Now that the silly season with regard to eating and drinking indulgence is out of the way and we ponder our annual commitments to betterment, it’s reasonable to consider the expression, ‘you are what you eat’. After all, it’s hard to deny – how else other than nutritional intake could we generate body tissues and have the energy to feed them? And to zero in to a specific body part, as is my particular interest, your brain is undeniably what you eat too. I sometimes get asked what are good foods to help reduce the risk of dementia or for recovery from brain injury. The research shows that the M ..read more

Did you know that when a food has a healthy sounding label, people tend to eat more of it? Think of the last time you bought something that was “low in fat” or had fewer calories; did you eat more or less of it?   This “healthy label” myth has proven to lead us to consume unnecessary added calories. For example; using two or three spoonful of reduced fat dressing when normally, you might just use less of the regular version… By eating more foods with the terms “reduced, low or free”, than you would eat of their original versions, you could possibly increase your calorie intake, and make y ..read more

Did you know that Music Therapy has proven to be particularly effective for people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD)? As a nurse working with residents affected by Parkinson’s and Dementia, I have noticed a profound response to music being played in the dining room during meals and throughout the day. More smiles, frequent interactions between residents, toe tapping and even increased food consumption at meal times. Research in both music therapy and in neuroscience has shown that in fact, music can affect function in profound ways. Some examples are improved gait and walking, which are two of the ..read more

Eating alone is increasingly common in all age groups but may be of particular concern for seniors. Cooking for one person can be harder because they have to scale down recipes, but it also takes the pleasure of cooking for loved ones out of the equation. Instead of stimulating dinner conversations, the television becomes “the other person at the table”. Unfortunately, this leads to a lot of poor meal choices which turn out to be quick and easy to obtain… While many seniors are very active, others don’t have the energy or the ability to prepare meals for themselves. Some may have never set foo ..read more

On looking back, the thing that hurts most about an abusive relationship is realizing you aware of it but felt powerless to do anything. Most abuse doesn’t start with a black eye or any tangible physical signs. Commonly it begins just like any other relationship. The abuse usually starts with subtle signs that seem harmless at the time; playful nagging or teasing supposedly done in jest, or attempts at controlling behaviour. At first it may seem that your caregiver or loved one is simply invested in the relationship, but this slowly spirals into their being in total control. Slowly your partne ..read more

How to recognize and manage caregivers’ stress. Did you know that nurses are routinely forgoing their breaks and/or meal periods in order to provide patient care? Some researchers found that nurses took a break or ate a meal free of patient care responsibilities, in less than half the shifts they worked over a 1-month period. During the remaining shifts, they either worked nonstop throughout the entire shift, or were able to sit down for only a short period, while remaining responsible for patient care activities during their breaks or meals. As a nurse working in a long term care facility, I ..read more

Older people – particularly those with dementia – are at risk of becoming agitated at night. When night falls, they often become confused and restless, at times even screaming out loud. Some of them hallucinate, are unable to sleep, and are even apt to climb over their bed’s side rail. If they leave their room, they pace and wander the halls in their home, the hospital ward or the nursing home. The next morning, they fall asleep and remain sleepy for the rest of the day until it becomes dark again. There is a name for this behaviour; Healthcare workers call it Sundowning. Sundowning can manife ..read more

One of the more obvious trends affecting the nursing profession, and even the healthcare world, in general, is one of patient demographics. The Canadian population is aging, with adults over the age of 85 representing the fastest growing age group of all. Naturally, as people age, their dependence on health care services increases accordingly. For the nursing profession, this represents a greater emphasis being placed on learning and understanding the issues that impact older adults. As well as the manpower required to do such task. Canada faces an enormous demographic shift. Sometime between ..read more