Introducing
the
About Alz Well
Pictured: Marilyn Evans,
Grandmother of Alz Well Founder
Founded by a gerontologist specializing in dementia and life enrichment, Alz Well LLC creates quality, evidence-based products that support healthy and engaged lifestyles for people with Alzheimer's and other types of dementia.
Julia Larimer, founder of Alz Well LLC, is the granddaughter of someone affected by Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Inspired by her family’s caregiving journey, she earned a degree in gerontology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She serves on the Alumni Advisory Committee at Miami’s Scripps Gerontology Center.
Julia is an old-people-person at heart and by profession. She is a licensed nursing home administrator and certified activities director with over ten years of experience working with seniors, including as a Memory Care Director.
Why is it important for someone with dementia to get a good night's sleep?
Preserve Cognitive
Abilities
Trouble sleeping is linked to more rapid cognitive decline.
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1. Lim, A. S., Kowgier, M., Yu, L., Buchman, A. S., & Bennett, D. A. (2013). Sleep Fragmentation and the Risk of Incident Alzheimer's Disease and Cognitive Decline in Older Persons. Sleep, 36(7), 1027–1032. https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.2802
Prevent
Injuries
Among people with dementia, 70% of nighttime emergency room injuries are for fractures.
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2. Rowe, M. A., Kelly, A., Horne, C., Lane, S., Campbell, J., Lehman, B., Phipps, C., Keller, M., & Benito, A. P. (2009). Reducing dangerous nighttime events in persons with dementia by using a nighttime monitoring system. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 5(5), 419–426. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2008.08.005
Reduce Risk of Aggression
A poor night's sleep leads to an increased risk of aggression and other behavioral symptoms.
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3. Hennawy, M., Sabovich, S., Liu, C. S., Herrmann, N., & Lanctôt, K. L. (2019). Sleep and Attention in Alzheimer's Disease. The Yale journal of biology and medicine, 92(1), 53–61.
Promote Healthy Sleep-Wake Cycle
People with Alzheimer's spend up to 40% of the night awake, and then much of the next day is spent sleeping.
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4. Alzheimer's Association. (n.d.). Treatments for Sleep Changes. Retrieved from https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/treatments/for-sleep-changes
