Why Validation Therapy Works for Those with Dementia

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Emotions are one of the last things to be lost in a person with dementia. Although not all aspects of validation therapy work for a person with dementia, understanding the concept of it is useful to the dementia caregiver. Some parts of validation therapy work for most people with dementia. You, as a caregiver, must discover what portions are effective for the person you are taking care of.
Dementia, a brain condition, is characterized by a group of symptoms that cause changes in the functioning of the brain. The changes have to do with thinking, perception and learning. These changes affect decision making, judgment, memory, spatial orientation, thinking, reasoning, and communication

This condition interferes with daily life because of the seriousness of the changes in the brain of a person with dementia.. Behavior and personality problems most often occur. As we age, the likelihood of developing dementia increases. Validation therapy helps control problem behavior.
Time for a person with dementia can be....read all of Why Validation Therapy Works for Those with Dementia

Sensory Activity Ideas

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In order to decide which sensory activity is best, you should observe the people individually, look at each for their strengths, likes/dislikes.

For tasting why not try flavored lip gloss. Even NPO(Nothing by mouth) people are allowed this most of the time. They have soda flavors, fruit flavors, and others. Citrus is supposed to be very stimulating and helps to wake people up.

For touching try making up a..read all of Sensory Activity Ideas

How Chaplains Help Nursing Home Residents

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Nursing homes should have a chaplain who is knowledgeable in counseling for the elderly population. Quite a few folks that live in these places suffer from grief, frustrations, and pain. Nursing home chaplains can help people needing help in these areas. The chaplain can establish a dialog between the local churches and the residents at a nursing home.

A variety of religious practices can be enhanced with the help of a chaplain.

First the chaplain can meet with the resident's one on one to visit, counsel and comfort each resident in immediate need.

The chaplain can facilitate monthly religious services for all denominations of residents living there. Most elderly folks feel that religion is extremely important. Some folks are set in their ways and want to attend the traditional services of their faith. Others believe that there is one God so attending all types is desirable to them. Many are eager to learn about faiths and religious practices other than their own.

Local churches may have volunteers who are willing to conduct services traditional in nature that last thirty or forty-five minutes.

The chaplain can....read all of How Chaplains Help Nursing Home Residents.

Why you Should Recognize Volunteers

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National Volunteer Week is in April.. This is an ideal time to honor your volunteers in some way This week is about recognizing those individuals who have engaged in their community. It's about showing the nation that we meet our challenges not as isolated individuals but.....read all about volunteers 

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 Person centered activities take into account the whole person. You should consider everything from persons' interests, backgrounds, likes, past family dynamics, limitations, special behaviors, and cultures.

Involve family, friends, staff caregivers and, of course the person in question in this process. Sometimes careful observation can give you clues as to what a person's preferences are. Sometimes things change from day to day.

Your workforce should be a unit of highly creative caring individuals. with unique characteristics such as: creative, quick thinking, adaptive and modification skills, exceptionally positive attitude, enthusiastic, flexible, self esteem boosting, intuitive, and extremely patient. These are sometimes difficult attributes to maintain but this kind of staff or caregivers can best provide person centered care.

Your staff or caregiver should be able to take ordinary activities and turn them into extraordinary events. Again this is not easy to accomplish but qualified staff members are able to do this.

Examples of this might be a ball game where use of a wide variety of balls with many special qualities that certain individuals that are part of the group may especially enjoy. Some people like soft balls. Some like balls with easy to catch adaptations. Some smile when they see highly colored balls.

Balls and other sensory items can be used for unique purposes such as: grounding a low functioning resident

Another person centered activity is.....read all of

How Can You Use Person Centered Activities

Limericks for those with dementia (Part 2)

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Here are some limerick suggestions

The first two are baseball limericks

Baseball

If pitching a shutout is one of your goals
Show batters your pinpoint ______
Finesse them ________
But whatever you do
Don’t hang a curveball _______


Baseball Caps

Baseball caps are meant for _______
When after fly balls you're _______.
But worn ______
Only by ________
And those who lack an _________.

There once was a pauper named Meg
Who accidentally broke her _______.
She slipped on the ______.
Not once, but ______
Take no pity on her, I __________.

The artist who's working in wood
Must be certain her handtools are ____
For if those knives be ____
It's certain she'll ____
Over blood spilled for her ______.

