Are you taking good care of yourself??

            As if you were not aware that you have a brain, although mine is sometimes at a loss during these months of COVID-19 isolation and distancing, June is the Alzheimer’s Association’s Brain Awareness Month. As a result of my variant brain bubbles, I continue to pop my mental lapses as I strive to keep my mind active and fit. Readers know that I run daily. It has been exciting to watch the outside of the heels on my running shoes begin to wear off as it is a sure sign that I putting in ample mileage. What started as new shoes in February now clock over 550 miles. Fortunately, with the reopening of our swimming pool I can begin to alternate my fitness regime and toss in a bike ride as well.

            I have also been plowing through a stack of books. Always an avid reader, I now have extra time during the day to set my mind to new reading adventures. As I belong to several book clubs and so the selections of others sometimes take me away from my regular non-fiction/history preferences. Other subject matter offers excellent diversion as these books are most often quick and require little deep thought and/or memorization of facts. When I resume to my collection I currently find myself engrossed in book 2 of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy. If you are interested in Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII, you will appreciate these books. Long, detailed, real as well as imagined, intriguing and engaging.        

And I am eating well. Once I discovered, then ordered, a brick of yeast on the internet I have added fresh bread to our daily meal plan. We are lucky that in our area our grocery stores have maintained an adequate supply of all essentials. Granted, there were some terrifying moments early on as toilet paper and paper towels vanished from the shelves, but these have returned. Recently I had begun to depend on Clorox wipes for cleaning up, but they have disappeared and with them I’ve been told they may never reappear in quantity. Lynn and I also have items growing in our garden. Fresh vegetables are beginning to sprout, however, I am not sure what the case will be next year since it was such a struggle to obtain seeds this spring. I realize that I must scout them out earlier.

            I have shared the magnificence of Zoom or other online communication systems. Being able to see my nieces, laugh with my grandkids, chat with my sisters, and connect with my kids has been terrific. No, it is not the same as hugs and family pile-ups and pile-ons, but it will do for the moment. I even enjoy most of my “business” calls, but wish that many of them would head straight to the point instead of spending 30 minutes on, “Tell me something that inspires you” followed by, “You do not have to share if you do not want to”, trailed by “Gini??” Sort of puts me on the spot.

            While I do like the challenge of online Scrabble with my sister, it astounds me the number of potential apps that appear every time I submit a word. Scarier still is all of the apps that make players feel like they might get rich. Even though there is the warning, “Must be 21 to play”, who is to know that it is a child who has just downloaded the game. 

All in all, I have been guarding the quality of my brain: exercise, mental stimulation, nutrition, socialization, even though from a distance. What have you been doing for your brain? I hope that the big four mention above are part of your day. I wonder about the special and unique habits and hobbies you have indulged in during this time. It is hard to be patient, but it is critical for the safety of all. I hear from people who refuse to wear a mask stating, “The government will not tell me what to do!” as, in turn, I think of the other people that I am protecting with facial covering. To this latter exclamation I have remained silent until I came up with asking if the individual speaking wears a seatbelt? Only two reasons to wear one come to mind: safety and it is the law. Voila – face masks for safety and as a precautionary suggestion. They are not a law, but you get my drift.

What Is the Difference Between Alzheimer's and Dementia?

This is a common question and one that is both easy and difficult to answer. Dementia is the broad umbrella that covers cognitive decline, especially in older adults. It is differentiated from "Where did I put my car keys?' as you try to race out the door to finding the car keys and wondering, "Why aren't these in the refrigerator with the mixing bowl?" Dementia interferes with daily life in many ways making it difficult to complete daily tasks.
The largest number of those with dementia are individuals who have Alzheimer's disease. AD is a degenerative brain disease that impacts how the brain receives and interprets signals and information. It is progressive meaning that at first, symptoms are almost not discernible, but as these symptoms expand, life changes and becomes a mixture of confusion, frustration, anger, and often a sense of helplessness for both the person with AD and for the caregiver(s).
AD is not a normal part of aging - it is not something that everyone will experience. The disease is associated with aging but it may also arise from head trauma, PTS, familial genetics, or diabetes or cardio-vascular abnormalities. But then again, while the incidence of AD increases with age it does not mean that age is the cause.
For those who are wondering about brain function decline, there are several steps to take to fill you with knowledge. An accurate diagnosis is vital, a diagnosis that comes from a neurologist or gerontologist, doctors who are familiar with the brain and aging. The doctor's appointment may include a psycho-socio evaluation, cognitive testing or an MRI. The correct diagnosis may indicate that you are simply under stress, have an infection or other health problem or it may mean there is concern for cognitive challenges. The doctor's insight mean that the individual can make plans and seek guidance with a true understanding of physical and mental condition and what may lie on the road ahead.

