My friend and previous co-worker Kirsten Jacobs is doing amazing things in the world of aging. She is a beautiful human being and spoke these words at a recent conference. I just had to share.
Showing posts with label Alzheimer's/Memory Care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alzheimer's/Memory Care. Show all posts
Monday, November 4, 2013
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Dance n' Beats - Community Helpers
This is the third month that Dance 'n Beats has been out. It's a brand new Experience Early Learning/Mother Goose Time product. However, this is the first month I finally remembered to order!
It just showed up at my door and I am so excited. I was just expecting an awesome DVD, but as always, you get more than you bargain for with any Experience Early Learning product. As soon as it arrived I opened it up, put the DVD in and reviewed the book.
The kids and I sat through and watched the DVD from beginning to end. No we didn't join in, not yet. Peter was just waking up from a nap and Lachlan was acting a bit shy at the moment. But I know they are going to love these dances. They were, however, entertained by just watching, so that's a good sign.
November's theme is community helpers. We watched Maria, dance like a construction worker, hair dresser, police officer and mailman. She taught us how to stop, drop and roll and how to catch our coughs when we are sick.
Not only is Community Helpers the theme of the Dance n' Beats but it is also the theme for the month of November's Mother Goose Time curriculum! It all goes together.
I had to take a picture of the spine of this book that comes with the DVD so you could see how thick it is. Not a little book.
On the first page spread of the book it tells you what is included and shows you a quick run through of the 21 basic moves you will find with in the dances.
The second page spread has Teacher Tips. This is where I learned that there is a Basic Training DVD that walks you through each movement, demonstrating ways to make each move easier or more difficult by adding in combo moves.
They also have Dance n' Beats Choreography Cards that you can buy to make your own choreography. You get 1 large and 4 small photo cards showing each of the choreography moves. You can work together with your kids to make up your own dance!
Here is the 3rd page spread. How to host your own dance class! 30 to 45 minute lesson plans. So your options are to extend the creative movement lesson in the MGT Lesson Plan Book by adding in a song or two from the DVD or have your own dance class. I am not sure if my kids could keep their attention focused for a full class, but I am going to have to give it a try. My other thought is to see if I could get a group of other homeschool kids together to join us for a Dance Class.
Each dance class has both the DVD chapter number of the song and the CD track number listed. Each month with MGT we get a music CD with songs that correlate with the months theme. The songs that are on that CD are the songs we dance to on the DVD. This just allows you more variety with your dancing.
For each dance on the track there is one full page spread. It walks you through the music on the left and shows you where you can add in combo moves for added difficulty. The combo moves are highlighted in yellow. I have a friend who is a Zumba instructor and homeschooling her boys. I might need to get her on board with all this. Being 21 weeks pregnant, the simple moves were plenty, especially where any jumping moves were involved.
On the right hand side there is a lesson thrown in. Sorting Mail has you draw shapes or numbers on multiple shoe boxes and matching shapes and numbers on large envelopes. Place the envelopes in a large pile in the center of the floor and put the shoe boxes all around the room. Play the song "Walk Like a Mailman" and invite the children to sort the envelopes to the right shoe box.
They also have a recommendation for a Free Dance which leaves it open for the kids to dance as they please. But as they listen to the song, when they here "Walk like a mailman" encourage them to change the way they are walking or moving. For this Free Dance and the above lesson, it would probably be best to play the song on the CD. It just seems like if the DVD was running there would be too much stimuli and would not provide a good opportunity for the kids to focus on the task at hand.
And of course, it would not be Mother Goose Time with out an open ended discussion question. What types of packages or letters do you get in the mail?
Mother Goose Time is really good at creating these sort of add-ons to their product, but they are always add-ons that can stand alone. That is again the case with Dance n' Beats. You could easily purchase all these DVDs and start your own official dance class for kids (although I am not sure if that is allowed), or just simply use this product as an add on to what ever homeschool curriculum you use or in-school curriculum.
The combination of music, movement and exercise with dance and having to use your full concentration to watch and follow along with Maria is just a home run for brain health! I used to work with people living with Alzheimer's. I have been to a lot of conferences and lead many support group gatherings. People want to know what to do to keep their brains healthy and strong for longer. Anything that keeps your heart healthy will help to keep your brain healthy - exercise. Using your brain to do "novel" things, something new to you - learn new dance moves. Lastly music. We used it as therapy at our community. As I watched some of our residents transition through their journey with Alzheimer's I was always in awe of the fact that music would remain. When words could not be said to communicate basic needs, the words to a favorite hymn could still be sung. Music resonates in every part of the brain and puts your brain to work.
So flex the muscles and brain power of your kids and get to dancin'.
To follow along with our adventures on Facebook head on over to https://www.facebook.com/dandelioninherhair .
Not only is Community Helpers the theme of the Dance n' Beats but it is also the theme for the month of November's Mother Goose Time curriculum! It all goes together.
I had to take a picture of the spine of this book that comes with the DVD so you could see how thick it is. Not a little book.
