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The dictionary describes a sphere a place or environment within which a person or thing exists; a particular social world or stratum of society. How does this relate to how we approach society's challenges on caring for our seniors?
Our pets are like members of the family. Meet Sadie - our vivacious, furry family member pictured here at 3 months old. Labrador Retrievers at this age are a non-stop ball of energy. Leave a sock on the floor and it instantly becomes a pile of thread, or a new game of hide and seek. Strangers? I don't think Sadie ever knew that word existed. Water? That's meant for swimming.. endlessly.
When visiting someone with dementia, be ready for anything. Things can change day- to- day, even moment- to- moment in dementia care. A little preparation can go a long way to help create a positive experience in dementia care. Have a “magic bag” ready that you can pull things out of that may reach through the dementia to the person inside.
Family members and professionals alike struggle with how to interact with a person living with the bewildering condition of dementia. As a caregiver, it’s easy to forget that this person can often answer and follow much more of a conversation than given credit for.
I use the term inside-out a LOT. It just seems to fit many descriptives for me. I also like transformative change. When you look at these together, I believe that so...
Touch. Imagine not being touched. Imagine for a whole day no one touches you in any way. Imagine no one shakes your hand, pats your arm, gives you a hug, or clasps your shoulder. Now imagine that for a whole week, a month, a year.
People of advanced age can experience this lack of touch – the children are grown and may live far away and their partner may have died. People living with dementia are especially prone to physical contact deprivation leading to a feeling of isolation and depression and ofttimes agitation with them selves due to frustration and apathy.
Our work is fascinating, isn’t it? I find the senior care industry to be filled with people with passion and compassion. So many are just like me, coming to this field because of a personal experience in helping an older adult in their life. I love helping caregivers with challenges, and I believe deeply in the value of education. With caregiving, that’s a big bite – because there is so much to learn. And we should all look at this from the standpoint of the often over used phrase “It takes a Village”, shouldn’t we? I find it quite amazing to observe the “feel” for a senior care community. Beyond the fancy décor, and new impressive buildings, what matters is the care that is provided. When you have both, it's an added bonus, but certainly the passion and compassion of the team that takes care of your precious loved one is the most important - it is what's on the inside.
