Ministering to Those with Dementia/Alzheimers

Ministering to Those with Dementia/AlzheimersWhat really is the issue?Cognitive degradation leads to complex personality issuesReasoning does not always work or is not a viable interventionIncreased agitation can be an issue on both the part of the caregiver and the resident; not to mention the family involvedMany times the residents primary desire is to be heardThat can conflict with the systems need to accomplish its tasksFamilies can then be left somewhere in the middleMyth Our Interaction with those suffering dementia does not really matterThis belief demeans the worth of the personHow do we as systems tend to the needs of the whole person body, mind, and spirit?Systems do a pretty good job on two of these fronts mind and bodySpiritual needs are just as important/crucialWhat can I do to tend to someones spiritual needs?

First of All Whose Reality is Real?Affirm a Residents RealityWalk with them through their understanding of Time/SpaceThis takes extra timeMore patienceA desire to listenA desire to care for / be attentive to the potential differing realityIs it not lying if I do that?Entering into someones reality needs to be our ultimate goalIf you cannot honor their sense of reality, find someone who canThis is often a persons most basic spiritual needHow do I do that?One tool is to make use of Validation TherapyOriginator Naomi FeilValidation is a method of communicating with and helping disoriented peoplePractical way of working that helps reduce stress, enhance dignity, and increase happinessInvolves stepping into the shoes of another human being and seeing through their eyes How do you do this?Naomi in Action

Visually Illustrated MessagesBased upon the premise that a picture is worth a thousand wordsSimple mono-thematic message with a positive (Gospel) focusUse the K.I.S.S. principle Keep It Simple and ShortNo more than three to five minutes in lengthNo questions, just a delivery of information and hopefully and more importantly comfortExamples of some of these kinds of messagesHow is an afghan like Gods love?How is a chair like Gods strength and power?How is a bouquet of flowers an example of the beauty of creation of which we are all a part of?

Hymns and other Church-like elementsFamiliar hymns old spirituals, famous hymns Amazing Grace, Blessed Assurance, Jesus Loves MeMost helpful to have words printed out and the first verse is often enough use 22 pt. font as your minimumSing!Remember that most recorded music is much too fast for older adultsAccompaniment is helpful, but not always necessaryLords Prayer, ScripturesRosary, Bible, a cross, or other religious symbolBible Story BooksOften these are Childrens Bible Study booksCan be introduced as, I want to share what the kids are learning these days to limit offense for those who are somewhat cognitively intactAlso a good resource if a grandchild or a great-grandchild pays a visitEspecially helpful for helping to develop ideas for the aforementioned visually illustrated messagesCan be very helpful to address a specific faith perspective if you can obtain one that is faith specificStaff Chaplains or Invite Local Clergy to ParticipateIf you have Chaplains on staff, then you already know thisIf you do not, then maybe some of these needs can be met by clergy who volunteer their timeMaybe from fellow residentsMaybe from local congregations near the long-term care communityMaybe from family members with an interestYou can quickly discover who has a heart for these acts of serviceBe careful to screen for those who see it more as an opportunity to evangelize or seek new recruits for their faith perspectiveThoughts or QuestionsCase #1It is about 4:30 PM and Grace is very agitated. She states that she needs to get home and cook dinner for the family. She further states that her three children will be home from school soon and that she needs to be at home when they arrive. She also includes that there will be hell to pay if dinner is not on the table when her husband arrives home from work.What would you do or what have you done?Case #2Charles is usually a very quiet man, but today he is very agitated. He explains that he is very angry with the reality of the attack on Pearl Harbor; after all, today is December 7, 1941.What do you do?Case #3Sally is distraught today because she was just informed that her husband has died. In reality he died over 10 years ago. She is tearful and upset with this news. To compound things further, her daughter has tried to tell her mother that this event happened years ago, but that she has just forgotten. This has only helped to make Sally more distraught.What do you do?