Tennessee Works to Improve Dementia Care
September 24, 2018
Tennessee Department of Health (TDH)
Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) is working with partner agencies to improve care for those living with dementia.
One vital part of this effort is the ongoing work to reduce unnecessary use of antipsychotic medications among residents living with dementia within Tennessee nursing homes.
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, a general term for loss of memory and other abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life.
Frazier Allen: Dealing with Dementia
December 17, 2016
Clarksville, TN – “I saw the bravest man in the world playing the hardest role of his life,” Robin Williams’ widow wrote in October of her husband’s dementia and the months leading up to his death in 2014. When his anxiety, personality changes and memory problems began three years ago, a “foundation of friendship and love was our armor,” Susan Schneider Williams said.
Her story likely strikes a chord among those caring for a loved one with dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that more than 15 million Americans currently are.
Dealing with Dementia
Frazier Allen: Caring for Your Loved One – The Three Stages of Decline
June 12, 2016
Clarksville, TN – If you suspect a loved one is experiencing cognitive decline, it’s critical to discuss financial, legal and caregiving plans immediately.
Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease that includes three basic stages: mild, moderate, and severe.
Denial is one serious challenge families often face with Alzheimer’s. Due to the progressive nature of the disease, people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia have a limited window in which they will be able to articulate their wishes for future care, living arrangements, finances, and legal matters.
For this reason, it’s important for families to discuss their concerns and work through this denial phase in the mild stage of cognitive decline.
Start the conversation – Talk with your loved one about financial, legal, and caregiving plans. The earlier planning begins, the more involved your loved one will be in the process.
Frazier Allen: 10 Early Signs of Alzheimer’s
June 11, 2016
Clarksville, TN – Early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias is vital to helping protect the financial future of those affected and their families.
Research shows declining financial skills are among the first symptoms to appear in people with Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia. More than 5 million Americans — including 1 in 9 people over age 65 — are living with Alzheimer’s and someone in the U.S. develops the disease every 67 seconds (source: The Alzheimer’s Association®).
Alzheimer’s disease
Frazier Allen: 10 Symptoms of Caregiver Stress
June 10, 2016
Clarksville, TN – It’s important to be aware of caregiver burnout. You cannot provide effective care if you neglect your own physical and mental well-being.
Caring for a loved one with dementia can take a physical and emotional toll. As demands grow, caregivers often report feelings of sadness, stress, guilt, anger, isolation, and depression. The Alzheimer’s Association® has prepared a list of ten signs of caregiver stress. A strained caregiver is unlikely to provide quality care to a friend or loved one with dementia.
Caring for a loved one can take it’s toll on the Caregiver.
Lawmakers wrapping up 2010 legislative session approve legislation to protect seniors from abuse
June 7, 2010
Effort to create a Cabinet-level Department on Aging fails
Nashville, TN – Tennessee lawmakers this year adopted legislation to protect seniors from abuse and scams, but stopped short of consolidating dozens of programs for the elderly scattered across 23 state departments and agencies.
As the 2010 legislative session wound toward a close, lawmakers unanimously approved a bill seeking to protect seniors and others from abuse by health care providers. The Senate sent the governor the Elderly and Disabled Adults Protection Act (SB2297/HB2284) on a 27-0 vote on Thursday.
The Tennessee Senate
