Lee Felis, MOT, OTR/I of Mobile Infirmary will present this topic at the next Educational Support Group at E. A. Roberts Alzheimer’s Center.  The meeting begins at 10:00 AM on Thursday, April 13, 2017.

Complimentary care is available during the meeting.  Please call 251-435-6950 for more information.

Located at:  E.A. Roberts Alzheimer’s Center

169 Mobile Infirmary Blvd.

Mobile, AL  36607

E.A. Roberts Alzheimer Center of Mobile Infirmary presents “Caring for Yourself While Caring for Others” by Pro Health Fitness Team on Thursday, October 13th at 10:00 am.  Learn how to take steps to preserve your own health and well being by attending this support group which meets every second Thursday of the month. Complimentary care is provided during the meeting at 169 Mobile Infirmary Boulevard, Mobile, AL.

                                                                        251-435-6950     |      fax  251-435-6940

BETH REINERT – GUEST OPINION

Advocate seeks to change perception of dementia

Have you ever been asked the question, “Who would you most want to have dinner with?” My answer is Teepa Snow, an award-winning occupational therapist who has made it her mission to help family and professional caregivers do a better job of caring for people with dementia.

Snow is a mentor and voice of confidence for the millions living with the disease. I have learned from her teachings to better understand how to help my mom live with dementia.

I caught up with Snow recently in Mobile while she was there for a speaking engagement. We chatted for several hours about our shared focus: advocating for men and women who have dementia.

Dementia is an umbrella term that covers 70 to 80 conditions of brain failure. A dementia diagnosis is lifealtering for not only the person living with the disease, but also for the person’s family.

More than 50 percent of diagnosed types of dementia are Alzheimer’s cases, but often a secondary dementia emerges as the disease progresses.

Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S. No pill will take this problem away, so the key to a positive outcome is how caregivers manage our actions, words and reactions.

Snow has a message not only for families and care professionals, but also for all of society. “Policemen, firefighters, emergency room workers, postal service and bank employees all need to be familiar with the signs of dementia.” she said.

“We as a society must have a basic awareness of dementia and embrace people living with dementia instead of labeling them as demented people.”

Snow wants to change the perception of how dementia is viewed, take away the negative terminology and create the right setting and care for men and women with dementia.

At risk herself

Snow’s popularity took off in the late ‘90s after she presented a staff training model at the International Alzheimer Meeting in Washington, D.C. Her DVD, “Accepting the Challenge,” has been widely distributed. She is the most prominent educator for training on all aspects of Alzheimer’s disease care. That is why her calendar is booked through 2015.

Snow also has a history of dementia on both her mother’s side and father’s side of the family.

She knows she is at risk for developing the disease, so she is living life carefully by making good choices. She keeps physically fit, manages stress with yoga and deep breathing, and eats well.

Snow’s website, teepasnow. com, is full of information that both professional and family caregivers should see.

Free webinars can be accessed from her Dementia Care Academy, and DVDs are available for purchase. Not everyone can attend her workshops, but anyone with Internet access can learn from her teachings.

With the coming tide of senior baby boomers on the horizon, everyone needs to know about dementia. We should all get to know what Snow has to say about it.

Beth Reinert advocates for people living with Alzheimer’s disease. She authors the blog Caregiversunite.org, which includes general news and advice for families coping with the disease, along with event listings for the south Alabama area.

Printed in AL.com, Press-Register, September 18, 2013, page 10A

My family did a cell phone intervention with me two years ago. I had held on to my original cell phone plan for many years and resisted any changes.  So when they transferred my number to a smart phone and a new company, I knew I was beat. I tried to keep an open mind. According to my family, now I would be able to text with them and do all the other things they could do—whatever that was.

My family was right. Once I mastered texting and using the phone, I began to explore apps.  First I followed recommended apps from my husband and son but then began to branch out and find what interested me. Since I am a caregiver for my mom who has Alzheimer’s disease, I soon found that my cell phone was my constant companion and record keeper. For example, I store information I need for doctor visits under Notes, as well as document what we discussed at the appointment. I set up Reminders for myself such as pay the private duty sitter and other bills or get medication and supplies. I have a Pill Finder app that helps me identify pills I find on the floor that Momma didn’t take and threw away. I can look up medications and their side effects if she is having some unexplainable symptoms. When we do her laundry, I can set the Timer to alert us to when the washer and dryer cycle is finished.