Each dance class has both the DVD chapter number of the song and the CD track number listed. Each month with MGT we get a music CD with songs that correlate with the months theme. The songs that are on that CD are the songs we dance to on the DVD. This just allows you more variety with your dancing.
On the right hand side there is a lesson thrown in. Sorting Mail has you draw shapes or numbers on multiple shoe boxes and matching shapes and numbers on large envelopes. Place the envelopes in a large pile in the center of the floor and put the shoe boxes all around the room. Play the song "Walk Like a Mailman" and invite the children to sort the envelopes to the right shoe box.
They also have a recommendation for a Free Dance which leaves it open for the kids to dance as they please. But as they listen to the song, when they here "Walk like a mailman" encourage them to change the way they are walking or moving. For this Free Dance and the above lesson, it would probably be best to play the song on the CD. It just seems like if the DVD was running there would be too much stimuli and would not provide a good opportunity for the kids to focus on the task at hand.
And of course, it would not be Mother Goose Time with out an open ended discussion question. What types of packages or letters do you get in the mail?
Mother Goose Time is really good at creating these sort of add-ons to their product, but they are always add-ons that can stand alone. That is again the case with Dance n' Beats. You could easily purchase all these DVDs and start your own official dance class for kids (although I am not sure if that is allowed), or just simply use this product as an add on to what ever homeschool curriculum you use or in-school curriculum.
The combination of music, movement and exercise with dance and having to use your full concentration to watch and follow along with Maria is just a home run for brain health! I used to work with people living with Alzheimer's. I have been to a lot of conferences and lead many support group gatherings. People want to know what to do to keep their brains healthy and strong for longer. Anything that keeps your heart healthy will help to keep your brain healthy - exercise. Using your brain to do "novel" things, something new to you - learn new dance moves. Lastly music. We used it as therapy at our community. As I watched some of our residents transition through their journey with Alzheimer's I was always in awe of the fact that music would remain. When words could not be said to communicate basic needs, the words to a favorite hymn could still be sung. Music resonates in every part of the brain and puts your brain to work.
So flex the muscles and brain power of your kids and get to dancin'.
To follow along with our adventures on Facebook head on over to https://www.facebook.com/dandelioninherhair .
Thursday, June 6, 2013
A,B,C - Alligator, Birds & Camels
We have completed the first 3 days of A to Zoo. The kids have had so much fun. A few posts back I had talked about ways to let Lachlan have more choice in the topic of the day. However, this month I think I am just going to go in order because it is a review month. Also, Lachlan loves learning about animals and is not going to complain one bit to learn about a new animal every day!
A few things that I love so far about this month, the calendar pieces. They have a picture of the topic animal on them for each day of the week and the weekends have their own design. It's so fun to put up the calendar piece in order to find out what we will learn about that day. It does take away the pattern element of the calendar but it's so nice to change things up now and then - a change it. That was saying we used to have at work. One of the resident's in our Alzheimer's community asked for a "change it" one day. It was an especially restless day for some of the other residents in her home and so she asked the administrator for a "change it", when the administrator asked her what she meant she said "you sit here and I will leave."
On the Alligator day we made these super cute alligators out of pizza by the slice to go containers. Then we were to have the alligators find and eat only things that are green. Such a great idea! The kids loved this. Soon the alligators were eating everything in site. I sent one home with Lucy and so I decided to write "I eat green" on the inside of his mouth, so that her Mom would know what do do with the alligator in order to turn it into a lesson at home.
Also on this day, MGT had us cut out 10 eggs. We are review numbers 1 - 5 this week. So on 5 of the eggs we wrote the numbers 1 - 5 and on the other five eggs we drew dots on the egg. One egg with 1 dot, another with 2 dots, another with 3 dots and so one until we had one representing each number 1 - 5. Next I hid them around the room and asked Lachlan to find all 10. Once we found them all I had him make a nest with a blanket. He was familiar with this task because he is really fascinated with eggs and will turn anything into eggs. Play-dough has been a popular one. He rolls them into balls, makes a paper towel nest in a Tupperware container and then puts them in the nest. The next day they "hatch" when he rolls them into little snakes, they were snake eggs of course. Once the nest was made I told him we had to match the numbers with the dots and put the eggs in the nest as pairs. He did this so easily, he really seems to have 1 through 5 down! Once the eggs are in the nest they must be protected. So he protected his eggs from would be predators. Isn't it amazing how you can turn fun into learning or learning into fun?!
Birds are a hot topic in our house! So of course we had fun with bird day. We started the day with making bird puppets on a stick. They got to pick feathers to glue on the birds and color them with different colors. Next we cut out the provided color birds. I didn't have craft sticks so I used clothes pins clipped to the bottom of each bird for the kids to hold on to. We talked about what birds look like and their colors, we talked about the sounds they make and what they all have in common and whats different. We also talked about what they eat and if we eat anything that birds eat. I asked if we ate berries and Lachlan said yes, then I asked if we eat worms. I honestly was curious as to what he would say and was relieved he said "no".
