Online Dementia Journal 
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.
 
Foundations, Fathers, and Authority Figures
by Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA
 
Last month we focused on home and mothers, often considered the softer and caring member of the parental group that helped to make us who we are. This month, since it includes Father's Day in the States, I thought I might offer some ideas related to the role of the other side of the equation that is needed to help a child develop and grow into the mature being that each of us becomes, the authority figure. In childhood, there is a dynamic balance that is sought between encouragement and accountability. One without the other can impede and limit emotional intelligence, personal responsibility, self-awareness, and self-confidence. The right father figure can help provide that balance. Continue 
 
First Responders Get Great New Resources to Assist PLWD in Emergencies  
b y Mara Botonis     
 
For the last three years, Project Lifesaver International has been working with a core group of volunteers comprised of leading dementia experts and leaders from  law enforcement and first responder community to create a one-of-its-kind training course. The group, led by Project Lifesaver International volunteer Mara Botonis, has worked tirelessly to incorporate feedback from first responders based upon the real-world situations that are being encountered most often as well what communication tools and techniques have been most effective. The ever-evolving course has been accredited by Indian River State College and endorsed by the National Preparedness Institute and Law Enforcement Today.
Spirituality and Dementia
by Linn Possell
 
Until there's a cure, there's care. Care can mean a lot of different things to different people. Let's consider, for a moment, how we help take care of someone's spiritual life when they have dementia. For many of us our spiritual paths are important aspects of our life. For many of us our beliefs about spirituality are the foundation of our life. So what happens when someone is living with dementia? How do we help them continue a spiritual practice and how can we celebrate their spiritual life? Because, as those of us who travel a spiritual path know, our spirit continues to be whole and beautiful regardless of the limitations of this life and even after this life is over. Therefore, we have a wonderful opportunity to watch this belief in motion. Continue

 
Teepa's introduction to
Spirituality and Dementia 

Dementia Friendly as a Strategic Business  
Imperative for Hospitals and  Health Care Providers
by Anthony Cirillo, FACHE, ABC 

When it comes to the health of the population, a couple of things are certain. Care happens in silos and rarely is health looked at on a holistic basis. The Eliza Foundation has identified three major life stressors that if looked at closely impact over-all health. They are: Caregiving, Financial Stress, and Relationship Issues.
 
The future success of health providers hinges on an understanding that societal health is more than just about population health and that accountable care organizations are not just other hospitals, physicians and long-term care entities. Rather, employers, banks, supermarkets, in short the community, all play a role when it comes to understanding dementia, including Alzheimer's.
 
Anthony Cirillo, FACHE, ABC looks at how to integrate the hospital health care system in the dementia conversation in his white paper, Dementia Friendly as a Strategic Business Imperative for Hospitals and Health Care Providers. He explores three areas:
  1. Improve the experience of employees by identifying, embracing, and creating programs for family caregivers in the workplace.
  2. Improve the patient/resident/person experience by becoming a dementia friendly provider.
  3. Strategically position the organization from a marketing perspective by leading dementia friendly initiatives in the community.
 
Spotlight on PAC Team Member
Mary Lee
Marketing and Outreach Coordinator, PAC Trainer  

If you had told me I would be working for Teepa Snow's company, Positive Approachâ„¢ to Care 4 years ago I would have laughed and said, "Don't I wish!" Well folks, I am here to tell you that dreams really can come true.
 
Hi, my name is Mary. My dementia training began by being a care partner for my mom. Then I started working for an in-home care agency and attending a number of Teepa's workshops in Atlanta. I was so excited about what I was learning that I decided to work towards getting my Trainer Certification which teaches you how to train like Teepa. I then began a pilot series of family workshops and started working as a dementia care advisor in my area. A few months ago I moved into my current role as PAC's Marketing and Outreach Coordinator!
 
I am from Greenville, South Carolina and have been following Teepa since hearing her speak in 2011, almost a year after my mother passed away from Alzheimer's and Vascular Dementia. It is amazing how one person can make such a profound impact on your life. Teepa helped to make sense of this thing called dementia and the symptoms that come with it. In those four hours of listening to her I gained invaluable awareness and knowledge, sensible strategies, and care partnering techniques that really worked! Little did I know that I would be putting all of what I learned to the true test again in 2012 when my dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. I have Teepa to thank for empowering me with the education and skills needed to have more positive outcomes on his journey. I also have an awesome support team in the staff at the assisted living community where my dad lives. I am learning the art of responding not reacting, and for once I am able to see beyond the dementia and enjoy our times together.
 
