Get Your Brain Activated

The following are some tips to keep your brain operating at maximum capacity:

•      Mental flex – keep your hands busy as well as your mind – knit, crochet, paint,   color…
•      Call a friend or family member today and share a happy story with him or her.
•      Tell the world why brain health is important to you and your well-being. 
•      Encourage friends to become involved with keeping a healthy, active brain
•      Enjoy a home-cooked meal - too much eating out is not good for your health
•      Get your body in the game - get rolling in some action
•      Do not be sedentary but rather be up and moving - good for the body and the      soul
•      Complete 3 yoga poses morning and evening plus 3 focused breathing sessions – in through the nose and out through the mouth for 1 minute.

Fully knowing and understanding your family medical history now – to the best of your abilities – will impact not only your health, but the health of most of your family members. You might know your family tree, but now it’s time to learn your family medical history. Schedule time to sit down with your relatives to learn more about the health risks you might face. Write down what you learn and keep a file for your records.

Ouch! That Hurts!!

Ouch! is a video supplied to me by the Alzheimer's Association. In a quick 12 minutes, viewers observe scenarios and listen to conversations that include language that can be hurtful, indiscreet, and just plain wrong. While none of these snippets directly speak to Alzheimer's, they cover a wide range of inappropriate comments that people may make, things like, "You don't have an accent!" (when the speaker appears to be non-white) or "Sally can work overtime - she doesn't have any kids." The film provides optional responses when someone's comment is hurtful.
First, and I often struggle with this, is assume there is only good intent. Sometimes phrases are so common place that the speaker does not even realize the implications. This is your chance to respond with, "Using the word dementia that way makes it sound contagious and frightening. Dementia has so many more aspects."
The second option is ask a question, "Have you ever thought about that saying 'go back to your country' cause mean trauma, fear, and heartache? Many humans who you have grouped together are refugees who have fled brutality and possible execution."
Third choice, interrupt and redirect, "Talking about Joe without him here to intervene is demeaning. Let's wait until the three of us can sit down and talk this out together.:
Make the statement individual, "When you say all employees are bigoted and uneducated, do you include me in that category?"
And finally, when words of explanation escape the brain, there is the option of just replying, "Ouch!" That short word says so much and exemplifies the pain, the humiliation, the trepidation that negative remarks involve.

Vulnerability

Well, a month plus has passed and finally I am returning to this blog. I just completed listening to the audio of Dr. Brene Brown's, The Power of Vulnerability. While I first started it as a sort of "self-help" recommended by my daughter, I have found Brown's to hold so much more. Listening and then re-listening and taking notes, has really opened my eyes to me, my reactions, my ways of thinking and doing, leading to a better understanding of myself and of those around me. The big takeaway (for today, at least) is vulnerability, the vulnerability we feel when deciding to open up a discussion about our own cognitive decline or the decline of someone we love.
We are vulnerable when we toss out a "hot topic" as we quickly thumb through so many possible reactions in our heads: Will the listener be scared? Will the listener have too much advice? Will the listener turn away and run? Will the listener pass judgment and then I will find myself on the fringes of my own problem?
It takes bravery to step forward with honesty and determination. It takes courage to ask someone to pull back on the reins and just listen, not jump in with advice. It takes gumption to speak up about the unknown. It takes a special friend to really hear, ponder, and care.
I have a group called "Let's Talk About It". Although I have been trying to build this group for nearly one year, it is still in the fledgling stages. At times I have several attendees, but primarily it is only me and maybe a casual drop-in. As I have wondered about how to expand this outreach, I realize now how vulnerable people must feel when deciding to open up on a painful topic such as Alzheimer's or other dementia. I must continue to be kind, to exude trust, to let people know of my group, and then to hope I can make a difference and be that special friend that someone needs.