What do George Burns, Gunsmoke and Hemingway all have in common?

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Nursing Home Activities Resource

They’re all great to listen to!

Many seniors find themselves spending much less time socially when trying to manage the emotions of isolation, loneliness or depression because of their health and circumstances. So it is of vital importance that caregivers at home and in care facilities make sure every effort is made to keep seniors spending some time with others and, hopefully, actively engaged in games, fun and laughter. Laughter really is a medicine to the body and mind, and it can be very therapeutic emotionally as well.

Not all group activities have to be a rip roaring time either. As enjoyable as it is to be read to, seniors would enjoy just sitting together in a room and listening to an old episode of Gunsmoke, or the Lone Rangers. Many will remember sitting around the radio with their family listening to these great shows.

Remember when…? Those old radio shows can stir the imagination, can’t they? How about another good laugh to an old radio classic of George Burns? Or Laurel and Hardy? .

For those times when reading to someone isn’t practical, a book can still be well enjoyed on audio too. Some may enjoy rediscovering the suspense of Sherlock Holmes, or the descriptive prose of Hemingway.

The Old Time Radio shows and even the audio books could be used by activity director’s for trivia games and theme months. They engage the emotions and entertain the imagination!

Utilizing the Concept of Mandalas in Art Therapy

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Mandala Art

The very nature of creating a mandala is therapeutic and symbolic. The shapes and colors you create in your mandala art therapy will reflect your inner self at the time of creation. Your instinct and feeling should inspire and guide you through the process of creation. Ultimately, you will be creating a portrait of yourself as you are when creating the mandala. So, whatever you are feeling at that time, whatever emotions are coming through, will be represented in your mandala art therapy.

As with most art therapy, it’s not about the final product…it’s about the journey. When you reach your destination, you will have a representation of something meaningful and personal…a snapshot of you for a brief moment in time expressed through your mandala.

Words from the Artist - I love to make holistic art in tune with the Earth. This helps to create a home environment of warmth and harmony. I create stunning window mandalas and simple inspirational signs to influence mood and motivation.

Create Your Own Art - Buy some watercolor pencils and watercolor paper, trace a circle and use your intuition and emotions to fill in the circle. Then use a paintbrush and water and go over your drawing to bring it to life! Use this as a meditative process for wholistic healing especially during times of stress or life transition.

See how your circles change with your mood and feel the centering effect of working with the inner circle of your soul.

Super Mid Fall Activity Brain Boosters for Those with Dementia

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Associated Content

More Ways to Keep the Mind of People with Alzheimer's Disease, Related Dementias, Long Term Care Residents, and Others, Active This Fall
As with the early fall activities and discussion topics, the ones for mid fall also stimulate the mind of those with Alzheimer's disease, related dementias and other long term care residents. Keeping these people engaged in activities and conversation help to slow their loss of function. Having them keep a positive attitude also is a must

Mid fall activity topics include more about apples, but this time in combination with honey. Also on the list are the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. In addition to this, classical music and the piano are timely topics because September is national piano month and national classical music month.

The first activity idea incorporates apples, honey and the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashana. Rosh Hashana(the Jewish New Year) is most often in September, but it depends on the Jewish calendar which has goes by the moon. Simply put, Rosh Hashana is a solemn holiday. It is a time for reflection, a time when you examine your life and make amends for all the wrongs that you may have been part of during the past year. Yom Kippur is the "day of atonement" when you ask forgiveness for all your sins of the past year. There are some traditions of these holidays that everyone can enjoy

This year Rosh Hashana begins at sundown on Monday September 29 and ends at sunset on Wednesday October 1. Yom Kippur starts on the evening of Wednesday, October 8, and ends at sunset on October 9.

All Jewish holidays start and end in the evening.

A tradition on Rosh Hashana is to dip apples into honey. If you do this, it is said that you will have a sweet new year. This activity is relatively easy to do. You can have a discussion about the Jewish holidays. If you have any Jewish residents, make sure to involve him/her in the planning process. They may even reveal some more easy to do traditions to you.

Also call on them often during the discussion even if they are lower functioning. You might say something like, "Bella told me she used to(a tradition she told you about or you read about) on Rosh Hashana" Bella is the low functioning resident. It will make Bella feel good.