Inspiration

In these difficult times it is important to find bits of inspiration to make your day easier and happier. I begin each day with reading. While I like to scan various newspapers and articles, I have found that often these just offer me confusion and discouragement. Instead I try to go straight to the latest book I am reading. Yesterday I finished Apeirogon by Colum McCann. And I tell you, I was inspired.
Now I read it thinking it was non-fiction. Never mind that it stated "novel", it felt like a true story. Two fathers, one Palestinian and one Israeli, have each lost a daughter, the first to a rubber bullet fired by an Israeli soldier the second by a bomb carried by a Palestinian. Each father (and all of the rest of the family) after some healing, had choices: hate? revenge? attacks? depression? reconciliation? I believe each father went through all of these potentials but each eventually chose reconciliation, finding each other in a group called Combatants for Peace. The title sounds as if placed in juxtaposition, actually it is a way for those who wish combat to find peace.
This book really sets the reader's mind into contemplation and wonder. What if everyone everywhere determined ways to just get along. That doesn't mean bobble-headed agreement but rather rich conversation, compromise, and forgiveness. Is it possible? The father Rami imagines a world with no walls, no lines, no separation, no demarkation - just understanding. I loved this image and many more throughout the book. It gave me hope.
Apeirogon is a geometric figure with an infinite amount of discernible sides. The figure may appear to be a circle but microscopic examination offers the viewer the tiny infinitesimal change that delineates the slight angle of each segment. An apeirogon, just like life, has infinite twists, turns, and possibilities. Which road, which decision, which manner of living... It is a perfect title for this thought-provoking book and for an engaged mind.
In the Epilogue I was reminded that although the book entailed research, many interviews, and much travel ultimately it was fiction. I felt disappointed and a touch angry until I went to my news reading a found an article about an Israeli who had been arrested and imprisoned for creating a series of online conversation meetings between Israelis and Palestinians designed for open discussion.
These individuals are trying to talk and solve rather than shoot and kill. This makes peace possible.

A Firm Promise Sometimes Slips to the Side

Each time a slip from writing this blog, I solemnly promise to not let it slip again. Then Voila!! I wrote March 8 and now it is April 10. Excuses - they abound. Reasons - there are even greater. Justification - none. And so I am back here to share some thoughts.
This coronavirus time is scary. Isolation, loneliness, confusion, frustration, resignation and so many more feelings and emotions have passed through me as I try to get my mind around what this stay-at-home time really means. I have accepted it as I have determined ways to make my minutes, hours, and days fruitful, but still I wonder... When will it end? How will it end? Where will I be? When will it come roaring back?
I truly believe the warnings we have been given. I have learned how one party, one gathering, one deep breath has led to multiple infections - some mild, some rough, some deadly. Regardless, the might of this particular virus must make us all pause and think about how our actions and reactions can effect those we love.
Not seeing my children and grandchildren - actually I see them daily with FaceTime and What's App - but not being able to hold and hug and cuddle and just chat personally with each one is hard. I thrive on love and this separation is challenging. Yet I accept that it is necessary. I appreciate the steps that Governor Sisolak has taken to protect us all. Closing hotels, casinos, restaurants - mainstays of Nevada livelihood is tough. But without his early decision, I can only imagine how this disease could have exploded even more. I know the resilience of family and friends and I know we will make it through, harried and exhausted perhaps, but whole and eventually stronger than ever.
Please - take care and stay safe.

