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Joyful Alzheimer’s Caregiving on Valentine’s Day Published on February 11, 2016
Mike Splaine
Principal at Splaine Consulting
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If you think a loved one with dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease (I’ll abbreviate the latter to AD as I proceed) can’t appreciate Valentine’s Day, think again. As someone who’s spent over 20 years helping professional caregivers find ways to make this day particularly beautiful, I’m also privileged to always get new ideas for “informal caregivers,” the millions of loving individuals nurturing a beloved with AD. Here are some ideas for helping enhance this especially loving holiday. They come from a great conversation with one of Cognitive Solution’s consultants, gerontologist Nancy Schier Anzelmo, MSG. MS: Remind people about the ‘memory’ help we provide regarding AD patients NANCY: We really want to work not on fighting or retraining intellectual memory, but more on emotional memory, [which] is still intact in the brain. We can ignite visions, like helping folks remember grandma’s kitchen when they close their eyes, actually smell whatever she was cooking.
MS: How could Valentine’s Day in particular provide great opportunities for emotional memory enhancement?
NANCY: Maybe recreating the Valentine’s Day meal mentioned above could be that special memory to enhance and share. Think of helping people to specifically remember their very first Valentine [card or poem]. Or consider: ‘What was a special thing you and your husband (or your Mom) did on this holiday?’ Once you start thinking, there are all sorts of ideas you can generate.
MS: How do you help informal caregivers come up with ideas? NANCY: One solution is when I’ve asked families to give us special information relating to Valentine’s Day so as to jog memory. They sometimes think [what they have] is trivial. They might say, ‘Oh, she can’t [relate to] that anymore.’ So I say to them, ‘Well she can if you give us that memory.’ It’s a trigger, it’s a spark. For example, if I’m [made aware that] that Dad made this holiday special for Mom every year, I want specific information from the adult child. Maybe he gave roses, so now the caregiver could give Dad roses so they might stimulate his olfactory sense.
MS: I know what you mean. I found an adult day care center which established a whole week—not just one day—for helping visitors with AD generate memories by picking out Valentine’s Day hearts and asking questions. And if all a visitor did was to eat the snacks? Well, they were still involved in the holiday!
MS: What about long-distance caregivers? NANCY: We have great technology to help them. Think of Skype. It’s visual prompting for the brain. So show yourself holding roses like those I mentioned earlier… and then while you’re on screen have roses delivered to your loved one!
MS: So how would you summarize? NANCY: Start with remembrances of what you already know your beloved knows, so you can share. You can get even more details/information by going through albums, recordings, and digital videos. Don’t forget to garner memories from others, like your loved one’s friends, maybe neighbors. Little by little (not all at once) see what they can share. Remember: you won’t necessarily get informative answers with major details, but emotional answers can be very rewarding.
Happy Valentine’s Day! ###
Mike Splaine is CEO of Cognitive Solutions, a specialized consultancy enhancing detection, outcomes and savings for those in Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia-related patient service—both the professionals and families. Cognitive Solutions’ extended team consists of nurses, social workers, researchers and other industry specialists who bring 100-plus years of experience in Alzheimer’s and other dementias. See another of Mike’s dementia/Alzheimer’s PULSE stories here: http://bit.ly/1I7oIYz Cognitive Solutions consultant, Nancy Schier Anzelmo, is a renowned Alzheimer’s/ dementia care specialist, gerontologist, consultant, presenter, and educator. Nancy is founder and principal of Alzheimer’s Care Associates (ACA). Her career spans nearly 25 years.
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Tagged in: caregiving, alzheimer's disease, alzheimer's care
Mike Splaine
Principal at Splaine Consulting 22 articles
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