Farmer story for those with dementia

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow alzheimersideas on twitter
The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]

parentingspecialneeds.org

The Puppy – A Story from Chicken Soup for the Soul

BY JACK LEVINE

A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell. He painted a sign advertising the pups and set about nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard.  As he was driving the last nail into the post, he felt a tug on his overalls. He looked down into the eyes of a little boy”Mister,” he said, “I want to buy one of your puppies.”

“Well,” said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat off, The Puppy, farmer the back of his neck, “These puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money.”

The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer. “I’ve got 89 cents. Is that enough at least to take a look?”

“Sure,” said the farmer. And with that he let out a whistle. “Here, Dolly!” he called.

Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight. As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the doghouse.

Slowly another little fur ball appeared, this one noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it slid. Then the little pup began awkwardly wobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up. “I want that one,” the little boy said, quickly pointing to the runt.

The farmer knelt down at the boy’s side and said, “Son, you don’t want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would.”

With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe.  Looking back up at the farmer, he said, “You see, sir, I don’t run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands.”

With tears in his eyes, the farmer reached down and picked up the little pup. Holding it carefully he handed it to the little boy.

“How much?” asked the little boy.  “No charge,” answered the farmer, “There’s no charge for love and understanding.”

Like that special puppy, the world is full of people who need someone who understands.

As an advocate, I’m dedicated to assist those whose mission is creating better policies and more accessible programs to meet the needs of those who count on us, across the generations.

Still in the game: cognitively impaired seniors can benefit greatly from mind exercises

Activities directors, other healthcare professionals and caregivers read this article from
McKnights Long Term Care News
Julie Williamson

As more studies validate the importance of brain fitness programs for keeping seniors' minds sharp, and as more long-term care operators incorporate them into resident activities, it appears there are still some major obstacles to overcome—namely, the lack of solutions aimed at cognitively impaired seniors.

It's a shortcoming that seems both logical and perplexing. On one hand, it's understandable that brain fitness solutions would be geared toward those who are still mentally sharp. The goal is preventing dementia or, at least, delaying its onset. On the other hand, one could reasonably argue that residents already experiencing cognitive decline also could benefit from brain fitness strategies—even if they can't fully reverse the existing damage.

While experts generally agree that every senior, regardless of where he or she falls on the cognitive impairment spectrum, would benefit from brain fitness solutions, a number of obstacles have inhibited the widespread development of tools for those with dementia.

“Trials and testing with cognitively compromised populations is harder in terms of obtaining Institutional Review Board approvals for studies and trials, obtaining informed consent from participants, training the individuals to use the brain fitness, and getting them to comply with the fitness program,” explains Majd Alwan, Ph.D., director of the Center for Aging Services Technologies, which is affiliated with the AAHSA trade group.

The belief that Alzheimer's and dementia are irreversible presents another barrier to the development of mental exercises for the cognitively impaired.

Time, control needed

As Alwan points out, efforts to prove that an intervention is effective in slowing down the progression of dementia (let alone reversing it) require years of follow-up and active control. Beyond that, there are challenges in designing brain fitness technologies for the dementia/Alzheimer's resident that are fun, familiar (such as those that mimic appliances and other recognizable devices), easy to use and engaging.

“It is too early to have more specific evidence-based guidelines on what program to use,” says Alvaro Fernandez, CEO and co-founder of SharpBrains, a provider of senior-focused online brain teasers and interactive games.

In the absence of such data, SharpBrains encourages communities to conduct their own pilot studies to measure pre- and post-cognitive function to determine which practices may be most appropriate in their environments.
Those that do could very well find their efforts well rewarded. In fact, there's strong evidence that through creative program development and a community-wide commitment to brain fitness, virtually every resident can experience improved cognitive function and quality of life.

“Communities usually start offering programs to their high-functioning [residents] first. These individuals tend to have the ability and motivation to complete the often demanding programs and are not intimidated by computers,” Fernandez notes. “This may be a good place to start, but it is essential to offer appropriate cognitive stimulation, technology-based or not, at each stage of cognitive impairment.”

Breaking down barriers

One respected brain fitness expert has witnessed firsthand how residents.....read the whole story

For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professionals, click here


For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here

Circle sayings

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]

"Mankind is not a circle with a single center but an ellipse with two focal points of which facts are one and ideas the other.”

“Most people live, whether physically, intellectually or morally, in a very restricted circle of their potential being. They make very small use of their possible consciousness, and of their soul's resources in general, much like a man who, out of his whole bodily organism, should get into a habit of using and moving only his little finger."

