Some people enter our lives and leave impressions that will remain. Sally was like that. She loved life. She loved people. She loved animals, yoga, walking, music, art, and color. She especially loved her precious family and her lifelong friends. My team and I had the privilege of knowing her in her final years when dementia made care and support…
Did you know that John Wayne’s real name was Marion Robert Morrison, or that Johnny Cash and Billy Graham were dear friends? We did not know this either until we became friends with Mr. J, who was a John Wayne aficionado and a Johnny Cash fan. Did you know that the Fort Collins/Loveland airport is home to AIMS Community College…
It can be a challenge to help our folks with dementia drink enough water. They may forget to drink, may believe they have taken in plenty of water and may refuse to drink when we encourage it. Most people would prefer to enjoy a drink of water, or a favorite beverage, with a companion. This, then, is the first and…
I recently had the privilege of teaching a few classes for the University of Nebraska Lifelong Learning Program. One class was about dementia, and how to get it right with dementia care, using the tools of the DAWN Method. My goal with the class was to bring hope, ideas, and real practical tools. And I did that. But I also…
Empathy is a cornerstone for how the Better People Care team gets it right with dementia care. Empathy-the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner.Merriam-Webster Dictionary Extending empathy…
The folks we provide DAWN dementia specialist care to have lived at least six decades. Meaning they have cared for themselves, made independent decisions, and led their own lives well for a very long time. We understand, then, that rarely will they welcome the notion of “help.”In addition, most have anosognosia, where the part of the brain that gives people…
In order to keep my car in its best shape, I trust the good folks at BG Automotive. I trust them because they know cars, they know my car, and they know how to keep it in good shape by preventing problems with proper maintenance. And when my car begins to rattle or sputter, I am confident that BG Automotive…
My friend Dottie. I’ve written about her before. She recently turned 97 years old and I was honored to be with her that day…when her family and beloved friends were not able to be with her because of Covid restrictions. The sad reality is that few residents of senior living facilities have regular visits from family and beloved friends. But…
My good friend Lola is 88 years old and has dementia. She says, “BUSY is the new 4-letter word.” Blaise Pascal, French mathematician, philosopher, and defender of Catholic Christianity in the 1600’s said, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room.” 100% of my good friends with dementia, given a dementia-aware environment to enjoy,…
You may know that the Better People Care “tag line”, or motto, is: “Helping Older Folks Live Fully in Their Own Homes.” To be sure, sometimes “their own homes” refers to one of the senior facilities in which folks now live. But moreso, “their own homes” means the homes in which they live within the community. Homes they often live…