Indicators of Relationship-Centered Care

A key indicator of relationship-centered care is understanding culture. Culture includes the attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and characteristics common to a group of people. This can be as limited as close family to as broad as a community, state, region, or nation.
Cultural competence is the integration and transformation of knowledge about individuals and groups to create standards, policies, acceptable behaviors, practices, and attitudes within that group, with degrees of variation, of course.
Cultural humility encompasses the ability to maintain a relationship that is different from our own, to honor and respect others for who they are, not who we think they should be.
It is impossible to understand every aspect of a culture; it is easy to generate stereotypes. That is one reason why it is so important to remain open to learning new ideas and ways of doing things and responding to life. This helps design a partnership of awareness and acceptance. Instead of basing our own attitudes on a generalization of a culture, we seek to learn about the individual, what makes him/her a unique and viable person within that culture and within our realm of friendship.
From the outside, a culture may appear to be simply food, games, language, customs, and dress. But when you dig deeper, that is when you find many of the other aspects of a culture: values, religious beliefs, notions of beauty and norms, thought processes, and the concept of fairness, to name just a few. Instead of drawing assumptions and tossing people into convenient packaging, cultural humility means listening, being open-minded, asking questions and accepting the answers, and learning. We are all different - and that is OK.

50 First Dates - ADF Movie Launch

            Age- and Dementia-Friendly Winnemucca had the launch of its movie series with the presentation of 50 First Dates at Park Cinemas. With movies focused on forgetfulness, brain injury, PTSD, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease, our team members are seeking ways to educate our community about behaviors, attitudes, misunderstandings, and misinterpretations about cognitive decline in an open atmosphere of learning. One of our crew members received a Facebook comment questioning why we would be showing 50 First Dates, a film focused on traumatic brain injury, when someone in attendance, a loved one, or a caregiver might be present who might be experiencing such a decline. Well, that’s the point. If we discuss confusion, forgetfulness, every day/hour/minute becoming a new moment or repetitive moment in life that disregards connections of instances that took place just beforehand, we can better support a loved one who has mental challenges or difficulty.

            As I have mentioned to many, I had no idea that Adam Sandler could portray such a kind and sensitive role as he does in this movie – loving Drew Barrymore regardless of her memory loss and daily replication of life. I admire the loving reactions of her father to ease her stress about forgetting. One of the most profound statements reflects Sandler’s belief that every kiss should be just like the first one – sweet, tender, honest, committed. I go beyond that with every sunrise and sunset, every encounter and discussion, every hug and utterance, should be as rich and as meaningful as the first. Sandler the philosopher – wow! I would have never imagined.

            In chatting with Lowry Cheer who heads up our annual Tie-One-On event for Alzheimer’s Awareness I mentioned the movie, 20 First Dates. Puzzled faces then asked, “You mean 50?” Yep, I let them know that I had simply forgotten 30 of those dates. I have to laugh at my own absentmindedness that invades from time to time.

Appreciating Culture

Another key element of the Bravo Zulu presentation that I have been writing about is appreciating culture. While the initial focus of the presentation is on the various cultures of the branches of the military, as I listened I constantly thought about the multitude of cultures we each encounter every day: family, rank order in a family, an adoptive or in-law relationship family, co-worker family, church family, social organization networks... The list could extend forever.
While often we gravitate toward cultures that reflect our own truths and beliefs, this is not always possible. Take work for example. While every employee may be headed for the same goal, there are lots of ways to get there, numerous interpretations of products and events, and extensive differences in perspectives and opinions. Roughly gathered backgrounds can work as a strengthening force or as a detrimental one. The strengthening comes from listening to and respecting the ideas of others while feeling that one's own ideas are accepted as well. Listened to, modified, adjusted, and redesigned, a strong group compromises to attain optimal results.
If, however, the group is so seeped in individualism and a lack of ability to consider and evaluate other potentials, the efforts will most likely be detrimental to progress. An inability to think about and reflect on a variety of possibilities inhibits their exposure and growth. A good leader works to advance approaches that vary but have similar objectives; an inept or insecure leader guides through authoritarian practices and disdain for others input.
Our individual culture reflects our attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and values; our functioning group culture amalgamates and combines, divides, multiplies, and introduces other analytical functions to create a best case scenario. Groups that stomp, moan, berate, and accept nothing but its own culture rarely achieve long-lasting success.
And so it is within family dynamics. The family who works as a team to confront and solve issues or problems is far more likely to achieve success than one that falls into the pit of negativity and disgust of others.