Then you can talk about honey. Ask who......read all of Super Mid Fall Activity Brain Boosters for Those with Dementia

History & Meaning of the Mandala

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Many people and cultures have vouched for the mandala’s intrinsic meaning. Buddhists, Tibetans, and Hindus have all derived meaning from the mandala and its captivating beauty. Psychoanalyst Carl Jung has called it “a representation of the unconscious self.” The mandala is widely recognized as a meaningful reflection of its creator. Mandala art therapy & healing can be a great source of reflection on one’s soul.

Mandalas can be seen all around us, but are not just people-centric. They are larger than life. Mandalas represent life as we know it, but they also represent a larger ecosystem and universe that exceeds our consciousness.
The “circle with a center” pattern is the basic structure of creation that is reflected from the micro to the macro in the world as we know it. It is a pattern found in nature and is seen in biology, geology, chemistry, physics and astronomy.
On our planet, living things On our planet, living things are made of cells and each cell has a nucleus — all display circles with centers. The crystals that form ice, rocks, and mountains are made of atoms. Each atom is a mandala.

Within the Milky Way galaxy is our solar system and within our solar system, is Earth. Each is a mandala that is part of a larger mandala.
Flowers, the rings found in tree trunks and the spiraling outward and inward of a snail’s shell all reflect the primal mandala pattern. Wherever a center is found radiating outward and inward, there is wholeness–a mandala.
Source: http://www.mandalaproject.org/Index.html
This couldn’t have been explained more beautifully.

Mandalas are everywhere. They are the structures of our cells, our world, and our universe.

Mandala Art

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Noah and the Ark

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wordofloveforyou.com/n1.htm -



“In the beginning God created a perfect & wonderful World filled with beauty & love!
But only 15 hundred years later when God looked upon the Earth...
"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great on Earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
God was watching all the time..."Man became so sinful and wicked, I'm sorry that I ever made him. It makes my heart feel very sad"
So while people were fighting, sacrificing their children to the idols, God decided to "Destroy man... from the face of the Earth..."
***
"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord."(Gen.6.7)

-"Ah, here at least is one righteous man - kind & loving & good, who is worth saving! I will speak to him & tell him what to do!"
It' Me, Noah, God!"
"-Yes,Lord"
-"Now listen carefully. I have something very important to tell you!"
"The end of all flesh is before me; for the Earth is filled with violence!...Behold I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the Earth to destroy all flesh wherein is the brearth of life, from under Heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die." (Gen. 6:13,17)"

-"Every living creature destroyed?"

-"Noah, I want you to build an Ark for the saving of your house, for you & your sons & your wife & your sons' wives! - This is how to do it..."
And that's what dear old Noah did!
He obeyed what God told him to do & got busy building the Ark.
"Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he."
(Gen.6:22)
-"Noah! What happened to you?
What are you doing ?"
-"God was talking to me today..."
-"God?..."
-"Yes. He told me that the world became so bad, that He has no choice than destroy it with flood! But He promised to save you and me and our sons, and their wives!"
-"But we don't have children!"
-"We will by the time we finish building the Ark!"
-"What an Ark, Noah?"
-"It's a very large boat! God said it's going to have rooms inside like a house!
It has to be big enough to hold two of every living creature & seven pairs of every clean kind of creature, & enough food for the animals & us!
***
So Noah got busy right away!
He hired workmen to cut the trees.
And the neighbors came around wondering...
Noah explained, "God told me to build a big boat, a refuge for all who wants to be saved from the big Flood...."
-"Ha, ha, ha! You mean the water will come out of the sky & drawn all of us?
Never heard such a crazy thing in my life...
Ha, ha, ha... You really make me laugh today, Noah..."

Noah had been working on the Ark for twenty years when Mrs. Noah gave birth to their first son, Japheth!

Shem was born two years later, and their youngest son, Ham, a few years after that!
the 3 sons helped their father with his big job!
***
After 120 long years, the Ark was finished!
Now it was the time to load up tons of supplies for their long voyage.
Noah still was hoping that others will repent & come on the boat
-"Come on in!
There is food enough for you all! Repent & be saved from the Flood!"
-But people were laughing at Noah, they were having real fun to look at the crazy guy, who spent all 120 years to build this boat..
"- Throw tomatoes at him"
- somebody screamed.
Rocks, eggs, tomatoes & all kind of food were flying in the air, when
suddenly..

