We are here
to help.
Navigating mental health can be overwhelming, scary, difficult, confusing.
We are here to help.
Navigating mental health can be overwhelming, scary, difficult, confusing.
resources
What is Mental Health?
interactive tools & Mental Health
Music & Mental health
My loved one just received a diagnosis. now what?
physical + Mental health
What is mental health?
According to Mental Health.Gov, mental health "includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood."
Everyone has mental health, but not everyone will experience mental illness. Mental illness is when something is disturbing one's mental health in a way that is interrupting daily life. There are a variety of mental illness diagnoses, and our team is trained to deal with each one. Below are the most common we see within our group members, but there are hundreds of diagnosis people may deal with in a lifetime.
Dementia + Alzheimer's Disease
Depression
anxiety
Many people think that Alzheimer's and Dementia are the same. In fact, they are not. Think of Dementia as an umbrella term, with Alzheimer's being only one type of dementia.
Alzheimers accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases.
problems with short-term memory
symptoms that start slowly and progress
confusion regarding situation and/or direction
Resources:
often we see:
Early Signs
of Alzheimer's
10
Music & Memory
We see depression frequently, which can be caused by internal or external factors.
often we see:
isolating, wanting to
avoid things they used
to enjoy
sadness, feelings of hopelessness or helplessness
poor hygiene, general "I don't care" attitude
depression
questionnaire
Anxiety is something we see often in our group & can be developed over time. It can happen alongside dementia, as group members adjust to their changing abilities.
often we see:
feelings of worry or dread that disrupt daily life
feeling "edgy" or unable to remain still, quiet or calm
having a difficult time concentrating because worry or dread becomes distracting
Anxiety
screening
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To
Top
A world-renowned expert of dementia care, Teepa Snow has a website filled with information regarding the care of those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's Disease.
Click here to visit TeepaSnow.com.
According to Mental Health.Gov, mental health "includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood."
Everyone has mental health, but not everyone will experience mental illness. Mental illness is when something is disturbing one's mental health in a way that is interrupting daily life. There are a variety of mental illness diagnoses, and our team is trained to deal with each one. Below are the most common we see within our group members, but there are hundreds of diagnosis people may deal with in a lifetime.
Many people think that Alzheimer's and Dementia are the same. In fact, they are not. Think of Dementia as an umbrella term, with Alzheimer's being only one type of dementia.
Alzheimer's accounts for 60-80%
of dementia cases.
problems with short-term memory
symptoms that start slowly & progress
confusion regarding situation and/or direction
We see depression frequently, which can be caused by internal or external factors.
isolating, wanting to avoid things they used to enjoy
sadness, feelings of hopelessness or helplessness
poor hygiene, general "I don't care" attitude
Anxiety is something we see often in our group & can be developed over time. It can happen alongside dementia, as group members adjust to their changing abilities.
often we see:
feelings of worry or dread that disrupt daily life
feeling "edgy" or unable to remain still, quiet or calm
having a difficult time concentrating because worry or dread becomes distracting
What is mental health?
dementia + alzheimer's disease
depression
often we see:
anxiety
Resources
10
early
signs of alzheimer's
Music & Memory
Depression
Questionnaire
Anxiety Screening
Back to top
A world-renowned expert of dementia care, Teepa Snow has a website filled with information regarding the care of those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's Disease.
Click here to visit TeepaSnow.com.
Many people think that Alzheimer's and Dementia are the same. In fact, they are not. Think of Dementia as an umbrella term, with Alzheimer's being only one type of dementia.
My loved one just received a diagnosis. now what?
This can be an incredibly scary & difficult time, because it can feel like there is so much unknown.
How do I help them? Why is this happening? When will they feel like themselves?
Often, a diagnosis can feel like a bad thing but it is a good, giant step in the right direction. Why? Because now we know how to help. Now we know that your loved one is not alone. We know there are a variety of treatments available.
We aren't dealing with the unknown anymore.
