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Dear Caregivers,

Welcome to another week!

See below for this week's news and announcements.


JFS COMPASS HOLIDAY GATHERING

JFS COMPASS Holiday Gathering

Tuesday December 12, 10:30a-12:00p

Location: SIEGEL JCC (building connected to JFS)


Please join us for a festive gathering for COMPASS patients and caregivers to come together with each other and with the COMPASS Team this holiday season. Feel free to join for some or all of the time. Coffee and light refreshments will also be provided.


If you think you might attend, please respond to this email to help us with planning.


SAVVY CAREGIVER TIP OF THE WEEK: FINDING THE RIGHT ACTIVITY TO PROVIDE CONTENTED INVOLVEMENT

Adapted From: Savvy Caregiver Training Program

Dear Caregivers,


I hope you all have found some time to go outside and observe the fall foliage around you. 


This week's caregiver tip of the week is all about creating tasks that are purposeful and engaging for your person with dementia. People with dementia fare better when they have mental, physical, or social activities to engage with. Activities that provide contentment will minimize a person's frequency of confusion. Confusion, in those with dementia, can often lead to more disruptive behaviors.


When meaningful activities and tasks are included into a routine, often we see a minimization of stress in both the caregiver and the person with dementia. It is very common for caregivers to feel overwhelmed at where to start when creating tasks for their person. Let's make this task easier by thinking about building an activity with the right FitSupport, and Structure


You can begin discovering activities that will provide contented involvement by discovering the right Fit for your person. An activity is the right Fit when the tasks required of the activity fit your person's ability and preferences. To begin ask yourself these questions.


  • What did your person enjoy doing prior to their dementia? 
  • What hobbies or interests did they spend time doing?  
  • What daily tasks already exist that provide them your person with contentment? (For example, folding towels, unloading the dishwasher, taking the dog for a walk)


Once you've found an activity to try, you can move on to developing the Structure of the activity. Here are some things to consider when structuring your activity.

  • How long will my person remain attentive to this task?
  • Should my instructions be verbal or will I need visual or motion-based cues?
  • How many steps of a task can my person do without prompting? 
  • Is their environment free of too many distractions?

 

The next component is determining what Support you and your person would need to achieve contented involvement through the activity you selected. When thinking about Support consider these questions.

  • Can my person do this task independently, with check-ins, or constant supervision?
  • Do I need someone to assist me while attempting this activity with my person?
  • Are there external resources that could help make developing this activity easier?
  • How can I gently guide and encourage my person throughout the activity?



This week I encourage you to see if you can put all the steps of Fit, Structure, and Support to develop an activity that you can try at home with your person. It is ok if the activity does not go as planned, you can use it to learn what to try differently. 


As always, the COMPASS team is here for you and can help lead you in the right direction when developing activities to help your person stay calm and content.


Take Care,

Laura Dickol, LMSW

Savvy Caregiver Trainer and COMPASS Therapist

302-932-3299

ldickol@jfsdelaware.org

Please stay tuned for next week when our Caregiver Tip of the Week continues with Boundaries #2 of 4 next week.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

JFS COMPASS Holiday Gathering

Tuesday December 12, 10:30a-12:00p

Location: SIEGEL JCC (building connected to JFS)


Please join us for a festive gathering for COMPASS patients and caregivers to come together with each other and with the COMPASS Team this holiday season. Feel free to join for some or all of the time. Coffee and light refreshments will also be provided.


More information to come in the following weeks! 


Savvy Caregiver Training Program

Tuesday November 14, 10:15a-11:45a



Savvy Caregiver is a nationally recognized leading evidence-based dementia family caregiver training program designed to provide mastery over caregiving skills. Led by COMPASS team social workers, Laura Dickol, LMSW and Barb Hughes, LMSW, the program will provide participants mastery of dementia knowledge and caregiving skills as you care for your relative living with dementia. As an option for your person with dementia, we will also be offering Memory Cafe to run concurrently at the JCC from 10am-12pm.  