“We clasp the hands of those that go before us, And the hands of those who come after us. We enter the little circle of each other's arms And the larger circle of lovers, Whose hands are joined in a dance, And the larger circle of all creatures, Passing in and out of life, Who move also in a dance, To a music so subtle and vast that no ear hears it Except in fragments”

Let architects sing of aesthetics that bring Rich clients in hordes to their knees; Just give me a home, in a great circle dome Where stresses and strains are at ease. - Richard Buckminster Fuller


Come out of the circle of time And into the circle of love. - Jalal-Uddin Rumi


A nation, like a person, has a mind-a mind that must be kept informed and alert, that must know itself, that understands the hopes and needs of its neighbours-all the other nations that live within the narrowing circle of the world. - Franklin Delano Roosevelt


Glory is like a circle in the water, Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself, Till, by broad spreading, it disperses to naught. - William Shakespeare


Now with my friend I desire not to share or participate, but to engross his sorrows, that, by making them mine own, I may more easily discuss them; for in mine own reason, and within myself, I can command that which I cannot entreat without myself, and within the circle of another. - Sir Thomas Browne


Never, never rest contented with any circle of ideas, but always be certain that a wider one is still possible. - Pearl Bailey


Pursue, keep up with, circle round and round your life as a dog does with his masters chaise. Do what you love; know your own bone; gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it, and gnaw it still. - Henry David Thoreau


What makes saintliness in my view, as distinguished from ordinary goodness, is a certain quality of magnanimity and greatness of soul that brings life within the circle of the heroic. - Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe


It is the mark of a modest man to accept his friendly circle ready-made from the hands of opportunity. - Robert Louis Stevenso

Utilizing the Concept of Mandalas in Art Therapy

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some Mandala art

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

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.

Residents Rights Month 2017

Activities directors and other healthcare professionals here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals.

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

National Consumer Voice

Residents' Rights Month 2017

October 01, 2017 - October 31, 2017        

October is “Residents’ Rights Month,” an annual event designated by Consumer Voice to honor residents living in all long-term care facilities. It is an opportunity to focus on and celebrate awareness of dignity, respect and the rights of each resident. The federal Nursing Home Reform Law guarantees residents’ rights and places a strong emphasis on individual dignity, choice, and self-determination.  The law also requires nursing homes to “promote and protect the rights of each resident”. Residents’ Rights Month is a time to raise awareness of these rights and celebrate residents.

Each year, residents are invited to participate in the Resident's Voice Challenge, as a part of Residents' Rights Month.
See this year's entries.

The theme for this year's Residents' Rights Month, "It's All About Me: My Life, My Care, My Choices," focuses on the respect and dignity of every resident.  The theme highlights residents’ rights to choose their own schedule and activities, communicate how and with whom they choose, be free from abuse and unsafe environments, and be treated as an individual with unique wants and needs.  Residents’ Rights Month is a time for staff, families, ombudsmen, residents and other advocates to focus on resident-directed care and emphasizing the self-determination, choice, and quality of life of each resident.

• Packet of Materials
• Resident's Voice Challenge - See entries here
• Residents' Rights Month Products
• Residents' Rights Month Activities
• News and Events

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Packet of Materials

Each year, the Consumer Voice develops a packet to help you plan your Residents’ Rights events. The packet is completely downloadable and features ready-to-use items, including promotional materials, activities to celebrate Residents' Rights Month, training tools and resources. Check back as more Residents' Rights Month packet materials become available.

• What Are Residents' Rights? (web link)
• Residents' Rights from the 1987 Nursing Home Reform Law
  • English
  • Hindi
  • French
  • Spanish
• Residents' Rights Fact Sheet
• Promotional Materials
  • ​Reasons Why Ombudsmen Should Participate
  • Reasons Facilities Should Participate in Residents Rights’ Month
  • Sample Ombudsman Newsletter Article
  • Sample Letter to the Editor
  • Sample Press Release
  • Proclamation - Governor
  • Proclamation - Mayor
  • Logo - JPEG, PDF
  • Resident's Voice Challenge Flyer
• Resources
  • Residents' Rights Month Activity Calendar - A printable calendar with event and activity ideas for each day during October. Get your planning started now!
  • My Personal Directions for Quality Living - sample and blank form
  • Residents' Rights Presentation
  • Person-Centered Care: The Heart of Satisfaction - Presentation by Ruta Kadonoff at the 2016 Consumer Voice Conference
  • Culture Change Fact Sheet
  • Together We Can...Achieve Resident-Directed Care - 2005 Residents' Rights Month packet

Resident's Voice Challenge

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For this year’s Resident’s Voice Challenge, long-term care consumers were encouraged to pick up their pens, dust off their type writers or use a computer to display their writing or artistic skills by submitting essays, poems, artwork, drawings, or videos related to the theme for Residents' Rights Month 2017 "It’s All About Me: My Life, My Care, My Choices". See this year's entries.

Residents were encouraged to answer one of the following questions:

1.)What are the kinds of choices you should be able to make?

2.)What factors contribute to the quality of life in your facility or at home?

3.)What do you think it will take to bring about good quality care in nursing homes and other facilities?

Find more information on submission criteria here.

Spread the word about this year's Resident's Voice Challenge with this flyer.

Any questions about the Resident’s Voice should be directed to info@theconsumervoice.org. 

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Residents' Rights Month Products

This year, we have two great products for sale in celebration of Residents' Rights Month!

