Health / Wellness

 

CAC and SAGE Collaborate on Brain Health in LGBT Seniors

SAGE (Senior Action in a Gay Environment)/Milwaukee is committed to advancing quality of life for seniors who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender.  On October 30, 2008, they held their annual luncheon to encapsulate accomplishments made over the last year and discuss plans for the upcoming year.  Bill Serpe, SAGE's director, and CAC's Tom Fritsch, are presently having discussions about how to partner to bring principles of brain health and cognitive fitness to the LGBT community.  Stay tuned for updates...

 

Wellness Works:

Exercise Physiology Lab

Faculty, staff and students of the Exercise Physiology Laboratory study the effects of physical activity and exercise on human physiology and public health. The laboratory examines glucose and metabolic regulation, obesity, physical activity promotional strategies, mediators and moderators of physical activity behavior, and methodological improvements in assessing physical activity and obesity. The laboratory's integrated approach to scientific study covers multiple populations, with a specific focus in older adults.

The Exercise Physiology Lab has a number of on-going studies in which they are actively recruiting older adults to participate. For more information please the Exercise Physiology Lab website or call Nora Miller (414) 229-4392.
 

Serial Trial Intervention (STI): Effect of a Pain Protocol on Discomfort in Dementia

The overall goal of this program of study is to improve assessment and treatment of discomfort in people with advanced dementia. This study is a test of two interventions designed to meet that goal. The purpose of this study is to compare the effect of the Serial Trial Intervention plus long term stabilization intervention (STI plus) to the STI alone on five outcomes: discomfort, behavioral symptoms, stress (cortisol), discomfort comorbidities, and use of acute care services. The STI was developed to assist in the differential diagnosis and treatment process: the focus is on early identification and correction of problems associated with discomfort. Our recent CT demonstrated that use of the STI was effective in decreasing discomfort.

Despite the effectiveness of the STI, we found limitations in directing treatment that sustained improvements in comfort. Thus, we have developed the long term stabilization intervention (STI plus) to supplement the STI. The STI plus focuses on minimizing the clinically preventable and treatable burden of discomfort over a longer time period. 

The STI manual is available on our products page.  Contact Dr. Christine Kovach for more information.

 

Effect of the BACE (Balancing Arousal Controls Excesses) Intervention on Agitation of People with Dementia

Dr. Christine Kovach's Balancing and Connecting (BAC) program focuses on three foundational aspects of care for all people with dementia: a) decreasing environmental stress; b) balance times of sensory stimulating and calming activity; and c) increase meaningful human interaction. These techniques will not change ALL behavior, particularly if the behavior is caused by pain or another physical problem. These factors target BALANCE and CONNECTING which are foundational to quality of living for ALL people. People with dementia seem to have a decrease threshold for stressors created by these imbalances. So, the techniques you learn in the BAC program will teach you to uncover any imbalances.

REASONS THIS SYSTEM WORKS:

  • THE BAC PROGRAM IS BASED ON WORK FROM MANY LEADERS IN DEMENTIA CARE
  • RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THE METHODS ARE EFFECTIVE IN DECREASING AGITATION OF PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA
  • THE PROCESS IS EASY TO LEARN AND INCORPORATE INTO QUARTERLY REVIEWS

 

Funded by the Helen Bader Foundation, Dr. Kovach's study examined the effectiveness of Balancing Times of Sensory Stimulating and Calming Activity on decreasing agitation.  The purpose of the study was to test the effectiveness of the theoretically driven BACE (i.e. Balancing Arousal Controls Excesses) intervention in decreasing agitation in residents of long term care with moderate or severe dementia.  Kovach and her team specifically designed the study to measure observed agitation before and after the intervention.  Results support that balancing arousal states utilizing an individualized approach is effective in decreasing agitation levels of people with dementia.  The BAC manual offers instructions on how to incorporate simple interventions into daily care.

The BAC manual is available on our products page. 

Center on Age & Community Studies Role of Memory Clubs on Cognitive Aging

Across the country, early memory loss clubs and brain fitness groups are emerging at a grass roots level in senior centers and assisted living facilities. In response, CAC, in collaboration with three Milwaukee-based senior centers (Lutheran Home, Luther Manor, and Lutheran Social Services) and the Fairfield Senior Center, Fairfield, Cal., has launched a study to examine the role of participation in a memory club over one year.

This program was designed by a team of Activities Directors experienced in working with elders. Scientific evidence suggests that memory and brain functioning can be enhanced through involvement in activities such as art, reading maps, playing trivia games, education, storytelling, reminiscence and socializing with others. Research volunteers will include approximately 60 older adults with a condition causing memory loss or a "subjective memory complaint." They will take part in "mental exercises" designed to call on memory, verbal and spatial skills, reasoning and other cognitive functions. Socializing and exercise will also be components of the clubs.

The care partners (family members-usually a spouse or adult child) of club participants will be asked to provide information about their own feelings of burden, depression and life satisfaction, due to caring for a person with memory loss.

"Results from this Memory Club study will be used to enhance the lives of older adults, while also contributing to research and gerontology-related practice," said Tom Fritsch, Ph.D., principal investigator of this study.

Program facilitators will keep careful records of time usage. During club sessions, research assistants will make direct observations of the number of social interactions, levels of engagement and apparent mood of each individual.

After the year-long study, researchers will examine whether there are associations between the amount of time spent doing the various cognitive tasks and changes in volunteers' cognitive functioning and well-being over time. They will also study the role of Memory Club participation on care partner well-being. The research team plans to share their research results in scholarly publications and through a curriculum manual, which will made available to senior and adult day centers, with a goal of encouraging other adult day centers to implement the program.