When Dementia is Like a Car

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…

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Dementia Mainstreamed

In the 1980’s, the United States education system transitioned from the common practice of institutionalizing children with disabilities, to “mainstreaming” It seems that the goal was “inclusion”; helping children with disabilities be included and welcomed among fellow students who did not have disabilities, and helping students without disabilities become comfortable with kids with disabilities.  I suppose that the idea was…

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I Have a Question

I have a question.  Or maybe it’s a couple of questions.  Questions that I’ve had since the world shut down due to Covid-19.  Questions that need to be asked, and discussed, before it’s too late. You see, my friend Dottie turned 97 today.  I had the privilege of spending time with her because I am an Occupational Therapist; an “essential…

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It Takes A Special Village

©Jill Couch At Better People Care, we believe the best approach to dementia care is a team approach; where several minds and eyes and ears, each training in the DAWN Method, are paying attention to the lives of our friends living with dementia.   And we believe that as we train families, and friends, and neighbors, and church communities, and the…

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A Dose of Our Own Medicine

Giving someone a dose of their own medicine has its roots in the notion of revenge.  Turns out, though, that the process often has a deeper purpose: that of determining whether the offending person is capable of developing greater empathy for you, as seen in Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evolution-the-self/201901/should-you-give-someone-taste-their-own-medicine.   When we have the privilege of using and sharing the DAWN method…

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