-"Look, look at the animals! They seem to be coming towards the Ark from all directions!"
What a sight!
The people watched in stunned amazement as animals,
birds & insects of every kind made their way towards the Ark! Some came by two's, others by pairs of seven
The Great Flood is upon you! The whole world is going to be destroyed!
Come before it's too late!
But the people came to laugh at crazy Noah, so there were laughing..
Suddenly big door get closed by itself.. God closed the door..
Then the dark clouds start to move in..
***
-"Water is coming from the sky! --Just like Noah said! So the old man was right!"...
"And the windows of Heaven were opened."--
The floodgates of Heaven were opened and all the water that as above the Earth came pouring down! The desperate people, crazy with fear, started pounding on the door & shouting for Noah to let them in...But who shut this door?
God shut it. So nobody could open it!
The huge, stormy waves rolled over these wicked people and swept them all away..
***
-"Anyway,after 150 days of calm sailing, the Bible says, "And God made a wind to pass over the Earth, and the water assuaged", that means they started to dry out!(Gen.8:1)
Then one day --BOOM! SCRAPE! CREEK!
The bottom of the ship has hit the land!
The waters must be going down!
"And the Ark rested in the 7 th month, on the 17 th day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat." (Gen.8:4)
-"We've been sitting on this mountaintop for nearly 6 months now! Whew!
How much longer is it going to take for the waters to go down?"
- "I know it's hard to have patience, but we must wait on God, my Son!
When it is His time for us to leave the Ark, He will tell us!"
***
-"We've may touched the ground, but look! There
still no land to be seen besides the two peaks of this mountain!..."
To see how far the waters had gone, Noah sent out two birds!
First a raven, but he never returned..
So Noah sent out a dove!
She came back in the evening with an olive leaf in her beak!
"Praise God! This means that not only are the waters still going down, but that there are at least a few trees showing on the Land!"
One week later they let the dove to fly again. And this time the dove "returned not again unto him any more." (Gen. 8:12)
-"Then the land must be dry!"
So after being in that floating Ark for 1 year & 17 days "Noah removed the covering of the Ark, and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry." (Gen.8:13)
-"Let's open the door of the Ark and let all animals loose now, shall we?"
-"No, Shem! God will tell us when! He may need a little more time to grow enough plants & grass to feed the animals before we let them all out!"
***
And God spoke unto Noah, saying, "Go forth from the Ark, though and thy wife and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee!
Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, that they may breed abundantly and be fruitful and multiply, upon the Earth." (Gen. 8:16,17)
-"Japheth! Shem! Ham! The time has come! The great moment for which we have waited so long! Come help me to push this huge door open!"
-"Whew! It won't budge!'
-"Remember, it was the hand of God that has closed it!
***
-"Lord, please help us!"
At last the great door creaked open, as if moved by the same Mighty Hand that had closed it!
And there amidst the blue sky they saw a glorious glowing arch of many colors!
-"I do set my bow in the sky as a sign of my promise to you and every creature, that I will never again send a flood of waters to cover the whole Earth! " It was the first rainbow! (Gen. 9:12-17)

50 Excellent Blogs to Learn About the Upcoming Healthcare Crisis

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by Linda

Are you concerned about health care reform? Many people believe that if this topic is not tackled, the U.S. is headed toward a severe health care crisis. Some people believe that this country already is embroiled in a health care crisis that may be too large to address.

The following fifty blogs focus on issues such as health care insurance topics, Medicaid and Medicare, long-term care (LTC), the reform debate and more. These blogs are written by doctors, medical personnel, anonymous bloggers who want to protect an identity, unions, and pro- and anti-health care reform advocates. The blogs are listed in alphabetical order within each category, as this method shows our readers that we do not favor one position or blog over another. If you know about any other blogs that address the current or upcoming health care crisis, please feel free to leave a link in the comments after the article

Long-Term Care

Long-Term Care, or LTC, provides a variety of services to meet needs of people with chronic illnesses or disabilities, no matter the individual’s age. Current issues include lack of funds, which raises some demand for incentives for individuals who can save for future long-term care needs. Also, suggestions to expand Medicare to include long-term care have been considered.

Advance for Long-Term Care Management: This blog and news site provides information and strategies for nursing homes, SNFs, assisted living and senior housing facilities and personnel.

