Dementia symptoms can worsen or change with a full moon… Are you ready!?
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Full moon tips! 🌘
🌘 Have favorite snacks ready to go
🌘 Play favorite music to lighten the mood
🌘 Mentally prepare for a different day
🌘 Take a deep breathe and know it’s just the moon 💜 and as my grandma used to say…this too shall pass!
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➡️Have you experienced this? COMMENT BELOW!
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Hearing that Gene Hackman’s wife and caregiver passed a week before he did… cut to the core… and she was young! Imagining someone with advanced Alzheimer’s left alone is scary and sad.
So…
Your loved one has Dementia and you’re their caregiver and you feel great! Things are working…but… Who’s your back up plan? And do they know exactly what to do to help your loved one if something happens to you?
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Even if your plan is as simple as having your friends or neighbors check in with a text or call just to see how you’re doing…and if they don’t hear back from you within a certain timeframe …that you’ve told them what to do next
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Who to call…even if it’s 911
Where your spare key is so they can get in without breaking down the door.
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The plan doesn’t really matter…Having one does 💜
#dementia #alzheimers #alzheimersassociation #alz_wa #caregiver #caregivers #doabletips @clearpathsls
Your Mom has early Alzheimer’s and just moved to an Assisted Living Community. She was NOT ready for memory care. BUT a day or two into the move and on your daily check in call she says no-one came to take her to lunch. What do you do?
This happened to my client and she resisted that little voice that was telling her this just wasn’t going to work! Instead she knew that her mom doesn’t always remember correctly and she decided to give the community grace.
BUT
What if this were to continue or what if you wanted to find out more? Here’s your next step!
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Call the community’s nurse (who you most likely met at the assessment) and let them know what happened.
Ask if they can check the log for that day.
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Here’s what you might find:
1. Staff knocked on the door and your mom said she wasn’t hungry.
2. Staff knocked and she was napping.
3. Staff knocked and she asked if she could eat in her room.
4. Staff forgot to remind her about lunch.
If 1-3 happens or a similar version…remember your loved one has the right to change their mind…or refuse…or…yep..take a nap! But hopefully staff responds with bringing lunch to their apartment or trying again later (NOTE: This could result in extra fees if ongoing).
If #4 happens - well that sucks and can feel a little disconcerting but it CAN happen. We’re human and mistakes like this can happen…it’s how everyone responds to the mistake. Do you feel heard? Did staff go back later? Then you may decide to give grace ❤️ The first few weeks in a new community is all about getting to know each other and working out the details!
➡️Has this happened to you? COMMENT BELOW!
👍 and share ❤️
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A good assisted living or memory care community will try different things to help your loved one get the care they need!
They won’t stop at…
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Your mom is refusing to shower…
to get dressed…
Your dad won’t let us shave him
💜A good memory care community will keep trying…
A different time of day..
A different staff member…
A reward or treat…
👉Care=dignity
Pro-Tip ⬇️
Request a copy of your loved one’s care log if you have questions about their care💜
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🎙️ Ever wondered why people have concerns about memory care communities? 🤔
I was visiting a memory care community and saw a very sweet… well meaning caregiver walk up behind a resident in a wheel chair to wheel them to lunch… sounds normal right? The problem? They didn’t let the resident know what they were doing…the resident practically jumped out of her wheel chair…startled. Imagine if you were sitting there…watching tv and someone came up behind you and tipped your chair…
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Other family members have shared they witnessed Dementia residents calling out and staff members didn’t respond.
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Others have reported staff talking over their loved one/about their loved one right in front of them.
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In EP 110 My guest Leslie Fuller of @InspiredSeniorCare and I discuss dementia training…how language matters and how it’s a question of dignity. It’s rarely that caregivers aren’t doing their best and more often a simple lack of training.
➡️This is why THE NUMBER ONE QUESTION TO ASK when you tour a memory care community is about their ongoing training program.
Is it in person?
Is it planned?
How do they audit staff?
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If you’re hearing unsettling stories about memory care communities, you’re not alone. Our latest episode sheds light on advocating for your loved one and when to trust your instincts. Don’t miss these real insights from the front lines!
Do you have stories to share? COMMENT BELOW!
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Is the Memory Care Community telling you that your mom or dad is refusing to shower?
If your loved one isn’t showering here are
➡️4 things to ask yourself or the Memory Care Nurse⬅️
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1.Is it time of day? Try a different time of day… morning’s after breakfast may have always been the best time for a shower but now your mom is cozy with her coffee and has no intention of getting out of those jammies! Try a different time of day…first thing in the morning…whenever she goes to the restroom or you need to change clothes can all be good times.
2.Is temperature the culprit? It could be seasons changing the temperature outside or just change in general. Maybe your mom is more sensitive to temperature these days. A space heater warming up the bathroom before a shower could work wonders!
3.Is it modesty? Check out modesty shower coverups!
4.Is it the person giving the shower? Try a different caregiver 👍
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A good community will try different things to help your loved one get the care they need!
Pro-Tip ⬇️
Share this post with someone who needs it 💜
LISTEN 🎧 & Subscribe! 🆕 Episode the first Monday of each month
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@clearpathsls #desperatetodoable #makeitdoable #dementiacaregiver #alzheimerscaregiving #Alzheimer’s #Dementia #alz_wa
Dementia care can be daunting. If you’re hearing unsettling stories about memory care communities, you’re not alone. Our latest episode sheds light on advocating for your loved one and when to trust your instincts. Join me, Valerie Lynn, as we tackle the difficult truths about memory care communities. From hidden red flags to advocating fiercely, it’s all in this episode.
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Many times memory care is your only option…but if your loved one has Alzheimer’s or another form of Dementia, they likely are not able to advocate for themselves. This means trusting someone else.
