Anyone working in the field of senior caregiving knows how important it is to find meaning in our work and service. Author Simon Sinek tells us to Start with Why. I’m haunted by the memory of a man who reminded me of why I continue to love senior caregiving.  I met Frank in a nursing home where I was teaching a Compassionate Touch workshop.  I first noticed him because he wasn’t particularly old, at least not by senior care standards, and because he was tall and muscular. He was sitting in a corner in the hallway near the nurse’s station. By his appearance, I was pretty sure he had suffered a stroke some time back.

Healthcare is quickly becoming dementia care. Whether you work in a clinic, long term care, home care, or hospital, you will interact with people dementia.  And these people will likely have speech and language challenges.  Dementia care training often focuses on the underlying impairment when care partners really need practical solutions.  Easy-to-learn dementia communication skills, save both parties frustration. Here are a helpful strategies.

It’s no secret that memory care is one of the fastest growing senior care service, providing healthcare professionals increasing opportunities. But, if you are new to dementia care, I suggest you ask: “Am I really prepared?” and “Do I have what it takes?” Serving people with dementia requires a unique combination of knowledge, skills and personal awareness.

Be Informed
Knowledge gives you a foundation to act from. When informed, you can offer your care with confidence and ease. It’s essential to be informed about the characteristics and needs of people with dementia, such as:

• Age related changes. It is important to understand the “normal” physical and functional changes of aging versus changes that are manifestations of a disease resulting in symptoms of dementia.
• Common conditions found in eldercare settings. If you work in long term care, you will encounter people living with the effects of stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, hip fracture, cancer, among others. A basic understanding of these conditions will ensure that you provide safe, effective and meaningful service.
• Special needs of elders in facility care. Those who live in care settings are often dealing with loss, grief, feelings of helplessness, lack of control, boredom, touch deprivation and feelings of isolation. Your awareness and compassionate acknowledgement of these sensitive issues will deepen your therapeutic relationship with each individual.

What the heck is Winfield and what does it have to do with this blog? There are some things in life that so nourish our souls that they should become non-negotiable. For anyone whose career is taking care of others, that should be a commitment to our own wellness. Nurses, social workers, family caregivers, therapists, activity professionals, chaplains, you name it—we’re all in the same boat when it comes to self-care.  How we each “do” self-care is a personal choice. My choice is Winfield!

The Walnut Valley Festival is a five-day music festival that, since 1972, takes place in Winfield, Kansas on the third weekend of September. The first time I went was in 1977 when I was a college student. I’ve been back almost every year since! The folks who make the journey simply call it “Winfield”.  You see, it’s not just a place or an event, but an experience that got in my heart and didn’t let go.  So why would a middle-aged woman want to camp in a field in a tent in 100 degree weather, rain, mud –this year the river has flooded the area-- cold and even a tornado a couple of years ago? Oh, and packed in with 12,000 other people? The awesome music heard 24 hours each day? Yeah, but that’s not it.

There’s a little quip that I’ve heard in senior communities that goes something like this; “I’m looking for Mrs. B., can you tell me what she looks like?  “Yes, she’s the one with gray hair and glasses!”  Not that original, really, but you get the picture.  I’ve often been struck with profound awareness when I enter the dining room of a nursing home. At first glance it looks like a sea of gray heads and everyone sort of blends together. The quip suggests these old folks all look alike so they are alike and have morphed into some other kind of creature.  At what point do we become one of “them”?  I have a psychologist friend who counsels young children.  She once told me that she’s effective because she doesn’t talk down to the kids or treat them as “pre-people”.  Something about her comment rings true and, by comparison, I think we live in a society that views our aging population as “former people”. When do we lose our individual identity and become a former person?