Understanding the Causes and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s

Over 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s; it is the 6th largest cause of death in the United States. Not only is this a common disease among the elderly, more than 15 million Americans provide unpaid care for loved ones with Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia, which adds up to an estimated 18.2 billion hours of care, valued at over $230 billion (during 2016; according to the Alzheimer’s Association).

If you think your loved one may be exhibiting signs of dementia, read some facts about Alzheimer’s and dementia below, and consider seeking medical advice.

About the Disease

• Dementia is the term for a general decline in mental ability that is severe enough to interfere with daily activities.
• Alzheimer’s is a common form of dementia; a specific disease affecting the brain and causing memory loss.
• Alzheimer’s is not the only cause of memory loss. Many people have trouble with memory, but this does not necessarily signal Alzheimer’s. It is best to have a doctor’s opinion about your particular case.
• Alzheimer’s happens in the brain and is a result of plaques and tangles of deposited proteins in and around nerve cells. Some of this happens naturally with age, but in patients with Alzheimer’s, it is more advanced, particularly around the areas of the brain used for memory.
• Early onset Alzheimer’s affects people younger than 65 (most often those in their 40’s and 50’s). There are an estimated 200,000 Americans with early onset Alzheimer’s. See your doctor for more information and an evaluation.

Diagnosis

Only a doctor can diagnose Alzheimer’s. It is not diagnosed with one test; instead, the doctor will conduct a thorough medical examination, a neurological exam, and other mental and mood testing. This interactive tour will help you know what to expect when being evaluated for memory problems.

Treatment

Although there isn’t a cure for Alzheimer’s, medications and other treatments can help with symptoms and improve the quality of life of those suffering from the disease. Find more resources through the Alzheimer’s Association or with your doctor.


In addition, Minnesota offers community resources to help those with Alzheimer’s, and has tips for creating a dementia-friendly community. Read more about this initiative and the ACT on Alzheimer’s Dementia Friendly Community Toolkit.

Muscatine Summertime Events and Fun

There are a lot of events in Muscatine this summer – something for everyone to have fun! Attend a festival, listen to live music, see a baseball game, or visit the farmer's market. Taking advantage of the local community events will help you get the most out of staying at our Lutheran Living senior campus. Join in for one of these great summertime events!

Live Entertainment

If you enjoy live entertainment, Muscatine boasts many options for you to catch a show. Our community theater, Pearl City Players, is thriving; maybe you would even consider being in a production? If you enjoy live music, you cannot miss the symphony orchestra. They host a free public concert on July 4th. Other performing arts groups can be found here, including school choirs, orchestras, bands, and theaters.

Fun Festivals

What would summer be if you did not attend a festival? Muscatine holds an annual Independence Day celebration rivaled by few. Starting the day with a pancake breakfast, enjoying the afternoon listening to live music performances, watching the 5:00 pm parade, and staying up late for the fireworks will make your holiday one you will never forget. If you do not enjoy the big crowds, consider joining for Second Saturday instead. Second Saturday is a once a month arts and music street festival held in historic downtown from 5-8 pm on the second Saturday of every month; June through October! Lastly, the Muscatine County Fair lasts from July 19th-23rd and has a plethora of activities to enjoy, even a car race and talent show!

With all these options to attend events in Muscatine, there is no reason to stay cooped up inside this summer. Join the community and find the right event for your preferences. Muscatine offers the best in summertime events and fun.

It Is Not a Myth; Your Body Can Feel When the Weather Changes

Growing older often brings wisdom, sensitivity to weather, and joint pain. These things are seemingly unrelated, but they aren't. According to the latest research, people who experience joint pain can actually feel weather changes in their bodies. You probably know someone who swears they know before it will rain because they “feel it in their bones.” Perhaps you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and know the sensation. Let's explore the reasoning behind why this happens.

Barometric Pressure Changes

As the weather changes, it affects the barometric pressure. Barometric pressure is the weight of the atmosphere pressing down on the Earth – the air pressure. As the weather changes from a low pressure to a high-pressure system, our atmosphere often creates storms as a result. The shift in barometric pressure not only affects the air pressing down on the Earth, it affects the air pressing down on you. This is why you can feel pain in your joints as the air pressure changes with a shift in the weather. As a storm strengthens in the atmosphere throughout a day, so can your level of joint pain.

Pain Relief

Even though you cannot change the weather, there are some things you can do to provide relief when suffering from joint pain. WebMD suggests that keeping warm and dressing in layers is a good way to prevent heightened joint pain from changing weather. A very effective solution is to stay limber with mild to moderate exercise, especially during cold or damp weather. Try stretching to prepare your joints before stepping outdoors. Cleveland Clinic even recommends water exercise because working out in a warm pool is a great way to strengthen your joints and loosen stiff muscles.


