Taking Antidepressants? You Might Want to Read This

So what does that mean? The study found that persons having "...long genes were half as likely to suffer depression as those with at least one short gene."2 Ironically, individuals who had two short genes were also found not only to suffer from depression, but also had correlating higher levels of serotonin. Because antidepressants (as ones mentioned above) are designed to raise serotonin levels, it in fact implies that medicines such as these do not work as well as originally planned. Based on these compelling results, seriousness of administering antidepressants to persons who already have heightened levels of serotonin could present itself with devastating outcomes. According to FDA's Psychopharmacological Drugs Advisory Committee, an Antidepressants Update report was made on October 18, 1991 discussing effects of certain antidepressants with regard to suicidal thoughts, acts or other violent behavior. At that point in time, FDA had already received several reports and testimony "...from patients, advocacy groups, and other interested parties."3 It was over a decade later, (March 22, 2004) when same FDA released a Public Health Advisory expressing that pharmaceutical companies place warning labels on same medications due to "Worsening Depression and Suicidality in Patients Being Treated with Antidepressant Medications."

How Adult Day Care can help you maintain your sanity while caring for your loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease

Adult Day Care provides comfort, support, care, companionship and counseling for elderly or Alzheimer’s patients who require supervision during daytime hours. It offers patients opportunity to socialize and to receive health and social services in a stimulating and supportive environment. When you have chosen your Day Care, make sure that their license is current and do not hesitate to ask questions. Among others, ·Ask to see results of their state inspections and if there were any deficiencies, ask if they have been corrected. ·Observe if patients are involved in activities. ·Does staff encourage participants to be as independent as possible? ·Ask about staff to client ratio. For Alzheimer’s patients, ratio should be at least one staff member for every eight patients. ·Meet director and staff. ·Is there a lot of staff turnover? ·What are emergency procedures? ·Do they serve meals and how are they prepared? Do they offer food for patients of special dietary needs? ·Is there a secure outdoor area sufficient for walking and spending time outside? It can be vital for an Alzheimer’s patient to spend time outdoors in order to have a good quality of life. ·What are hours of operation? ·How do they handle participants who wander? ·How often must participant attend and for how long? ·How involved can I be as a family member? Find out what requirements for admission are. These may include a health history and a physical may be necessary with a current (within last year) TB test or chest x-ray. Take time to sit with director or staff and go through all processes prior to attending day care.