Dementia Friends

After a wonderful information session with Dolores Cox, the Dementia Friends information team is rolling. The 5 members include Robin Gillis, Keeli McClintick, Sharon McAllister, Cary Walter, and Gini Cunningham. The last 4 held their first session Tuesday, June 19th, at the Pleasant Senior Center in Winnemucca. 7 attendees are now deemed "Dementia Friends". With this completed, the team is raring to go on more community events.
Following the information session and question and answer period, each attendee received their certificate of completion, a decal with Dementia Friend - Nevada for car or shop window, and a lovely bag of Keeli's delicious home-baked cookies.
Patty Ellifritz who was in attendance provided our team with matching t-shirts with the saying: Proud to Be a Dementia Friend. Way cool!!

Oh! My! Time Flies

It seems like I have been on a consistent blogging mode - trying to get something in every week, and then I realized that it has been 5 weeks since my last post. That is no good. So for a couple of updates:
Respite Retreat continues to be a boost for the community. Although our numbers are low, we know that this respite opportunity for caregivers will grow over time as word spreads about this wonderful twice monthly break. We always start with a project such as painting, coloring, creating home decor, or arranging flowers. This is often followed by music and singing or just interconnected conversation. We toss in a game like gin rummy or Yahtzee, games that are usually well known and fairly easy. We conclude with more conversation and plans for our next session. Two hours zips by in a flash.
We are now meeting the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month from 10am-noon at the Winnemucca Boys and Girls Club. This location has a wheelchair ramp right by our door and our gathering spot is quiet and secluded - ideal for our venture.
Please join us!!

Respite Retreat

To meet one of the goals set for Age- and Dementia-Friendly Winnemucca and Humboldt County we organized "Respite Retreat". This 2-hour break twice a month permits a loved one with Alzheimer's or other dementia to enjoy laughter, games, crafts, and music while the caregiver can run errands or just sit back and rest. In fact, often the caregivers joins us. Being a caregiver can be very isolating and so it is fun for these individuals to join in adult interaction and conversation.
It was difficult to find a place that would allow us to hold our Respite Retreat. Staying completely away from the words "adult daycare", we avoided all of the ramifications and rules that come with it. Ours is just a retreat, a time-out, a time-off, a chance to regroup and have fun. Stating liability concerns, however, our local hospital refused us as did the senior center. Fortunately, the Boys and Girls Club of Winnemucca said, "Yes!" and so we are off and running.
With a simple sign-in form that includes contact and other pertinent information we also include a "Permission to Use Photos" section. What better way to advertise and promote than with photos? We are also taking pictures of each art project that will later be transferred onto notecards that we can sell or give away to let people know of this special project.
The City of Winnemucca, hearing about our retreat endeavor, has approached us about adding a 1-hour walk/swim session at the local pool. While we have had no takers so far, that will not deter us from pursuing this possibility. Activity stimulates the brain and the mind. A trip to the pool may prove to be an excellent option.

Respect - Age- and Dementia-Friendly

Respect is so important to every one of us. Whether it is respect by family members, friends, the boss, co-workers, or just the occasional wave from a neighbor, we all like to feel like we are valuable, that we have worth. This is absolutely true of those with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
One of the first steps in developing respect is education. Those with Alzheimer's and other dementias have not wished this upon themselves. They did not "catch" it through risky behaviors. They did not check out a menu with an array of illnesses and say, "That is perfect - just what I want for the end of my life."
You may scoff and wonder who would think such nonsense, but many people do. Many people think that diminished cognition is contagious and so they stay away, avoid contact, deny that a loved one or a friend has a problem, most often an incurable one. That is why education is so essential. Instead of running and hiding, good family members and friends reach out with kindness and understanding. By this I do not mean pity. I don't believe anyone enjoys being pitied.
I mean true respect that includes conversations, even when they are confused and make little sense. I mean trips to the store, even when the trip is not simple. I mean treating an individual as the wonderful strong, unique person that is still there, maybe disguised or masked by wretched forgetfulness, but an individual who deserves constant and on-going respect - forever.

