Posted 3/3/21
Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.- Proverbs 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. –2 Thessalonians 3:3
Welcome back to our little Cornbread table! 🙂 Just a reminder about Wednesdays here: we have a new tradition. On Wednesdays we will cover something/anything some or all of us can do to improve this set of circumstances we all live in in the dementia caregiving community. We will always scan and explain through the details like the newspaper used to try to do by asking the critical questions: who, what, why, where, and when? Off we go!
This week we will discuss “Dementia Friends”. I am honored and appreciative to be able to defer some of this program’s really cool topics to Theresa Davis and Chris Parker, and wellness and community engagement director Chris Thompson. They are fellow SeniorAge employees and do some amazing things in many areas of dementia and senior services in general. But here I will share the basics of this nifty program that we want to get implemented in our 17 counties as soon as possible.
Who?- From the Dementia Friendly website: “Dementia Friends USA is a global movement that is changing the way people think, act, and talk about dementia. Developed by the Alzheimer’s Society in the United Kingdom, the Dementia Friends initiative is underway in the USA. By helping everyone in a community understand what dementia is and how it affects people, each of us can make a difference for people touched by dementia.” This organization recognizes the many challenges of living with dementia, caregiving for someone struggling with the disease, and the impact culture and society can have in a positive or negative way.
What? Also from their site: “A Dementia Friend is someone who, through viewing a series of online videos or attending a live session, learns about what it’s like to live with dementia and then turns that understanding into action. From telling friends about the Dementia Friends program to visiting someone who is living with dementia, every action counts. Anyone of any age can be a Dementia Friend – we all have a part to play in creating dementia friendly communities!” This is the crux of the matter. There are people with dementia (and their caregivers) ALL AROUND US! The Alzheimer’s Association’s Facts and Figures report (2021 edition) just came out this weeks and, despite hundreds of thousands of victims of COVID-19 in our community, the total number has skyrocketed yet again! There are over 6 million in the US alone, suffering with this disease. There are 11 million (or more) caregivers of these folks and tens of millions coming in contact with them every single day. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone understood what was going on in these folks’ worlds? Let me offer you an example from an important (to me) previous post called Glass Houses: My mom was actually teased by other seniors for forgetting and for sometimes challenging personality traits brought on solely by the dementia demon. She stopped walking at the recreational center in her community because it got worse and worse. Part of this may be ignorance of dementia…I get it. This is what advocacy efforts like Dementia Friends can certainly help with! If we raise up a generation of folks that understand the disease and help everyone in the community understand and empathize, this will actually get better for these folks. That is huge!
Where? If you are in the US, here is a nifty map that shows contact info for your state: Link If you are not a technology person, but still want to help, -feel free to give us a call at SeniorAge and we will assist. 417-862-0762 ask for Mark Applegate, Theresa Davis, or Chris Parker and any of us can assist. If you get our voicemail, please know that we will respond as soon as possible! 🙂 Our office is open for calls M-F from 8-4:30 CST.
Why? Have you ever been to a restaurant and noticed someone with dementia having a challenge? Want to make it easier for at least those around you? Here is an article that talks about one way to help. Here is a video that shows it. Can you imagine the stress for the caregiver and for the sufferer. I mean, it is hard enough to live daily life at home, but changing routine and going out to eat to enjoy life, liberty and perusing happiness by doing what everyone else does without thinking a second thought shouldn’t be made any harder than it already is. If everyone around knew what was going on, it would go a long way to making things better for sufferer and caregiver. Remember, too, that many caregivers are senior spouses with no or nearly no help. They are heroes and deserve to eat at Ruth Chris Steakhouse if they choose, but if they just want to go to McDonald’s, they should be able to do so in peace and comfort in so far as we can help. Dementia Friends help make this possible in 1,000,000 ways.
When? Now. Also, I think Win/Win since the word sounds the same. It is a win/win for caregiver, for sufferer, and for the community when we love and celebrate those with hardships. Doesn’t that make the world a better place to live? I agree…it does. Become a Dementia Friend today. It is free and doesn’t take long at all. 🙂 If you just want more information, email me (mark.applegate@senioragemo.org), Theresa (theresa.davis@senioragemo.org) or Chris (Chris.Parker@senioragemo.org) and we would be delighted to get you on this path to help. 🙂
Here is the Zoom link for Dementia Friends training that happens Mondays at 9am and 2pm CST.
#EndALZ
Update: Mom is struggling with aspirating food and drink these days. Her hospice nurse is changing her liquids from thickened like buttermilk level to thickened like honey level. The next step will be the consistency of pudding. It is truly hard to watch mom struggle breathing and coughing for days at a time. Her hand is also discolored and swollen, likely from squeezing her town/other hand/short/wheelchair all the time. The disorientation and anxiety/confusion brought by this disease is 1 part of many why I fight so hard to find a cure. I hate it for mom and for the other millions as well. 🙁
Helpful tips for going out Link
This has been Memory Week, which, in Missouri, is when we, as advocates, typically get together and visit our state capital (Jefferson City) to advocate for those with the disease. This year it is virtual. So far I have been very fortunate to “meet” and have an opportunity to (virtually) share my mom’s and uncle’s stories and address several things we can do to improve this situation in Missouri. Our topics: Respite funds, helping in many ways and training family caregivers, updating the 10-year-old state task force plan, and pushing for more transparency in nursing home (generic) reporting regarding COVID-19. My group had very nice discussions with Representative Trish Gunby, Senator Schupp‘s wonderful aide, Senator Andrew Koenig, and Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe. One common thread with these outstanding leaders is they genuinely understand and empathize/sympathize deeply with the cause. Do I agree with all of them on every issue? Nope. However, dementia is truly non-partisan. Honestly, it really doesn’t give a hoot what party the person is a part of nor does it care where they stand on climate change, abortion, stoplight cameras, or the cost of tea in Boston. Caring about and being educated on our topic makes me much more appreciate the legislative job these, and the rest of the legislators we meet the rest of this week, have on a daily basis. Everyone needs money. Everyone thinks their cause is the most important. It must be exhausting and frustrating to balance (and keep spinning) these million plates, but I truly think our plate is one of the most critical for their consideration… Thank you to each of you for your work on this terrible disease! We really appreciate you!
Next on the list to “meet” and share with this week: Representative LaDonna Appelbaum, Representative Betsy Fogle, Senator Bill Eigel, and Senator Steven Roberts. I look forward to each!
#MoMemoryWeek2021
If you would like to assist in legislative advocacy efforts, here is the link for the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM). They do great work, in a non-partisan way (no, really… non-partisan!) to help millions through legislation and other advocacy. I am a member and hope you will be too. 🙂