Many articles have been written about the skyrocketing costs of caring for seniors whether they still live at home or in a care facility. New research shows that people are living longer these days, but this longevity does bring new problems. Statistics show it is better to keep seniors at home as long as possible before they have to be put into care. How can wonderful golden years be achieved while going through various levels of giving up independence so that the quality of life remains high?
Seniors have to go through stages of giving up their cars and driving, maybe perhaps first during winter and then permanently. They have to downsize into smaller homes or homes just on one level as their ability to walk up and down stairs diminishes. They have to be caregivers to ailing spouses. Sometimes they have to live through the grief of losing a spouse they have spent more of their life with than without. They have to go through nostalgic items they have collected over the years and try to figure out what to do with them. If they move to a care center, the laundry is no longer done the way they want it to be. The food is not cooked the way they would cook it at home. Other people take over giving them their medications and making decisions for them. Perhaps they lose their vision or their hearing. Or they lose the ability to do a hobby that gave them great comfort or therapy to do or volunteering or doing things for others that gave them the feeling of doing good or being needed. Their busy families don’t have enough time to visit them as much as they would like to have company. People whose identities were very tied to their careers or lifestyles or hobbies now lose their feeling of identity and don’t know who they are anymore. Or their cognition starts to decline, but they are very aware of what is happening to them, but have no control over stopping it.
Do you wait until cognition peaks and starts to decline before doing anything about it? Or do you maintain peak mental fitness before brain function starts to slide? How do seniors keep from falling and breaking bones? Audio-Visual Entrainment (AVE) has been shown to be very beneficial to seniors. Studies show that AVE can reduce risk of falling plus improves cognition, memory and concentration. Using flashing lights and pulsing tones increases cerebral blood flow and stimulates neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and endorphins.
Dave Siever has written an article titled "Seniors: Getting Young Again by Boosting the Brain with Audio-Visual Entrainment that explains how this easy-to-use technology works.
These are some of the slides that show what the studies have proven about AVE.
Figure 1: Tom Budzynski’s study done on 31 seniors in two seniors’ homes in Seattle using his own version of our Brain Brightening session. This shows the % of seniors who showed significant improvements in the measures shown using the DAVID. The biggest improvements were in spatial ability, resulting in fewer falls.
Figure 2: Chris Palmquist’s study done with 42 seniors using our Brain Brightening session. She found that both delayed and working (immediate) memory were improved, whereas the controls did worse over time. She also found that the brainwaves sped up following treatment with the DAVID. This is VERY important as slower brainwaves are associated with cognitive decline and dementia.
Figure 3: Kathy Berg’s study completed with 80 seniors in various seniors’ homes in Alberta, Canada, using our Mood Booster session. She found large reductions in depression in the DAVID group. All of the seniors showed reduced depression.
Figure 4: Kathy Berg’s study with 80 seniors in various seniors’ homes in Alberta, Canada, using our Mood Booster session. Kathy found that the seniors using the DAVID had improved balance and after 8-weeks were no longer at risk of falling.
We are sharing several testimonials from seniors who have greatly benefited from using AVE.
Here is one from a person living in Missouri, US (February 29, 2012):
"I love this product (DAVID ALERT). I am so happy to have found this but very sad that it took me 71 years to find it. I tell you that I can't be happier. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."
Here is another one from a lady in Alberta, Canada (March 31, 2004):
"The self-confidence I felt after using the DAVID device was remarkable. Before the Mind Alive seniors’ study that I participated in,* I suffered a fear of falling for the past few years and my fears fed my depression. All of this was because of two painful outdoor falls in the past. After the falls I hardly went anywhere. If it wasn't for my friends that live next door I would not have managed to walk to the grocery store, which is only across the street. I felt bad bothering people to help me to the store - just to pick up a dozen eggs and cream.
After a few days of using the DAVID device, I felt more confident and mind seemed clearer. I think this was the combination I needed to feel like ‘my old self’ again. I was always independent and I dearly wanted that back. Now I go to the store by myself and purchase my own groceries twice a week.
