Spring Arbor Salisbury Cottage

What do you know about the VA Aid and Attendance (A&A) pension benefit? Millions of veterans have earned this benefit and it can help them and their families pay for senior care— but many people don’t know about it.

When families do find out about the A&A benefit, they sometimes find the VA’s application process and eligibility requirements confusing and difficult. Some mistakenly believe the program is only for combat veterans. Others don’t realize their loved one served during a qualifying time of war, because the VA definition of wartimes extends beyond the dates of conflict. Recipients don’t need to be impoverished to qualify for A&A, either. The VA doesn’t include the value of your car, home or personal effects when it reviews assets and income for eligibility.

Are Aid and Attendance benefits worth the effort to apply?

In many cases, the answer is yes. As of December 2018, a single veteran who qualifies for A&A can receive up to $1,881 per month, a married vet can receive up to $2,230 per month and a surviving spouse can receive up to $1,209 per month to pay for needed care at home, in an assisted living community, memory care or in a nursing home.

For many families paying for senior care, this income can make the difference between comfort and hardship.

For more information, contact Spring Arbor.


veteranaid.org

Veterans Benefits Can Help with Senior Care - Greensboro, NC What do you know about the VA Aid and Attendance (A&A) pension benefit? Millions of veterans have earned this benefit and it can help them and their families pay for senior care— but many people don’t know about it.

Alzheimer’s Disease Symptoms

Part of Alzheimer’s disease awareness is knowing the symptoms so you can know whether a loved one may be developing it. The symptoms include:

* Memory Loss – People may forget things they’ve learned as well as dates and events. They may also ask for the same information over and over again.
* Trouble Planning or Solving Problems – You may notice a loved one taking longer to complete tasks they used to be able to do much quicker. You may also notice they have trouble following directions, even a simple recipe becomes complex.
* Confusion with Time or Place – People with Alzheimer’s often lose track of time. They also forget where they are and even how they got there.
* Misplacing Things & Unable to Retrace Steps – As people forget dates and events they may also start to misplace objects. Although they would be able to retrace their steps in the past and find what they were looking for, that is no longer the case. This may lead them to accuse others of stealing because they can no longer find what’s theirs.
* Mood & Personality Changes – Because of the changes that are going on in their mind, you may notice major shifts in mood and personality. They may become confused, suspicious and even depressed.

Helping People with Alzheimer’s Disease

* Although there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, there are things you can do to help a loved one, especially if the disease is still in its early stages.
* Keep a Daily Routine – This helps to avoid confusion and lets the person know what can be expected. Alzheimer’s patients like routines.
* Don’t Overstimulate – Keep things simple. Say one thing at a time. Present only one idea so that the person can understand it the best they can.
* Be Reassuring – Always try to make the person feel safe and comfortable. Sometimes even saying the words, “You are safe with me” is enough to make that person feel at ease.
* Don’t Yell or Argue – As frustrated as you may get, imagine how the patient feels. They can no longer grasp what is going on inside their own heads. Don’t yell or argue out of frustration. Be the calming voice they need.

While you may be able to care for an Alzheimer’s patient in the early stages of the disease, doing so as it progresses can become more challenging. Many times the patient can present a danger to himself by wandering off or forgetting to turn off the stove. If this is the case it may be time to consider a memory care facility that can monitor and manage the patient.

For more information on memory care, contact Spring Arbor.

Is Your Loved One Developing Alzheimer's Disease? - Greensboro, NC Part of Alzheimer’s disease awareness is knowing the symptoms so you can know whether a loved one may be developing it. The symptoms include:

As we grow older we suffer a decline in mental and physical fitness, which can be made worse by conditions like Alzheimer's disease. A new study shows that older people who routinely partake in physical exercise can reverse the signs of aging in the brain, and dancing has the most profound effect.

"Exercise has the beneficial effect of slowing down or even counteracting age-related decline in mental and physical capacity," says Dr Kathrin Rehfeld, lead author of the study. "In this study, we show that two different types of physical exercise (dancing and endurance training) both increase the area of the brain that declines with age. In comparison, it was only dancing that led to noticeable behavioral changes in terms of improved balance."

Elderly volunteers, with an average age of 68, were recruited to the study and assigned to a group learning dance routines, or endurance and flexibility training. Both groups showed an increase in the hippocampus region of the brain. This is important because this area can be prone to age-related decline and is affected by diseases like Alzheimer's. It also plays a key role in memory and learning, as well as keeping one's balance.

While previous research has shown that physical exercise can combat age-related brain decline, it is not known if one type of exercise can be better than another. To assess this, the exercise routines given to the volunteers differed. The traditional fitness training program conducted mainly repetitive exercises, such as cycling or Nordic walking, but the dance group were challenged with something new each week.

"We tried to provide our seniors in the dance group with constantly changing dance routines of different genres (Jazz, Square, Latin-American and Line Dance). Steps, arm-patterns, formations, speed and rhythms were changed every second week to keep them in a constant learning process. The most challenging aspect for them was to recall the routines under the pressure of time and without any cues from the instructor."

These extra challenges are thought to account for the noticeable difference in balance displayed by those participants in dancing group. Dr Rehfeld and her colleagues are building on this research to trial new fitness programs that have the potential of maximizing anti-aging effects on the brain.

Dr Rehfeld concludes with advice that could get us up out of our seats and dancing to our favorite beat.

"I believe that everybody would like to live an independent and healthy life, for as long as possible. Physical activity is one of the lifestyle factors that can contribute to this, counteracting several risk factors and slowing down age-related decline. I think dancing is a powerful tool to set new challenges for body and mind, especially in older age."

For information on memory care, contact Spring Arbor.


medicalxpress.com

Reverse the Signs of Aging in the Brain by Dancing - Richmond, VA As we grow older we suffer a decline in mental and physical fitness, which can be made worse by conditions like Alzheimer's disease. A new study shows that older people who routinely partake in physical exercise can reverse the signs of aging in the brain, and dancing has the most profound effect.