Let me tell you a story. Not the kind that has a hero or heroine that saves the world. Or maybe it is…

There once was a place called Sage for Aging. This was a mythical place where hundreds of its inhabitants whispered secrets of caring in the wind. A great wizard decided to gather all the secrets, building a castle to hold the sacred words of the Sage for Aging people. Sadly, over time, the castle fell into decay. Some visitors of the place saw the beauty of the castle and began work to restore it. Because the castle housed so many powerful secrets, the work was difficult and the visitors couldn’t stay. The castle remains, a shadow of its former glory, waiting for a new wizard…

It actually is a bit of a fairytale but Sage for Aging is a real place. Hundreds of Illinois health and allied health professionals over five plus years contributed “tips” to a database to help caregivers find quick and easy solutions to daily problems. The database with over 5,000 tips did break (perhaps internet gremlins were to blame) and although the tips remain, they are no longer in a castle that can be visited without some peril. You can find it at sageforaging.com.

We have decided to share these tips from time to time in this blog while we wait the wizard.

SAGE FOR AGING TIP #1

Care recipient wanders at night

Try: Fill an aquarium with water, install the aquarium pump, place the fish still in its bag on top of the aquarium water for 1 hour, open the bag and let the fish swim into the aquarium water, feed the fish according to the directions from the pet store . Place the aquarium in the care recipient’s room, the use of low-intensity continuous rhythmic sounds such as the aquarium pump may promote sounder sleep and reduce nighttime wandering.

Materials: Small aquarium, aquarium pump, fish, water in a bag purchased from pet store, water, fish food

Of course, there is a lot more involved in starting and maintaining an aqarium. The idea behind it, of course, is to present rhythmic sound into the room, soothing the waking times of a person with dementia.

Hope you liked this little tip, stay tuned for more!