Describe a librarian's day?
Peaceful and quiet, you___
There is one thing it ____
Back there in the stacks____
And that thing is more decent ____.

The secret of love is the power
To weather the sweet and the _____
Your joy will not _____
With love as your ______
Through sunshine and through _______.

Lets laugh with someone who has dementia

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Laughter is the best medicine

Here is a mind stimulating activity about limericks

What are limericks and how can people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias write them?

A limerick is meant to be funny. Therefore they are sure to bring a smile to the faces of the folks with or without dementia in your audience.

Limeriks are five-line poems where lines 1,2 and 5 rhyme, and lines 3 and 4 rhyme. It is said that the limerick was invented by soldiers returning from France to the Irish town of Limerick in the 1700’s.

In order to make this a successful activity, you may have to have most of the limerick written except for the last word in the sentence.

You can think of rhyming words with the group members after you read the unfinished limerick to them.

Why do this activity? You ask

It is a fun way to stimulate the mind and have a good laugh

Come back tomrrow for a senerio of this

Animals and their babies

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abc teach

calf

Bear –

cub

Beasts of prey –

whelp

Beaver –

kit

Birds -

fledgling, nestling

Cat –

kitten

Codfish -

codling, sprat

Cow –

calf

Deer -

fawn, yearling

Dog -

pup, puppy

Duck –

duckling

Eagle –

eaglet

Eel –

elver

Elephant –

calf

Elephant seal –

weaner

Fish –

fry

Fowl -

chick, chicken

Fox -

cub, pup

Frog -

polliwog, tadpole

Goat –

kid

Goose –

gosling

Grouse –

cheeper

Guinea fowl –

keet

Hawk –

eyas

Hen –

pullet

Hippo –

calf

Horse -

colt (male), filly (female)

foal, yearling, or

Kangaroo –

joey

Lion –

cub

Owl –

owlet

Partridge –

cheeper

Pig -

suckling

piglet, shoat, farrow,

Pigeon -

squab, squeaker

Quail –

cheeper

Rabbit -

bunny, kit

Rat –

pup

Rhino –

calf

Rooster –

cockerel

Salmon -

parr, smolt, grilse

Seal –

pup

Shark –

cub

Sheep -

lamb, lambkins

Swan – cygnet

Tiger -

cub, whelp

Turkey –

poult

Whale –

Zebra -
foalcalf

Antelope –

Duck Facts: Ideal for a discussion

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Check out these duck facts by

Maggie because........find out be subscribing to the Activity Director Today E Magazine