Treatment options
Support
Typically if your loved one has received a diagnosis, you have already completed the first step; reaching out to someone about their symptoms. A social worker, therapist, doctor, or psychiatrist are among the few mental health professionals that can offer advice and information about treatment options.
individual & group therapy, outpatient or inpatient
medication
change in living situation to a higher level of care
options include BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
Treatment
Locator
There is a great deal of information you'll be getting, tough decisions you'll be making. The good news is, there is ALSO support for you. You do not have to navigate this on your own.
Simply Googling "Family Resources for Mental Illness" gives you about 266,000,000 websites. However, we've narrowed it down for you; these are our favorite:
National
ASSOCIATION of mental illness
SUICIDE
prevention
resource
center
Back
To
Top
My loved one just received a diagnosis. now what?
This can be an incredibly scary & difficult time, because it can feel like there is so much unknown.
How do I help them? Why is this happening? When will they feel like themselves?
Often, a diagnosis can feel like a bad thing but it is a good, giant step in the right direction. Why? Because now we know how to help. Now we know that your loved one is not alone. We know there are a variety of treatments available.
We aren't dealing with the unknown anymore.
Typically if your loved one has received a diagnosis, you have already completed the first step; reaching out to someone about their symptoms. A social worker, therapist, doctor, or psychiatrist are among the few mental health professionals that can offer advice and information about treatment options.
individual & group therapy, outpatient or inpatient
medication
change in living situation to a higher level of care
There is a great deal of information you'll be getting, tough decisions you'll be making. The good news is, there is ALSO support for you. You do not have to navigate this on your own.
Simply Googling "Family Resources for Mental Illness" gives you about 266,000,000 websites. However, we've narrowed it down for you; these are our favorite:
treatment options
options include, but are not limited to:
Support
National
association of mental illness
Suicide prevention resource center
Treatment Locator
Back to top
physical health + mental health
Back
To
Top
Often, people forget how linked physical and mental health are. Within our group members, we see these two impact each other often.
What happens when someone gets a cancer diagnosis? What about when physical abilities diminish as one ages? There are a variety of things we each go through physically that can greatly impact our mental health.
Conversely, we often see people experiencing mental health begin to physically deteriorate, as their abilities are impacted by mental health symptoms. Depression can take the will to engage in exercise or eat healthy away from the sufferer. Dementia can impact one's ability to recall recipes or to take required medication.
Our physical and mental health are two systems that are consistently working together to maintain our overall health.
Below are resources for specific types of physical complications and mental health.
Mental Health and Mesothelioma
Mental health
physical
health
hope
Health
happiness
physical health + mental health
Often, people forget how linked physical and mental health are. Within our group members, we see these two impact each other often.
What happens when someone gets a cancer diagnosis? What about when physical abilities diminish as one ages? There are a variety of things we each go through physically that can greatly impact our mental health.
Conversely, we often see people experiencing mental health begin to physically deteriorate, as their abilities are impacted by mental health symptoms. Depression can take the will to engage in exercise or eat healthy away from the sufferer. Dementia can impact one's ability to recall recipes or to take required medication.
Our physical and mental health are two systems that are consistently working together to maintain our overall health.
Below are resources for specific types of physical complications and mental health.
physical
health
hope
Health
happiness
Mental health
Mental health
& Mesothelioma
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Back to top
interactive tools + mental health
It isn't by accident that Tender Heart uses interactive tools to create positive mental health outcomes; it's because they work
Research shows that using engaging, unique, interactive tools can positively improve mental health. How? It's shown to create the following positive outcomes:
One of our wonderful group members created what you see above. When we first met her, she had low confidence and high anxiety. She often wanted assistance from others, stating "I can't do this, I'm not good at it."
