Teepa Snow
Today's Voice for Dementia
Teepa is an advocate for those living with dementia and has made it her personal mission to help families and professionals better understand how it feels to be living with dementia related challenges and change. Her company, Positive Approach, LLC was founded in 2005 and offers education to family and professional care partners all over the world. Her goal? Making a difference...one mind at a time.
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Time To Take A Break
by Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA
Summertime has been a traditional time to take a break, to get away, to not go to work, and to enjoy ourselves for at least a little while. The concept of a vacation first started in the US with the closing of schools in the summer and having the teachers and students vacate the premises. By the mid-1800s taking a break and getting way from the daily grind of work and chores became a much sought after change and an indicator of having achieved middle class or higher social status. For the first time, people other than the wealthy could take their family and go somewhere. With the completion of railroads, families could go from home to a destination and hotels and spas quickly became available to house those who took vacations.
In 2016, our options for travel and vacationing are almost endless. Based on income, interests, time availability, abilities, and finances you will almost certainly be able to find whatever floats your boat (or whatever type of activity you're looking for). One reality, however, is always a part of the puzzle when someone in the family is living with dementia. It isn't exactly like it used to be. Traveling is more complex and being somewhere different doesn't always create joyful moments. Being around unfamiliar people or being around familiar people who are doing unusual or unexpected things can cause distress and surprise for everyone with the challenges that can pop up.
Read or download the full article
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Extroverts Need Rest and Restoration, Too, Even If It Doesn't Look Like Rest
b
y Beth A. D. Nolan, PhD
The broken oak branch suspended by trees 50 feet in the air was truly a widow maker: 30 feet long, and the size of a dinner plate at the base. As I worked away at my computer that Friday, I had a view out my window of my husband dealing with it. He met with the arborist early in the morning to bring it down, cut the lengths with a chainsaw, heave them into rows to dry for later splitting, and begin the long process of pruning the leaves from the smaller branches for stacking for kindling. It was a full day of solitary, hard work.
It was 5:30 that evening when I got the invitation from close friends to come over for an evening swim. I could feel the computer strain on my eyes from my daylong race to beat incoming emails and finish the proposal. I was delighted with the idea of a visit with friends in a pool. But how to present this to my introverted husband such that he would go? I knew he must be exhausted; a cool swim would be just the trick to stretch sore muscles.
Read or download the full article
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Family Caregivers Need A Chance to Recharge Their Mind, Body, and Soul
by Mary Lee, Outreach Coordinator & PAC Trainer
Do you or someone you know need a break from caregiving? Do
YOU need a caregiver? Maybe you or someone you know deserves to
rest and recharge.
In order to give care to another person, it is essential to be emotionally, physically, and spiritually replenished and recharged. If you are totally spent in any of these areas, compensating for the lack thereof only decreases the other areas that much faster. You can only give away what is yours to give.
"For five years my sweet mom, whose diagnosis was Alzheimer's, lived with me, and I not only worked, but I was also her full-time caregiver. In order to be the best caregiver I could be for my lovely mother, who deserved my best, I took my own advice and scheduled small breaks from time to time from this life-challenge called 'caregiving.' I would certainly advise a good friend to take a well-deserved and guilt-free rest, so why not do the same for myself." - Lydia
Read or download the full article
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Fran Cooper Never Forgot the Fragrance of Life
Fran's Song: My Mother's Triumph over Alzheimer's
by Ron Cooper, Author
 Every day in Mom's memory care unit, she and her fellow residents engaged in exercises to strengthen their minds. One day, the activities aide held up a flash card of a tree and asked Mom and her companions to identify it. They answered in a chorus, "Tree!"
"Good!" the aide said.
Then the aide held up a picture of a rose. It was a black-and-white drawing, but still these people with tenuous memories recalled a symbol of beauty and nature.
Clara identified it as a "flower" and several of her friends agreed. Mom didn't respond. You could tell that she was thinking. The aide pressed for more specifics, and Mom answered:
"A rose is a rose is a rose."
