Category: family

Meaningful Pursuits: Create meaningful activities for those with Alzheimer’s and dementia

Posted by Jeannie Finnegan

An elderly woman wearing a sweater looks at a photo album with an adult female family member

Anyone caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s or dementia will at some point struggle with how to spend meaningful time with their loved one or add purpose to their lives. Family visits can feel awkward, pointless, or sad as we grapple with our loved one’s cognitive decline and memory loss, and it can become very challenging to have a meaningful visit. However, those with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia still have the need and capacity for meaning and purpose in life – they just need someone to guide them into appropriate activities that can add greatly to their happiness and quality of life.

What Is Cognitive Engagement and Why Is It Important?

Posted by Jeannie Finnegan

A senior citizen does a crossword puzzle for cognitive engagement and brain health.

Many factors affect brain health, and research demonstrates that certain activities appear to slow cognitive decline, including exercise, adequate sleep, social interaction, and cognitive engagement (also called cognitive stimulation). One study found that mentally intact individuals in their 70s and 80s were asked how frequently they participated in six activities that required active cognitive engagement—reading, writing, doing crossword puzzles, playing board or card games, engaging in group discussions, and playing music.

Looking Back and Looking Forward

Posted by Jeannie Finnegan

A road leading to a sunrise with an arrow from 2021 to 2022

Each year, many of us make resolutions to become a better version of ourselves in the new year. Many times, these new year’s resolutions focus on the negative — our worst qualities that we want to change, our bad habits we want to break, or our biggest mistakes we hope to rectify. If your past year had major losses, challenges, or setbacks, you may long for “the good old days” or how things once were, idealizing the past and longing for something that is gone. This is very easy to do when thinking about our pre-pandemic lives and the ways things are now, and certainly, many have experienced the loss of family or friends, jobs, and more.  

When the Holiday Season Isn’t Always a Happy One

Posted by Jeannie Finnegan

Senior woman at home on Christmas

With the holiday season upon us, everywhere we look we see signs of joy and festivity — sparkling lights in our neighborhoods, commercials of happy families celebrating together, decorations in every store, and social media pictures of holiday bliss. But despite being called the “most wonderful time of the year” and the “season to be jolly,” for many people, the holiday season can be a time of depression, grief, sadness and loneliness. 

The Therapeutic Power of Music

Posted by Jeannie Finnegan

A smiling and content man wearing headphones shows the emotional power of therapeutic music.

We have all been touched by music in many ways — perhaps soothed by a calming melody, motivated to exercise by an upbeat tune, brought to tears by a song linked to a special memory, or inspired to hit the dance floor with a favorite party song. These are just some of the ways that we instinctively use music therapeutically in our everyday lives. Music has the unique ability to stimulate multiple “brain centers” simultaneously, making it the most powerful art form there is. It can unlock the brain in ways that nothing else can.

When a loved one has dementia…

Posted by Jeannie Finnegan

Being a caregiver can be rewarding, overwhelming, inspiring, draining, and more. And being a caregiver for someone with dementia presents a host of unique and often intense challenges.  As the disease progresses and your loved one changes, you may find you have more questions than answers.