Timeslips Workshops for Memory Loss

On August 19, 2010, In Aging in America, Alzheimer's/Dementia Care, Healthy Aging, Senior Living, By SilverCensus

Timeslips is a program created by Anne Basting which teaches caregivers a fun and worthwhile activity for people with dementia or Alzheimer’s. In the exercise, caregivers navigate a discussion that allows patients or residents to create their own stories. The focus is on creating new stories instead of dwelling on trying to remember old ones. The story is then weaved into “a poetic collage.”

The program began as a simple exercise but now is practiced all over the nation.

One of the biggest issues caregivers have when caring for their loved ones with memory loss is that they can’t remember things that they once cared about. This avoids this fear and sadness altogether by creating new memories while their loved one can exercise their mind.

Someone explained that Alzheimer’s and dementia is similar to wanting to say something but simply not having the words to say it. When we lift expectations of what “should” be said or “should” be remembered, we ignore that road block. Timeslips is a great program. To find out more about attending a workshop, visit http://www.timeslips.org/.

Post by Kate Valdovinos

SilverCensus is an unbiased senior living and health services resource where consumers are educated on options, facilities & rights. Our services are completely free for seniors and their caregivers as well as Hospital Case Managers & Social Workers who are committed to proper discharge.  Clients include assisted living residences, rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing homes, home health care agencies, HUD housing & independent living communities. We also provide free VA assistance for Veterans and their spouses.  Our Care Managers are standing by 24/7 at 888-776-1311 or through the web at: SilverCensus.com

 
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The Stigma of Mental Health Issues in India

On August 11, 2010, In Alzheimer's/Dementia Care, Healthy Aging, By SilverCensus

I just read an article about mental illness in India and how the stigma of it is preventing people from getting treatment.

First off, some general things I’ve learned about India is that they are a collectivist culture, value religion and tradition but newer generations are working and adopting a Western and individualistic lifestyle. Because of its collectivist nature, it stumbles when it tries to move beyond some issues that prevent healthy growth for the culture. For instance, India still places a heavy emphasis on having boy children and parents have resorted to aborting girl babies (which is more gentle than killing, selling, or abandoning girls after they’re born which was common before abortions were available), which has created a dangerously abnormal gender ratio. One problem with this is that there are groups of single men that have been causing trouble in society, among other problems that come when gene pools are messed with for stupid reasons.

The article from NPR told the story of a young girl in India that had schizophrenia. Her parents were scared to get it diagnosed because it would prevent her from getting married, and also because doctors and others involved just blamed the parents for not feeding her right or some other thing that probably is not true of patients with schizophrenia. The parent’s main concern was the shame it would bring to the girl and the family.

The end result is sad. The girl dropped out of school and there was nothing further about where she is or what she’s doing.

The avoided topic of mental health issues isn’t just hard on the person or their family, but on society as well, and not just because it perpetuates the problem. Avoiding topics that evoke fear is one of the worst things that anyone can do because it leads to so many other problems as well. It keeps heavy emphasis on superficial things and it also boosts the part of the ego that avoids growth. Change is constant and when we stop critical thinking and analysis, we stop growing, but the world around us continues to grow. In the case of India, lives are at stake.

I have no doubt that India will overcome this problem. They have made great strides in removing the stigma from HIV and AIDS which has helped save lives. Plus, they really want to become the world’s superpower, and not growing and adapting will prevent them from doing that, so changing the way they approach health matters is very important to India’s success as a country. They have a huge population of youth that are doing a great job of maintaining both a collectivist nature yet do individualistic things, and the way they treat mental health issues in the future will be a good indicator of their future success.

Post by Kate Valdovinos. NPR post: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129091680&sc=fb&cc=fp.

SilverCensus is an unbiased senior living and health services resource where consumers are educated on options, facilities & rights. Our services are completely free for seniors and their caregivers as well as Hospital Case Managers & Social Workers who are committed to proper discharge.  Clients include assisted living residences, rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing homes, home health care agencies, HUD housing & independent living communities. We also provide free VA assistance for Veterans and their spouses.  Our Care Managers are standing by 24/7 at 888-776-1311 or through the web at: SilverCensus.com

 
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Some Thoughts on Alzheimer’s and Dementia Prevention

On July 26, 2010, In Aging in America, Alzheimer's disease Research - Clinical Studies, Alzheimer's/Dementia Care, Caregiving, Healthy Aging, By SilverCensus

It’s a fact that science has a lot to learn about Alzheimer’s and dementia prevention, but there have been many studies done on the topic.

I have read a lot of studies and blogs relating to the issue and have a theory of my own.

One of the studies I read was that there was only a small link between the mind-exercise games and Alzheimer’s or dementia prevention. Another study was that dancing has continuously proven to have a positive effect on prevention. Therefore, I started to brainstorm what dancing has that mind-exercise games don’t. I’ve come up with three characteristics:

  1. Physical activity
  2. Two or more people involved
  3. Non-verbal communication

So I started thinking up other activities that involve these three things. I’ve come up with:

  • Three-legged races
  • Playing in a band
  • Playing on a team sport
  • Two-seated bicycles
  • Sex
  • Many activities in long-term relationships

Can you think of any more activities that require those three things?