Blog LongTerm Care: A writer who faced the difficult decision of long-term care for an elderly loved one brings this blog to help others understand the difficulties involved in this process.

Complete Long Term Care: Complete Long Term Care .com is run and maintained by LTC Global, which owns and operates a national group of Long Term Care agencies. Their blog addresses LTC issues.

Elder Law Answers Blog: Harry S. Margolis practices elder law with Margolis & Bloom based in Boston, with additional offices in Framingham, Woburn and Dedham. He edits

The ElderLawReport and is the founder and President of this blog site.
Cancer Action Network Health Care Reform Blog: This blog is in this category as it is maintained by the Cancer Action Network, an organization concerned with all issues surrounding chronic disease and long-term care.
Info Long-Term Care: Laurie Blanchard, B.A., MLS, provides a current awareness service for health care practitioners in long-term and geriatric care.

Long Term Care Review: Duane Lipham, a Certified Long Term Care consultant, provides a blog that updates readers on news and opinion about long-term care treatment.
Long Term Living: The LTL Blog is open to all readers interested in creating constructive discussions focusing on the long-term care industry.

McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and Assisted Living: This is a business news magazine that serves the intitutional long-term care community. The news, articles and blog entries are geared toward addressing assisted living managers to help them improve operations based upon regulatory and business changes in the marketplace.

Links for long term care answers

How to Apply a Person Centred Approach to Dementia Care

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A symposium in April 2008 helped change the thinking about nursing homes. The theme of the discussion, called "Creating Home in the Nursing Home," was person-centered care and living surroundings.

With this theme in mind, accomplish person-centered care in a nursing home by creating a homelike atmosphere.and centering residents' care on their interests, talents and preferences. Understand the individuality of each resident with dementia. An atmosphere that works for one person may not work for someone else. Preferences and needs may change from day to day. Awareness of the whole person challenges the caregiver. Bringing a smile to the faces of people who have dementia rewards those who care for them.

Instructions

Step 1 Get a family history of the resident's past interests, jobs, siblings, children and hobbies by talking to family members, friends and the resident.

Step 2 Communicate with the resident in a way that he can best understand, using verbal reminders, gestures, written messages, or whatever it takes. He may have trouble finding words. Fill in the blanks for him. At the same time, compliment him.

Step 3 Observe the resident in his new environment. See what time he gets up naturally. Detect his current likes and dislikes. Determine what his behaviors are and what sets off problem behaviors.

Step 4 Nip agitated behavior in the bud. Divert and redirect. Do something to stop the unwanted behavior, then redirect him to another activity.

Step 5 Set his new room up with favorite items from his former home. Provide him with necessities like a television, clock, easy reading material or other things that delight him and improve his quality of life.

Step 6 Discover tips for environmental modifications that make life easier for the resident and the caregiver.

Step 7 Keep the.....read more about
How to Apply a Person Centred Approach to Dementia Care

Four easy ways to celebrate Rosh Hashanah with those who have dementia

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Healthnews-stat.com

5770 marks the beginning of another year. 5.3 million Americans have dementia. A good number of them are Jewish. What can you do to make someone with dementia feel good this Rosh Hashanah?

How celebrating this holy day helps uplift their spirit and yours

Here are some suggestions

Pray with them.

Most folks with dementia have strong ties to their religion. Even those with advanced dementia may spontaneously recite portions of a prayer service that was part of their past.
The problem may be to find a service that is appropriate. The traditional service is long and crowded.
Here are a few suggestions
*Go at the beginning or end of the service. That is when the least amount of congregants is in attendance.
*Contact some assisted living or nursing homes in the area. Many of them have short simple services highlighting the important prayers. This is a win, win situation. You can see what a place is like, and most often, activity directors love having visitors attend group activities. It makes all involved feel good. If this is not possible, have a short service at home. If you explain the situation to the Rabbi, he or she will let you borrow or buy a prayer book. He may even drop by for a visit. Alternatively, you can find some prayers online. Make sure to include some songs in your service or just sing the songs throughout the holiday. A good song might be: Shalom Aleichem

Carry on a family tradition

All families have something special they do during the high holidays. Of course, most families go to a synagogue. What about after that? Maybe you went to Aunt Betty’s. Aunt Betty may no longer be around, but you can recreate the atmosphere that was there. Invite one or two understanding friends to help you with this. The memories of visiting Aunt Betty will be there

Related to this is talking about past experiences on Rosh Hashanah or other holidays.

