How do you convince someone living with memory loss to see a doctor?
Tag Archives: memory loss
Improv comedy and dementia care workshop now online
Our workshop is officially ONLINE which means you can take it from wherever (and whenever) you want! This is a cool opportunity for you to see how improvisational comedy works with dementia caregiving, especially if you can’t make it to Pittsburgh, PA for our workshops. We travel, so we’re happy to come to you, butContinue reading “Improv comedy and dementia care workshop now online”
5 steps to get you into the world of someone with dementia I had someone tell me recently that they’d used my Embracing Their Reality techniques when talking to their mother with dementia. “I told her that we were going to see her parents, and she looked confused. She was talking about her parents the weekContinue reading
What does “getting a dementia diagnosis” look like?
Are you thinking about getting a more in-depth dementia diagnosis for yourself or a loved one? If you aren’t, you may want to consider it. I visited University of Pittsburgh’s Montefiore Hospital and did a two-day observation of their interdisciplinary team’s diagnosis process. The Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) is a fantastic place to goContinue reading “What does “getting a dementia diagnosis” look like?”
Can you still play
Samuel is a very “tactile” person. By that I mean, he touches everything. He spends most of his day either sleeping or walking around the care community, picking things up, moving them around, putting them in his pants, or just admiring them. Picking up items and moving them around is a really common dementia symptom. ForContinue reading “Can you still play”
Where’s my wife?
Arnold was very easy to talk to. He was friendly, had a good sense of humor, and liked to sing along with the music coming over the radio. Arnold, overall, was pretty “with it” for someone with moderate Alzheimer’s. That’s why I was surprised when he wheeled past me and asked, “Have you seen my wife?” IContinue reading “Where’s my wife?”
(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHkbBzH6gno) Please check out my YouTube Channel, click “subscribe,” and get notified when I make new videos about dementia care! Can’t find a video on something you want to learn more about? Send me an email and I’ll make the video for you!
“We have to leave right now.”
“Let’s go,” she said. “We have to find out where my husband is. We have to go home now.” Urging her to “please wait” was not working very well. Amelia was intent on going—and she was starting to get agitated. It didn’t help, of course, that she had a UTI (urinary tract infection). I could not getContinue reading ““We have to leave right now.””
Connecting with those who have aphasia
Aphasia is a disorder that causes someone to lose the ability to speak, or to have difficulty speaking. It is not uncommon for people with dementia have aphasia. One of my favorite things is when someone with aphasia speaks to me. It happens every once in a while. I’ve had a few residents with aphasia,Continue reading “Connecting with those who have aphasia”
5 Ways to Embrace the Reality of Someone with Dementia
1. Recognize that the world you live in may not be the same world that your friend with dementia lives in. Your friend may think that it is 1960. If she thinks it’s 1960, it’s 1960. 2. Agree—even when you know they’re wrong. “Today is the 4th of July,” your friend says on December 12th.Continue reading “5 Ways to Embrace the Reality of Someone with Dementia”