MGT had us get out cards numbered 1 through 5. I got out flash cards that I have and faced the numbers towards me. Then I let them choose a random card/number. We would then feed the bird that number of berries. The berries were pom poms. I did this with all three kids. Lachlan, my 4 year old, was able to read all the numbers and then count out the berries. For the little ones I read the number to them and they did the counting out of the berries. Both Grant and Peter are both pretty good at counting things. Although sometime Peter counts by saying "one and one and one and one." But he is getting there.
Next they chose a couple colored birds and used them to fly around the room and search out that color. So if they chose the purple bird they would fly and find purple somewhere in the room and point to it with the beak of their bird. We worked through quite a few colors this way. Even thought the littler ones maybe couldn't name the color they could find and match the colors and start the learning process of recognizing and naming the colors.
Yesterday was Camel Day! We started the day looking for the camel in the Look and Find poster using our Look and Find Glasses. I love these posters and so do the kids. I left ours at the top of the tower for the kids to find each time they climbed up. I still have it there today. On the back of the Look and Find glasses there are questions to ask and things to do. On the back of the dolphin one it had us swim and jump like a dolphin. They kept at this for 5 minutes or more. Pretty cute.
Next we got out the My Little Journals for the first time this month for the Camel Homes lesson. Since it was the first time we started by putting our names on the bottom and then they were to draw a picture of themselves and a picture of their home. Lachlan did so great! He got really frustrated after drawing a bunch of walls and rooms for his house he couldn't figure our how to make it a house. It's okay buddy, you drew all the rooms, now it just needs a roof. I drew on the roof real quick for him, to calm him down a bit. I have never seen him light up so quickly. He really knows what he wants for a finished product just doesn't know what to do to get there sometimes. Nest he drew himself in his bed in his room. I love watching him draw. I have always been given gifts from kids, you know little drawings of who knows what. I always treasured them, but now from my own little man, even more so. Especially when you get to watch them create it and know what every little mark was made for and know the difference between this new accomplishment verses what they were able to do last month. So amazing.
Next Lachlan drew a camel and put down some glue under the camel to sprinkle sand on to make the dessert that camels live in. For Peter and Lucy I drew the camel and they did the glue and sand. With Lachlan I moved on to the Word Wall in the My Little Journal. As MGT instructed I set out the picture that we get each day for our zookeeper ring collection. First I set out the camel picture which has the word camel on it. I showed him the C box on the Word Wall and told him to write the word camel in the box. I walked away and let him do it with less pressure. This seems to work well for Lachlan. Next we did the B box with the bird photo and I tried to do the A box but Lachlan was done at that point. To the untrained eye Lachlan's markings may look like just that, markings no real purpose or meaning. But I can clearly see a C and and A in his attempt to write camel and the i and d in bird. But more than that, I can see an improvement in his confidence. Before he would just say, I can't do it, and wouldn't even try. On this day he focused and persisted until he got it done. So, so, so proud!
We also learned about generosity. Now how and the heck do you tie generosity to a camel? MGT figured out how! First I asked Lachlan how he was generous and then asked if he knew what generous meant. He wasn't sure, so I explained it to him. Next MGT had us ask how a camel could be generous or how could a camel help a person? He wasn't sure of that either but we talked through it and discovered that camels could be generous by giving a person a ride through the dessert. Brilliant, right? At the end of this conversation Lachlan got his "I am generous" friendship bracelet. He loves these things and so do I. I love that they incorporate so much into their program, not just the basics but character too. I think we strive to teach our kids these character lessons but I don't think I would have ever thought of naming them, you know, giving them the vocabulary behind the character goals.
It's been a fun few days. Today we learn about Dolphins!
A few things that I love so far about this month, the calendar pieces. They have a picture of the topic animal on them for each day of the week and the weekends have their own design. It's so fun to put up the calendar piece in order to find out what we will learn about that day. It does take away the pattern element of the calendar but it's so nice to change things up now and then - a change it. That was saying we used to have at work. One of the resident's in our Alzheimer's community asked for a "change it" one day. It was an especially restless day for some of the other residents in her home and so she asked the administrator for a "change it", when the administrator asked her what she meant she said "you sit here and I will leave."
On the Alligator day we made these super cute alligators out of pizza by the slice to go containers. Then we were to have the alligators find and eat only things that are green. Such a great idea! The kids loved this. Soon the alligators were eating everything in site. I sent one home with Lucy and so I decided to write "I eat green" on the inside of his mouth, so that her Mom would know what do do with the alligator in order to turn it into a lesson at home.
