VIEW ARTICLE October 16, 2025 1:09 am When Costumes Confuse – Supporting Loved Ones with Dementia During Halloween For many, Halloween is a season of laughter and imagination. But for individuals living with dementia, flashing lights, eerie sounds, and masked faces can cause significant distress. Certain types of dementia – particularly Lewy Body dementia and Parkinson’s-related dementia – can make a person more prone to visual hallucinations or misperceptions. The Lewy Body Dementia […]
VIEW ARTICLE October 9, 2025 12:29 pm Sweet but Scary – How Halloween Sugar Haunts the Brain Halloween brings excitement, nostalgia, and a flood of candy bowls across America. Yet, behind this playful tradition lies a very real concern for our brains. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), diets high in added sugars have been linked to decreased learning ability, impaired memory, and slower cognitive processing (National Institutes of Health, […]
VIEW ARTICLE September 17, 2025 3:25 pm Eating With Purpose – How Food Choices Support Brain Health Food fuels both body and brain, which is why Nutritional Wellness is the fourth pillar of our SPIN® model. At CERTUS, we design menus that go beyond nutrition to actively support cognitive function, emotional health, and social engagement. Brain-healthy ingredients – leafy greens, colorful vegetables, omega-3-rich fish, nuts, berries, and anti-inflammatory spices like turmeric – […]
VIEW ARTICLE October 16, 2025 1:09 am When Costumes Confuse – Supporting Loved Ones with Dementia During Halloween For many, Halloween is a season of laughter and imagination. But for individuals living with dementia, flashing lights, eerie sounds, and masked faces can cause significant distress. Certain types of dementia – particularly Lewy Body dementia and Parkinson’s-related dementia – can make a person more prone to visual hallucinations or misperceptions. The Lewy Body Dementia […]
VIEW ARTICLE July 23, 2025 11:38 pm Caregivers Need the Sun Too – How Natural Light Boosts Mood and Energy When you’re caring for someone else, it’s easy to forget to care for yourself. But taking time to soak in a bit of sunshine can improve your energy, focus, and mood. And it doesn’t take much—just 15 to 30 minutes of natural light per day can make a big difference. Natural light helps regulate serotonin, […]
VIEW ARTICLE June 26, 2025 4:09 pm Light as Therapy – Embracing the Healing Power of the Sun Sunlight is more than brightness – it’s therapy. For individuals living with dementia, natural light supports sleep, stabilizes mood, and fosters daily engagement. Let June be a month where caregivers intentionally use light not just to brighten rooms, but to lift spirits and bring rhythm back into life. Fact: Sunlight exposure has been linked to […]
VIEW ARTICLE June 4, 2025 2:29 pm Let the Light In – Resetting the Dementia Clock June brings the perfect reminder that light is life. For those living with dementia, exposure to morning sunlight can serve as a gentle reset button for the body’s internal clock. Just like the seasons, our brains respond to environmental cues—and light is one of the most powerful. Encourage loved ones to start their day with […]
VIEW ARTICLE May 29, 2025 2:10 pm The Full Garden: Reflecting with Gratitude and Purpose As May draws to a close, it’s a time not only to look back but to look inward. What have you learned? What moments filled your heart? This blog is about practicing gratitude—not for a perfect journey, but for the meaningful one. Even in the most difficult caregiving situations, moments of connection, insight, and love […]
VIEW ARTICLE May 22, 2025 2:35 pm Hand in Hand: Strengthening the Resident-Caregiver Bond In dementia care, the relationship between the person receiving care and the caregiver is the heart of everything. This blog will focus on how to nurture that connection with intention and care. By spending quality time together, respecting boundaries, and learning each other’s rhythms, both individuals grow stronger. Using communication techniques, personal rituals, and shared […]
VIEW ARTICLE May 15, 2025 2:37 pm From Seedling to Support: Growing a Community of Care Care doesn’t happen in isolation. Behind every bloom is a web of roots. This blog will focus on building your care network—friends, family, professionals, and support groups. The more support you grow, the more sustainable your care becomes. Whether it’s joining an online support group or scheduling a family check-in call, your connections matter. They […]
VIEW ARTICLE May 1, 2025 5:32 pm May Blossoms: Celebrating Small Wins in Dementia Care May is here, and with it, the blooms of our early-season efforts. It’s time to celebrate the small victories: a shared laugh, a peaceful meal, a calm transition. These are the flowers of dementia care, and they are just as worthy of celebration as the big milestones. Sometimes we overlook progress because it doesn’t look […]
VIEW ARTICLE April 24, 2025 11:41 pm Planting the Future: Using Lifestyle Medicine to Sow Wellness Before May’s blooms, we need to plant intentionally. Lifestyle approaches—nutrition, movement, sleep, social connection, and sensory stimulation—are seeds that make a real difference in quality of life. These are not just buzzwords; they are evidence-based strategies that help treat the symptoms of dementia. At CERTUS, these principles come to life through the SPIN® model: · […]
VIEW ARTICLE April 16, 2025 3:23 pm Rainy Days, Reflective Moments: Caregiver Growth Through Challenges April’s rains can feel heavy, much like the emotional toll of caregiving. But these rainy moments hold deep purpose. They encourage us to stop, reflect, and grow. Caregiving isn’t always graceful, and that’s okay. Growth happens in the discomfort too. One helpful framework is the COACH approach: · Connect authentically · Observe mindfully · Act […]