What are ducks? What is a duck bill ? What do the duck's feet look like? Water-proof feathers How does a duck clean itself? What do you call male duck or baby duck ? What type of food does the duck eat? Do you know what affects duck's production of eggs? Importance of ducks to human beings Do you know what a duck says? Take a look at the other species of ducks Related duck activities, worksheets Questions & Help about ducks? More duck facts What are ducks ? Ducks are birds. They are also called "waterfowls" because they are normally found in places with water, like ponds, streams and rivers. They are related to geese and swans. The duck is the smallest of them all. Ducks also have shorter necks and wings and a stout body. They can live from 2-12 years, depending on breed. Ducks have webbed feet, designed for swimming. Their webbed feet act like paddles for the ducks. A duck waddles instead of walks because of its webbed feet. Do you know that the duck's feet cannot feel cold even if it swims in icy cold water? Well, the reason for this is because its feet have no nerves or blood vessels Water-proof feathers Another special thing that the duck has is its water-proof feathers. There is a special gland that produces oil near the duck's tail which spreads and covers the outer coat of the duck's feathers, making it water-proof. Beneath the water-proof coat are fluffy and soft feathers to keep the duck warm. How does a duck clean itself ? Ducks keep clean by preening themselves. They do this by being able to turn their heads completely backwards, and putting their beaks into the feathers on their wings, breast and back. They preen themselves very often Do you know what does a duck say ? quacking here. However, not all ducks quack. The Wood Duck does not quack, it gives out a "squeal" instead. Ducks are birds. They are also called "waterfowls" because they are normally found in places with water, like ponds, streams and rivers. They are related to geese and swans. The duck is the smallest of them all. Ducks also have shorter necks and wings and a stout body. They can live from 2-12 years, depending on breed. Ducks have webbed feet, designed for swimming. Their webbed feet act like paddles for the ducks. A duck waddles instead of walks because of its webbed feet. Do you know that the duck's feet cannot feel cold even if it swims in icy cold water? Well, the reason for this is because its feet have no nerves or blood vessels! Another special thing that the duck has is its water-proof feathers. There is a special gland that produces oil near the duck's tail which spreads and covers the outer coat of the duck's feathers, making it water-proof. Beneath the water-proof coat are fluffy and soft feathers to keep the duck warm. Ducks keep clean by preening themselves. They do this by being able to turn their heads completely backwards, and putting their beaks into the feathers on their wings, breast and back. They preen themselves very often. Ducks give out a special sound. Listen to the sound of ducks Ducks were once wild until they were domesticated by the Chinese over 1,000 There are still many different breeds of wild ducks. Most of the farm ducks are of a breed called "Pekin". It is harder to tell a male from a female with the Pekin ducks because they look almost the same. The male has two to three curly feathers on top. Pekin ducks have white or cream colored feathers and orange colored bills. These ducks do not fly and do well in captivity. They are also excellent for egg and meat production. The Pekin duck originated from China and is the most popular breed in the United States, having been first brought by ship from China to Long Island, New York in 1873.  How do they hunt for food ? The duck's mouth is called a "bill". Normally, it is broad and flat and has rows of fine notches along the edge called "lamellae". The lamellae helps the duck to grip its food so that it will not slip off. However, ducks bills come in different shapes and sizes. The shape of the bill and body features will determine how the duck hunt for its food. Female Northern Shoveler Male Northern Shoveler Where are ducks found ? Ducks are found in wetlands, marshes, ponds, rivers, lakes and oceans. This is because ducks love the water. Some species of ducks migrate or travel longs distances every year to breed. Usually they travel to warmer areas or where the water does not freeze so that they can rest and raise their young. The distance may be thousands of miles away. Ducks are found everywhere in the world except the Antarctica which is too cold for them. Ducks which have broad beaks, sift their food for insects, snails and seeds from the mud. These are called the shovelers. The Northern Shoveler is an example. Some ducks have long and narrow beaks. The narrow beaks are also covered will with saw-like edges which help them to grab fish. Sea ducks usually have this kind of beak. Sea ducks are also divers. Examples are the Mergansers, Eiders, Harlequins, Goldeneyes and Buffleheads. Some ducks do not dive for food. Their beaks are broad and short. They are called dabbling ducks or dabblers. They eat plants, seeds, grasses, small insects and animals that they find on or under the water. Usually they up-ends and stretch their heads into the water to reach their food. Dabblers usually have shiny colored patches on their wings. The domestic ducks are dabblers too. They are descendents of the Mallards. Dabbling ducks take off from the water in quick jumps. Examples of dabbling ducks are the mallards, cinnamon teals, shovellers, green and blue-winged teals, pintails, black ducks, baldpates and gadwalls. Ducks with long necks dive their head down into the shallow water and pick up their food. Ducks look different Wood Ducks, Muscovy Ducks and Mandarin Ducks. Ducks of different breeds look different. Some are very colorful like the Perching ducks. They are called Perching ducks because they like to perch or rest in trees. Perching ducks are found in North America, tropical regions of Asia, Africa, Central and South America. Examples of Perching ducks are the Another breed is the "Stiff-tailed" duck. Examples are the Ruddy Duck and the Masked Duck. Ducks that come under the Pochards breed are the Canvasbacks, Ringnecks, Redheads and Lesser Scaups. They swim underwater with their wings closed and their legs sticking out to the sides. Their legs are closer to the rear end of their body compared to the other breeds of ducks. They run on the water surface before they lift-off and fly, just like an airplane! The sea ducks' bills does not look like a duck's bill. It is long and narrow with sawlike edges for catching and holding on to a fish. Example is the Merganser. You can take a look at the different species of ducks here : Different Duck Species Which is the male and which is the female ? Mating Do you know what affects duck's production of eggs ? Importance of ducks to human The males (drakes) are usually the brightly colored ones while the females (ducks) are usually a dull-colored brown so that they can hide be camouflaged from their enemies when they are in their nests. Wood duck pair. The Wood Duck in the picture is an example of the colorful male. The males use their colorful plumage to attract females. However, they will lose or molt their colorful feathers when the females are busy hatching the eggs. The males will now look like the female in color and will be unable to fly temporarily. They will molt again in early Fall (autumn) and get back their colorful feathers and be able to fly again. The females also molt. They replace all their feathers, get new ones after their babies or ducklings are hatched. Ducks usually look for a mate or partner in winter. The males will attract the females with their colorful plumage or feathers. The females will then lead the males to their breeding ground in spring. Instinctively, the breeding ground will usually be the place where she was hatched � it�s as if they have a built-in homing device. The female builds her nest with grass or reeds or even in a hole in a tree. The male will guard their territory by chasing away other couples. Once the female lays 5-12 eggs, she will start to sit on her eggs to keep it warm so that they can hatch into ducklings. The males on the other hand, will be with the other males. The eggs will hatch within 28 days normally, except for the Muscovy which takes about 35 days to hatch. The mother duck will keep her brood of ducklings together to protect them from predators. Animals like the raccoon, turtles, hawks, large fish and snakes will eat the ducklings. Ducklings are able to fly within 5-8 weeks. Their feathers develop really fast. When the young are ready to fly, all the ducks will gather in flocks on large lakes, marshes or the ocean to migrate to their wintering home. When the ducks fly, they usually do so in a "V-shaped" formation or a long line. The production of eggs is affected by daylight. When there is more daylight, the ducks will lay more eggs. In the months of July to December when daylight is short, they slow down their production of eggs. Sometimes, they stop laying eggs completely during these months. To prevent this from happening, farmers use artificial lighting so that the ducks have about 17 hours of light a day to produce eggs efficiently. Ducks, like other animals, are useful to human beings. They provide us with eggs and meat to eat. Some ducks provide us with feathers are used for stuffing quilts and pillows. The feathers are usually from the Eider duck. Thus, the name "eiderdown" for stuffed quilts. To line their nests, the females pluck feathers from their breast. Their feathers are harvested in Iceland where they are found everywhere along the coast and are a valuable source of income for the people here. Eiders feed on mussels, sea snails, crabs, shrimps, barnacles, catch fish, dig for snails and eat other small crustaceans and some sea-weeds.