Discuss what happened at Aunt Betty’s. Regale a story about a funny experience that took place at Aunt Betty’s.
Do not ask: Do you remember?, but rather, just tell the story and let your loved one with dementia add comments. Talk about family members both past and present. You might say: "When Uncle Harry shook the table, he made us all laugh". Tell some jokes and laugh some more. Laughter is the best medicine

Eat a traditional meal or foods together

This activity can wake up the taste buds of a dementia person. Before the holiday, discuss the recipes. Talk about different ingredients you need. Prepare a simple recipe together. Plan the meal. Ask: What should we eat first?etc.
Have him or her help set the table or fold the napkins.
You can talk about favorite family foods. Then make sure you have some of these favorites during the actual meal.

No matter what you do the goal is to make your loved one with dementia, feel good. Do not be a stickler for the rules. Reward good tries. If you feel a need to go to a traditional service, hire someone or have a friend go with you. If the service is too much for the dementia person, the friend can take him for a walk or take him home. Often congregants feel a need to take a break from the service whether they have dementia or not.

With some planning, this Rosh Hashanah, 5770, can be a good one for you and your loved one with dementia

Alzheimer's ideas
Alzheimer's ideas page 5

Experiencing Life, Briefly, Inside a Nursing Home

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New York Times



“When I came in, I was worried about working with older folks because I was afraid I wouldn’t be good at it,” Ms. Murphy said. “Now, if anything, I’m worried I’ll love them too much and it will really hurt to work with folks at the end of their lives.”

there. During her going-away party they presented her with a big card, and shouts of “We love Kristen” were heard throughout.

The program has solidified Ms. Murphy’s desire to work with older people. And the hardest lesson she learned — that for some people, it is better to be in a wheelchair or to have limited mobility — will make her become a better doctor, she said.

“As a doctor, my job is to help patients live the life they want to,” she said. “And if they’re in pain, you have to say ‘That’s O.K. if you want to spend your time in a wheelchair.’

“For me that’s such a different place to be. Because I hate this chair. It still startles me that that’s the choice.”

Ms. Murphy said the care she received at the home was outstanding. But there were things that could use improvement: she did not realize she could ask for things like soda, and she felt that shower bars were too high for someone in a wheelchair. She also told the staff at a debriefing session that families should be included in more activities.

Dr. Phillips of the American Geriatrics Society, which is not involved with this program, said the challenge was to see “how this replicates everywhere else and how enthusiastic medical students are to take this on.”

Another of the 10 students who have gone through the program, William Vogt, spent 10 days last summer in a nursing home at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Augusta, Me. Mr. Vogt, who spent a day wheeling around with petroleum jelly smeared on his glasses and cotton stuck in his ears, said he was particularly struck by the fact that many patients considered the nursing home to be home and the staff “a second family.”

Mr. Vogt said the little things counted, like lowering nameplates so patients could locate their rooms and not putting a remote on top of a television, out of reach.

“There’s a little part of it that works its way into everything I do, from patient interaction and awareness of how I come across to what I say,” said Mr. Vogt, a medical student doing clinical work at a hospital in Watertown, N.Y. “There’s this shift of the humanity of it.”

Doll therapy for those with dementia

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Spark of Life

Written by Jane Verity

Although Doll Therapy has been around for well over 20 years, the debate on using dolls in dementia care can still tend to provoke strong opposing responses that sometimes lead to a division between staff in aged care facilities.

This précis is not about the ‘how to'. Instead, it aims to help build a bridge between the two opposing views and show how dolls can be used for their symbolic significance, with tremendous positive outcomes.

If you support the use of doll therapy, you are likely to have had positive, personal experience that dolls have strong symbolic meaning and provide purpose, nurture and healing for people with dementia. As a result you are most likely passionate about these outcomes and will fight for Doll Therapy to be an integral part of the therapy program.

On the opposite side, you may have thoughts such as: I'd rather die than imagine myself as an old person in a nursing home, walking around with a doll. You are genuinely concerned that introducing dolls can be childish, demeaning, maybe even patronising and often feel so strongly about your point of view that you ensure dolls are not permitted in your facility.

