COGNITIVE CARE AND MEMORY CARE

Cerna specializes in Cognitive impairments from Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Parkinson’s Stroke, Injuries, Diabetes and Others. We train our staff and use the Alzheimer’s Associations “CARES Training” to ensure our staff know and understand the special care requirements of someone with a Cognitive Impairment. Our staff implements special stimulation tools and techniques to help the brain hold on to cognition and thrive. We integrate physical and lifestyle changes into our clients lives to ensure quality of life and vitality.

Cerna works with the top Neurologists and Dementia Specialists and continues to develop the best overall program for in-home care and stimulation. Memory care is the term for a care option for people who have been diagnosed with such conditions or have problems with at least two areas of daily living (ADLs). Memory care allows a person experiencing memory loss to maintain a level of independence in the comfort, security and familiarity of their own home with professional staff. There are four categories that can greatly affect a person’s lifelong ability to cope with a cognitive impairment and thrive:

Memory Care

MEDICATIONS:

Memantine (Namenda). This is a type of medicine that can slow the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease. It may also benefit those with mild to moderate vascular dementia. More studies are under way.

Rivastigmine (Exelon) can now be given through a skin patch. Skin patches release medicine into the blood at a steady level and may reduce side effects. And it’s easier for caregivers to make sure a person is taking the medicine properly when the person uses a skin patch.

The doctor may prescribe medicines for high blood pressure and high cholesterol, since these conditions are risk factors for vascular dementia. These drugs cannot reverse existing dementia, but they may prevent future strokes and heart disease that can lead to further brain damage.

Antidepressants to treat depression, which is common in dementia. They must be used with caution, because they can cause delirium in people with dementia. Antidepressants that have the fewest side effects in people with dementia are the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Antipsychotic Medicines such as risperidone (Risperdal) or olanzapine (Zyprexa), called antipsychotic drugs. Doctors may use these to treat symptoms such as anxiety, agitation, aggression, sleep problems, firmly held false beliefs (delusions), and hallucinations. Antipsychotic drugs are not approved by the FDA for the treatment of dementia. Studies of people with psychosis due to dementia who were treated with these medicines found an increased risk of death. Discuss this risk with your doctor before taking these medicines.

DIET:

Recent studies and data shows that low fat, low sugar, and high omega three fatty acids improve and prolong the memory and cognition of people with cognitive impairments.

  • Fresh Fish
  • Nuts and Seeds
  • Whole Grains
  • Vegetables
  • Fruits

CARDIOVASCULAR ACTIVITY:

Exercises that elevate the heart rate such as Walking, Stretching, Moving, Low Impact Sports, “The Counter Exercises”, “The Chair Exercises” and Dancing increase blood oxygen to the brain and help combat the effects of Dementia. Cerna’s in-home memory and cognition care includes an adequate amount of exercises on a daily basis to ensure vitality and performance is documented.

COGNITIVE ACTIVITY:

Activities that exercise the mind, such as interacting with music and art have proven to help neurological tissue become more vibrant. Short term memory exercises, such as “Item/Number Recall” have shown to slow down the progress of Dementia and memory impairing conditions. Cerna Staff uses many different exercises and programs to invoke new cognitive activity with our clients. Performance is documented and reviewed by management to ensure the right task difficulty levels are being administered at all times.