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Watch This Brain Change
The Power of Coaching in the Moment
by Teepa Snow MS, OTR/L
,
FAOTA
In August of this year, I had another opportunity to spend time in Evansville, Indiana. For the fifth time, I worked with the amazing team at The University of Southern Indiana to provide a pre-conference workshop related to dementia and care for providers throughout the region. This year we did something different, something special, and something that many attending found amazing and unforgettable!
Olivia Nolan and her mom, Beth, our Lead for Research and PAC Speaker extraordinaire, drove down from Grand Rapids, Michigan to take part in a mini stage production of a family learning to cope with dementia. Our script was written by Charleen Phelps, our Canadian Mentor, Trainer, Coach, Consultant, and creative source of the Napa GEMS Stage Show.
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Teepa's Tips: The Value of Coaching
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Lauren with a Side of Lewy
The Possibilities Are Endless
by Lauren U, PAC Core Team
After nine weeks, and with three fractures, finally I am able to get out of bed. It has been a long stretch of time, and I am healing. Thank you for all of your kind wishes. It is still not easy, and it is not fun. But gosh darn it, it is possible!
What else is possible?
Kindness is possible.
Humor is possible.
Dignity is possible.
Friendship is possible.
Love is possible.
Acceptance is possible.
Compassion is possible....
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Do You Want to Take a Shower?
Finding better ways to get things started with personal care and cleanliness
by Amanda Snow Bulgarelli,
PAC COO and Mentor
Have you ever experienced something like this when you were just trying to help?
Let's take a step back and imagine the scene from the other side...
Imagine I have been hanging around your house all day messing with your things, cleaning, and cooking.
You are sitting quietly in your living room, and I approach with a smile and your name.
I look vaguely familiar and friendly, so you smile back.
Then, though you must have missed some of the words, it seems that I'm asking you to take your clothes off and take a shower with me.
How many of you would say "yes?"
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Dining with Ambers
by Deirdre Thorton, PAC Mentor
What is your most significant memory of sharing a meal with family, friends, or others? What was the occasion? What was on the menu? Were you at home, in a restaurant, or somewhere else? It is likely that you have a strong memory for particular events because the social interactions, culinary sensations, and atmosphere struck you at an emotional level.
Sharing a meal, in most cultures, is important, not only for nourishment, but also for social engagement and celebration. When a person living with dementia (PLwD) experiences brain changes that affect their participation in this important daily activity, adaptations can be considered to promote a meaningful experience that satisfies physical and emotional needs.
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They Did It to Themselves
The Psycho-Social Impact of Alcohol Related Dementias
I am a medical social worker, therapist, educator, and dementia specialist who has been involved in counseling individuals and families for over 25 years. I've been witness to both the best and the worst of family dynamics in my practice, and some of the most difficult and heartbreaking cases I have worked with involve addictions and their impact on family members who suffer the collateral damage of their loved one's dependency problems. In much the same way that Teepa often says, "if one person is living with dementia inside them,
everyone around them
is living with dementia," the same holds true for addiction.
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What's Happening in the World of Grants with PAC?
Research Corner
by Mary Scheller (USI) and
Beth A. D. Nolan, Ph.D. (PAC)
In partnership with PAC, the University of Southern Indiana's Center for Healthy Aging and Wellness has received a $789,800 grant from the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) to fund dementia care training for nursing home staff members in Indiana. The project, Building a Dementia-Competent Nursing Home Workforce, is a collaboration with Teepa Snow and her company, Positive Approach
®
to Care (PAC), to improve the lives of people living with dementia and transform the culture of dementia care.
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Animal Assisted Therapy and Ambers
by Pam Osbourne,
Author, Animal Assisted Therapy Specialist
The Living GEMS® cognitive model focuses on the abilities of an individual as brain changes are experienced. The therapy dog can help bring out that individual's best self while using a variety of techniques.
This month, focusing on the Amber GEMS state, connections made with Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) can yield a number of therapeutic benefits. Addressing some of the characteristics of Ambers with a therapy dog may have a calming effect. As with any person living with dementia, the AAT team should approach with calmness and caution. The visit should always start with a calm greeting and an introduction to both the human and the dog.
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Early Birds... Grab Your Seat Now!
2019 Certification Course Deposits Now Open
by
Amanda Snow Bulgarelli,
PAC Early Bird Specials Are Here!
Don't let these courses fly away. Just a $250 non-refundable deposit will hold your spot for any of our 2019 courses and will earn you a $50 discount on your course. Once the full course registration opens up, you will be the first to register and will receive your discount code at that time. If you are already certified, have a group of four or more to attend any combination of our courses, are a Senior Helpers franchise owner, or meet other requirements, you may be entitled to an even greater discount.
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Maddie Never Stops Moving
Founder, Singing Heart to Heart
Maddie never stops moving. She walks down the narrow hallway, from one end of the memory care home to the other. Occasionally she sits for a few minutes. But while sitting, she is rocking, forward and back, forward and back. When you greet Maddie she will smile. Today, Chris, the housekeeper, who is so full of love, stops her in the hallway to give her a hug and hold her in her arms for a moment.
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Interview with a PAC Trainer
Kasie Wimmer
by Diane Slovin, PAC US Public Certifications Program Director
I had the pleasure of connecting with Kasie Wimmer recently. She is a Carlton University Instructor at Carlton Senior Living. Read on to see what she had to say about her recent experience at the PAC Trainer Certification event that she attended earlier this year.