Now you know it is not a myth to feel heightened pain when the weather changes. That feeling in your bones isn’t in your imagination; blame it on barometric pressure. To combat its force on your joints, don’t forget to exercise, dress warm, and impress your grandchildren with your meteorologist skills.

Five Fun Facts about Muscatine, Iowa

Lutheran Living Senior Campus is a part of the Muscatine, Iowa community and we couldn’t be more proud. Muscatine has a unique atmosphere and history compared to any other city that makes it a great home for our seniors.

Here are the five most unique fun facts about Muscatine and its history:

Image by Wikimedia - Public Domain

How Muscatine got it’s Name

Muscatine is unique in that it is a city whose name is not shared with any other – either in the U.S. or the world. The origins of the name are still debated by historians. Many believe that the name comes from the Mascoutin Native American tribe who were the original caretakers of this area of land in the 18th century. It is said that the name Mascoutin means ‘fiery nation’.

The Pearl Button Capital of the World

Buttons on high-end fashion jackets and shirts used to be made from pearl, and few people know that Muscatine used to be the largest producer of pearl buttons in the world. Creating 37% of the entire world’s button supply, Muscatine would produce 1.5 billion buttons annually until the industry fell to the development and mass production of plastic buttons. However, the history of their pearl button production earned Muscatine the title of the Pearl Button Capital of the World and the city slogan “Pearl of the Mississippi”. Check out the Muscatine Pinterest page for more information on the pearl button making process.

Mark Twain and the Muscatine Journal

Muscatine is especially proud of one of its most prominent residents, Mark Twain. Twain spent a summer here in Muscatine in 1855 where he wrote for The Muscatine Journal, our local newspaper, and revered at the sunsets over the Mississippi. In Twain’s book, Life on the Mississippi, he writes, “And I remember Muscatine—still more pleasantly—for its summer sunsets. I have never seen any, on either side of the ocean, that equaled them.”

Ben Hershey and the Lumber Industry

Lumber and woodworking have continually been major industries in the Muscatine area. One of the early businessmen in this industry was multimillionaire Ben Hershey who was known as the “Lumber King”. When Lutheran living was first founded, he owned much of the land in the Muscatine area. The Reinemund family, Lutheran Living’s Founders, reached out to Hershey when the time came to build a facility. After his death, his family granted the Reinemund family their summer home which sat on five acres of land. With renovations, this became the site where Lutheran Living currently resides.

A Foodie’s Haven along the Mississippi

Present day Muscatine is home to a wide variety of restaurants, cafes, and bars making it a great place for dining. From Thai to Mexican to Italian, Muscatine offers it all in terms of food choices and is a perfect place to take the family for dinner. Our top restaurant choices are Salvatore’s Risorante, Boonie’s On the Avenue, and Tantra Thai Bistro.


There is a rich history in Muscatine, and Lutheran Living is proud to be a part of it. To learn more about our history, read one of our older blogs, Compassionate Care and Service: A History of Lutheran Living.

Transitional Care Center at Lutheran Living: Progressive Short-Term Rehabilitation

The new Transitional Care Center at Lutheran Living is working to bridge the gap between hospital and home. Our state-of-the-art facility will provide you with the care you need on your transition back home after a hospitalization. There are so many things to love about our new facility, from the excellent staff to the comfortable, hotel-like rooms. Let us tell you more about the care you can expect from Lutheran Living's Transitional Care Center.

The Goals of Lutheran Living

The goal of the Transitional Care Center is to rehabilitate you so you can get back home and back to the life you had before you were hospitalized. We offer many therapies to expedite reinstating your health: physical, occupational, speech, respiratory, nutrition counseling, and HUR rehabilitation equipment. Through these methods, we reduce emergency department visits and rehospitalizations, promoting better health and peace of mind.

Therapeutic Options

Besides our progressive therapy techniques, we also provide a knowledgeable and understanding staff. The team includes registered and licensed nurses, certified nursing assistants, medical directors, social workers, dieticians, therapy specialists, and chaplains. We specialize in many different areas of rehabilitation, including cardiac, orthopedic, and neurological issues. For a more comprehensive list, visit our website. We are well equipped to help you.

Accommodations

At the Transitional Care Center, we also have luxurious rooms that will make you feel completely at home during your stay. More like a hotel than a nursing home, your private room is complete with furnishings, a refrigerator, cable TV, a phone, and internet access. You will be served three meals a day in the dining room and have the opportunity to make new friends with the other residents. We strive to provide a positive and enjoyable environment for everyone who stays with us.

After a major surgery or lengthy hospitalization, you might not feel back to your old self quite as quickly as you hope. Think of the Transitional Care Center as a place that has everything needed to get you back up on your feet. Your plan for care (and, ultimately, discharge) starts the day you come to us. We want to see you transition from the hospital to a healthy state of mind, body, and being so you can return home.

