Can the words “joy” and “dementia” be found together?

Of course they can if you know where to find them.

Being involved with a person who has dementia is like a journey without a  map or GPS.  You travel from Point A to Point B and the road was just a little bumpy. When you start from Point B to Point C, there’s no telling what you will find or how long it will take.  Lady-Links want to make the journey as pleasant as possible by forming a connection with each dear friend to make traveling easier. Those connections, whether through shared childhood memories or specifically selected activities, create a link between the discouragement the disease brings and the hope that meaningful times are still possible.  The word for that connection is JOY, and it can be found throughout the entire journey when a Lady-Link rides along.

There is JOY when one of our dear friends adds the finishing touch to a craft and smiles.

There is JOY when another dear friend says a few words about an early childhood event she remembers after being prompted by something we said or showed her.

There is JOY when we see our dear friends respond to their favorite music or game.

JOY is given and received between our dear friends and the Lady-Links at every visit.  We’ve learned to embrace those moments and cherish them because we know that they are precious.

Want more JOY in your life?  Choose to visit a friend or loved one with dementia.  You’ll find JOY in what you’re doing and you’ll be bringing JOY to the one you visit.

The more JOY you share, the more peace you’ll have in your life.  It just happens to work that way!

Here’s wishing you a JOYFUL JOURNEY from all of us at Lady-Links.

Are you flexible?

I guess any answer would depend on your definition of “flexible.”  My grandchildren can make their bodies do many things my body no longer will do or even think of doing!

But the kind of flexibility I’m thinking of is “able to easily change to altered circumstances or conditions.”     If you have children around you, it’s difficult to predict the outcome of any event because they don’t always perceive things the way we expect them to.  They’re not very flexible when things don’t go their way.

When things don’t go as expected, we have to be flexible and make the best of the situation.  Otherwise, the day is ruined for all of us.  A little humor and a lot of flexibility go a long way in turning a ruined activity into an enjoyable alternative.  In the case of the crying with Santa episode, just around the corner was a model train display which quickly turned those wails into laughter.  Although he never made it to Santa’s lap, it made a memory that we still chuckle about seven years later!

Our dear friends with dementia don’t always understand the activities and events around them because their brains don’t interpret what’s happening as clearly as they once did.  Signals between the brain cells aren’t fully functioning, often sending misinterpretations of even the best of activities.  Children misinterpret events because their brains aren’t fully developed.  Our dear friends misinterpret events because the cells in their fully formed brains are damaged or dying.  But the reaction is the same.

If you live with or visit someone with dementia, you need to be flexible….I’m talking about the kind of “flexible” that allows you to adjust to altered circumstances. It’s one of the attributes we look for when we select Lady-Links, and I’ve seen wonderful examples of how they changed plans in the middle of a visit to accommodate an unexpected response on the part of the dear friend with dementia.  Sometimes our dear friends aren’t interested in the activity we have selected for the visit.  In that case, we switch to a backup.  If a craft project seems more difficult than we anticipated, we make adjustments so that our dear friend is adding a part that is easy to do.  If a dear friend seems sad or confused by something, we change the subject.  As motor skills decline, we make changes to our activities and projects.

At one time, we used glue with our craft projects.

However, as the dementia progressed with several of our dear friends, we knew we needed to make the switch to using self-stick adhesive projects.

We even purchased a sticker making machine.  As we watch their dementia progress, we look for changes that are needed to continue to make our visits meaningful and enjoyable.  The result is that we meet the needs of our dear friends individually, and it takes flexibility to do that.

We are in the process of making a few changes, including shortening the length of some visits and extending the length of others. Change is a part of life, and the Lady-Links make every effort to support whatever is necessary for the benefit of our dear friends.  That’s what flexibility is all about!

Lady-Links are person-centered when it comes to our dear friends and flexibility is an essential part of our philosophy.  Love,  laughter and flexibility…they’re sure better than crying when things don’t go as planned!

The Lady-Links annual Christmas party is always planned with our dear friends who have dementia and their families in mind.  We want them to feel that this event is a time of joy and love, and is filled with meaningful activities that highlight the season.