For a split second, Fran Cooper had defeated this deteriorating disease that makes a mockery of your remembrances and steals your yesteryear, bit by agonizing bit. This, I thought, needs to be chronicled! I got out my notebook. And so began a remarkable year of watching Mom interact with fellow residents and staff of her unit, singing, praying, loving.
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Movement for Rest and Restoration
Introverted Perspective
by Dan Bulgarelli, PAC Mentor Coach
Before I joined PAC in the summer of 2015, I taught middle school social studies for ten years. Generally, when I have told people this I get funny looks or comments such as "you're a brave man" or "that must have been tough". The honest truth is that I loved it... most of the time. I truly cared about each and every one of my kids and I enjoyed working with them. However, teaching class after class after class with lunch duty thrown in the middle got to be tough for me. You see, I'm an introvert. That means I need time to myself to truly relax. What most people don't understand about teaching, or Care Partnering for that matter, is that you have to be ON. You need to be aware of not only yourself, but of those you are working with, as well as the environment around you. It is exhausting, but we do it because we truly care about them.
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Spotlight on PAC Team Member
Lee Mohler
Director of Business Development
Prior to working with Positive Approach®, I worked for 8 years in assisted living and experienced Teepa's training firsthand. Seeing the impact Positive Physical Approach™ had on our residents and staff inspired me to want to be in a position of sharing this important information with as many people as possible.
In October of 2013, I joined Teepa and two other team members on an exciting mission... to increase awareness of Teepa's Positive Approach® and to provide opportunities for knowledge and skill development among professionals and family care partners. Teepa, a true road warrior with endless passion and energy, has attracted countless numbers of people who want to learn, grow, and provide better care for people living with dementia. What an incredible foundation to build on! Now, almost three years later, our team has more than tripled in size and we're able to share Teepa's message in ways we couldn't have imagined. It's truly a blessing to be part of an organization that exists to help individuals and teams improve relationships and quality of life for people living with dementia.
While Teepa and some of our team members travel coast to coast and across borders, I work in Alpharetta, Georgia and live with my husband and two daughters (one at home and one at UGA), Ava and Socks (our cats), and Rudy (our dog). Please give me a call or contact me by email if you have any questions about our training programs and services. Whether you're an individual or organization in need of training, hearing your story and connecting you with the best resource for your situation is what I enjoy most.
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Restored or Renewed With a Diagnosis of Dementia
Restoration is defined as, "that which is restored or renewed.: After being asked to write this article, I reflected on my entire life. My parents led me to develop a strong faith. That faith has sustained me through my journey with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) which is now in its fifth year.
During my professional career which included 38 years of owning my pharmacy, I rarely took time for restoration. My Dad was a workaholic and I was too. Most weeks were consumed with 60 to 80 hours of work... still taking time for church, family, community, and recreation. Restoration was never to the extent of slowing down and smelling the roses. I approached recreation just as I did work. Am I proud of this? Absolutely NOT.
Being diagnosed with LBD at the age of 64 was like being hit by a Mack Truck.
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Working Towards
Dementia Competence
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Congratulations to these folks who attended the
PAC Trainer Workshop in Girard, KS! |
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A Look at Grief
When a loved one has dementia
by Linn Possell, Lead PAC Mentor Coach
Dementia creates losses for the person living with dementia and those around them, and these losses can cause someone to grieve. Grief is a normal response to the loss or anticipated loss of someone or something that is significant to us and can include many different reactions. It can leave us feeling empty and numb, we may be angry and have feelings of guilt, we can feel a lack of energy, have confusion, and changes in sleep patterns, we can have trouble making decisions, focusing, and sometimes we will even withdraw from people and activities that were once important to us. These feeling and responses can have a big impact on our life and can feel overwhelming when we combine it with a significant loss.