If you are curious to know more, we strongly encourage you to view our testimonial videos of others who have enjoyed their time at Lutheran Living's Transitional Care Center.  

Spreading the Christmas Spirit to Seniors

The Christmas season is a joyous time of the year where people spend time with the ones they love. For seniors, sometimes their loved ones have passed away or they don’t get to spend as much time as they would like with their busy families. There are certain ways you can help make the holiday season a more festive one for seniors living on their own.

Spend Time with Them

For one, find the time to spend with them. Showing that you care by visiting them during Christmas goes a long way. Spending a day with them, taking them out to eat or taking them shopping will certainly brighten their spirits. Having them stay overnight, if able, can mean a lot to them. If you’re not able to spend time with them on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, go to their residence before the holidays.

Play a Game or Do an Activity Together

When you visit, bring some activities with you. Playing cards or a board game can be two great activities while you spend time together. Take interest in some of their interests. Have you ever wanted to learn how to sew? Or maybe you still can’t quite master the perfect way to tie a fishing hook. The senior in your life would likely love to teach you.

Getting The Perfect Gift

Everybody knows when you give a gift to someone, it shows how much you care about them. However, getting a unique gift for a senior can be important. If there are important pictures in an album that your senior has, putting them into frames to preserve their memories can be a great gift. Anything you can find around their room to help preserve a memory as a gift can be meaningful to them.

Maybe the best thing you can do for the senior you love is to bring them to church. Connecting with your loved one in a church setting during Christmas can mean a lot to you and them.

At Lutheran Living, we provide compassionate care and services in order to address the individual healthcare needs of the resident community. We encourage families to spend as much time with their loved ones who live at our campus as they can during Christmas.

Lutheran Living wishes everyone a blessed holiday season.

Compassionate Care and Service: A History of Lutheran Living

With a vibrant and rich history in service and compassionate giving, Lutheran Living Senior Campus has evolved from a small coalition of neighbors caring for one another to expansive senior living facilities serving Muscatine, Iowa. In order to see the evolution of care, let us learn more about the history of Lutheran Living:

The Early Days of Lutheran Living

After immigrating to America, German-born Henry Reinemund was originally ordained at a Lutheran Ministry in Davenport. He resigned from Zion Lutheran Church in Muscatine and began caring for orphaned children and the elderly in 1895. Alongside his wife, Sophia Weltz, and their eight children, Pastor Reinemund began running a facility to help those in need. The Reinemund family would lead the facilities for 23 years.

In search of a bigger facility, the Reinemund family got in touch with the Hershey family. Multimillionaire Benjamin Hershey, known as the ‘Lumber King,’ owned the land on which Lutheran Homes is now located. Hershey was one of the first men in America to ship blooded cattle from Europe to his farm and creamery.

After his death, Hershey’s wife, Elizabeth, and daughter, Myra, donated their summer home and five acres of land to the Reinemund family. After extensive renovations, the new facilities included a school, kitchen, dining hall, and rooms for orphaned children and elderly residents. The facility would later accommodate a chapel that welcomed worship, baptisms, confirmations, marriage vows, and more. The Reinemund family would come to run the facility–affectionately named Lutheran’s Orphans and Old Folks Home–for over 23 years.

In 1921, a new school was built behind the Hershey home to accommodate growing minds. Desiring continuing education for orphaned children, classes were held in the basement of the orphanage until 1922.

Under New Ownership

After the death of Pastor Reinemund and his wife, leadership fell to Reverend Charles L. Ramme in 1918. In his first year, Reverend Ramme saw the end of World War 1 and initiated the ringing of the Hershey Home bell tower after it had been left silent for many years. After a plight of influenza endangered the Ramme family in 1919, Reverend Klein and his family took over leadership in 1921 and remained there for 20 years.

Reverend Elmer Nicholsen took up the post at the end of 1941 and served the children and elderly, resigning because of the difficult times brought on by WWII. He returned to the parish ministry in Hammond Indiana. Reverend Lawrence Stumme was them called to the position. As the orphaned children grew into young adults, the care services and education program evolved into many phases before being phased out by the mid-1960s. The focus of the home switched primarily to elderly care, a community in which Lutheran Home still compassionately serves.

Lutheran Living Today

Today, the mission of Lutheran Living Senior Campus is to provide compassionate care and services in order to address the individual healthcare needs of the resident community. Our full-time chaplain leads the support of Christian worship in the Faith Chapel with weekly Bible study, daily devotionals, memorial services, monthly Catholic Mass, weekly communion services, pastoral visits to those hospitalized and much more.

While Lutheran Living has evolved in form and leadership, the mission of providing compassionate spiritual care has remained the utmost priority. To learn more about our modern services, visit Lutheran Living today.