Page 13 - Healthcare News Jan/Feb 2022

Your healthcare career starts here at the CHE!
New state-of-the-art facility!
+ Nursing
+ Radiologic Technology
+ Medical Assisting
+ Medical Billing & Coding
+ Veterinary & Animal Science
+ Foundations of Health
HCC.EDU/HEALTHCARE
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 WWW.HEALTHCARENEWS.COM 13
MEMORY CARE CONT’D
can be difficult for families of aging parents because confronting demen- tia often comes with lots of fear and denial.
Beth Cardillo, executive director of Armbrook Village in Westfield, works with families to better understand what is happening with their loved ones. Overcoming their fear and denial is the first big hurdle.
“Family members might admit that mom has a little dementia, but not Alzheimer’s,” Cardillo said. “They treat Alzheimer’s like it’s a dirty word.”
While there are more than 100 types of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease accounts for nearly two-thirds of all dementia diagnoses. Cardillo noted that it’s not unusual for someone to have Alzheimer’s as well as one or two other types of dementia.
On the last Wednesday of each month, she runs a caregiver support group that gives families a chance to hear what others are going through while caring for an aging parent.
“I don’t say much; I’m simply there as a resource,” she said. “Most of the talking is done by group members who help clear up misconceptions and help others realize they are not alone.”
Cardillo called it a true support group, one that has been active for 10 years, the last two years via Zoom, and she welcomes any caregiver to join the group. “And I mean anyone because it’s a virtual group. We have
“Concentrate on what makes them happy.
Their long-term memory is still there, so it’s an opportunity to encourage talking about good memories they have.”
LORI TODD
family members from all over the country who join in the discussion.”
Keep Talking
Open communication with families can help them overcome some of the fear and denial that comes with seeing a loved one losing their cogni- tive abilities. This can also lead to better interactions.
One past practice which is now discouraged was to try to reality-orient an individual with dementia. For example, if a 95-year-old asks to see her mother, the natural tendency is to point out that her mother would have to be 130 years old. Todd recommends, instead of a rebuttal, just going with it.
“It’s an opportunity to engage and say, ‘let’s talk about your mother and all the wonderful things about her,’” she explained. “By going on that journey, it makes them feel good and improves their quality of life.”
Often, a son or daughter will insist on asking the parent with dementia to say their name and then, if they can come up with it, assume they are having a good day. Cardillo said knowing their children’s names doesn’t really matter and can cause embarrassment for the parent if they don’t succeed.
“They know you are an important person in their life, and they know there is an emotional connection,” she added. “Words aren’t as impor- tant as the emotions.”
At Reeds Landing, people with dementia live among the other resi- dents. While resident assistants are there to help when needed, those with dementia have a daily routine and feel more included.
“We try to keep them at their highest level of functioning in more of a home-like setting rather than an institutional one,” Todd said.
People with dementia are capable of learning and in many ways remain the person they have always been, Cardillo added. “There are still moments of lucidity. Just because you have dementia, does not mean you are stupid.”