Promote the theme with Residents' Rights Month buttons.  These buttons make perfect gifts or giveaways for residents, volunteers, family or other advocates!  Buttons are available as a:

• Pack of 20
• Pack of 50
• Pack of 100

Promote residents' rights year-round with the new Residents' Rights posters.  

This easy-to-read poster provides important information for all staff, volunteers, residents and advocates.  Posters are printed on sturdy, glossy paper.  Choose the horizontal or vertical layout and 11"x17" or 18"x24" sizes depending on your needs.  Display these posters in facilities, resident rooms, or offices of advocates as a reminder of the important rights to which all residents are entitled.  Residents' Rights Posters are currently available for pre-sale and will be shipped beginning August 1st.

Purchase a 11"x17" or 18"x24" poster today!

Remember: Consumer Voice members receive 10% off all items in the online store. Join or renew your membership here.  Email info@theconsumervoice.org for the discount code.

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Residents' Rights Month Activities

Residents' Rights Month is a time to offer residents an opportunity to participate in engaging activities.  Use the activities below to involve residents and staff members in sharing with the community.

Activities for Residents with staff and ombudsmen:

• Getting to Know You Activities
• Resident Idol
• Residents’ Rights Rally
• A Day in the Life: What Quality Means to Me – Photo Challenge
• Area-wide Resident or Family Council Meeting
• Town Hall Meeting
• “I want to tell you about my mother."
• Learning Circle Exercise from the California Culture Change Coalition
• Residents' Rights Bingo Game (provided by Disability Law Colorado)
• Resident Hero - This form can be used to collect information about residents to present in a faciltily open house or other activities. This information can be included with Resident's Voice entries posted within facilities or the community.
• Biopoem - This format can be used to collect information from residents to develop a poem about their lives.
• Communicating Residents’ Rights through Music
• Communicating Residents’ Rights through Storytelling
• Recipe for a Good Life
• Taste of Home: Involving residents in meals and menu planning
• Activities to Call Attention to Residents’ Dining Experience
• Food: The Great Communicator
• Culture Change Training
• Together We Can…Achieve Resident-Directed Care
• Recipe for Residents’ Rights: Free Choice
• CARE Matters activities
• CAREgivers Appreciation Event

Activities for Staff and Ombudsmen:

• Ombudsman Open House
• Residents’ Rights Display at Local Shopping Mall
• Care Planning & Communicating Life’s Stories
• Communicating Community Standards
• Resident for  a Day
• Make Your Own Activity Template

News and Events

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Have something planned for Residents' Rights Month? Let us know! Email details for your events and activities to info@theconsumervoice.org.

Are dice games useful for those with dementia?

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

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Large dice are a useful tool when it comes to designing and playing games with those who have dementia.

This is particularly true if the person or persons in question liked to play games using dice before they had There are several things you should keep in mind before and during the designing and playing of dice games or any games for that matter when it comes to people with dementia.

Although it may be fun for some to have winners and losers, it is best not to emphasize this, but rather the fun of the game complimenting those who try their best to play.

Also introduce one game at time. Then play this game for several weeks before trying another similar game. If the games are quite a bit different, you may be able to introduce more than one at a time. Always follow the KISS rule. That is keep it as simple as possible.

You should you play dice games for several reasons Dice games are fun. Dice games have been played for years. Thus many people with dementia find dice games familiar. Familiar is always good when you are doing something with those who have dementia.
Dice games are extremely versatile. Some dice games rely on luck, and some use skill and planning. Some games use a combination of both. You can find dice games to play with one player or a whole group of players. There are dice games you can play on a table or on the floor.

Dice games are mind stimulating. This, as you probably know, is especially good for those with dementia. Studies show that persons with dementia, who keep their mind stimulated, show a slower decline in mental functioning than those who do not. They encourage counting, numbers recognition, and mental addition. Dice games reinforce the idea of taking turns, scoring, patience, and a whole host of other things.

Dice games can be played in a small space and are easily transportable. You can always find room for a couple of dice. You can even make your own dice by covering small to large boxes with white paper and drawing or pasting circles or numbers on them.

Dice games give those with dementia who play them personal satisfaction. Most people love the look and feel of dice especially home made ones.

What is a circle

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]

A circle is a simple shape of Euclidean geometry that is the set of all points in a plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the centre. The distance between any of the points and the centre is called the radius. It can also be defined as the locus of a point equidistant from a fixed point.

A circle is a simple closed curve which divides the plane into two regions: an interior and an exterior. In everyday use, the term "circle" may be used interchangeably to refer to either the boundary of the figure, or to the whole figure including its interior; in strict technical usage, the circle is the former and the latter is called a disk.

A circle can be defined as the curve traced out by a point that moves so that its distance from a given point is constant.

A circle may also be defined as a special ellipse in which the two foci are coincident and the eccentricity is 0. Circles are conic sections attained when a right circular cone is intersected by a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cone.

Looking for circles, is a lot like swimming in a round pool. You go round and round. There's a lots of splashing. But, you don't get anywhere.

Did you find lots of circles? We knew you would. And, we hope that your search has made you very happy.

We hope you take a circuituitous route to a happy and fun filled Look For Circles Day