This month’s Spotlight is on Fred Ellman, a man with a mission to deliver joy to the lives of Elders with dementia. He presented “Growing Mindfulness,” which showcased his Flying Compassion Garden. With Fred’s background as a toy maker, he brings imagination, connection and mindfulness together in a physical form. He shared his interactive horticulture…
Social gatherings are times of enjoyment, laughter, storytelling and sharing food and drink, but what happens when dementia is part of the social plan? Can your loved one still take part? Should s/he?
The answer is: It depends…
One of the most common questions I am asked by my clients is, “What do I say when residents repeatedly ask me to take them home?” If you work in long term care, you have encountered this before. You may have told the person, “You live here at Sunny Acres now.” Or you may have tried redirecting the person by changing the topic and never answered the question. Do you like to be redirected and ignored when you ask a question? My guess is no. People with memory loss can feel ignored too. Either response you tried likely did not solve the problem, and now both you and the elder feel bad. So, what do you do?
Seniors living in long term care communities have been more isolated than ever during this COVID-19 pandemic. It is especially confusing and isolating for people living with dementia. Many have been quarantined in their rooms for long periods of time and have little contact with others. Here are some unexpected but helpful tools to help meet their basic needs of companionship and communication.
For people living with dementia, reading is a preserved skill. Therefore visual aids that include written information can be used as memory supports. Memory books can improve quality of life by: Helping people remember important information Making conversation easier Reducing responsive (challenging) behaviors, such as exit seeking and repetitive questioning Providing reassurance and comfort A…
To have the most success during activities and conversations with people with dementia, care partners will need to adjust their style of communication so it is easier for the person with dementia to understand and follow the conversation. Here are some tips that will ensure success. Consider this Sometimes it is hard to remember that…
By Renee Van Y As with any new learning process, April has seen a lot of ups and some downs with the Montessori program. We knew that we needed more activities for the residents to do on their own (either initiated by them or by staff assisting them in getting started), because individual activities are…
Join us as we recap month 3 on our “From Can’t to Can Do!” Montessori project at Clark Retirement By: Jennifer Brush and Renee Van Y We have made progress in five areas this month that have improved different aspects of communication at Clark Retirement. Name tags When someone calls us by name, we feel…
In honor of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month this November, I am offering some helpful tips for the many men and women helping to care for and support their loved ones with Alzheimer’s Disease or another type of dementia. Below are the top five most effective tips for positive communication…
As health care professionals, our role is to collaborate with older adults, to help them fill-in the gaps of their abilities and to help them succeed at doing what they want to do. Brush Development Company is offering a new 12-hour online, one-on-one private course that invites, encourages and challenges speech-language pathologists and other health…
Fear, frustration and stress – Being a care partner of a loved one with dementia is physically and emotionally difficult, but help and support are available. I Care: A Handbook for Care Partners of People With Dementia, written by Jennifer Brush and Kerry Mills, provides caregivers a sense of hope and inspiration to make the…
