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Managing The Stress ~ Making The Decisions ~ Discovering The Meaning |
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Caregiving |
Solutions To Your Caregiving Situations Throughout Your Caregiving Years |
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Uncooperative Care Recipient Managing The Disease Determines Cooperativeness By Denise M. Brown, Publisher, Caregiving.com I’m not sure when I began repeating this phrase to myself, but I’ve found it so helpful over the years to keep this in mind: There’s a reason for everything. And, many times, patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia exhibit difficult behavior because of a reason. Certainly, the disease itself is a good enough reason. But, the reasons for an uncooperative care recipient with dementia can be three-fold, as Virginia Garberding, Director of Education for The Wealshire, located in Lincolnshire, Ill., explains. The Wealshire is an assisted living and skilled nursing facility specifically designed, built and staffed to serve the special needs of Alzheimer and dementia residents. Virginia has learned that a resident’s behavior is often a direct reflection of: 1. The environment 2. The caregiver 3. An unmet need At The Wealshire, a safe environment gives residents have plenty of room to roam and plenty of choices as to where their roaming will lead. And, walking offers some great side effects: The residents enjoy fatigue which allows them to enjoy a good nap and it builds up their appetite, allowing them to enjoy good meals. In addition, as residents roam, they encounter sensory videos on televisions; videos of babies, sunsets and sports. They can stop to watch the videos or continue on their journey. From the resident’s perspective, a caregiver may be perceived as an intrusion or a threat and the resident may react to the caregiver accordingly: Out of anger. To minimize the perception of a threat, the staff participate in a program called “Share the Person”; staff learn about each resident’s life. “We don’t want our staff to learn about our residents by reading their obituary,” Virginia says. “We give the life back to the residents that they have forgotten.” And, Virginia teaches her staff to use their voice to comfort residents. “We guide physically, rather than talking with directions,” Virginia says. “Talking is for comfort.” So, when residents need assistance, the staff will guide them-—to their rooms, to their seat at the table. And, Virginia says, the residents learn (where their room is, where their seat at the table is) by going through the motions. Finally, Virginia believes that an unmet need of a resident is the staff’s problem. “We should know when the residents are hungry, thirsty or tired.” A schedule and a routine are critical to meeting those needs. For more information about The Wealshire, visit http://www.wealshire.com/. What You Can Do At Home You can implement some of the successes of The Wealshire at home: 1. Exercise is a great activity for you and your care recipient. Plan regular walks, but plan the walks when your care recipient is rested and full from a good meal. Be sure to have plenty of water available for both of you. 2. The Wealshire staff and residents work out to a video exercise program called Movercise. You can purchase the videos for at-home use by visiting the company’s web site http://www.movercise.com/ or by calling (949) 858-8844. 3. The Wealshire has created a special program to honor each resident’s life. You have a heads-up in this area; as Virigina Garberding says, You’re the expert in your own care recipient’s life. Reminisce and converse with your care recipient. The conversation may be different than it was five years ago or even one year ago, but that’s okay. Your voices are a great connecting force. 4. Virginia often finds herself referring to a concept detailed in a book called “The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer's Care” by Virginia Bell, David Troxel. The premise of the book is to be a trustworthy friend to your care recipient. “Everyone can be recognized as a friend by a person with dementia,” Virginia says. 5. Keep a schedule, with meals, snacks, exercise, naps and bedtime occurring as close to the same time each day. If you must be away (at a doctor’s appointment, for instance) during a mid-morning snack, then be sure to pack snacks to enjoy in the doctor’s office. (When possible, keep in mind your care recipient’s schedule when making appointments.) 6. Investigate community programs, such as adult day centers, that provide activities and socialize for your care recipient. To learn more, call the ElderCare Locator at 1-800-677-1116. My care recipient won't cooperate! Managing The Disease Determines Cooperativeness |
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