Now when we start group, she brainstorms how she wants to use the materials to create. She works more independently and even encourages other group members when they struggle!
improved confidence & self-esteem
relaxation
creates peace of mind
increase resiliency & coping skills
increase sense of worth
knowledge and critical thinking skills are increased
learning to trust + have new relationships with others
Often, dementia can decrease or eliminate someone's ability to communicate. Our engaging activities can give that back. We often see projects trigger long-term memories group members and their families believed were long-forgotten. We see smiles and hear laughter from group members whose families report they are typically depressed and withdrawn most of their days.
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To
Top
Interactive tools
+ mental health
It isn't by accident that Tender Heart uses interactive tools to create positive mental health outcomes; it's because they work.
Research shows that using engaging, unique, interactive tools can positively improve mental health. How? It's shown to create the following positive outcomes:
improved confidence & self-esteem
relaxation
creates peace of mind
increase resiliency & coping skills
increase sense of worth
knowledge and critical thinking skills are increased
learning to trust + have new relationships with others
Often, dementia can decrease or eliminate someone's ability to communicate. Our engaging activities can give that back. We often see projects trigger long-term memories group members and their families believed were long-forgotten. We see smiles & hear laughter from group members whose families report they are typically depressed and withdrawn most of their days.
One of our wonderful group members created what you see above. When we first met her, she had low confidence and high anxiety. She often wanted assistance from others, stating "I can't do this, I'm not good at it."
Now when we start group, she brainstorms how she wants to use the materials to create. She works more independently than ever and even encourages other group members when they struggle.
Back to top
Music + Mental health
We pull out the Twister mat and people start to worry! Musical twister has clients throwing bean bags and guessing a song from a variety of musical genres. They love their Elvis and Folk songs, Halloween song were a little tricky. We even pulled our tv theme songs from some of their favorite shows.
Music improved mood and saw some of our most anxious clients able to not only tolerate being with a group, but have fun and relax! Clients were able to remember going to dances, listening to the radio and even what their kids listened to.
musical twister
Research has shown that music has a particular impact on those experiencing dementia and Alzheimer's. In 2018, a study in Utah showed that music has the capacity to alert parts of the brain undamaged by Alzheimer's.
It can help aid communication; by stimulating different parts of the brain, those suffering from dementia are able to communicate in a way the disease could have previously taken away.
music memory is different than other memory storage.
Due to dementia, one of our group members has a difficult time communicating beyond 1-2 word sentences. Often he cannot recall the correct words, and Tender Heart staff have seen him grow frustrated and overwhelmed by his inability to communicate like he used to.
However, when "Hold Me Tender" by Elvis comes on, Tender Heart staff observe a miracle. He sings every single word in the song, correctly, without hesitation. His pride & sense of independence is restored, and is carried through even after the song is done.
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To
Top
Music & Memory
Music + Mental health
Research has shown that music has a particular impact on those experiencing dementia and Alzheimer's. In 2018, a study in Utah showed that music has the capacity to alert parts of the brain undamaged by Alzheimer's.
It can help aid communication; by stimulating different parts of the brain, those suffering from dementia are able to communicate in a way the disease could have previously taken away.
music memory is different than other memory storage.
Due to dementia, one of our group members has a difficult time communicating beyond 1-2 word sentences. Often he cannot recall the correct words, and Tender Heart staff have seen him grow frustrated and overwhelmed by his inability to communicate like he used to.
However, when "Hold Me Tender" by Elvis comes on, Tender Heart staff observe a miracle. He sings every single word in the song, correctly, without hesitation. His pride & sense of independence is restored, and is carried through even after the song is done.
We pull out the Twister mat and people start to worry that we have to be flexible, but Tender Heart plays Twister a little differently! Musical twister has clients throwing bean bags and guessing a song from a variety of musical genres. They love their Elvis and Folk songs, Halloween song were a little tricky. We even pulled our tv theme songs from some of their favorite shows.
Music improved mood and saw some of our most anxious clients able to not only tolerate being with a group, but have fun and relax! Clients were able to remember going to dances, listening to the radio and even what their kids listened to.
Back to top