Also on this day, MGT had us cut out 10 eggs. We are review numbers 1 - 5 this week. So on 5 of the eggs we wrote the numbers 1 - 5 and on the other five eggs we drew dots on the egg. One egg with 1 dot, another with 2 dots, another with 3 dots and so one until we had one representing each number 1 - 5. Next I hid them around the room and asked Lachlan to find all 10. Once we found them all I had him make a nest with a blanket. He was familiar with this task because he is really fascinated with eggs and will turn anything into eggs. Play-dough has been a popular one. He rolls them into balls, makes a paper towel nest in a Tupperware container and then puts them in the nest. The next day they "hatch" when he rolls them into little snakes, they were snake eggs of course. Once the nest was made I told him we had to match the numbers with the dots and put the eggs in the nest as pairs. He did this so easily, he really seems to have 1 through 5 down! Once the eggs are in the nest they must be protected. So he protected his eggs from would be predators. Isn't it amazing how you can turn fun into learning or learning into fun?!
 |
| Defending his nest. |
MGT had us get out cards numbered 1 through 5. I got out flash cards that I have and faced the numbers towards me. Then I let them choose a random card/number. We would then feed the bird that number of berries. The berries were pom poms. I did this with all three kids. Lachlan, my 4 year old, was able to read all the numbers and then count out the berries. For the little ones I read the number to them and they did the counting out of the berries. Both Grant and Peter are both pretty good at counting things. Although sometime Peter counts by saying "one and one and one and one." But he is getting there.
Next they chose a couple colored birds and used them to fly around the room and search out that color. So if they chose the purple bird they would fly and find purple somewhere in the room and point to it with the beak of their bird. We worked through quite a few colors this way. Even thought the littler ones maybe couldn't name the color they could find and match the colors and start the learning process of recognizing and naming the colors.
Yesterday was Camel Day! We started the day looking for the camel in the Look and Find poster using our Look and Find Glasses. I love these posters and so do the kids. I left ours at the top of the tower for the kids to find each time they climbed up. I still have it there today. On the back of the Look and Find glasses there are questions to ask and things to do. On the back of the dolphin one it had us swim and jump like a dolphin. They kept at this for 5 minutes or more. Pretty cute.
It's been a fun few days. Today we learn about Dolphins!
Monday, November 19, 2012
Evie and Lawrence
I started thinking about all the things I have learned from the resident's I had the honor to care for while working at The Woods and thought it would be nice to share some of their stories. Then I had to think where and with whom should I start. There's one name that came to mind very quickly. Evie. Her full name was Evelyn Bryant, but people called her Evie. As you will see I can't think about Evie with out thinking of another man.
When I started as part of the activities/life enrichment team she lived in the assisted living side. She was funny and full of life. She went on every outing and participated in almost all of the activities so we really got to know each other.
One day a gentlemen moved in to the same house as Evie. His name was Lawrence. He was a tall and handsome man. He was so kind and a real mans man. He was very hesitant to participate in the activities program but eventually I persuaded him. He also started participating in almost every activity and went on most of the outings.
Over time Evie and Lawrence became quite close. I think Evie loved flirting with Lawrence especially because Lawrence wasn't quite sure how to react so he would just squirm a bit in his seat.
One of my favorite activities was when we got together in the evenings after dinner and I read stories from various books out loud while cookies baked in the oven. When the cookies were done we would all enjoy a warm cookie and listen to one last story. I ran across a book with the stories of each of the hand carved horses that are part of the Salem Riverfront Carousel. So one summer I decided we would read through the stories of the horses, who made them, who they were dedicated to and then we would go on an outing to the carousel at the end of the summer.
The carousel has a ramp for walkers and wheelchairs to get on and then they have benches and things to sit on for those who can't climb up on a horse. So here we go to our outing. Of course Evie and Lawrence came along and shared a seat on the bus. We arrive and unload and all the walkers start wheeling in. Lawrence with his walker and portable oxygen tank and Evie with her walker, hunched over with it inevitably getting way out in front of her before she could catch up. The staff at the carousel were very helpful and helped me get each resident up on the carousel. As I went to get Evie seated on the bench she decided to throw me a curve ball. "I want to ride on a horse." What? As she starts putting her foot up on the step to climb on. I think I about had a heart attack at that point. But then . . . oh yes there is more. Lawrence wanted to ride on the horse next to Evie, with portable oxygen tank and all. Now time for heart attack #2. The good news, they both survived and so did I. Not only that, but the joy on their faces as they shared this moment together going around and around on a Carousel while in their late 80s early 90s is so priceless. I feel so blessed to have been there. So blessed. I so hope I have that much life left in me at that age.
Just a little more about Lawrence. He was getting to be quite ill and as it turns out was in his last week of life when Jeff stopped by to visit one day. I really wanted Lawrence to meet Jeff and Jeff to meet Lawrence. I had grown so close to Lawrence. So while laying in his bed, no doubt in pain and very weak I brought Jeff in for an introduction. This man, Lawrence, this amazing man, would not shake Jeff's hand until he stood. He swung his legs around and was doing all he could to stand, I helped him a little and he reached out his hand to my husband. This moment brings tears to my eyes even still and I think Jeff's too. I know that my husband will do the same thing in his old age. Maybe that is why I had a special fondness for Lawrence.