We included Christmas music…only the most familiar of the carols and songs so our dear friends would know the lyrics. We included activities…easy-to-make peel-and-stick Christmas ornaments that were both faith-based and holiday-based.  We included refreshments…cake and punch or coffee which was brought to each dear friend as she sat at a table for four so as not to be overwhelmed by too many people.  We included a time limit…in and out in one hour so that each dear friend wouldn’t become overly tired or stressed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The families of our dear friends were most appreciative that our party was structured the way it was, helping their loved one to feel a part of a holiday tradition that otherwise might not occur if it weren’t for our understanding of how overwhelming events like this can be without specific planning.

Loving hands helped each dear friend make an ornament that she could share with others in our community. Sharing and caring….a part of this season and of this party.

Just scroll down to take a look at our pictures from the party and you’ll see what a delightful time we had.  May your hearts be  filled with joy regardless of circumstances as you embrace your loved ones with dementia knowing that with careful planning, they can be a part of each holiday season throughout the year.

Who can forget the inspiration we get from certain movies that resonate with our hearts?  “Annie” was one for me.  So many great messages there…focusing on the positive…having hope….spreading kindness…and the importance of a smile.  To be fully dressed,  according to Annie,  we must have a smile!

Lady-Links try to convey all those messages each time we visit our dear friends with dementia, and one thing for certain is that we know that a smile is a vital part of what we wear each day!  We see how our dear friends respond to our smiles.

It’s easy to smile because we enjoy our dear friends so much.  We look forward to our visits which we find fun and delightful.

There are many studies that show that when you smile at someone, they will smile back.  That is true with our friends with dementia.  They will respond to our smiles and laughter, even though they don’t always fully understand exactly what is happening.  But they “catch” our mood and it uplifts theirs as well.

Our Lady-Links smile so much because we enjoy becoming involved in meaningful activities with our dear friends, whether it is playing a game, sharing a show and tell object, participating in a musical activity or making a craft.

Our Lady-Links “dress” in smiles naturally!  That simple act generates a “domino effect” of smiles traveling from one person to another, helping to create an atmosphere of happiness regardless of circumstances.

Families and caregivers of our dear friends tell us that after we leave, that the person with dementia remains in a good mood for a while even though she might not remember what we did or even that we visited.

The Lady-Links dress for success…and we know that includes a smile because as Annie says, “You’re never fully dressed without one!”

What’s in your wardrobe?  A smile is the right accessory for any outfit you choose, so be sure to wear one each day. Your world awaits it!

“When you’re smiling, when you’re smiling, the whole world smiles with you.”

Louis Armstrong

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Social media enthusiasts respond to this question every day, “What’s trending?”  They follow these trends on their phones and other electronic devices just to keep up with what’s going on.  To make categorizing the answers easier, key words of “what’s trending” are identified with a # symbol called a hashtag.

The range of possibilities is unlimited, but I like to think that at Lady-Links there would be no doubt that our hashtag would be # Thankfulness.  We are thankful that the families of our dear friends with dementia allow us to make visits, and we are thankful to be a support and encouragement to them as they care for their loved one.

Being thankful is easy in some circumstances but not so easy in others.  When a family faces dementia in the life of a loved one, it’s often hard to know how to give thanks. Yet, many families do.

If you read articles and blogs posted on the internet from families in that exact situation, you will read of hope and joy in the midst of such a difficult disease. Hope that the love and care they are providing is making a difference, and joy when they realize that it does. Much of their thankfulness is for friends who continue to visit their loved one with dementia.

That’s where Lady-Links come in…we bring love and laughter into the lives of our dear friends with dementia as we help them engage in activities that are cognitively and emotionally stimulating.  We support the families and join in with them to celebrate birthdays and other special occasions.

Our visits are person-center and we find ways to make our dear friends feel valued and appreciated.

Families of our dear friends are thankful for what we do, and we are thankful for the opportunities to become involved with their loved ones.  Thankfulness is an attitude that the Lady-Links choose to bring to each visit because it is a blessing to be an answer to a family’s prayer and a joy to help those we care about.  It lets us be a part of the “goodness” that we look for in the world around us when things don’t always look so good, especially for those families affected by dementia.

So, what’s trending with the Lady-Links?  #thankfulness

What’s trending with you?

 

What November memories do you have?

Chances are, November brings images of Thanksgiving dinners, friends and family, leaves displaying a spectrum of color, blazing bonfires, exciting football games, and many other pleasant thoughts.

