The Benefits of Respite Care
The demands of caregiving can stress out even the most resilient person. Nor is it easy for the person who is receiving care as they worry about the loved one who is helping them. This is why the National Institute on Aging (NIA) encourages caregivers to ask for help and take a break when needed.
Respite care offers short-term relief for primary caregivers, giving them time to step back from their day-to-day duties caring for a loved one to rest, travel or spend time with other family and friends. It can also provide a safe haven for someone who is ready to leave the hospital or rehab after recovering from an illness or surgery but still feels like they could use some assistance with their daily care.
Many assisted living facilities like MorningStar of Beaverton offer short-term stays of up to a month for respite care. Services include 24/7 personalized care including help with the ADLs (activities of daily living) such as bathing and dressing as well as meals and medication. It can also include help with getting in and out of bed and other necessary services.
While a respite care resident, you can take advantage of the many amenities assisted living communities offer. For instance, MorningStar of Beaverton has a full calendar of daily, vibrant social activities that include meaningful wellness and fitness programs like a Stretch and Strengthen Fitness class and a Prestige Balance Fitness class. In-house church services and movie matinees, creative crafts in our Enrichment Room and a chance to express yourself in our Art Studio would be available to respite care residents. Join fun games such as trivia and bingo, or happy hours at our in-house bistro. All-day 5-star dining is sure to make your respite stay a true culinary experience.
Visit the MorningStar of Beaverton senior living community website to inquire about respite careas well as our independent living, and memory care options. Our 66 assisted living suites are available in a choice of floor plans and configurations(some as large as 974 square feet); and deliver style, comfort, services, amenities and location. For seniors with Alzheimer’s and dementia-related diseases, we offer 38 memory care suites. While you are on our website, set up a personalized tour of one of the most desirable retirement communities Beaverton, OR offers.
Hopeful Breakthroughs in 2025 Regarding Alzheimer’s
A recent Washington Post article discussed several new treatment and diagnostic options for Alzheimer’s that should bring some comfort to a disease in which up to now, there has been little hope. With an estimated number of Americans developing the disease expected to increase from approximately a half of million people in 2020 to a million by 2060, we all hope for answers.
Ronald Peterson, a professor of neurology and the former director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, reports, “I think we are at the threshold of making a significant impact on the quality of life – the health span, not just the lifespan. “
One of those significant advances has been the FDA’s first ever approved blood test with over a 90 percent accuracy rate. The test detects the signals of amyloid beta plaques and tau tangles, which are the biological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. The new test is much more accessible, more affordable and less invasive than the previous PET neuroimaging test. Experts say this will revolutionize diagnosing the disease and provide opportunity for earlier treatments and intervention.
Another encouraging step comes from the largest lifestyle intervention clinical trial known as U.S. POINTER. Its early reporting shows targeting multiple areas like nutrition, exercise, cognitive training, and health monitoring has helped to improve cognitive measures for those at risk for dementia.
Other findings producing hopeful results are the role vaccines may play in reducing dementia risk. One study tracked adults who received both the shingles and RSV vaccines with a lower risk for dementia. Experts say two things may be responsible. The first is that vaccines reduce the risk of infections and inflammation, which have been linked to an increase in dementia; or that the actual vaccines themselves may activate the immune system in a beneficial way.
Also, there has been talk about lithium carbonate, a drug that has treated bipolar disorder for quite some time, as having a role in treating Alzheimer’s. Researchers say there is compelling data pointing to the use of lithium orotate to reverse damage Alzheimer’s causes to the brain, but caution that much more research needs to be done.
MorningStar of Beaverton senior living community provides the area with trusted independent living, assisted living and memory care. We offer 66 independent and assisted living suites in a choice of floorplans and configurations (some as large as 974 square feet); and deliver style, comfort, services, amenities and location for a carefree lifestyle. For those suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia-related diseases, we offer 38 memory care suites. Contact us to schedule a personalized tour to see our beautiful retirement communities firsthand.