Working with Positive Approachâ„¢ to Care (PAC) is a dream come true for me. I could not ask for a better company or a better group of individuals to work with. It has been such a pleasure getting to know some of Teepa's fans, her professional and family supporters, and our learners. I enjoy hearing their comments about seeing Teepa in person at an event, or how much they learned at one of our courses. I remember my first time and still share in their enthusiasm. I now know that I am doing the work I am meant to be doing and I continue to grow almost every day. How proud I am to be a member of Teepa's team and to feel in some small way I am actually helping to make a difference in the world when it comes to improving the way we care for, and treat, people living with dementia. Teepa says it best...Until there is a cure, there is CARE!
Activities on Spending Time with Men
by Leslie Finkley  
 
senior_holding_apples.jpg
It may be a man's world but in the  world of senior community living, women rule. Which is exactly why in the month of June we are taking a time-out, seeing things from the other person's (men in this case) perspective, and then trying new ways of connecting and spending time together.
 
Activities that interest and engage men can be very different from what's appealing to women. Some common male character traits that shape interests in activities include authoritative, creative, stable, and curious. As you look for ways to connect and spend time with men, here are a few suggestions on how to match activities with character traits. Of course men and women share in many common interests too; no gender carries a specific characteristic or interest exclusively. Continue

Communities Working Towards
Dementia Competence
Congratulations to these folks from The Village at Kendallville for completing their Level 1 Dementia Specialist Training!!
 
A Singing Phone Call 
by Mary Sue Wilkinson     
     hand_holding_note.jpg
Have you ever called a family member or a friend on their birthday to sing Happy Birthday to them? In my family this is a common occurrence. When family or friends are far away this simple act lets them know you care. And always brings a smile. 
  
What if your loved one has Alzheimer's or another form of dementia? Talking on the phone can be a challenge. It might leave you feeling discouraged and your loved one feeling confused. But what if you still want to connect with them? What if you just want them to know you haven't forgotten them, and that you love them? 
  
One of my friends solved this problem. She lives far away from her dad who is living with dementia. She wants to stay connected to him and she would do anything just to brighten his day. Here's her story.  Continue
 
Inter-generational Role Models:  Building Life-long Learners  

 

Anna Fisher, PhD, director of quality and education at Hillcrest Health Services, describes how the Montessori concept improves the lives of those with dementia, their family members, and their caregivers through a partnership with some local high school students.
 
Kudos to the Dementia Action Alliance 
2016 Whitepaper:
"Living with Dementia - Changing the Status Quo"
by Mary Donnelly

"I am a person."   So begins the list of values and principles of the Dementia Action Alliance, a coalition of people dedicated to improving the lives of people living with dementia and supporting their families.   In its 2016 whitepaper, " Living with Dementia - Changing the Status Quo," the DAA sets out its recommendations for enabling the wellbeing of persons affected by dementia, and calls for reform in two major areas:  the medical community and society at large.

The report first chastises the current healthcare system for its failure to adequately address the needs of those affected by dementia.  All too often, an individual diagnosed with dementia is defined solely by symptoms and stages; a dehumanizing and discouraging perspective that ignores the whole person and instead centers attention on deficits rather than capabilities.  Continue

June 2016 
In This Issue
Upcoming Events
Close-up top-view photo of calendar with a datum circled by young woman with red nails with a back marker, concept of time management at work

June 14, 2016
  Education Day
Owen Sound, ON

June 15, 2016
  Education Day
Owen Sound, ON

June 16, 2016
  Education Day
Stratford, ON

June 17, 2016
Education Day
Stratford, ON

June 21, 2016
Education Day
Dallas, TX

June 22, 2016
Education Day
Sun City Center, FL

June 29, 2016
Education Day
Fort Wayne, IN

June 30, 2016 - AM
Professional Education Day
Hunstville, AL

June 30, 2016 - PM
Caregiver Educational Day
Huntsville, AL

July 1, 2016
Educational Day
Northglenn, CO

July 8, 2016
Educational Day
Spring Hill, FL

August 11, 2016
A Day With Teepa
Indianapolis, IN

September 23, 2016
Educational Day
St. Louis, MO

November 23, 2016
Educational Day
Lincoln, UK

November 26, 2016
Educational Day
Bridgend, South Wales, UK

 
 
Book your event today for staff training, family nights, professional referral source events, or refresher workshops .
Call
877-877-1671
or   
Introducing a
NEW DVD from Teepa and the
Pines of Sarasota
Education and Training Institute

Advanced Care
Skills in Late Stage Dementia 


Upcoming PAC Certification Events

 
 


June 23, 2016 
PAC Engagement
Certification
(Atlanta) Roswell, GA


 

 



October 13, 2016 
 PAC Coach
Certification
Harleysville, PA
 

 Sponsored by:


 


November 17, 2016 
PAC Trainer
Certification
Iowa City, IA


 Sponsored by:



   
 
PAC Training increases awareness, knowledge, and confidence among care staff and educates resident families.
Call 
877-877-1671 
or 
 
Positive Approach Partners  
with  
Levenson & Associates 



Mr. Levenson is partnering with us to answer your legal questions. 

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Teepa recently spent time with some of the folks from  
Dementia Alliance International 
to talk about Communication


Together, we learn from each other, and together respecting and listening to each others unique view points, we can all make a difference.

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