Post by Kate Valdovinos.

     
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    Anne Davis Basting’s Book, “Forget Memory,” Blog Post 3

    On July 26, 2010, In Aging in America, Alzheimer's disease Research - Clinical Studies, Alzheimer's/Dementia Care, Caregiving, Healthy Aging, By SilverCensus

    This is a continuation of the Anne Davis Basting’s Book, Forget Memory, Part 2.

    Blasting writes about many programs and people that have had a positive influence on patients with Alzheimer’s or dementia and their caregivers. I can’t write about them all, but I will highlight a few. The back of the book has a complete list of all the progams she mentions, along with their descriptions and contact information.

    Many of the programs help people in their first stages because these are very important times. Not only is the person scared and upset by a new diagnoses, but they feel that they have a lot to do before their disease progresses. That is where support groups come in as well.

    StoryCorps and the Memory Loss Initiative is a fast-growing program that has been bringing back the lost art of listening. In a professional recording setting, people are recorded telling their stories about their past. It could be between family members or with a volunteer interviewer. The participants can have a copy of their recording and some stories are shared on public radio. It has had very positive responses, because many participants learned new things about each other and “the experience helped people appreciate the beauty of the present moment.” For more inoformation, visit www.storycorps.net.

    Another positive program is called To Whom I May Concern, which is “both a play and a technique for creating and presenting a play based on the words of people with early memory loss. It is also acted by people with early memory loss.” Some parts of the play are funny and some are sad, but overall, the play allows Alzheimer’s and dementia patients to convey messages to a large audience and have their undivided attention. For more information, visit www.towhomimayconcern.org.

    TimeSlips is a program created by Anne Basting. She had been volunteering at a nursing home, working with a small group of patients to get them to interact. Here is an excerpt from her experience:

    “I gave up on memory, of trying to trigger thoughts of the past. Instead, I tore a picture of the Marlboro Man from a magazine and dragged along with me a big pad of newsprint paper and a box of markers. I gathered the group, and we sat down around our usual table in the common room… “Forget about remembering,” I said. “Let’s make it up. What should we call this guy? You can say anything you want, and I’ll write it down. Anything.”

    Suddenly group members started talking, and “the story went on for 45 minutes. By the end, we knew that Fred Astaire (the Marlboro Man) was married to Gina Autry. They didn’t have kids, because they didn’t have time. They did have three dogs, and they tended black and white cows that said, ‘Hi Pat.’ They performed in rodeos – she did the barrel riding and he roped calves. She was better than he was. They had a big Christmas dinner. They served goose on a white tablecloth.”

    Like many other programs, TimeSlips focuses on the present moment instead of trying to remember the past. These TimeSlips stories have also been made into plays which have been popular as well. For more information visit www.timeslips.org.

    Post by Kate Valdovinos.

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    Anne Davis Basting’s Book, “Forget Memory,” Blog Post 2

    On July 24, 2010, In Aging in America, Alzheimer's disease Research - Clinical Studies, Alzheimer's/Dementia Care, Caregiving, Healthy Aging, By SilverCensus

    This is a continuation of the Anne Davis Basting’s Book, Forget Memory, Part 1.

    One very important point Basting brings up is how important the mental health of the caregivers of people with dementia or Alzheimer’s is.

    She gives examples of husbands or wives taking care of their significant others and how family members or friends don’t visit as much because the people with dementia don’t remember them anyway. First of all, not only is it still important that these people with the disease have social interaction, but the caregivers need social interaction as well.

    These fears people have with the disease (discussed in the first blog post for the book) prevent them from visiting as often, which just makes dealing with the disease worse.

    Because let’s face it: if we can make the people WITH the disease comfortable, the caregivers are still dealing with the fact that the person they love very dearly (and unconditionally) doesn’t know them or remember their history together. Dealing with this needs continuous support. If people can actually learn to “forget memory,” the disease is easier to work with from everyone’s perspective.

    Now that isn’t to say that, “Okay, let’s just learn to forget everything and then we’ll be happy all the time!” because that’s simply not that easy. We want to remember things because it brings us happiness and a sense of self. However, learning to and understanding the importance of it can ease a caregiver a whole bunch.

    One great example that Basting gives about the importance of forgetting memory was about a man whose wife had dementia and had to be put into an assisted living home. He came to visit her frequently and while she didn’t remember who he was exactly, she knew he cared for her and she enjoyed seeing him. The wife soon became friends with another man living in the home and would take walks together, arm in arm. When the husband saw this, he got upset (because he’s a man and that’s his wife), and told the staff of the home to make sure they were separated. The staff did and the wife and man who she was friends with lost a support system they had, when one was much needed.

    Had the husband understood the importance of letting go and setting aside his own ego, he could have still enjoyed his wife’s company and she could also have gained a friend.

    This brings up another aspect of dementia and Alzheimer’s is that it’s not completely understood yet. It’s possible that we can remember recent memories but tend to forget ones in the past. If this is the case, then this new friendship that the wife had was her still using her memory, exercising her mind, which can give hope to the relationships that caregivers continue to have with those with dementia. While the memories from long ago may be lost, it’s possible that new ones can still be made.

    Post by Kate Valdovinos.

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