When a senior loved one is diagnosed with a memory disease such as Alzheimer’s, it can be challenging for the entire family.
The Kensington White Plains is familiar with the challenges of loving and caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia and understands the importance of finding the right resources.
Throughout the year, we offer events for our resident’ caregivers and families to help familiarize them with their loved one’s conditions and to provide resources.
RSVP here for our virtual panel discussion on brain health, including the care, cure, and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, on Nov. 10.
This informative event will be moderated by Lauren Miller Rogen, co-founder of hilarity for charity, and include powerful guest speakers:
- Doris Molina-Henry
- Assistant Professor at the USC Keck School of Medicine Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute
- Sarah Kremen, MD
- Behavioral Neurologist and the Director of the Neurobehavior Program at the Jona Goldrich Center for Alzheimer’s and Memory Disorders at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center
- Sharon Sha, MD
- Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University and Medical Director of the Stanford Neuroscience Clinical Trials Group
- Charles Windon, MD
- Assistant professor of neurology at the University of California San Francisco Memory and Aging Center
- Leila Parand, MD
- Assistant Clinical Professor of Neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Read on to learn more about navigating life after a loved one receives an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, hereditary risks and prevention measures, advancements in research, and how a senior living community can help your loved one live a high quality of life.
How to navigate life after a loved one receives dementia or Alzheimer’s diagnosis
If your family is like most families, you may be worried and curious about how an Alzheimer’s diagnosis will affect you.
In the early stages of a memory disease, your loved one may not experience many symptoms. In this case, they will be independent enough to live with minor support.
However, since Alzheimer’s and dementia are neurodegenerative diseases, they will progress, and your loved one’s care needs will increase.
Before your loved one’s disease progresses, learn about the condition, its stages, and what your loved one’s care needs will be throughout each stage.
Understanding the type of care your loved one will need will help you and your family create a care plan for your loved one. Perhaps, with the help of your family, your loved one can remain in their home until they require further medical assistance.
Or maybe you’ve decided that they would fare better in an assisted living community. Make their transition to a memory care community more manageable by involving your loved one in the discussion.
At an assisted living community and memory care community like The Kensington White Plains, your loved one can live comfortably and age in place.
Hereditary risk factors and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease
Since the number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease is growing, scientists are working hard to learn more about the disease and the brain.
While genetics alone cannot guarantee you or your loved one will develop Alzheimer’s disease, scientists have discovered risk genes.
These risk genes include APOE e4, APOE e3, and APOE e2. You and your loved one can find out if you have them through genetic testing.
Scientists believe a combination of genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors trigger Alzheimer’s.
Eating a brain-healthy diet, exercising, getting enough sleep, treating other illnesses, and limiting stress can help prevent memory diseases. Reducing risk factors is the best way to protect the brain and allow it to age naturally.
During the event, panelists will discuss more factors and prevention measures, so you can help your loved one live a high-quality life.
The latest breakthroughs in research and treatment
With over 6.5 million adults living with Alzheimer’s, research and new medications for diseases like Alzheimer’s are essential to seniors’ health and well-being.
At present, scientists are working on treatments that affect the protein beta-amyloid.
In the brains of those with Alzheimer’s disease, and some forms of dementia, scans show a build-up of beta-amyloid.
The new drug Lecanemab targets beta-amyloid and has shown promising results in slowing the progression of the disease.
Biogen and Eisai pharmaceutical companies hope this new drug will be FDA-approved early next year.
Blood testing has become reliable in detecting beta-amyloids in the brain of those with Alzheimer’s disease, even those who are not yet showing symptoms.
You can learn more about blood testing and current breakthroughs at our event.
Kensington Senior Living devotes care to both seniors and families
The Kensington White Plains supports our residents and their family’s mental, emotional, and physical health.
We offer the following services to help our residents age healthily:
- Acuity care
- Alzheimer’s care
- Dementia care
- Parkinson’s care
- On-site rehabilitation services through HelathPro Heritage
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
- Therapeutic and wellness services
- Life-enrichment activities
- Healthy and delicious dining services
- Speciality diets
For our residents’ families we provide caregiver resources and tips on our blog and Kensington Konnect, encourage empowerment and offer informative events.
Kensington Senior Living, your partner in caregiving
Our Promise at The Kensington White Plains is to love and care for our residents as we do our own family.
We maintain this promise by offering around-the-clock loving care, a full spectrum of clinical support, medication administration and injections, on-site licensed nurses, and a passionate team.
No matter what our residents’ care needs are, we are equipped to assist and support them.
With two memory care communities, Connections and Haven, your loved one can get specialized care, based on their individualized care plan.
You can register for our event here and learn more about Alzheimer’s disease breakthroughs and caregiver challenges.
Check out our blog, or contact us to enquire about our services, cozy suites, floor plans, caregiver resources, financing, and upcoming events.