Teepa Snowfall Activities To Enrich The Lives Of People Alongside Dementia
Teepa says that people inwards the before stages of dementia may truly endure to a greater extent than hard to engage than those inwards the afterwards stages. “This is because they are all the same lucid plenty to know something serious is incorrect amongst them in addition to many are angry and/or frustrated past times that.”
Entertainment in addition to other activities are essential for the well-being of people amongst dementia. They tin brand the divergence betwixt a deadly slowly twenty-four threescore minutes catamenia of staring at the flooring and a rich feel of purpose in addition to contentedness.
They tin also assist the caregiver make a connection amongst the person, no affair how brief.
I late interviewed Teepa Snow, nationally renowned dementia attention expert, nigh how to innovation activities to engage people amongst dementia.
How to Get Answers To Your Questions About Alzheimer's in addition to Dementia
Teepa is an occupational therapist amongst to a greater extent than than 33 years of clinical experience inwards the champaign of geriatrics in addition to dementia care in addition to also had the personal experience of providing attention to identify unit of measurement members amongst dementia.
Teepa has developed numerous educational DVDs for identify unit of measurement in addition to professional person caregivers in addition to is on the route nearly 300 days per year, presenting seminars for both families in addition to professionals who attention for people amongst dementia. “It’s an exhausting schedule,” she says. “I tin exclusively practise it because I am passionate nigh helping dementia caregivers.”
Five years agone she entered into a partnership amongst Senior Helpers, a nationwide in-home attention companionship that provides extensive grooming for its employees nigh how to attention for people who accept dementia. As role of this partnership she helped develop “Senior Gems,” a organisation that classifies dementia patients into half dozen categories, each named after a gem.
The “gems” tabular array shows the basic characteristics of people at each score in addition to provides tips for interacting amongst them. Two examples from the tabular array are:
Diamonds - inwards an early on phase of the illness - people similar to experience competent in addition to valued. It’s also of import for them to experience comfortable in addition to inwards control. Rewarding activities include things similar having luncheon or dinner at a familiar place, attention a concert or play, or only going exterior to teach or therefore fresh air.
Pearls, on the other mitt – who are inwards the latest phase of the illness - like pleasant sounds in addition to familiar voices. They also similar to experience warm in addition to comfortable. For people inwards this category it’s beneficial to read or speak to them nigh goodness memories, select an extra soft blanket or sweater for them or brush their hair.According to Teepa, the unmarried most of import thing for identify unit of measurement in addition to professional person caregivers to continue inwards take away heed is to
“Provide to a greater extent than than only entertainment.People amongst dementia tin decease tired or overstimulated if they accept likewise much entertainment. It’s of import to remainder the day, also including productive activities (that the individual tin realistically to expected to endure able to achieve), leisure time, fitness activities and, finally, relaxation in addition to relaxation.
Subscribe to the |
Productive Activities: Ms. Snow says that productive activities are those which impart a feel of value in addition to purpose. These could endure equally uncomplicated equally making, sorting, or fixing things. Other activities inwards this category include helping or therefore other individual amongst a task, cooking/baking, or completing community tasks.
Leisure Time: “It’s of import to bear out activities inwards which the individual tin accept fun in addition to interact amongst others,” Teepa told me. Examples include things such equally participating inwards sports, games, dancing, singing, in addition to working on hobbies.
Self-care in addition to Wellness: Ms. Snow states that personal attention of the trunk in addition to encephalon is critical for the well-being of people amongst dementia. “These include activities such equally walking in addition to tasks focused on strengthening, coordination, balance, flexibility in addition to personal care.”
Restorative Activities: Last but non to the lowest degree she says, “restorative in addition to re-energizing activities include ones such equally taking naps, rocking inwards a chair, swinging inwards a porch swing, listening to or attention a worship service, or stroking a pet.”
When I asked Teepa what people should avoid when planning activities she told me, “It’s crucial to endure certain the activities are non likewise hard or, at the other extreme, likewise boring.” She also advises against mixing people at unlike stages of the illness because their behaviors may bother each other.
In improver she stresses that your expectations demand to alter equally the individual progresses through the stages of dementia. Activities that locomote good amongst those inwards the early on stages volition non necessarily endure successful for those inwards the mid- to later-stages.
Contrary to pop opinion, Teepa says that people inwards the before stages of dementia may truly endure to a greater extent than hard to engage than those inwards the afterwards stages. “This is because they are all the same lucid plenty to know something serious is incorrect amongst them in addition to many are angry and/or frustrated past times that.”
Although it’s to a greater extent than oft than non idea that it tin endure nearly impossible to connect amongst later-stage patients, Teepa believes that almost all people amongst dementia tin endure reached.
For late-stage people she advises using children or infants (or fifty-fifty doll babies), pets, music or art. “These are the activities most probable to assist you lot engage them.”
Resources for Caregivers
I asked Teepa to lift the unmarried best resources for people planning activities for those amongst dementia.
She told me that would endure hard because several valuable resources are available. After or therefore idea she said that for identify unit of measurement caregivers she would recommend Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer’s Care past times Virginia Bell in addition to David Troxel. This duo has published numerous books on their “Best Friends” approach, in addition to this is a goodness 1 to starting fourth dimension with.
She in addition to then named 1 of her DVDs – Filling the Day With Meaning – for professional person caregivers. It covers topics such equally what makes an engaging activity, how to construct attention partner skills, how to create an inviting in addition to rubber environment, which telephone substitution activities to regard at unlike illness stages in addition to many others.
Related Content
What is the Difference Between Alzheimer’s in addition to Dementia
Test Your Memory for Alzheimer's (5 Best Tests)
Communicating inwards Alzheimer's World
Routine in addition to the Importance of the First Action of the Day inwards Dementia Care
1 Fact About Alzheimer's That Remains a Mystery
The Frightened, Angry, Anxious, Mean Dementia Patient
For detailed descriptions of how I discovered ways to enrich the life of my ain loved one, Ed, read my book, Come Back Early Today: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Memoir of Love, Alzheimer’s in addition to Joy, in addition to see my website, which contains a wealth of data for Alzheimer’s caregivers.
Original content