“Smile. Touch. A gentle voice. Beauty. Yes, they can have quality of life. Who are we to assume they can’t?”
It’s not easy to understand what “quality of life” can really mean for someone who can’t communicate with you the way you’re used to. But when you focus on the disabilities that Alzheimer’s and dementia can cause, you risk missing the abilities that remain. In “My Mother, and Other Dementia Patients, Could Still Enjoy Quality of Life,” columnist Mark McCarter writes about his mother’s struggles with dementia, his own blindness to this special reality, and what he learned.
Read more: Don’t Let Alzheimer’s Steal Quality of Life…
Mother’s Day sees many different traditions from family to family, from breakfast in bed and homemade cards to theater tickets and scrumptious dinners. But how do you still enjoy this day when your mom has Alzheimer’s or a related dementia?
Read more: Making the Most of Mother’s Day Memories…
With the number of veterans needing long-term care in dementia units rising, it’s often a race between staff understanding the disease and the sheer amount of persons needing that understanding.
Amie Domey understands all too well. In her four years as a certified therapeutic-recreation specialist at the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre, PA, she’s noticed patterns in the behavior of the patients—patterns that are often misinterpreted. “Some might categorize wandering, aggression, agitation and hoarding as negative behaviors, but they are normal for those with dementia . . . staff need to understand what dementia is and how to deal with patients who have it, so that we can give our veterans the best care possible for the time they are living with us.”
Read more: Medical Center Focuses on Abilities, Not Deficits, of Persons With Dementia…
The American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordination (AANAC), a nonprofit association that supports long-term care professionals who provide quality care for nursing home residents, recently published Kim Warchol’s “Facilitate Successful Outcomes by Addressing Undetected or Unmanaged Dementia, Delirium, and Depression.”
Read more: AANAC Publishes Article by Dementia Care Specialists President…
“Most people will tell you that the worst day for a person with Alzheimer’s disease is the day they are asked to give up their keys because it is no longer safe for them to drive. I remember the day vividly because I was the one who had to ask my mom for her keys.”
Read more: When Taking Away the Car Keys Leads to Wandering…