One more thing about Evie. One of Evie's favorite outings was to go to a theater in Stayton to watch an old classic on the big screen. They did this once a month and it was a late night and a free movie so I always invited Jeff to ride along. Evie thought he was the most handsome man. She would tease him and flirt with him and make Jeff squirm in his seat. She called him her date and wouldn't let anyone else walk her to her seat. I loved it! I would always tease Evie the next day that she couldn't have my man. I think this bond between them became quite strong because a few years down the road Evie started getting dementia and it progressed the the point that she had to move to Memory Care. Since I was now working in Memory Care a part of me was of course happy to have Evie back. But the other part of me feared to see her slip away. One day Jeff stopped by again and I brought him over to see Evie, and her eyes lit up. She knew him, remembered his name at a time she was having trouble remembering me. Sad yes, but such joy that she had built such a fondness of him on the movie dates that she could remember him.
There was a picture up in her room of Evie sitting in a bikini, with sunglasses on, sitting in a lawn chair with her feet in a kiddie pool while sipping on a drink. She lived life. Such an amazing women.
When I started as part of the activities/life enrichment team she lived in the assisted living side. She was funny and full of life. She went on every outing and participated in almost all of the activities so we really got to know each other.
One day a gentlemen moved in to the same house as Evie. His name was Lawrence. He was a tall and handsome man. He was so kind and a real mans man. He was very hesitant to participate in the activities program but eventually I persuaded him. He also started participating in almost every activity and went on most of the outings.
Over time Evie and Lawrence became quite close. I think Evie loved flirting with Lawrence especially because Lawrence wasn't quite sure how to react so he would just squirm a bit in his seat.
One of my favorite activities was when we got together in the evenings after dinner and I read stories from various books out loud while cookies baked in the oven. When the cookies were done we would all enjoy a warm cookie and listen to one last story. I ran across a book with the stories of each of the hand carved horses that are part of the Salem Riverfront Carousel. So one summer I decided we would read through the stories of the horses, who made them, who they were dedicated to and then we would go on an outing to the carousel at the end of the summer.
The carousel has a ramp for walkers and wheelchairs to get on and then they have benches and things to sit on for those who can't climb up on a horse. So here we go to our outing. Of course Evie and Lawrence came along and shared a seat on the bus. We arrive and unload and all the walkers start wheeling in. Lawrence with his walker and portable oxygen tank and Evie with her walker, hunched over with it inevitably getting way out in front of her before she could catch up. The staff at the carousel were very helpful and helped me get each resident up on the carousel. As I went to get Evie seated on the bench she decided to throw me a curve ball. "I want to ride on a horse." What? As she starts putting her foot up on the step to climb on. I think I about had a heart attack at that point. But then . . . oh yes there is more. Lawrence wanted to ride on the horse next to Evie, with portable oxygen tank and all. Now time for heart attack #2. The good news, they both survived and so did I. Not only that, but the joy on their faces as they shared this moment together going around and around on a Carousel while in their late 80s early 90s is so priceless. I feel so blessed to have been there. So blessed. I so hope I have that much life left in me at that age.
Just a little more about Lawrence. He was getting to be quite ill and as it turns out was in his last week of life when Jeff stopped by to visit one day. I really wanted Lawrence to meet Jeff and Jeff to meet Lawrence. I had grown so close to Lawrence. So while laying in his bed, no doubt in pain and very weak I brought Jeff in for an introduction. This man, Lawrence, this amazing man, would not shake Jeff's hand until he stood. He swung his legs around and was doing all he could to stand, I helped him a little and he reached out his hand to my husband. This moment brings tears to my eyes even still and I think Jeff's too. I know that my husband will do the same thing in his old age. Maybe that is why I had a special fondness for Lawrence.
One more thing about Evie. One of Evie's favorite outings was to go to a theater in Stayton to watch an old classic on the big screen. They did this once a month and it was a late night and a free movie so I always invited Jeff to ride along. Evie thought he was the most handsome man. She would tease him and flirt with him and make Jeff squirm in his seat. She called him her date and wouldn't let anyone else walk her to her seat. I loved it! I would always tease Evie the next day that she couldn't have my man. I think this bond between them became quite strong because a few years down the road Evie started getting dementia and it progressed the the point that she had to move to Memory Care. Since I was now working in Memory Care a part of me was of course happy to have Evie back. But the other part of me feared to see her slip away. One day Jeff stopped by again and I brought him over to see Evie, and her eyes lit up. She knew him, remembered his name at a time she was having trouble remembering me. Sad yes, but such joy that she had built such a fondness of him on the movie dates that she could remember him.
There was a picture up in her room of Evie sitting in a bikini, with sunglasses on, sitting in a lawn chair with her feet in a kiddie pool while sipping on a drink. She lived life. Such an amazing women.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Life Enrichment First!
A few years ago, the memory care community I was working at, switched all their care plans and documentation to a new computer program. As they were making the switch they were asking for feedback from those whom used it the most. It was fun to play around with it and put in my input. I always like to put in my input. There were lots of little things we tweaked and added to make if fit our community better. Then, because I had the opportunity, I voiced a more dramatic change I had been dreaming about for years and it seems others had too. So here is the back story.
When I started working in Memory Care I was part of the Life Enrichment team. This is a new term for being part of the activities team. It is a much better name because they do much more than plan simple activities. If they are doing it well they are planning meaningful activities that do enrich the lives of the residents. It was a fun way to start out in this field. I got to know the residents very well, their desires, their frustrations and because of that I feel like I was better able to coordinate their care needs as the Memory Care Coordinator (MCC).