If you belong to this side, undoubtedly, you genuinely want the best for people with dementia and respect and dignity are high on your agenda. The way you assess whether Doll Therapy is acceptable or not is based on the thinking: Do unto others as you would like done unto you. This is a perfectly logical and rational conclusion.

This same logical, rational thinking is still active in most people in the early stages of dementia. However there is a distinct difference in the way a person who has moved beyond the early stages of dementia thinks. T his person may now have lost much of their memory and their logical, rational thinking as well as their social inhibitions. The beliefs and values they used to uphold are no longer important to them. They live in the moment - and that is all that matters!

When you care for a person in the later stages of dementia, it can serve you both well to consider a change of thinking from: How will the person respond to this activity? To: What activity will this person respond to?

We believe you can draw your best answer in deciding if doll therapy is appropriate by seeking input directly from the person with dementia. Let them show you whether or not they enjoy a particular activity.

Simply read their eyes. People with dementia will give you immediate feedback on what you do and say. You either rekindle "the spark" or you extinguish it. So focus your attention on their eyes for a genuine indicator and response.

People with dementia have some universal emotional needs that are often not fulfilled.

The five most significant universal emotional needs are:

To feel needed and useful
To have opportunity to care
To have self-esteem boosted
To love and be loved
To express emotions freely
When these needs are not fulfilled in this reality they tend to go back into their memories and recreate significant people, places, objects or situations where those needs were fulfilled. Often they relive these in this reality, such as Eva who is standing at the door, vigorously shaking the door handle, calling out: Let me out, I want to go home. My babies are crying.

This is not a crazy action but a perfectly meaningful way of seeking to fulfil these four needs. Eva is most likely feeling isolated because she is no longer involved. So she recreates a time when she was a mother taking care of her children. She is longing to feel needed and useful, to still be able to care, to have her self esteem boosted and to give and receive love.

Freud spoke about the Eternal Eros - the ever constant love - innate in us all, and the ability to display this nurturing love naturally, which women may return to and some men may discover for the first time. The need exists strongly but what is often missing is a natural way to fulfil it. This is where a doll with its powerful symbolic significance can be of incredible positive value.

From a wide range of documented stories we know that Doll Therapy offers many and varied benefits that reach far beyond providing the purpose and healing described so far. Doll Therapy can help improve the overall well-being of the person with dementia.

Doll Therapy has never been defined in a short, clear and precise way but rather through anecdotes and benefits. It has been the aim of this article to offer a definition of Doll Therapy as the wise and mindful use of dolls for their symbolic significance to help improve the well-being of people with dementia

What Do Licensed Activity Directors Do?

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eHow

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) require that all the places that get reimbursement from the federal government have a registered or certified activity director. Activity directors must be licensed or registered in the state they are working in. The activity director has many duties.

Preparing a Monthly Activity Calendar
Each month, a licensed activity director must prepare a calendar that reflects the day and evening group and individual activities that are offered to the residents each day.. The calendar should be easy to read, distributed to everyone and posted for all to see.

Assessing Residents Interests and Needs
When new residents are admitted, the director will ask them about their interests past and present. Also one finds out about their strengths and limitations.

Revising the Activity Programs
From time to time, the director may have to make changes to the activity calendar besides the usual changes done each month. This should be done when the interests and limitations of the residents change.
Writing Care Plans
Once the......read all about What Do Licensed Activity Directors Do

How to celebrate Grandparents day with those who have dementia

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Healthnews-stat.com

Folks with dementia love children, especially babies. Take advantage of Grandparent’s day to allow these two groups of people to connect. Kids make most people smile especially those with dementia

Over 5.3 million Americans have dementia. Most of them are grandparents. Folks with dementia love children, especially babies. Take advantage of Grandparent’s day to allow these two groups of people to connect. Kids make most people smile especially those with dementia

Even though Grandparent’s day is Sept 13, extend it to Grandparent’s week if you are dealing with someone who has dementia. If too many grand kids visit at once, the excitement and confusion might be too much for a dementia person. Have the grandchildren visit one or two at a time. That way quality time is exchanged and the level of confusion is kept at a minimum.

Keep visits short. Discuss dementia with the children before the visit. There are many good books to assist you in helping a child to understand dementia. One such book is The Magic Tape Recorder by Joyce Simard. This is a thoughtful and well written book that explains the effects of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias to children in a light and entertaining way. If the youngsters are familiar with the disease, the time spent together will be more meaningful for all.