Registration for the fall 2023 session of Savvy Caregiver is currently closed but be on the lookout for spring 2024 registration in the coming months.

Memory Cafe

Tuesday November 14, 10:00a-12:00p


We have decided to open up a few more slots for COMPASS patients to attend the COMPASS Memory Cafe! Any COMPASS patient is now welcome to enroll (it is no longer required that attendees have a caregiver who is enrolled in the Savvy Caregiver class). Memory Cafe is a safe, supportive space for individuals experiencing memory changes to enjoy engaging activities that focus on strengths and are planned to encourage inclusion of all guests.  Memory Cafe is facilitated by JFS staff and caregivers are welcome to accompany their person with dementia or patients can attend alone.


  • Every Tuesday until 12/5, 10a-12p (no Memory Cafe on 11/21)
  • Held at the JCC but please enter through JFS


Registration for Memory Cafe is required in advance. Please contact Kate to register.

COMPASS Caregiver Therapy and Support Group

Wednesday November 15, 5-6 PM


Did you know that the COMPASS community has an ongoing therapy group for caregivers? The COMPASS Caregiver Therapy and Support Group is co-led by JFS social work clinicians (Emily Barnshaw and Jordan Gerecke) and is billed through our participant’s insurance. It is strictly for COMPASS caregivers, and the focus for each session is on introducing and developing various therapy concepts that directly connect to the caregiving experience and stress that comes with it. It is an active group, and participants often use their insight and personal experiences to take the conversation into productive and new directions. We meet virtually on a bi-weekly basis (every other Wednesday from 5-6pm). Due to insurance, this group is only available to caregivers who reside in Delaware.  


Please note that the Caregiver Therapy and Support Group will be held on Wednesday 12/13 as scheduled and will then take a pause, resuming on Wednesday 1/24 at 5p.


Limited spots are now available. Please email Kate if you would like to enroll in this group.

COMPASS ON CALL SERVICE:

PHONE NUMBER: (302) 530-3159         


HOURS: Weekdays/Business Days: 5PM – 8AM

               Weekends/Non-Business Days: 24/7

  • The COMPASS On Call service is available to assist with urgent patient/caregiver needs related to the patient’s dementia care plan, such as providing support and guidance if the patient is experiencing a behavioral symptom crisis or if the caregiver is experiencing a caregiver stress crisis
  • The COMPASS On Call Service is staffed by JFS clinical staff from across the agency, including social workers and care managers, who work closely with the COMPASS team. Your call will be returned within 1 hour. 
  • Non-urgent needs, such as canceling/rescheduling appointments or prescription refill requests, are best addressed by the COMPASS team during business hours. Non-urgent information can still be sent to COMPASS team members after hours by voicemail or portal message.  
  • Patients and Caregivers are directed to contact the patient’s primary care provider regarding concerns related to the patient’s general medical conditions and any urgent medical symptoms. For medical emergencies, call 9-1-1. 

COMPASS PATIENT PORTAL:

Access the COMPASS portal here or click on the box below.

COMPASS PATIENT PORTAL

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The JFS COMPASS Mission is to provide specialized medical care for older adults with dementia and just as importantly, critical support for their caregivers—including education, counseling and improved access to services—with the over-arching goal that patients and families affected by dementia in our community will receive the care and support they need to navigate the challenges they face. We strive to do this with a spirit of service and compassion. 

Jewish Family Services of Delaware (JFS) is a nonprofit human services agency with a mission to strengthen individuals, families, and the community by providing counseling and support services. With an interdisciplinary and innovative approach, we combine talent, expertise, and leadership to make our robust therapeutic and support services available to everyone, regardless of religion, race, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or special need.

99 Passmore Road
Wilmington, DE 19803

20684 John J Williams Hwy, Suite 4
Lewes, DE 19958

(302) 478-9411
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