November 6, 2014
To quote the late Maya Angelou, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” Truer words were never spoken.
A new study from the University of Iowa shows that caregivers have a profound influence on those who often cannot remember them or their actions – Alzheimer’s patients. According to the study, published in the September 2014 issue of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, when Alzheimer’s patients were shown clips of sad and happy movies, they sustained states of sadness or happiness despite not being able to remember the movies.
This means that, though patients with Alzheimer’s disease may not be able to remember recent visits by loved ones or their daily interactions with a caregiver, those actions have a lasting impact on how the patients feel. According to the study’s lead author, Edmarie Guzman-Velez, “This confirms that the emotional life of an Alzheimer’s patient is alive and well.” You can read more about this study in this article from Alzheimer’s Weekly.
Because there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, it is important to understand the best techniques to care for someone with the disease. Attending to a person’s emotional life will go a long ways towards improving his or her overall sense of well-being. Check out a few of Continuum’s educational resources for Alzheimer’s and dementia care.
At Continuum, a central part of our mission is a commitment to enhancing the emotional lives of our clients. We have dedicated caregivers who provide more than just basic care. Continuum provides a holistic care experience that supports our clients and ensures they are nurtured and respected at every level of memory care. This is just one of the many reasons why we are the preferred choice for home care in St. Louis.
Contact us today to find out more about the Missouri home health care services that we offer.