She served in the U.S. military before it was cool for women to serve in the military. She chose to be a vegetarian before that trend became trendy. She held onto her vibrant personality, zest for life, and active lifestyle as long as she could. She was known to hula hoop, just a few months before she drew her last…
Recently, I spoke about the dignity of effort and I want to continue that conversation. There are certainly times when our companions will need our help. But HOW we step in to help is very important! We can still preserve their dignity while helping them. Check out the video for more on this. https://www.instagram.com/p/C4YUa8Hut0-/
Remember the concept of dignity of effort! Don’t be too quick to rush in if your companion who is older or has dementia is struggling to do something that was once easy for them. Allow them to use their own effort first. There is dignity to use one's own effort and ability to accomplish tasks. See the video for more:…
People are often surprised when they hear that those experiencing dementia can continue to live in their own homes. With the right type of care presented in the right way at the right time, we can achieve this. I’d love to share more about what the DAWN method has taught me and how it has helped these individuals live a…
In our years of bringing her DAWN Dementia Specialist care, we skillfully and respectfully built the right kind of care, care that she would accept and come to value. It was a process, as anosognosia required delicate skill while we worked to preserve her strong sense of independence and autonomy.
We recently have had the privilege of walking through end-of-life care with several of our companions. I have been reminded of how different the end-of-life journey is when someone is experiencing dementia. With dementia, they do not necessarily have the cognitive ability to advocate for themselves as their ability to understand how they are feeling and what to do about…
We don’t always have to come up with grand things to do with our companions who are experiencing dementia. Going somewhere as simple as the hardware store can create a rich place for sensory and social experiences. Even while some of their cognitive skills are diminishing, their brains still benefit from some stimulation! https://www.instagram.com/p/CzEjYg1OaS6/
Our companions feel secure regardless of their changing abilities when we can create a secure and safe environment.
Our companions with dementia have lost some significant cognitive skills, but we can set the environment up to accommodate those losses and support their strengths. For example, one of my companions has a very important cognitive strength that he gets to live out with our help. He gets to enjoy the beauty of his life and specifically his backyard and…
A quick story about how what I learned with the DAWN method has helped me better understand the actions of my companions with dementia. What I have learned allows me to suggest things that improve their quality of life and adapt to their changing cognitive state. https://www.instagram.com/p/Ctjqva5gNZl/
