, October 15, 2019
6:30pm
at The Alois Alzheimer Center
70 Damon Road Cincinnati, OH 45218

Texas Equusearch, Midwest Chapter, is a non-profit local search & recovery team based in Cincinnati, They work with law enforcement and families to help in locating missing loved ones, utilizing resources they have available that will aid in the search.
Individuals with dementia, autism, and mental health issues are cases that are becoming more frequent.
Education is key to help prevent these cases from happening.

Please register today by clicking the link below or by calling us at 513-605-1450.

Register today for our free seminar

For more information about Texas EquuSearch click on the logo.