Two years ago I embarked on a new career -- in aged care. I started as a nursing aide, and then recently moved into activities (or "lifestyle/leisure"). A bit of background for my personal story is in the thread What's sylas been up to?, and then the update for the move into activities in msg #13 of that thread.
I want to reflect on one of the major challenging aspects of this job: dementia.
This is a really hard subject for many people, because they are dealing with dementia first hand, either with a loved one or perhaps even for yourself. It's not just academic.
At the same time, dealing with dementia often leads one to reflect on big life questions; about personal identity, about loss, about mortality. Many years ago these kinds of issues were a major part of my own loss of Christian faith; though I am not intending to use this thread to argue for that inference. I know people have all kinds of different responses to the challenges of dementia, and I'd love to hear some of them. Please, let's not use the thread to try and argue people into or out of a particular perspective.
Basically, dementia is an irreversible progressive loss of brain function. Dementia is not a disease, but rather a symptom that arises from a number of causes. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia; there are other causes as well.
Many of the people I work with every day have dementia; and the extent to which the condition has progressed varies enormously. One resident is alert and active and knows about their own condition and its implications; another has brain function so far impaired that it even impacts upon activities like breathing and swallowing. Pragmatically, dementia is a terminal condition. Progressive loss of brain function does, in the end, mean that the body can no longer even carry out the basic functions needed to stay alive.
Along the way, people lose all kinds of other function as well; memory (long or short term); the capacity to read, or to speak in sentences, or to use cutlery for eating; there may be personality changes.
For myself, I think I manage by focusing on the person where they are right now. I have that luxury, because I am not dealing with my own parents or long term friends; I don't have to relate the person I see now with a person I remember from years ago. My job is to find activities or interests that will engage someone now. If I find something that works well, that's a big win. It doesn't matter if they have forgotten all about it an hour later (or a day later, or ten minutes after!). I can remember, and so we can repeat the activities that work, and that gives a big improvement in quality of life.
We also get family and friends coming in for visits. I love that, and will do anything in my power to encourage and support that. I have boundless respect and admiration for the people who support their loved ones for years on end; and who continue to do so as their loved ones move into a residential facility such as my workplace.
Friday was a good day; we started a "men's group", with a few of the male residents meeting in the main hall. We had drinks and snacks (and I'm going to get hold of some good honest beer next time I hope) and watched some videos of motorcycle racing (Dakar rally 2016 was won by a local boy!), robots, exploding rockets, and fun with heavy earth moving equipment. It really clicked with a couple of the guys there. On Wednesday I had another very good day, reading poetry in the lounge; residents present loved it and we got some very good reactions from unexpected quarters. But Thursday had a sad one as well; where I just had to sit and hug a resident who was weeping because she wanted to go home to her Mum.
Not quite sure where I am going with this thread. I have a thousand stories I could tell; some funny, some sad, some uplifting and joyful. I know there are people out there who are dealing with dementia; either for themselves or with someone they know. If you would like, tell us something about it in this thread...
I want to reflect on one of the major challenging aspects of this job: dementia.
This is a really hard subject for many people, because they are dealing with dementia first hand, either with a loved one or perhaps even for yourself. It's not just academic.
At the same time, dealing with dementia often leads one to reflect on big life questions; about personal identity, about loss, about mortality. Many years ago these kinds of issues were a major part of my own loss of Christian faith; though I am not intending to use this thread to argue for that inference. I know people have all kinds of different responses to the challenges of dementia, and I'd love to hear some of them. Please, let's not use the thread to try and argue people into or out of a particular perspective.
Basically, dementia is an irreversible progressive loss of brain function. Dementia is not a disease, but rather a symptom that arises from a number of causes. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia; there are other causes as well.
Many of the people I work with every day have dementia; and the extent to which the condition has progressed varies enormously. One resident is alert and active and knows about their own condition and its implications; another has brain function so far impaired that it even impacts upon activities like breathing and swallowing. Pragmatically, dementia is a terminal condition. Progressive loss of brain function does, in the end, mean that the body can no longer even carry out the basic functions needed to stay alive.
Along the way, people lose all kinds of other function as well; memory (long or short term); the capacity to read, or to speak in sentences, or to use cutlery for eating; there may be personality changes.
For myself, I think I manage by focusing on the person where they are right now. I have that luxury, because I am not dealing with my own parents or long term friends; I don't have to relate the person I see now with a person I remember from years ago. My job is to find activities or interests that will engage someone now. If I find something that works well, that's a big win. It doesn't matter if they have forgotten all about it an hour later (or a day later, or ten minutes after!). I can remember, and so we can repeat the activities that work, and that gives a big improvement in quality of life.
We also get family and friends coming in for visits. I love that, and will do anything in my power to encourage and support that. I have boundless respect and admiration for the people who support their loved ones for years on end; and who continue to do so as their loved ones move into a residential facility such as my workplace.
Friday was a good day; we started a "men's group", with a few of the male residents meeting in the main hall. We had drinks and snacks (and I'm going to get hold of some good honest beer next time I hope) and watched some videos of motorcycle racing (Dakar rally 2016 was won by a local boy!), robots, exploding rockets, and fun with heavy earth moving equipment. It really clicked with a couple of the guys there. On Wednesday I had another very good day, reading poetry in the lounge; residents present loved it and we got some very good reactions from unexpected quarters. But Thursday had a sad one as well; where I just had to sit and hug a resident who was weeping because she wanted to go home to her Mum.
Not quite sure where I am going with this thread. I have a thousand stories I could tell; some funny, some sad, some uplifting and joyful. I know there are people out there who are dealing with dementia; either for themselves or with someone they know. If you would like, tell us something about it in this thread...
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