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.

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Help the Alzheimer’s Association to Win $5000 – Vote by Midnight Aug 23

If you vote for the Alzheimer’s Association by midnight tonight (August 23), they have a chance to win $5000.  Any one of you who has a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia, knows what that means in research dollars.

Cast your vote for the Alzheimer’s Association at http://www.fmbanknow.com/charity/.  Their link is at the bottom of the page.

Vote for your favorite charity by Midnight, August 23, 2009!

As a part of our Grand Opening Celebration in Columbia County, F&M Bank would like to offer area residents and business owners the opportunity to participate by voting for their favorite charity.  The charity receiving the MOST VOTES will be given an opportunity to have a representative enter our  inflatable “Money Vault” for 15 seconds.  During that time, the charity selected by our website visitors will have an opportunity to gather as much money as possible for their organization.

The charity event will take place at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, August 25th at our new Columbia County location – 3861 Evans to Locks Road in Martinez – at the Fury’s Ferry Road intersection.

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Lighter Side of Caregiving

These are just a few things that I find humorous in my life as a caregiver.  Some of them were not funny at the time, but they are now.  Gladys doesn’t remember my name, she calls me Nichole (my daughter’s name).

Three years ago when we downsized, Fred and I moved to a new community of town homes.  Most of our neighbors are young professionals.  Every day I see them walking their cute little babies and their dogs.  One group walking with a baby carriage, one group walking with a leash and then you have me and Fred walking our old lady in a wheelchair.

You know you’re a caregiver when you’re out and about and Depends fall out of your purse.  Can you spell embarrassing?

My younger daughter Anita, keeps Gladys on Sundays.  Before it became a problem to bring Gladys to church, Anita took her to church one Sunday but forgot the seat to her wheel chair.  The ushers tell me it was quite a site to see Anita walking with Gladys holding on for dear life.  She got her inside to the first chair she could find.

Anita comes over occasionally on Saturdays to give me a break.  Gladys can be quiet and content all day long but as soon as Anita leaves she hollers NICHOLE.

Gladys and my husband, Fred, have a disagreement at least one a week about her orthopedic shoes.  I asked her why does she keep fussing about those shoes and she said, “those are old lady shoes.”  I said, you’re 82 years old. You are an old lady.”

Gladys can’t remember what I told her five minutes ago but she won’t go out of the house without her chewing gum.

I’ve known Gladys all of my life (literally) but she doesn’t remember my name.  She never met Stevie Wonder but she remembers his name.

Gladys will fuss if she thinks we have her stand too long, but she will stop dead in her tracks and wait until the cat decides to get up and out of her path to the bathroom.

On Saturday mornings I get up about six o’clock, go downstairs very quietly, turn on the big screen tv just loud enough to hear.  I turn on Turner Classic Movies and watch old movies until about 11:00.  As long as Gladys doesn’t hear anyone, we don’t hear a peep out of her.  But as soon as she hears the slightest movement – NICHOLE! Did I mention she has bionic hearing?

I think laughter is great medicine for keeping your sanity.  Sometimes my sense of humor is a little off-beat, but it keeps me from becoming bitter or depressed, I can find humor in almost anything.

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