In Finding Activities for Parents with Memory Loss, Dr. Cynthia Green (a psychologist!) and her readers provide excellent ideas to improve the quality of visits to nursing home residents with dementia. It’s worthwhile to read the post and comments on the New York Times’ New Old Age blog, but here’s a summary that’s a welcome … Read more
(This post first appeared as a guest post at GreatPlacesInc.com.) In my years as a psychologist in long-term care, I find it’s normal for new residents to be feeling some depression or anxiety. Most of us would take time to adjust if we were away from home, feeling poorly, not able to get around like … Read more
The holidays can be a difficult time of year, especially for residents in nursing homes. Many residents once hosted family gatherings, or were regulars at a holiday event, but now their physical disability complicates their participation in familiar rituals. Last year I wrote a post on this topic from the residents’ point of view, ‘Twas … Read more
In Part One of the Family Council posts, Karlin Mbah of FRIA discusses the role of the Family Council in improving the nursing home environment. In today’s follow-up post, she addresses ways in which to organize families to create a Family Council. In addition to her suggestions, some of the tips I provided in my … Read more
In my post, What I Want My Nursing Home Room to Look Like, I mention I’d like to have family pictures in my room. Actually, I’d like everyone to have family photos in their nursing home rooms, in addition to photos of themselves when they were young. Before I started in long-term care (I was … Read more
Today, guest poster Karlin Mbah, of the New York-based organization Friends and Relatives of the Institutionalized Aged, explains what Family Councils are and how they can work with nursing homes to improve care for the residents. In a later post, she’ll discuss ways to create a successful family council. Background on FRIA and Karlin Mbah: … Read more
Please: Hang my psychology diplomas on my wall, so I’m reminded of my accomplishments. Display family photos, so I feel surrounded by my loved ones. If I have Dementia, label my photos so the staff can talk to me about my family and help me to remember. Put a quilt or bedspread on my … Read more
I recently met a new resident who demanded almost constant attention from her loved ones. Her family visited daily for hours at a time, and she’d call them soon after they’d left and tell them she was lonely. Trying to please her, they were exhausted, frustrated, irritable, and terribly sad. I reminded her tearful daughter … Read more
And 83-year old Albertha assured me her family was planning to take her home for the holidays. “Have you talked to them about it? Have they called the social worker to arrange a pass, and meds, and transportation?” “No,” she replied, “but they’re coming to get me.” ‘Twas the week after Christmas, and Albertha … Read more