Catch up on all the news related to mental health and psychiatry from the last few weeks!
 With Christmas quickly approaching this week, we think not only about the individuals who find the holiday season emotionally challenging as a consequence of mental health issues, but also to the families and caregivers of loved ones with diagnoses of dementia.
In the story below, one family describes how the holiday season can be an especially difficult time for those with a family member at home with Alzheimer's, filled with confusion for the individual with dementia and often sadness as the family reflects on the past and takes note of the changes inflicted by the disease. However, the article also incorporates information and suggestions from the family and experts in the field as to how to best support the loved one with dementia during this season, in addition to ensuring that caregivers are supported as well. "Caring for Helen as her mind deteriorates has never been easy for Terry and Mary, but the holidays make things harder. They have to strategize about how to celebrate without disrupting Helen's routine. They struggle with how to prepare relatives for Helen's inevitably worse condition and brace for the anger and disappointment they've come to expect when fewer friends turn up every Christmas ... For Mary and Terry, taking some of the pressure off has made Christmas more bearable, but they can't shake the sense of loss that comes with it. "For me the hard part is that my mother-in-law is still with us physically, but mentally she's not there," Mary says. "It's almost like having somebody that's a stranger at Christmas."" For the full article, click here: http://ht.ly/Wcnpv  As mentioned in our previous post on deep brain stimulation (DBS), this form of neurostimulation which is being studied at Toronto's University Health Network, is also being offered as an experimental treatment to patients with anorexia and mild forms of Alzheimer's and it's already showing promise for both.
You can learn more about some of the early results of DBS in patients with these mental illnesses here: http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/health-headlines/canadian-researchers-use-electricity-to-stimulate-brains-of-alzheimer-s-patients-1.2221623 http://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/deep-brain-stimulation-offers-treatment-hope-for-severe-anorexia-patients-1.2266141 Service dogs have received well-deserved recognition in recent years for supporting those living with mental illness. Dementia Dogs is a recent initiative in Scotland aimed at training service dogs to help those living with dementia to maintain their independence. "[Dementia Dogs] can help people with dementia maintain their walking, sleeping and eating routine, remind them to take medication, improve confidence, keep them active and engaged with their local community, as well as providing a constant companion who will reassure when facing new and unfamiliar situations." To learn more about this amazing initiative, check out the Dementia Dogs website: http://dementiadog.org/index.html The Alzheimer Society of Canada in partnership with the Canadian Government has recently launched a new online campaign, titled Dementia Friends, aimed at raising awareness of dementia and how to better support those living with the disease. "A Dementia Friend is someone who learns a little bit more about what it's like to live with dementia and then turns that understanding into simple actions that can help people with dementia live well. Registering to become a Dementia Friend is easy and means joining a growing number of individuals and workplaces who are increasing awareness and creating positive change." To register to become a Dementia Friend, visit www.dementiafriends.ca  Just as the general population is aging rapidly, so too is the population behind bars. The California Men's Colony, a minimum and medium security prison in California, started a pilot program in 2012 to train those who are incarcerated to become dementia aids in order to help provide 24/7 care for fellow inmates who have developed dementia while in prison. Dementia aids attend to all of an inmate's personal care and emotional needs while fostering the development of a new-found sense of purpose, empathy, and trust. To learn more about this program check out this video published by the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/video/health/100000001367225/dementia-behind-bars.html
With no cure available for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, the Hebrew Home in New York has started an innovative pilot program to improve the quality of life of their residents with dementia using video technology. To see the effect that this project is having check out the video from the Associated Press below. |
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Supporting and enhancing students' and health professionals' knowledge and understanding of mental health and psychiatry
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