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BUT… as a Dementia caregiver you also know that accidents can happen and that what works today may not work tomorrow…so how do you know when to give grace and when to take action?
💜🎙️ Listen now and take charge!
💜Do you have a memory care experience to share? COMMENT BELOW!
Pro-Tip ⬇️
Share this post with someone who needs it
#MemoryCare #caregiver #caregiversupport #caregivers #doabletips
@clearpathsls #desperatetodoable #makeitdoable #dementiacaregiver #alzheimerscaregiving #Alzheimers #Dementia #alz_wa #alzassociation
Dementia symptoms can be hard to talk about and hard to face… it can be even harder if you witness them when touring or visiting a Memory Care Community…. especially if your loved one isn’t exhibiting them and you don’t have personal experience to help you process what you’re seeing. So how can you tell if a Memory Care Community is doing a good job?
TWO WORDS:⬇️
CREATIVE CARE
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Dementia is a personal disease…One of the best ways to tell if a Memory Care is doing a good job is how they approach care.
❤️Are they open to trying new things?
❤️Do they answer your questions about how they do things with wanting to know more about your Mom or Dad’s specific needs?
❤️Are you included in the conversation about care?
❤️Are the staff actually reading that really cool questionnaire you filled about with all the details about your Mom and her history?
➡️Doable Tip! - Use the above ideas to interview Memory Care Communities or to help advocate for your loved one if they’re already living in Memory Care.
Do you have tips to share? COMMENT BELOW!
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1.Waiting too long
Waiting too long often means you’re in a crisis and you’re stressed which can cause you to move more quickly making it harder to avoid mistake number two.
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2.Not trusting your gut
So many guests on my show…So many families I’ve personally helped have said these words to me: I knew it was all wrong. I wish I would’ve listened to my gut. One of my guests toured the same community an additional 1 or 2 times when she knew from the moment she first toured that it wasn’t the right place for her mom. She said she wasted so much time considering an option she just didn’t feel good about.
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3.Thinking all Memory care is created equal
From cost to required training or inadequate training…Not admitting certain types of dementia…Not being able to accept sliding scale diabetics…Not accepting Medicaid… You could get really far into the process and find out the memory care or assisted living you’re interested in was never a viable option.
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Avoiding these mistakes will help you have a more productive, less stressful search for care ❤️
➡️Do you have any tips to add? 🫶
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Will your mom or dad settle right into memory care? And what if they don’t!?
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Buyers remorse is REAL!
🥹 Any change in routine or location could cause a setback with your loved one’s Dementia symptoms. Seeing this setback could cause you to worry you’ve made the wrong decision to move them in.
⬇️ Steps to take if buyers remorse is sneaking in!
1. Replicate your loved one’s current surroundings in the new Memory Care. Even down to what they see when they wake up. What’s on the bedside table? On the wall? This will help them adjust.
2. Know that it could take weeks for your loved one to get used to their new surroundings. Give yourself permission to visit or not depending on how your loved one might respond.
3. Still Having concerns? Share them with the administrator. You should expect a creative plan to be put in place to help your loved one adjust.
❤️ Share this post with someone who needs these tips!
👉Learn more about Memory Care in EP 62 of Desperately Seeking Senior Living… the Podcast
LISTEN 🎧 & Subscribe! 🆕 Episode the first Monday of each month -
Save this post! More on Memory Care this Monday in EP 155!
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Is this normal for Dementia care? Sitting in front of the tv…. wasn’t exactly your vision for your Mom or Dad when you started thinking about memory care…
Many have reported this as being a reason they DIDN’T choose a memory care community. But what exactly SHOULD you expect?
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Memory care is home. It should feel like home but what if you saw everyone around the tv and it made you feel bad? Ask yourself the following questions:
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What does your loved one enjoy doing at home now?
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Do they enjoy TV or is the TV a trigger?
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If TV isn’t a good option for your loved one, are there other activity options offered?
❤️Dementia is a very personal disease…this means the care plan should be personal too. If the residents enjoy tv then it’s ok for staff to turn on TV as part of their day.
BUT
If you know your mom or dad would be triggered by the TV then ask the staff to be sure to have an alternative activity during that time. You know your loved one best! You should always be part of their care plan ❤️
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So….Is tv bad? Maybe…maybe not 💁♀️
What IS bad is not personalizing Dementia Care. One size DOES NOT fit all.
👉Learn more about Memory Care in EP 62 of Desperately Seeking Senior Living… the Podcast
LISTEN 🎧 & Subscribe! 🆕 Episode the first Monday of each month
#caregiver #caregiversupport #caregivers #assistedliving #assistedlivingfacility
@clearpathsls #desperatetodoable #makeitdoable #memorycare #dementiacaregiver
Caregiving can happen at any age. With early onset Alzheimer’s we see younger and younger caregivers. Caregiving is the direct care you give and it can also be indirect too! Many families are juggling the direct role of caregiver as well as raising a family and working a full time job. Caring for the caregiver is also caregiving!!❤️
Here are some ways you can support the caregivers in your life:
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Grocery Shopping
Laundry
Giving the main caregiver a break
Baking/Cooking
Cleaning
Making Phone Calls
Researching Caregiving Resources
Picking the kids up from school
Knowing your gifts ad offering these or other specific ways you can help.
❤️ - ALL CAREGIVING
Thank you for being a caregiver...no matter how big or small you’re making a difference. Thank you.❤️
Listen to Kelly’s Story in EP 35 - Caregiver Burnout, Difficult Conversations & Saying Goodbye
#caregiver #caregiving #podcast #dementia #familycaregiver #makeitdoable #desperatetodoable @clearpathsls