My phone has replaced the camera I once carried around. Just like everyone else with a smart phone, I am constantly taking photos of all the people in my family’s life. Once Momma moved to assisted living, we used photographs to help us remember faces and names of all the people that helped care for her. We set up a poster-sized frame in her room with pictures of all the employees, their job titles, and names. To boost visibility, it hung on the wall just inside her door, which encouraged many impromptu visits and comments. I was surprised to find how willing doctors are to have their photo taken with their patients. These photos would come in handy when we were about to have an appointment with the doctor and I could show Momma who we were going in to see. The pictures serve as our memory, and we can look at them over and over again.

The phone is also a resource for activities. We enjoy listening to Pandora’s easy listening music while accomplishing activities like brushing her teeth, painting her nails, or playing cards. I attach speakers to the phone to provide vintage music while leading a group exercise class for the other residents, and I can take requests without any prior preparation. Sometimes I look up words to old songs we can sing together because we’ve forgotten some of the words. Poems and even nursery rhymes are just a touch away with Internet service as part of the phone plan.

One app allows me to scan important documents and even send them by email with FasterScan, which expedites duties like filling out paperwork for moving into skilled care. I no longer have to be home to receive phone calls, send emails, or handle bank business. I can manage these responsibilities and still be with my mom. I finally have learned to complete as much information as I have on a phone contact to save time for future communication. I can text messages with Momma’s private sitters and receive an immediate response when needed. For my peace of mind, they have sent me photos of Momma while she is in their care just to let me know what they are doing. When I’m with her, I can send a text and photo to one of my children and share a response on the spot.

Even though cell phones are relatively new, Momma has embraced the little rectangular box we carry around that emits music and provides amusement in so many ways. I usually hand it to her to hold when I am pushing her in the wheelchair when we have the music playing. Because of her failing eyesight, the bigger screen of a computer or iPad is a better choice if I want her to see specific pictures clearly. However, for daily use and ease of transporting, my cell phone is all we need.

The mission of the Alabama Lifespan Respite Resource Network (Alabama Respite) is to lighten the burden on caregivers, by making caregiver supports more readily available in Alabama.

A caregiver is anyone who provides care for a person with a disability or chronic illness.  There are an estimated 850,000 caregivers in the state of Alabama providing care for a loved one in their home.  Providing this care, while rewarding, can often be physically, mentally, and spiritually taxing.

If you have a faith based community that would like to investigate how to provide some type respite for caregivers, go to alabamarespite.org and find out all the many ways a group can help.  They will go the extra mile to enable you to provide this valuable service. Or call Anna Hines-Capron at (256) 859-4900 or e-mail to annastc@ucphuntsville.org for more information.

Ministry leaders and church representatives can also help Alabama Respite staff learn what types of assistance may be the most useful by completing a quick survey at this link https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/52SQF8F.

Available respite resources are also listed on the website.  Learn about this caring network and benefit from their expertise.  The link to the website is found at the top of the blog.

If you provide care for a U.S. veteran, the following may be of some interest to you.  They may be eligible for financial assistance for home care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.   This program is only available to service members who qualify for a veteran’s pension from the government.

Your loved one may qualify for a program called Aid and Attendance, which offers a monetary benefit for assistance with activities of daily living.

All veterans are eligible for up to 30 days of respite care per calendar year.   On top of that, if your loved one was injured in the line of duty (“service-connected” veteran), they may qualify for additional services.

For specific eligibility requirements, visit. www.va.gov/geriatrics or call 800-827-1000.

This information is from the careADvantage magazine produced by Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.  For a free subscription, visit www.alzfdn.org or call toll-free 866-AFA-8484.

Gulf Shores United Methodist Church, located at 1900 Gulf Shores Parkway, offers DayBreak, a ministry providing support and service for caregivers and their loved ones with Alzheimer’s Disease. DayBreak is held on Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cost is nominal and lunch is provided. For more information, contact Dolly Crewes at 251-968-3634 or Terry Fowinkle at 251-968-2377.  For more information, visit their website at Gulf Shores United Methodist Church.

Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia may be one of the greatest challenges many face in life.  At the E.A. Roberts Center, their program is designed to help caregivers meet that challenge.  The primary goal of the program is to maximize levels of functioning for those with dementia while offering support and relief to caregivers.  The staff consists of qualified professionals  who offer the following services:

Personal care, daily health monitoring, nutritional counseling, therapeutic activities, social interaction, meals and snacks, family/caregiver education, and support groups.

The center is open 7 a.m. – 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and offers flexible one – to- five day per week attendance schedule. They  have added a Saturday a month to their schedule.

To be eligible for the program, an individual must have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia, and must be ambulatory or able to use a wheelchair.

For more information regarding the program, please call 251-435-6950.

As your loved ones needs progress, you might consider adaptive clothing. Websites can be accessed at buckandbuck.com and Silverts.com.