One of my biggest frustrations as a Life Enrichment team member was when new residents would move in and the Nurse, Resident Service Coordinator (RSC) or MCC would do the assessment and they would inevitably get maybe 2 or 3 pieces of information about the person. Their likes and dislikes, current or previous hobbies, past careers, number of children and so on. Not because these people were bad people that didn't care. They were amazing people who did care but who had a lot of information to collect in a short window of time in order to meet the immediate physical needs of the resident. Then one day I was the MCC and I was doing assessments and writing care plans. Now I can tell you from first hand experience that by the time you got to the part of the assessment where it asked all the bio information you were worn out. It was easy to think, we will get that information later. I always did get it later at the 30 day or quarterly care conferences. But still always thought, wouldn't it be nice for us to collect that information first. I could have simply started with that section even though it was at the end. Still I did not.
As time continued and I attended conferences and trainings on person centered care and other similar approaches. The common theme was until you know the person as an individual you can't give them the proper care they deserve. Especially in Memory Care.
I once brought huge relief to an anxious resident who needed desperately to get out so she could get to the children. This resident was a teacher and principal her whole life. She was never married and never had kids. The school children were her kids. If I had not know this about her I would probably assume she was looking for her children and may not have responded correctly. However, because I did know, I told her it was Saturday and that there was no school today. She let out a huge sigh because she had been trying to figure a way out for hours, looked me straight in the eyes, "oh, I am so glad you told me."
This personal information is so valuable.
Even though I knew a lot about each resident I often walked out of funeral services wishing I would have known some of the things shared at that person's funeral while they were still living. I wish when I asked questions about the person I would have gotten more information from the families. Again, not at the fault of the families, everyone with a loved one with dementia is just trying to keep their heads above water, living in continual mourning for the pieces of their loved one that are slowly being stripped away.
With all this in mind, and knowing that individuals aiming for success can either be hindered or aided by the systems that are in place I thought of a potential system change. The change that myself and others recommended was to put the Life Enrichment section first on the assessments and care plans. However, because the programming of the new computer system was so far along and this change was too big of a change they couldn't do it at that time.
Two weeks ago I stopped by the community I used to work at and visited with 2 of the RSCs who told me that the new care plan and assessment is coming out and the Life Enrichment section is first! I can't tell you how excited I am. For the staff, nurses and caregivers both, to get to know the person first before they get to know them as a 2 person transfer who needs toileting assistance every 2 hours is just priceless. I think this small systems change will impact the lives of the residents in ways we can't even imagine.
To top it all off they even added a new position, Transitions Coordinator. This person will be in charge of collecting all the information we walk away from funerals wishing we had known sooner. They will help families pause for a moment amongst the chaos of change to reflect on that persons life. So that we can honor that life lived with loving care and provide moments of joy through out their day. I don't know the person in this new role, but I hope they understand the weight of their task.
It is so amazing to see dreams come true. When you are in the trenches daily it seems like it would be hard to see what a big victory this is.
When I started working in Memory Care I was part of the Life Enrichment team. This is a new term for being part of the activities team. It is a much better name because they do much more than plan simple activities. If they are doing it well they are planning meaningful activities that do enrich the lives of the residents. It was a fun way to start out in this field. I got to know the residents very well, their desires, their frustrations and because of that I feel like I was better able to coordinate their care needs as the Memory Care Coordinator (MCC).
One of my biggest frustrations as a Life Enrichment team member was when new residents would move in and the Nurse, Resident Service Coordinator (RSC) or MCC would do the assessment and they would inevitably get maybe 2 or 3 pieces of information about the person. Their likes and dislikes, current or previous hobbies, past careers, number of children and so on. Not because these people were bad people that didn't care. They were amazing people who did care but who had a lot of information to collect in a short window of time in order to meet the immediate physical needs of the resident. Then one day I was the MCC and I was doing assessments and writing care plans. Now I can tell you from first hand experience that by the time you got to the part of the assessment where it asked all the bio information you were worn out. It was easy to think, we will get that information later. I always did get it later at the 30 day or quarterly care conferences. But still always thought, wouldn't it be nice for us to collect that information first. I could have simply started with that section even though it was at the end. Still I did not.
As time continued and I attended conferences and trainings on person centered care and other similar approaches. The common theme was until you know the person as an individual you can't give them the proper care they deserve. Especially in Memory Care.
I once brought huge relief to an anxious resident who needed desperately to get out so she could get to the children. This resident was a teacher and principal her whole life. She was never married and never had kids. The school children were her kids. If I had not know this about her I would probably assume she was looking for her children and may not have responded correctly. However, because I did know, I told her it was Saturday and that there was no school today. She let out a huge sigh because she had been trying to figure a way out for hours, looked me straight in the eyes, "oh, I am so glad you told me."
This personal information is so valuable.
