AGE-u-cate Training Institute Blog

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?

It's 10:30 in the morning.  Your job is to facilitate the reading of the morning newspaper to a group of dementia care patients and you have a choice as to how to best carry it out.

Option #1. You gather a group of thirty or so people into a large circle while you summarize the newspaper headlines and articles aloud.

Option #2.  You gather a group of five around a small table. Each holds a copy of the paper, turning the pages while one, or more, read the headlines, taking the group in a multitude of conversational directions.

As the leader, which would you choose?

Now put yourself in the place of a person living with dementia and imagine you have difficulty, integrating sounds, figuring out the environment, seeing and hearing who is talking and wondering if they are even talking to you.

I'm not a big fan of reality TV shows.  The "supposedly" unscripted real-life situations to me are far from a virtual tour through life.  That said, I do find myself entertained from time to time at the subject matter some creative person comes up with to actually create a show.  Unbelievable...

I visited with a dear friend recently who has been caring for her sweet mother for many years. Once  healthy and mobile, age and illness is slowly taking its toll  Painful neuropathy, crippling arthritis and diminishing eyesight have teamed up to challenge her spirit and soul.  My friend is tired and I often see glimpses of resentment,  despite her deep love, respect and genuine concern for providing the care she deserves.  This scenario could easily be a true reality tv show, however the ratings would struggle.

The senior care work force of tomorrow should be at the top of discussion topics for eldercare leaders. Investing in development and retention of great workers, along with competitive wages and benefits is vital.  Many areas of the country are already facing critical shortages in front line staff and this trend will no doubt spread quickly as baby boomers need increasing aging services.

It's no wonder that we have an ever growing quest for simplicity.  Not just in our personal lives, but this phrase surrounds many conversations within the business community - especially with those of us in senior care.  There is a  recurring plea from senior care professionals today with regards to education.. keep it simple.  Teach us by showing, because we know that when we learn by doing, we're going to retain that knowledge.

Our team was priviledged to have recently been asked to present at the North Dakota Long Term Care Association.  Included in this event was a special one day Frontline Caregiver Conference.  In an industry faced with severe staff shortages, particularly in North Dakota, we certainly applaud the leaders that chose to honor frontline staff with a day to network with other professionals, enjoy some pampering from vendors (massages and mani's to name a few!) and develop new skills to enhance their very demanding jobs.