Our visits this month to our dear friends with dementia have been sprinkled with “November Nostalgia” conversation starters.  It’s been delightful to recall the past with such charming recollections brought to mind.

We focus on the positive aspects of memories and avoid any topics that would cause concern since our dear friends don’t have the cognitive abilities to filter negative information appropriately.

Each month has specific memories that can be associated with it. We find activities that will help link to those special thoughts.

With careful planning, Lady-Links visits are designed to bring out the best that each month has to offer and to combine it with activities that stimulate cognition and socialization.  November Nostalgia has been a spectacular success!

When did you learn to count?  Probably early in your childhood memories there’s an experience with numbers. Children like numbers because there’s an order, sequence, and pattern that’s easy to follow. Adults like numbers, too.  We can count on 2 + 2 always equaling 4.  We know that 8 always comes after 7.

We find that numbers are useful and serve many purposes.

Numbers help provide structure to the unstructured things around us.  When things make sense, we feel a sense of accomplishment…even joy.

So if numbers are useful,  make sense and can lead to a feeling of accomplishment, even joy, why aren’t those of us  who are involved with friends and loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia spending more time counting?  Could it be that we’re looking at this from an upside down viewpoint?

Why not refocus and remember to count the good things that surround us in this Alzheimer’s World? There’s so much that is difficult and disappointing and discouraging about dementia.  There’s no denying that, but if we’re not careful that focus will become consuming.  Then we’re emotionally empty and no help to anyone, including ourselves.  We have a choice in what we count….and we Lady-Links choose to count the joys we see at every visit with our dear friends. How about joining us?

7 Things to Remember to Count

1.  Friends who Care

2.  Unexpected Smiles

3.  Celebrations Recognized

4.  Contributions Made

5.  Purposes Accomplished

6.  Interests Explored

7.  Joys Shared

Counting is a natural process for each of us as we go through the day.  But what we count is a matter of choice. During our three years of Lady-Links visits to dear friends with dementia, we’ve seen plenty of things  to count, but we’ve made a choice to count ways our love and laughter add to the equation and to know that the process isn’t over yet.  What will you choose to remember to count?

 

We enjoy engaging in art projects with our dear friends with dementia at our Lady-Links visits. We find that topics for conversation are easily inspired by the colors, shapes and design of what we’re creating.  

Our seasonal arts and crafts projects are great for starting conversations associated with that time of the year.  We call this the “Conversation of Art” as we look for ways to integrate topics into our conversation which relate to our art project.

As we made these fall-themed crafts, conversation naturally included memories centered around pumpkin decorating, playing in piles of leaves, collecting acorns, seeing scarecrows in garden areas, and enjoying fall festivals.  There are plenty of ideas for stimulating memories just from what the art project represents.  The Conversation of Art is simply relating your topic of conversation to what the art suggests.

We suggest four topics for the Conversation of Art:

1.  Talk about activities associated with the theme.

2.  Talk about weather associated with the theme.

3.  Talk about food associated with the theme.

4.  Talk about clothing associated with the theme.

In our experience of making over 500 visits to ladies with dementia, we find that there is an art to creating conversation that helps engage our dear friends in the best way possible. Just knowing what topics (activities, weather, food and clothing)  to relate to the theme is only part of the equation.  Here are four tips for the Art of Conversation, which is how to best communicate with your friend or loved one with any type of cognitive decline.

1.  Focus on childhood memories.  Remember that the concept, “first in, last out” refers to the memories stored in the brain of a person with dementia.  Their earliest memories will probably be the last to go.  This means that you should talk about your childhood experiences. That will stimulate similar memories in your dear friend and hopefully he or she will share something they remember because they have been prompted by what you said.

2.  Focus on  positive things. Share a special memory which encouraged or delighted you at the time.  Your friend or loved one doesn’t have the filters that you do, so don’t bring up any negative aspects that sometimes accompany specific seasons or holidays.

3. Focus on simplicity.  Share one short memory with the purpose of finding something with which they will connect.  Multiple memories with lots of details will only confuse or overwhelm a person with dementia.

4.  Focus on engaging the other person.  That is the purpose of the conversation.  It’s not really about us.  It is about helping them make connections and relate to what we are saying.  Use open-ended questions when appropriate, giving time for them to process the information and respond. Add plenty of smiles too!