Even though I knew a lot about each resident I often walked out of funeral services wishing I would have known some of the things shared at that person's funeral while they were still living. I wish when I asked questions about the person I would have gotten more information from the families. Again, not at the fault of the families, everyone with a loved one with dementia is just trying to keep their heads above water, living in continual mourning for the pieces of their loved one that are slowly being stripped away.
With all this in mind, and knowing that individuals aiming for success can either be hindered or aided by the systems that are in place I thought of a potential system change. The change that myself and others recommended was to put the Life Enrichment section first on the assessments and care plans. However, because the programming of the new computer system was so far along and this change was too big of a change they couldn't do it at that time.
Two weeks ago I stopped by the community I used to work at and visited with 2 of the RSCs who told me that the new care plan and assessment is coming out and the Life Enrichment section is first! I can't tell you how excited I am. For the staff, nurses and caregivers both, to get to know the person first before they get to know them as a 2 person transfer who needs toileting assistance every 2 hours is just priceless. I think this small systems change will impact the lives of the residents in ways we can't even imagine.
To top it all off they even added a new position, Transitions Coordinator. This person will be in charge of collecting all the information we walk away from funerals wishing we had known sooner. They will help families pause for a moment amongst the chaos of change to reflect on that persons life. So that we can honor that life lived with loving care and provide moments of joy through out their day. I don't know the person in this new role, but I hope they understand the weight of their task.
It is so amazing to see dreams come true. When you are in the trenches daily it seems like it would be hard to see what a big victory this is.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Memories CAN be stolen
Another lesson I have learned from my years in Memory Care . . . memories can be stolen from you. I know that
nobody wants to think about that, but it's true. We often used tools
like surveys and photo albums, to collect information about who each person was prior to
Alzheimer's. This information was so vital to providing loving care.
How amazing would it be for details about their life and thoughts from each of the
residents were written down for us to read. I have become almost
obsessed with documenting my life. I don't think I have ever told
anyone my reasoning. I guess I have now. I make photo books for my kids every year, I burn
DVDs of videos I have recorded every 3 months and now, new to my list of
chronicles, a blog.
I hope and pray that there will be a cure to Alzheimer's and other dementia's. I would love to have to find another career. But just in case I some day lose my memories, I hope all my work will not be in vain and someone will return them to me.
I hope and pray that there will be a cure to Alzheimer's and other dementia's. I would love to have to find another career. But just in case I some day lose my memories, I hope all my work will not be in vain and someone will return them to me.
Things I Did Do
I transferred to Oregon State University after studying my Freshman year of college at Linfield College in McMinnville. I went to Linfield because they had a swim team that I could be a part of and I had swam through most of my childhood. Part way through the season I was done. I quit. I actually still regret this. I wish I was strong enough to at least finish the year. I was still young and being out on my own was new to me. The practice schedule was a lot more intense than I was used to and I think I was kind of board of it. When I told people at Linfield that I was transferring I joked about maybe trying out for the crew team. I thought it would be fun but at the same time had no clue what the sport really was like-and I thought swimming was hard.
My sister was attending OSU and had already finished a couple years at University when I transferred. She was renting a 5 bedroom house and was saving a space for me. She had a barbeque at her house over the summer and my whole family went down to Corvallis to attend. My Mom and I went to the grocery store in Corvallis to pick up a few more things and a women stopped me in the aisle. "Where are you going to school next year?" I told her I was transferring to OSU next year. "Have you ever thought about rowing?" Well yes I had but didn't know where to start. She told me to sign up for the novice rowing class that is offered every fall term. They will teach you how to row and if you like it and if you are any good they will ask you to stay. That women in the store ended up being the novice rowing coach who I spent many long hours with. She taught me what it was really like to fight for what you want and gave me great strength through trials on the erg and off. When I said I can't, my legs hurt she would say "It's a long way from your heart Tracy!" What, you are supposed to have compassion on me, I am hurting. Not Jane, and it was the best thing for me at the time.
I was part of the OSU rowing team for 4 years. I was in the JV8 my second and third year and finally made it to the varsity 8 my senior year. I raced only a few races in the varsity 8 but it was a thrill and a goal I had been trying to attain for years. I made many friends from the crew team. Life long friends. We have since seen many of marry and I have held many precious "crew babies" in my arms as we begin our families.
In my 4th year of school I had an Ah ha moment in my Sociology of Aging course. It finally clicked and I figured out what career I believe God had been preparing me for my whole life. Since the moment I figured it out I thought it would be good for me to get some real life work experience. At the time I worked 15 to 20 hours a week at Osbourne Aquatic Center as a lifeguard. Through lifeguarding I met, and became friends with quite a few seniors citizens who swam in the early morning hours. One day one of the ladies came with assistance from an in home caregiver from a local agency. I applied for a job with the same agency and began in home caregiving which I did through my whole senior year. Although I got paid less than when I was a lifeguard my checks routinely ended up adding up to more because I could put in so many hours with out realizing it. I loved it.
