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Tuesday Post Sharing for Caregivers’ #1
Today something new starts on A Caregiver’s Journal. On Tuesdays I will try to share blog posts from blogs that I read and articles that people have shared on Twitter. Hope they are informative. Click the more link for the rest of the story.
13-year-old Suffering from Dementia (from the Med Guru)
Exeter, Devon, September 14 – At the tender age of 13, Isobel Jeffery has been inflicted with a rare form of dementia that has left her like an elderly Alzheimer’s patient.
The little schoolgirl from Exeter, Devon, was diagnosed with the illness Niemann-Pick disease, type C, at the age of nine. It has been four years since Isobel exhibited signs of dementia.
She started losing her concentration and her speech became incoherent. Her movements became unsteady and she found it difficult to swallow food. She was unable to meet the usual childhood milestones, losing control over mind, displaying memory loss, hallucinations and confusion (more . . . )
Tips on Making Care Giving Easier (The ElderCare Support Group)
Recently I asked members of Twitter and Facebook to tell me what was the best thing that they had done to make their care giving role easier, better or more rewarding.
While I wasn’t that surprised by their answers, it was reinforcing to know that many of the things that I am doing are the same things that others have found helpful. We received some GREAT answers.
In no particular order, here is what was offered.
Mark: What I do is have a short memory so that what happens I try and forget – go to my happy memory place and move on with a smile. (more . . . )
Music is therapeutic for people suffering with dementia (from Alzheimer’s Care Group)
Music is a wonderful therapeutic tool. Many of our memories are tied to music that we heard while growing up or during a specific event. Imagine Christmas without the carols, road trips in the car without sing alongs, or prom without those sappy love songs!
Satellite radio offers a wide range of options for people living in a nursing home. Activity programs can be designed and complimented with the many different types of music programs played throughout the day. Options on satellite radio range from Baroque Period Classical, Rock-n-Roll, Gospel and Latin Funk to Country Gold. (more . . . )
Elder Care Video – Helping Gladys from the Car Into the House
A lot of my friends have difficulty understanding why it takes me so long to get Gladys dressed or ready for bed. I’ve tried to explain how long it takes for her to move from point A to point B but they think I’m exaggerating. They also think it’s strange that we have to tell her to lift her feet or move to the right or to the left.
I made this video to help other’s see what it takes to help a person with physical disabilities and dementia perform a simple task. You can hear my husband, Fred, in the background giving Gladys instructions.
This was actually a good day for Gladys, she was moving extremely well when we made the video. Six minutes from the car to the house. We just never know from day to day how functional she will be.
If you have some tips, please share.
Notes From Our Caregivers Workshop
This is the final installment from our blog posts on our Family Caregivers Workshop that was held August 15th.
It was a good day. We arrived early, got set up and were ready to greet our speakers and participants by 9:30 AM. The workshop started at 10 AM. Each participant received a Resource Binder that included:
- A list of caregiver resources
- Cobb County Resource Directory for Senior Citizens
- Telephone Tips and Techniques for Caregivers
- 10 Tips for Family Caregivers
- Catalog from The Alzheimer’s Store
- Catalog from the Caregivers Health Mart
We also had giveaways from The Alzheimer’s Store, Angel Companions and Gary Barg of caregiver.com.
Our first speaker, Carrie Springer is the marketing director for Woodland Ridge Assisted Living Facility and Adult Day Care. Carrie is also a gerontologist who cares for her adult brother and her parents who are in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Carrie is intentionally soft spoken and has a way of speaking that draws the listener in and keeps their attention.
My notes listed with bullet points
- there are 32 types of dementia – some are reversible
- early 20′s and 30′s are usually the years dementia patients remember
- they like photographs of family and friends – have them blow up
- negative behavior is fear based
- their optic nerve is often altered and causes them to see strange things
- they lose the ability to see certain colors, green is the last color they lose
- carpet and patterned floors are not good for dementia patients – they may see things that are not there
Key tools for working with family/friends with dementia
- humor
- music
- exercise
- healthy environment (order allows the mind to relax)
- adequate rest
- create a schedule and stick to it
- keep vaccinations up to date
- get flu shots
Rest
Carrie also talked about the importance of caregivers having some Me time. Her Me time is Saturdays until 5 PM. As caregivers, we must take care of ourselves. If we keep going until we are exhausted, sick or depressed, we won’t be any good to anyone, including those we care for.
Medicare/Medicaid
Our other two speakers, Jeff Ray and Ronnie Kendrick from WellCare of Georgia fielded questions about Medicare and Medicaid. They were well informed and very adept at answering questions. Our participants said they got a better understanding of Medicare and Medicaid.
The best thing I got from the workshop was a referral for another geriatrician for Gladys. We will be visiting with her real soon.
I hope this synopsis has been helpful. Let me know what you think.