 The “Conversation of Art” when combined with the “Art of Conversation” will provide meaningful communication for you and your friend or loved one with dementia during any season of the year!

Seasons change but friendships stay,

enriching each and every day.

How would you explain dementia?

We’ve used the umbrella example previously in which “dementia” is said to be an umbrella-type term for symptoms (such as the loss of memory, judgment, language, complex motor skills) with the specific types of dementia falling underneath the umbrella (such as Alzheimer’s, vascular, dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson’s disease dementia, frontotemporal dementia and many more).

This time, we wanted a new approach to help the Lady-Links in their understanding of how to maximize their visits with our dear friends who have dementia, so we used the varieties of Oreo cookies as an example of something that is different but somewhat the same.

The Oreo cookies are similar in their shape and design, but very different in their makeup.  Somewhat like dementia don’t you think?  Confusion, cognitive decline, memory loss are some of the similarities of dementia but the way the disease begins and progresses can be quite different.

We’ve learned that things don’t always stack up evenly when looking at the types of dementia, so we are flexible in what we plan for each visit to help each dear friend feel valued, loved,and appreciated.  As a result, understanding the type of dementia each of our dear friends has and her  stage of progression in that type of dementia should influence our choice of activities.  And it does.  With some dear friends we engage them in crafts.  With others it’s music or games or show and tell.  We know that one-size doesn’t fit all, and that each dear friend’s visit needs to be designed for her specific interests and abilities.

Understanding the types of dementia helps us to understand our dear friends better.  If our dear friends could tell us how they feel, we know that they would want us to help them continue to be themselves, not letting the dementia dictate who they are.  The following poem expresses how we think our dear friends with dementia feel….

DEMENTIA:  DIFFERENT BUT SOMEWHAT THE SAME

By Dennie Lindsey

(a poem representing thoughts of our dear friends with dementia)

We look different

yet we’re somewhat the same.

And we’re so thankful that you know us more

 than just by name.

You understand our many faces,

our moods and what we fear.

Yet you treat us with respect

and even call us dear.

You’re quick to acknowledge

that one size doesn’t fit all.

And you make such an effort

to be at our beck and call.

Some of us are sleepy

others are wide awake

Yet you’re able to meet each need

at every visit you make.

You know that we’re different

but we’re the same in this one way.

We want to feel that we’re valued

and you affirm that by what you do and say.

So, thank you Lady-Links

for taking the time to see

that dementia comes in various forms.

Yet you’re helping me to still be me.

Different, yes,,,, but similar because according to Psalm 139, each one of us, including our dear friends,  is fearfully and wonderfully made.  Let’s continue to treat one another with value and dignity regardless of cognitive ability and to find ways to help each of  our dear friends be able to say, “I’m still me.”

More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s.  You probably know someone who has been touched by this disease, whether they have the diagnosis themselves or someone they love or know actually has it. Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurological disease for which there is no cure.

Lady-Links believe that one day there will be a cure through medical research.  That’s why many of the Lady-Links participated in the Walk  to End Alzheimer’s Disease held this month on the grounds of our retirement community.  We have seen firsthand the effects of what this disease can do to our friends and families, and we want to be a part of the solution.

Although the disease certainly changes the person, it doesn’t define the person.  Their character, experiences, faith and temperament still have significant contributions in determining who that person is.

In spite of their dementia, there is still a lot of living to do between the diagnosis and the end stages and that’s where you come in.  What will you do to help your friends or family diagnosed with any type of dementia enjoy activities that create meaning in their life and to find reasons to laugh, rejoice, and love?

Lady-Links answer that question by visiting our friends who have a diagnosis of any type of dementia.  We engage them in meaningful activities that they enjoy at each of our visits.  We want to help our dear friends feel significant and valued during this difficult time in their lives.

 

Are you a part of the solution?  There are many ways you can help from participating in one of the Walks with the purpose of  raising awareness to visiting a friend or loved one engaging them in activities that help them feel valued and loved.  Lady-Links does both.

If you want to participate in a Walk to End Alzheimer’s in your area, contact your local Alzheimer’s Association for details.  If you would like to learn how to duplicate our Lady-Links model of friendship visits, leave a comment and we will help you get organized.

Lady-Links…Linking Love, Laughter and Life