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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 holiday gathering for COMPASS patients and caregivers to come together with each other and with the COMPASS Team this season. Feel free to join for some or all of the time. The mood will be festive, with refreshments, music and games.


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

SAVVVY CAREGIVER TIP OF THE WEEK: OOVL DECISION MAKING GUIDE FOR FAMILIES   

Outcomes – Options – Values - Likelihoods 

Adapted from the Savvy Caregiver Training Program    

 

Hi Caregivers,   

I hope you have a moment during this season of Thanksgiving to connect with family and/or friends. We at COMPASS would like to thank each of you for showing up – every day for your person with dementia. You are our heroes and heroines. 

   

Last week's Savvy Caregiver session was a great opportunity to see many of you. For those who couldn't make it, we practiced skills using video examples of challenging behaviors such as elopement and apathy. We also learned a new way to support caregivers in their decision-making processes. 

  

Problem-solving and decision-making often feel overwhelming and stressful for the caregiver of a person with dementia. The Savvy Caregiver has developed a tool to add to the toolbox you have accumulated throughout this course. The OOVL Guide enables the caregiver to visualize your decision-making process when working with your person who has dementia. This framework prompts you to consider multiple options and the Likelihood of achieving a desired outcome that aligns with your values. The OOVL provides a structure for aligning outcomes with your values and assessing the probability of a positive outcome. 

  

Let’s create a recipe to answer a question you would like answered.    

  • Define the Question 
  • Brainstorm possible solutions – create a list from which you can comfortably choose three possible Options that you might consider. 
  • Ask the question – What would you like to have happened due to your choice? Define possible Outcomes. 
  • Keeping your person’s wants and values ( safety, sense of well-being, maintaining your person’s dignity) – Assign a Value +, ++, +++ to the defined Outcomes. 
  • Lastly, consider the Likelihood that the Options (Solutions) can be achieved. 
  • This formula will provide clarity to the solution that you choose.  


During this week’s session, the savvy caregivers noted that options and values are variable depending on their loved one's stage of dementia. Caregivers shared that they felt this tool took some of the pressure out of the decision-making process and that they could use it to communicate their decision-making process to the care team. 

 

As always, the COMPASS team is here for you--please reach out with any needs. 

  

Take Care,  

Barb Hughes, LMSW  


COMPASS Social Worker and Savvy Caregiver Facilitator 

bhughes@jfsdelaware.org 

302-650-7047

Next week, we will return with Part 3 of the series in which Rigid Boundaries will be discussed.

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 28, 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 28, 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
  • 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 29, 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.


Please note that this group is currently at capacity. If you would like to be added to the waiting list, please email Kate. 

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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