AlzheimersNotes.com
Do you enjoy tea time with your Alzheimer’s family member…or have memories of family rituals involving them?  Afternoon tea was an everyday occurrence at my grandmother’s when I was growing up. 
Nanny would have her cup of tea while my aunts often sipped their coffee.  When I visited them at their Trails End Farm, I looked forward to 3 o’clock when we stopped quilting, sewing, cooking, cleaning or other tasks and sat at the table with tea, coffee, milk and cookies while we laughed and chatted.  Anyone visiting was invited to join in.
Tea for hospitality became a habit with my mom, too, one …read more

Being a caregiver for an Alzheimer’s patient, whether you’re a family member or staff member at a nursing home, can be a stressful job at times.  How can we decrease our stress levels, or at least keep them from rising?
Recent research by the University College London and Unilever indicates that drinking four cups of black tea a day may reduce blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol.  Apparently this is the first research using a “black tea” group and a “placebo” group. 
For years, drinking tea has been associated with having a calming effect, but this research indicates it’s more than …read more