Improve Communication For Dementia Victims With Storytelling

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SIFY

A University of Missouri study has found that creative storytelling improves communication skills and has a positive affect on people with dementia.
Lorraine Phillips, John A. Hartford of the Sinclair School of Nursing, found that participation in TimeSlips, a drug-free, creative storytelling intervention, improved facilitated positive emotions in persons with dementia.
TimeSlips is a nationally recognized storytelling program for people with dementia that encourages participants to use their imaginations to create short stories as a group.
Rather than relying on factual recall, participants respond verbally to humorous images presented by facilitators who record the responses and read narratives to further develop or end the stories.
"TimeSlips provides rich, engaging opportunities for persons with dementia to interact with others while exercising their individual strengths," said Phillips.
"It encourages participants to be actively involved and to experience moments of recognition, creation and celebration. Meaningful activities, such as TimeSlips, promote positive social environments that are central to person-centered care," he said.
The storytelling program is an easy and affordable activity for long-term care facilities to implement and allows caregivers to interact with multiple residents at a time, Phillips said.
"TimeSlips offers a stimulating alternative to typical activities in long-term care facilities. It is an effective and simple option for care providers, especially those who lack resources or skills required for art, music or other creative interventions," said Phillips.
The study has been published in the journal Nursing Research. (ANI)

Why religion is important to those with dementia

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Even in their later stages, Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia do not necessarily snuff out the spiritual lives of those afflicted, according to many who minister to the elderly.
In fact, familiar hymns and oft-repeated prayers can be an effective way to rekindle memories and touch those whose connection with the world around them has grown tenuous.

Even when individuals remember little more than the tune to a familiar hymn, you have a sense that, internally, they're still worshipping, they get what this is all about.

Patients responded. Familiar rituals and religious symbols seemed to give them a measure of peace.
"Those patients who are able to repeat some of the prayers that are typical for their religious belief seem to be pleased to be able to do that," she said, "and to get the same consolation they ever had from it."

Rabbi Cary Kozberg, chair of the American Society on Aging's Forum on Religion, Spirituality and Aging, went further.
People with dementia, he said, "can sometimes be the most spiritual people, because that cognitive filter isn't there."

"Unfortunately, there are people who believe that folks with dementia have no spiritual needs, because they can't articulate them anymore," he said.

More information about the role of the chaplain for long term care residents