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My Happy Book
A Wonderful Idea from Cynthia Guzman
by Kristin Einberger
Cynthia Guzman was diagnosed with dementia on her 63rd birthday. Over the course of four years, with continuing research and information, she was given a diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia. Cynthia has advocated for those with the various forms of dementia as well as their caregivers ever since her diagnosis 4 years ago. Much of this advocacy has been done through the Alzheimer's Association. They have given Cynthia a voice, an audience, and a purpose in life. She was fortunate to serve as an Early Stage Advisor for the Association for a year. Cynthia traveled to Washington, D.C. for the 4th year in a row in April of this year, 2016, to speak with legislators during the National Advocacy Forum. Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA) was so impressed with Cynthia's work that he named her as Woman of the Year in Napa County.
It is Cynthia's main purpose in life to make the journey easier for those diagnosed with dementia as well as their caregivers, and to work tirelessly to advocate for an end to the disease so that future generations will live in a world without Alzheimer's/dementia. Cynthia recently shared her idea for a Happy Book...
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A "Ruby" Music Moment
with Mary Sue Wilkinson
Many
older people don't smile much. Their faces may appear expressionless, and when you ask them to smile it almost seems hard for them.
Helen's face is different. She has a look of expectancy, not quite a smile. During our music times she often pushes back and forth in her wheelchair in response to the rhythm of the music. Her favorite song is "Home on the Range." Sometimes when we sing it, she is able to mouth the words "home" and "range." Helen also likes "You Are My Sunshine." When I get to the end of a line in the song, she nods her head, and I nod back, letting her know we are singing together.
Helen doesn't talk much at all anymore. She needs help eating and I haven't seen her walk in a long time. What Helen can still do is nod her head and let you know that she is enjoying the music.
Mary Sue Wilkinson is the founder of Singing Heart to Heart. This is an excerpt from her book "Songs You Know By Heart: A Simple Guide for Using Music in Dementia Care." The book includes contributions from Teepa Snow as well as Mary Sue's CD of 18 favorite sing along songs. Buy the book HERE. For more information about Mary Sue's work visit Singing Heart to Heart.
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Upcoming Events
August 11, 2016
A Day With Teepa
Indianapolis, IN
August 13, 2016
The Canterbury-Beeson Forum On Aging
Birmingham, AL
August 16, 2016
Educational Day
Greenville, SC
August 29, 2016
2016 THCA/TNCAL Convention
Knoxville, TN
August 30, 2016
Educational Day
Thomaston, GA
September 21, 2016
NNFA/NALA Fall Convention
LaVista, NE
September 22, 2016
Educational Day
Mankato, MN
September 23, 2016
Educational Day
St. Louis, MO
September 26, 2016
Educational Day
Montevideo, MN
September 27, 2016
Educational Day - AM
Willmar, MN
September 27, 2016
Educational Day - PM
Willmar, MN
September 28, 2016
Educational Day
Willmar, MN
September 29, 2016
Educational Presentation
La Salle, IL
October 4, 2016
Educational Workshop
Seatac, WA
October 7, 2016
Educational Day
Allentown, PA
October 11, 2016
Educational Presentation
Frederick, MD
October 21, 2016
Alzheimer Society of Washington, 30th Annual Fall Conference
Ferndale, WA
October 27, 2016
Educational Day
Martha's Vineyard, MA
October 31, 2016
Gerontology Conference,
4th Annual
Des Moines, IA
November 23, 2016
Educational Event
Lincoln, UK
November 26, 2016
Educational Day
Bridgend, South Wales
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Book your event today for staff training, family nights, professional referral source events, or refresher workshops
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Introducing a new opportunity from Teepa and the
Pines of Sarasota
Education and Training Institute
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Lifetime Online Video
Viewing Is Now Available
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Upcoming PAC Certification Events
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PAC Training increases awareness, knowledge, and confidence among care staff and educates resident families.
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Positive Approach Partners
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Levenson & Associates
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All DVD content is intended for individual use only. If you are interested in multiple party viewings or licensing of this content for use in your training services, please contact our licensing team for further information).
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