Thank you, Mind Alive, for the strength you have given to this old lady."
*an AVE Intervention Depression Participant in a seniors’ study at Mind Alive Inc. She used the DAVID for four weeks before departing on a trip to Arizona.
Testimonial from Dave Thornton, Alberta, Canada, (December 21, 2006):
"I’ve always been a go, go, go kind of guy. I am a typical Type-A personality, and pretty 'wound up' most of the time. I’ve had stomach problems for a number of years, and then I started having a real big problem with heartburn. I was starting to have the kind of heartburn that was stubborn and wouldn’t go away all that easily. It was so bad one day that after 2 hours of suffering I finally went to the emergency room. The doctors there put me through all kinds of tests, etc. and could not find anything wrong. They sent me home with the usual shoulder shrugs and some sort of “cocktail” of antacids.
My family suggested using a DAVID to help me. I am very skeptical of this kind of stuff. I’m almost 75 years old so I’ve seen a lot of gimmicks and slick sales campaigns that promise the world and deliver nothing (or close to it). So, let’s just say I had my doubts that this machine was going to help me.
I ran my first session and had instant relief from my pain. I have had absolutely no stomach pains since that first session. It was just like a miracle, really. I use my DAVID at least two times a day, morning and night, and sometimes I can squeeze in an afternoon session too.
I am a firm believer now, and have since suggested it to many of my family members and they have had amazing results for themselves as well. I am so thankful for my DAVID, and I never go anywhere without it."
Here is another from a person in BC, Canada saying his 82-year-old dad uses it to lessen his back strain (September 2014):
"I am a very pleased new user of a DAVID Delight Pro. I've used AVE and sound based technology for 30+ years .... Your technology is the best I've ever used. Whether I'm using it to relax, meditate, or to energize; relieve a headache or inspire creativity; the DAVID Delight Pro does the job easily and seamlessly. Now it's become a bit of a fight to use the machine. Between my daughter using it to ease her periods and my 82-year-old dad using it to lessen his pain from back strain, this instrument is a popular item around our house!"
Testimonial from Ellen S., USA (Sep 2014):
"My husband is in hospice care ---- terrible nights - agitated - no sleep. The usual answer is to give morphine but we used the DAVID. Totally changed the night experience. Now he is comfortable. No more twitches. Sleeping pretty soundly. I gave the info to the Hospice people.” Well done, Dave Siever. I have very high regard for your work and all of you who have worked to produce this healing instrument."
AVE can help people in a variety of ways to increase their well-being. Anxiety, depression, low mood, hypertension, aches, pain and discomfort, and sleep issues can all be improved by this technology.
There are 5 categories of sessions for people to use:
- Energize
- Meditate
- Brain Booster
- Sleep
- Feeling Better
The buttons on the panel are large, identifiable and raised for easier use. The icons make the Delight device very user-friendly for seniors. Starting a session is very simple. The Energize sessions are a great way to get going in the morning. The Meditate sessions are a great way to relax and easily reach meditative states. Healthy Alpha Relaxer will help to produce healthy alpha waves. Schumann Resonance can be used for deeper meditation. The Brain Booster sessions are used to improve concentration and memory. SMR/Beta is great for seniors. Alpha to SMR/Beta is more stimulating and particularly effective for teens and adults with ADD/ADHD. The Sleep sessions help guide one from restless wakefulness into sleep. Paradise session is for those with busy minds and tense bodies and helps to lower anxiety and reduce tension. Serenity session is most effective for busy minds and relaxed bodies. People can start with Paradise first and move to Serenity as needed. The Feeling Better sessions settle down negative thoughts while boosting happiness. Mood Booster is best used in the morning, but may be used at any time. Meditation with Mood Booster has a relaxing introduction to calm generalized anxiety.
Why should a senior wait until cognition starts to decline? Keeping oneself in good shape mentally and physically now will keep quality of life higher.
by Mary-Anne Janewski, B.Ed. -
Should Seniors be Proactive or Wait Until They Start To Decline Mentally?