AGEucate Blog

I mentioned my grandmother briefly in my last post and I would love to share more about her!  Her name was Mildred and this year she would have celebrated her 101st year around the sun.  She was was the pillar of our family and barrel of fun!  I can see her infectious smile now, dancing in the kitchen singing "If I'd known you were coming, I would've baked you a cake"!  Most of my memories of grandmama Mildred involve her journey living with dementia.  She taught our family so much in the 8+ years she lived with dementia.  Her sense of humor never ceased and was a critical piece in allowing grace to shine bright through it all.  And boy did we need grace - we didn't always get it right.  That's life.  

Topics: dementia care, dementia, caregiving, Caregiver Training, family caregivers, Compassion, Family Education, dementia training, dementia education, Dementia Awareness, communication skills, education and training

 

Elders experience active engagement and initiation, a renewed interest in the world and desire to learn. Their past areas of expertise and passions are rekindled.

Innovative programming for persons living with Dementia is taking  a significant step forward.

Reading2Connect is an integrated reading program for persons with cognitive changes.  Adapted books help them to express their individuality, recall their pasts, share humor, and emotionally connect with peers, family, and caregivers. 

The ability to read is automatic and often remains to some degree functional even in the later stages of dementia.

Specially designed books break through the barriers to reading,    sparking older adults with dementia abilities to reflect, remember, learn, and express themselves.

Revive the minds, voices, and self-esteem of the older adults in your care

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid commissioned a study with residents in 40 nursing homes about the meaning of quality
of life. Independence, positive self-image and purposeful activities that produce or teach something ranked high on the list.

Topics: Senior Care Professionals, aging services, Elders, dementia, aging, older adults

Topics: Senior Care Professionals, Training, dementia, grandparents

 

Topics: The Family Caregiver, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, dementia, caregivers, compassionate touch, Dementia Live, Faith Community, families, AGE-u-cate Training Insitute

On the brink of a new decade, I contemplate what the next ten years will look like for the aging services industry. Reflecting on the past provides me some hope for the future. In some respects, we have come a long way.  By the same token, we should maintain a future focus and continue to develop more strategies that support the quality of living of frail elders.

Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, aging services, dementia, Care Partners, caregivers, compassionate touch, Dementia Live, Dementia Live®Training, aging, understanding

The holiday season can be overwhelming for people with dementia. Create a new normal holiday celebration so that everyone is merry and bright!

Topics: Senior Care Professionals, Training, dementia, caregivers, holidays

Validation helps caregivers step into the world of a person with dementia, creating understanding and empathy.

Topics: Senior Care Professionals, Memory Care, Family Caregiver, dementia, Family, caregivers, compassionate touch, Alzheimer's disease, Hospital Professionals, dementia friendly, understanding, touch

 

Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, dementia care, Senior Care Professionals, dementia, compassionate touch, Dementia Live, AGE-u-cate Training Insitute, turnover, dementia training, employee training, AGE-u-cate Training, home health

Faith communities should start to think about creating a culture of acceptance for persons with dementia.

Topics: The Faith Community, AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Training, dementia, dementia friendly, Faith Community, faith communities, Faith, AGE-u-cate Training

A woman with dementia and her care partner interact with a robotic companion cat.

Topics: Senior Care Professionals, dementia, Pets