Social Inclusion Means Everyone

While we had lots of plans for helping people become actively involved in our community, we also knew that there was one area in which we were lacking: social inclusion for those with dementia, respite so that the full-time caregiver might enjoy a reprieve. Thus Respite Retreat came to fruition.
I had thought and pondered and asked about places to hold this for several years, but was struck not only by the overwhelming task of it all but also finding a place willing to host us. Both the hospital and senior center were open for meetings but they feared the liability that the day care scheme might create. I never could quite understand their fear as anyone of any age and any cognitive level can trip or fall or get scraped. Liability is not isolated to someone with dementia.
At last, after a wonderful conversation with the director of the local Boys and Girls Club, we found a home. Twice a month for two hours caregivers can drop off a loved one knowing that kind and tender caregivers will offer a good time. One of the best surprises in the planning came from the positive reception of our local RSVP (Retired Seniors Volunteer Program). Not only were several members willing to help, they actually arrived. Those of you who have planned and counted on others only to be disappointed know exactly what I mean.
For two hours, loved ones play games, sing, create crafts, chat, and flourish. Those in charge for the day have just as much fun as the one being cared for and we all leave enriched. After filling out minimal paperwork, the caregiver is free to run errands, take a walk, or go shopping, but it seems most like to dash away and return quickly so that they too can join the project and conversation of the day. Respite Retreat has been so rewarding.

Social Inclusion and Participation

There are several items that are essential to aging well: good food, exercise, cognitive stimuli, and social inclusion and participation. Everyone likes to feel like s/he is a part of something, whether it is the daily meal at the senior center with friends, a drive into the mountains with a sibling, or just hanging out. Age- and Dementia-Friendly Winnemucca has closely studied what we already have to offer in our community and we have also asked, "What else would you like?"
Well, most responses to the latter happened to be activities that already exist, like book clubs, crafting groups, and card clubs. We realized that an important step in promoting social inclusion and participation required that we advertise events better.
Between excellent connections and publishing with our local newspaper, contact with our two radio stations, adding messages to the downtown marquee, and producing a booklet with contact information and event calendar, we feel like we have really reached out to help others become aware of what's happening, when, and where.
We also wanted to get more particular about just what it was people really wanted and what each group had to offer. For example, are folks interested in fiction or non-fiction as far as book clubs are concerned? Does the crafting group greet everyone with open arms, even those who are "crafting challenged"? As for the card club, are members accepted who have some cognitive decline? Is each group patient and helpful? Does each group welcome new participants? And really, are any of these groups well suited to anyone regardless of age, mental cognition, and perhaps a handicapping condition? Some exploration is needed.

Housing - Continued

While we have our list ready for contractors and realtors, we also realize that we must remain vigilant to ensure that our message is being heard and our ideas implemented. Too often others make choices for us - like housing amenities - without really consulting to find out what we really want and need to have in a home.
Fortunately, we live in a safe community with strong police and sheriff departments. Members of each staff look out for residents, whether with an occasional check-up visit when there is fear that a resident might wander or just have trouble living alone or a drive-by scan when someone is off on vacation to make sure that a home is fairing well. This is a bonus to local housing.
We also have many parks in our neighborhoods as well as some good sidewalks and walkways. Again, we will continue to work on improvements so that everyone who lives in our community has good access to outdoor spaces and recreational areas.
We have several excellent housing opportunities for those who like to live in apartments or duplexes, especially those that include no maintenance of yards, driveways, or sidewalks. One of the best is Larios Arms, a multi-storied building complex located right next to the senior center. Residents can trot on down for lunch, crafts, and exercise then return home in a flash. Good neighbors here look out for one another making this residence even more inviting.
Just up a long block from Larios is the Community Garden. Many people have small plots within the garden for a vegetable or flower patch. Another goal of age-friendly will be to make this garden even more lovely and accessible: paved pathways, a rose garden, tables and benches in the gazebo, and raised beds. Sounding mighty fine!