Category: Archive: May 2017

Tips for Communicating with People with Dementia

We communicate in some way with everyone around us all day. It is easy to think of communication as spoken words, but we also communicate with writing, signs, gestures, expressions, intonation, volume, colors, sounds, and even our clothing. Impaired or diminished memory, attention and concentration, perception and visuospatial functions, hearing, and visual acuity all make it difficult for people with dementia to communicate effectively. When communicating with a person with dementia, keep these tips in mind: Ask the person, “What would you like me to call you?” Always speak respectfully and use age-appropriate language when communicating with older adults with…

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Adjusting to Loss: 6 Psychosocial Interventions for Intense Emotions

These psychosocial interventions have been designed to specifically address the intense emotions people feel while adjusting to loss. This post was adapted from Transitions in Dying and Bereavement: A Psychosocial Guide for Hospice and Palliative Care, Second Edition by Victoria Hospice, Marney Thompson, and Wendy Wainwright. Copyright © 2017 by Victoria Hospice. All rights reserved.  For someone mourning the loss of a loved one, life is full of reminders of the loss of the person who died. Day-to-day existence is full of triggers, and feelings arise unbidden and uncontrolled. The outward manifestation of emotions, such as tears, frequent sighing,…

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They Are Glad They Caught It Early: Am I?

An essay by Richard Taylor, Ph.D. I have talked with dozens of people in their 30s and 40s who have been diagnosed with early-onset (defined as anyone under the age 65 who is diagnosed), early-stage (the first of a three-stage description of the disease) Alzheimer’s disease. I was 58 when I was officially diagnosed. After hearing the diagnosis, I cried every day for three weeks. My neurologist told me that 95% of the people he diagnoses with Alzheimer’s are not ever tested. The patients, most of whom are in their mid-to-late 70s, would not be able…

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30 Activities to Do in 30 Seconds or Less

Planned activities do not happen all day long. Individuals with the ability to think through how to spend their time can initiate being with others or spending time alone. Persons with dementia often cannot do this. They need help—not only in structured activity—but also in relational interactions throughout the day. These 30 simple, unstructured interactions are not on the activity calendar, but they are probably the most important of the ways that we interact with persons with dementia. Greet the person by name Make eye contact and smile Shake hands Ask someone…

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What is Spaced Retrieval?

Learn how this proven memory-training strategy works: Read the book! Spaced Retrieval Step by Step An Evidence-Based Memory Intervention By Jeanette Benigas, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Jennifer Brush, M.A., CCC-SLP, and Gail Elliot, BASc, M.A. Copyright © 2016 by Health Professions Press, Inc. Help your clients with memory loss remember important information or actions with the proven memory training strategy of spaced retrieval (SR). Learn more…

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A Lesson in Leadership in Person-Centered Elder Care

Author and Nursing Home Administrator, Nancy Fox, shares the moment she realized the reason many older adults fear nursing homes, and the two elders who showed her why. Nancy Fox is a Nursing Home Administrator, former executive director of The Eden Alternative, and Chief Innovation Officer for Vivage Senior Living. She is also the author of Lessons in Leadership for Person-Centered Elder Care. Here, she shares a leadership lesson she learned while vacationing on Sanibel Island, after years spent transforming her organization into a person-centered care environment. “She fell and can’t get up…” In…

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