I graduated from Oregon State University in 2004 with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Psychology. At this point I knew I wanted to work with the senior population but I wasn't exactly sure which avenue I would take. I was dating a guy who had an old family friend who worked at an Assisted living community in Salem (complicated I know). They were looking for an activities assistant so I went in for an interview and got the job. The activity assistant was going to be responsible for activities in the new memory care cottage that was just remodeled and was moving in residents soon. I started working at The Woods at Willowcreek in July of 2004 and my last day was when I left on maternity leave in February of 2011. What is that like 6 and a half years or so?
I had no idea how much I would fall in love with that place and my work. Sure there were tough days, many tough days. I have gone to many funerals but I have been a part of many spectacular peoples lives and that's the part I focus on most. What an honor for me to be a part of the final chapter. Many of the individuals I helped care for could not communicate to me with their words but many spoke to me through their eyes. Not only was I a part of the residents life but also a part of their families. I have seen unimaginable strength in the face of horrendous loss. I often face life's challenges by thinking to myself, if they can do what they have done for their loved one, I can do this. If they can come spend every day with their spouse who doesn't know their name, I can overcome this. Your names and faces are forever in my heart.
I have seen God's splendor and God's comfort to those who are passing. I have seen women on their death bed looking up with smiles on their faces and calling the names of children they have lost. I have seen a women take her last breath with her daughter by her side. I have heard others talking about sitting on Jesus' lap. How can you not be changed? How can you not understand, a little more, what is truly important in life. I can not say I became financially wealthy in this work but I was rewarded in ways that can not be measured.
To the caregivers out there in the trenches both at home and in community settings, I applaud, with all that I am I applaud you!
My sister was attending OSU and had already finished a couple years at University when I transferred. She was renting a 5 bedroom house and was saving a space for me. She had a barbeque at her house over the summer and my whole family went down to Corvallis to attend. My Mom and I went to the grocery store in Corvallis to pick up a few more things and a women stopped me in the aisle. "Where are you going to school next year?" I told her I was transferring to OSU next year. "Have you ever thought about rowing?" Well yes I had but didn't know where to start. She told me to sign up for the novice rowing class that is offered every fall term. They will teach you how to row and if you like it and if you are any good they will ask you to stay. That women in the store ended up being the novice rowing coach who I spent many long hours with. She taught me what it was really like to fight for what you want and gave me great strength through trials on the erg and off. When I said I can't, my legs hurt she would say "It's a long way from your heart Tracy!" What, you are supposed to have compassion on me, I am hurting. Not Jane, and it was the best thing for me at the time.
I was part of the OSU rowing team for 4 years. I was in the JV8 my second and third year and finally made it to the varsity 8 my senior year. I raced only a few races in the varsity 8 but it was a thrill and a goal I had been trying to attain for years. I made many friends from the crew team. Life long friends. We have since seen many of marry and I have held many precious "crew babies" in my arms as we begin our families.
In my 4th year of school I had an Ah ha moment in my Sociology of Aging course. It finally clicked and I figured out what career I believe God had been preparing me for my whole life. Since the moment I figured it out I thought it would be good for me to get some real life work experience. At the time I worked 15 to 20 hours a week at Osbourne Aquatic Center as a lifeguard. Through lifeguarding I met, and became friends with quite a few seniors citizens who swam in the early morning hours. One day one of the ladies came with assistance from an in home caregiver from a local agency. I applied for a job with the same agency and began in home caregiving which I did through my whole senior year. Although I got paid less than when I was a lifeguard my checks routinely ended up adding up to more because I could put in so many hours with out realizing it. I loved it.
I graduated from Oregon State University in 2004 with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Psychology. At this point I knew I wanted to work with the senior population but I wasn't exactly sure which avenue I would take. I was dating a guy who had an old family friend who worked at an Assisted living community in Salem (complicated I know). They were looking for an activities assistant so I went in for an interview and got the job. The activity assistant was going to be responsible for activities in the new memory care cottage that was just remodeled and was moving in residents soon. I started working at The Woods at Willowcreek in July of 2004 and my last day was when I left on maternity leave in February of 2011. What is that like 6 and a half years or so?
I had no idea how much I would fall in love with that place and my work. Sure there were tough days, many tough days. I have gone to many funerals but I have been a part of many spectacular peoples lives and that's the part I focus on most. What an honor for me to be a part of the final chapter. Many of the individuals I helped care for could not communicate to me with their words but many spoke to me through their eyes. Not only was I a part of the residents life but also a part of their families. I have seen unimaginable strength in the face of horrendous loss. I often face life's challenges by thinking to myself, if they can do what they have done for their loved one, I can do this. If they can come spend every day with their spouse who doesn't know their name, I can overcome this. Your names and faces are forever in my heart.
I have seen God's splendor and God's comfort to those who are passing. I have seen women on their death bed looking up with smiles on their faces and calling the names of children they have lost. I have seen a women take her last breath with her daughter by her side. I have heard others talking about sitting on Jesus' lap. How can you not be changed? How can you not understand, a little more, what is truly important in life. I can not say I became financially wealthy in this work but I was rewarded in ways that can not be measured.
To the caregivers out there in the trenches both at home and in community settings, I applaud, with all that I am I applaud you!
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