What should you do during the visit?
There are many activities that both the dementia person and children enjoy.
*Look at family pictures and recall the stories that go with them. Of course, you would have told the child that he may hear the same story several times. If you do not have old family photos or have not organized them yet, use this book, Adorable Photographs of Our Baby-Meaningful, Mind Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, their Loved Ones and Involved Professionals, by Susan Berg. It not only has cute conversation stimulating baby pictures, but activity ideas related to the photos are suggested.
*Sing familiar songs together. Patriotic songs are ideal because most people, young and old, know them. Some good songs are: America, America the Beautiful, and God Bless America
*Watch a portion of a classic musical movie. Do not try to watch too long because the dementia person or child may lose interest. Movie suggestions are: any Shirley Temple movie, Judy Garland movies including, The Wizard of Oz, and The Sound of Music.
*Have a snack or meal together. Everyone loves ice cream.
*Make an old family favorite recipe together. Then eat it
*Go for a ride. Because gasoline prices are high and attention spans are short, a short trip is best.

So this Grandparents day, September 9, include a loved one with dementia and a grandchild in a lovely experience for both.

alzheimers ideas

How to Keep an Alzheimer's Patient Occupied

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is interesting information
Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia brain activities

eHow

by Logan

Caring for a patient with Alzheimer's disease can be a challenging experience due to the debilitating nature of the condition. Alzheimer's is a progressive mental disorder that eventually causes total memory loss. A patient must be protected and occupied in order to prevent injury. Since an Alzheimer's patient is also prone to wandering from safe locations, it is important to keep her busy with interesting activities.

Step 1 Create structured daily routines. Providing a schedule gives an Alzheimer's patient something to look forward to completing. It also promotes memory recall and chances for discussions. Since an Alzheimer's patient can get depressed about losing memories and autonomy, it is important to encourage consistent task accomplishments and attempts.

Step 2 Entertain the patient with colorful television shows and movies. Choose lively shows with simple story lines to keep the patient occupied. Opt for shorter programs as it may be difficult for an Alzheimer's patient to remain engaged for longer periods. Children's programming is often a suitable choice due to the program length, engaging dialogue and bright colors.

Step 3 Engage the patient with puzzles and games. Offering simple puzzles, such as crosswords and mazes, can help keep the patient occupied. Encourage an Alzheimer's patient to put together jigsaw puzzles or to play memory card games. Place more focus on having fun with the games than on winning to avoid discouraging this important cognitive activity.

Step 4 Read short stories. Choose books with colorful pictures to promote active listening. Engage the Alzheimer's patient by using voice inflection and exaggerated facial expressions when reading. Keep dialogue with the patient throughout the story by asking and answering questions about the plot and characters. If possible, ask the patient to take turns reading the story aloud. Large picture books can be a suitable choice for an Alzheimer's patient.

Step 5 Allow for group interaction. Accompany the patient to a variety of social events featuring family members, old friends and other patients. This helps the Alzheimer's patient feel connected with past memories and promotes making new friendships. Show family photos and memorabilia during these outings to encourage recall and peaceful vibes.

Step 6 Introduce friendly pets into the routine. Since an Alzheimer's patient may feel like his independence is limited, he may enjoy getting the chance to help care for an animal. Petting small animals, such as dogs and cats, can calm an Alzheimer's patient.

Thank you to all involved in dementia care

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is interesting information
Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia brain activities

Healthnews-stat.com

It is estimated that there are over 55 million caregivers, of people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, worldwide. Learn what a hard job they have and why they deserve everyone's praise

According to the United States government Labor Day, celebrates the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of America. Alzheimer's and other dementia caregivers certainly meet these criteria.

The first reason to honor these caregivers is for the financial burden they incur when caring for a person with dementia. First the family has consulted an Elder law attorney to get all the finances in order. Most likely the caregiver had to cut back on the hours of paid employment. Despite using all the resources out there, all expenses for the care of a dementia person will not be covered. That means go without, or pay for necessary items out of pocket.

The second reason to pay tribute to ones caring for someone with dementia is their resourcefulness. Caregivers are good at coming up with unique strategies for managing and paying for the supervision of their loved one. They may get help from attending a support group in person or online. However, they are the ones ultimately responsible for a workable plan of care.