There are still three opportunities to attend a
Trainer Certification in 2018
. Picture yourself enjoying the warm weather in Phoenix, Arizona or Naples, Florida in November. Or how about getting your holiday shopping done in early December in Chicago, Illinois?
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by Linda L Osmundson, Author
Experts tell care partners to journal. I didn't, even though i'm a writer. My husband's diagnosis of PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy), means he has problems with muscle control, swallowing, cognition, memory, and balance. One day as I reflected on what he liked to do in the past and how his decline prevents those activities in the present, I listed twelve ideas through the eyes of a granddaughter, his failure to accomplish favorite activities, and what she could do to still communicate and interact with him. For example:
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Words of Encouragement
by Anne Fargusson,
PAC Core Team
At 48 years old, I found myself sitting nervously in the University of California San Francisco neurology department talking with a doctor. I was a registered nurse with a BS degree. Six months earlier, I was working and after three months I was fired. I found a new opportunity, and was working again at a different facility, but after three months I was fired again. I was in denial but not for long because my worst dreams were coming true.
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I'm Sorry...
by Cheryl Buchholtz, PAC Mentor
To my beautiful, compassionate aunt who was like a mother to us! You opened your home and your heart to us for many years as we grew up. The last day of school, I would get ready for dad to drive us to Alliston to stay at your place for the summer holidays. I couldn't wait to get there to see what you had bought for me from Fuller Brush!
We could, at that time, eat off of your floors they were so clean. Buster was the luckiest dog in Alliston; he was so loved with cooked liver every night. (I still remember that smell. Yuck!) He was brushed and vacuumed daily and even had his own couch. I remember the birds singing while you cleaned their cage.
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The 5th Dementia
by Serene Meschel-Dillman, Director
Where does one find the inspiration for the subject of a documentary?
For me, of all places, it was at my annual mammogram with Dr. Ross Goldberg. When Dr. Goldberg and I were making the small talk that's necessary to get through the examination, he suggested that I have a look at a band made up of musicians and singers, all of whom are living with neurodegenerative diseases.
I'm 55 years old and have had little exposure to diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinsons, so I was somewhat apprehensive. Documentary filmmaking is always a labor of love. It is a discipline that pays almost nothing, makes very little in the end, and requires years of passionate dedication to see the project through. I would have to be convinced that the story of these intrepid musicians would be worth the time and effort.
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When someone is living in the moment and driven by sensory needs while being victim to sensory intolerance, life is a challenge, having relationships are hard, and getting anything done can seem impossible. This session will help build skills in figuring out what is driving the behavior of the moment and offer alternatives that have potential to flip a switch.
Finding the just right experiences and having options and alternatives available at all times takes a lot out of care supporters. This session will help develop a tool chest and activity box collection to have on hand. You will have to bring your curiosity and flexibility!
And now for the dementias we have not talked about yet. In this session we will discuss some other forms of atypical dementias. We will try to sort through symptoms, challenges, and supportive care strategies or programs that might be helpful or considered.
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Upcoming Events
October 19th, 2018
Bloomington, IN
October 25, 2018
PAC Coach Certification
Penetanguishene, ON
November 13, 2018
Midland, MI
November 14, 2018
Grand Ledge, MI
November 15, 2018
Ann Arbor, MI
November 16, 2018
PAC Champion Course
Southfield, MI
November 18, 2018
Educational Day
East Hills, NY
November 27, 2018
Waterville, OH
November 30, 2018
Lexington, KY
December 4, 2018
Educational Day
Oakville, ON
December 5, 2018
Warren, MI
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Let us know how PAC
has helped you!
This is an open invitation to all people living with dementia, care partners, and professionals.
Your stories help us learn and grow. We cannot do what we do without you!
Contact us
today if you would like to submit an article or video for the
Online Dementia Journal.
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October 17 @ 7:00p ET
November 12 @ 2:30p ET
November 14 @ 7:00p ET
November 19 @ 10:30a ET
December 3 @ 10:30a ET
December 5 @ 7:00p ET
December 10 @ 3:30p ET
Unable to attend the live event?
Each participant is also given
access to the recording.
Don't delay - sign up today!
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Recognition Announcement from Teepa
Kate Swaffer, who leads Dementia Alliance International and lives with young onset dementia, has been recognized by the Australian Financial Review as one of the top 100 influential women in Australia for her advocacy and leadership work to change dementia care culture. GO KATE!!!
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Book your event today for staff training, family nights, professional referral source events, or refresher workshops
.
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Would you like your staff to be able to learn from Teepa Snow, 24/7?
is now offering Teepa Snow programs on its Group Training Website!
Each of your staff members can get their own online video account, with videos selected by you!
Be their "Online Group Leader" and monitor their activity, course completion, and quiz results* (where applicable).
Click below to learn more!
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Be Brave Enough To Start A Conversation That Matters
CLICK HERE
To Learn More
About
Caring Conversations
and the
Caring Conversations
Tool Kit
Upcoming Events:
Bloomington, IN
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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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PAC Training increases awareness, knowledge, and confidence among care staff and educates resident families.
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Click Here to access the
Online Dementia Journal archives!
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