Third is recognizing that many perform physically demanding aspects of a dementia persons' care. Many do the bathing, feeding and toileting of their family member with dementia. These tasks are difficult because many with dementia are confused and combative.

Next, these caregivers should be honored for all the time they devote to all aspects of a dementia persons' life. As just mentioned, most caregivers are responsible for the physical aspects of care. But they also must engage their loved one in meaningful activities throughout the day and sometimes well into the night. Fortunately many take advantage of adult day care to ease the burden. Unfortunately some dementia folks refuse to participate in or have behaviors that preclude them from attending these worthwhile programs.

The fifth reason for honoring those caring for a dementia person is all the time they devote to this job. The caregiver is most likely responsible for everything from cleaning to cooking to shopping to yard work. The list seems endless. These tasks are even more difficult because while the caregiver is doing them, he must also keep the dementia person safe.

It has also been reported recently that caregivers take longer to fall asleep despite being exhausted and that caregivers of dementia spouses enjoy life less Not to mention one-quarter of spouses of those with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias are depressed
Also according to a report published by the National Alzheimer's Association, ten million caregivers provided....read all about honoring caregivers on Labor Day

Enjoyable reading for People with Dementia

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is interesting information
Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia brain activities

Spark of Life



People who have dementia enjoy reading simple, little one-liner sayings such as Affirmations and Life Wisdoms, which seem to feed their souls and lift their spirits. They also respond to Riddle Jokes with a smile and a laugh, and Proverbs bring the joy of recognition.

Even people with severe dementia, who communicate mainly through actions and facial expressions, show joy in reading such sayings or having them read to them.

Here are some examples:

Affirmations:
I am safe and I am free.
I stand here with pride.
My feelings are important.
Life Wisdoms:

The most important thing in life is to keep breathing.
The best knowledge comes from inside.
Forgiveness is an act of the heart.
Riddle Jokes:

(Jokes are extremely culturally specific and may need to be adapted to suit individuals.)

How do you make an orange turn over?...Tickle its navel!
What did the puppy say when it sat on the sandpaper?…Ruff, ruff!
What has fifty heads and no brains?...A box of matches!
Proverbs:

United we stand - divided we fall!
As you sow…so shall you reap!
A watched pot never boils!
Here are some suggestions on how to use these sayings with people who have dementia.

Create a ritual around your mealtime where people can take turns to read ‘Today’s Saying’.

Lift their spirit by sitting down with the person who has dementia and reading some of the sayings. Ask them, ‘How does that make you feel?’ or ‘What does this make you think of?’

Give a special saying to make that person feel really special or to give them a laugh.

Top Early Fall Activity Brain Boosters for Those with Dementia

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is interesting information
Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia brain activities

AC content

Keep the Mind of People with Alzheimer's, Related Dementias, Long Term Care Residents, and Others, Active

There are many types of activities that can be done in the fall with those who have dementia. Many of the activities can be done with other long term care residents as well. Remember any activity that makes people think will go along way in slowing the decline of dementia. In addition sparking conversation as these suggested topics do, also helps to keep a dementia person's mind active.

In part one, suggested activities are related to school, trees, harvests, and apples. All of these subjects are things that are associated with early fall

School begins in the fall.
There are all sorts of activities related to going to school. The song School Days is a nice way to begin an activity based on going to school. You can also
Talk about favorite school subjects
Have a spelling bee. (You would be surprised how many folks with dementia can still spell)
Talk about lunch at school (many went home for lunch) You can still talk about a good lunch to eat while going to school.
You could make a bag lunch and have group participants guess what food is in the bag. You could have them taste the food and guess what it is

Next you can talk about trees.
See how many types of trees they can name. Make sure you give everyone who is present a turn. Give hints as needed.
Bring in leaves from various trees and see if they know what tree they are from.
You and they could make a wreath out of leaves using a paper plate rim as the backing. You can add a bow to make it look festive.
You can talk about why trees leaves turn colors in the fall.
You can ask group participants, what their favorite color is.
You could have a side discussion all about colors.
You can talk about the weather in the fall.
You can discuss Indian Summer.
You can sing songs about fall such as: Shine On Harvest Moon

Speaking of the harvest, you can talk about........Read all of fall activity brain boosters