Family educational programs that are fun and engaging could help ease frustrations and tensions LTC providers experience with family members.

I read with  interest an article by Martie Moore in McKnights Long Term Care News, “Truth-Telling for True Transparency: Why Does it Matter to your Organization.”

Her research occurred with parents faced with losing a child. Two findings in her study resonate.

Family members are less likely to sue when they understand what is happening to their loved ones.  They are also far more willing to give the care providers grace and forgiveness.  In contrast, families create their own version of what occurred when information is withheld.  Consequently, these opinions are difficult to turn around.

Dementia Out of the Darkness for Families

These research findings led me to think about how much effort Long Term Care providers should put into family education about the effects of dementia.

An article in the Journal of Applied Gerontology cites that family members with loved ones in a nursing home expressed the need for more education and support for involvement within the nursing home setting.

Dementia is perplexing and complicated.   No two people are identical in the way dementia strikes and plays out.  Therefore, being transparent with family members about the myriad of realities living with dementia could prove helpful.

Being accused of neglect with statements like, “my mother has not eaten in three days.”  is troubling.  In addition, how many times have we heard, “someone stole all my mother’s clothes” only to find them shoved under the bed mattress?

Topics for family education

• The impact of memory loss on day to day living
• Common behaviors in persons with dementia
• Helpful communication techniques
• Can there be Joy with dementia?
• Well-being and Ill-Being

Consider offering a dementia workshop/R&R afternoon for family members.  To that end, a rotation of educational sessions interspersed with opportunities for a massage, manicure, chocolate, pet therapy, fancy coffee, more chocolate, support, fun, and mutual support could go a long way!

I encourage long term care providers to explore opportunities to educate families about the realities of living with dementia.  In doing so, we might be able to improve relationships and decrease difficulties driven by a lack of understanding.

Julie has worked in Aging Services for over 30 years and has been a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator since 1990. She is a Certified Master Trainer with the AGE-u-cate Training Institute. Through her company Enlighten Eldercare,  Julie provides training and educational programs on elder caregiving for family and professional caregivers.  In addition, she is an instructor and the Interim Director of Gerontology at Northern Illinois University and lives in the Chicago Northwest Suburb of Mount Prospect, IL.

When telling people about my work, the response I almost always get is, “I know someone with Alzheimer’s.” A comment that usually follows is, “and it is so awful.”

Yes, having Alzheimer’s is awful. It robs people of their memories, independence, and cognitive functions. Many times, we refer to people with Alzheimer’s as “suffering” with it.

We cannot minimize the suffering, but we also shouldn’t maximize it. Finding moments of joy can help balance “suffering with” and “living with” Alzheimer’s.

Find Joy and Dignity

I participate in a networking group, “Cognitive and Memory Professionals (CAMP).” This group is lead by Dan Kuhn, Vice President of Education with All Trust Home Care in Hinsdale, IL.  The purpose of this group is to discuss current thinking about caring for persons with the many varieties of cognitive impairment.

Recently, we read and then discussed the book, “Dementia Reimagined” by Tia Powell, MD. The tag line for the book is “Building a Life of Joy and Dignity from Beginning to End.”

In my thirty-one years working in long term care, I can recite story after story of the fun and laughter shared with persons with Alzheimer’s.  The reason is this- people with Alzheimer’s forget the facts, but they remember the feelings. By making someone with Alzheimer’s feel good, loved, respected, and dignified is where joy is found.

To illustrate, a colleague at the AGE-u-cate Training Institute likened this to feelings about our kindergarten teacher. While we probably don’t remember specific conversations or interactions, we know if the teacher made us feel good or bad. We will either smile or cringe when we think back depending on the experience.

Friends, by looking through a different lens, perhaps we can discover joy lurking underneath life with Alzheimer’s.

Julie has worked in Aging Services for over 30 years and has been a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator since 1990. She is a Certified Master Trainer with the AGE-u-cate Training Institute. Through her company Enlighten Eldercare,  Julie provides training and educational programs on elder caregiving for family and professional caregivers.  In addition, she is an instructor and the Interim Director of Gerontology at Northern Illinois University and lives in the Chicago Northwest Suburb of Mount Prospect, IL.

I read with great interest John O’Connor’s article “10 Bold Predictions About the Year Ahead in Long Term Care” that appeared in McKnight’s Long Term Care. Unfortunately, 9/10 of the predictions are negative.

Sadly, his predictions are not off base.  Therefore, what needs to happen to turn-around the negative narrative about nursing homes?

One possible answer I found also appeared in McKnight’s. GaryTetz discussed the idea of a growing societal appreciation of seniors. Could this be true? Is society developing a stronger appreciation for seniors?  If we genuinely valued seniors, our long term care system would not be in such a mess. Accordingly, we would have a vital and thriving long term care system that isn’t fighting for survival every day.

None of us individually has the power to change societal views or unwind the overwhelming challenges in long term care.  In addition, the negativity that swirls around the long term care industry can hijack our energies and make us forget why we work in this business.

For this reason, we must remember that we have the power and responsibility to celebrate and honor our seniors.

Changing the Long Term Care Narrative

An organization that honors seniors is “One Dream.” Located in the Chicago area, One Dream is a not for profit that was created in 2014 to bring happiness, meaning, and excitement into the lives of deserving, lower-income seniors. They make dreams come true for seniors and restores dignity and hope.

Bethesda Rehab and Senior Care, a skilled nursing community in Chicago, celebrates the creativity of their seniors by hosting an annual art exhibition, showcasing their works of fine art.

The Birches Assisted Living in Clarendon Hills, IL, has their assisted living residents write blogs for their website.  As an example, this is a tremendous way to honor the wisdom of their seniors.

In conclusion, the Long Term Care Industry should drive the narrative about the vibrant lives of their seniors.  To that end, let’s continue to celebrate our seniors more loudly and boldly than ever before!

It would be amazing to see more positives on the McKnight’s list for 2021.

Julie has worked in Aging Services for over 30 years and has been a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator since 1990. She is a Certified Master Trainer with the AGE-u-cate Training Institute. Through her company Enlighten Eldercare,  Julie provides training and educational programs on elder caregiving for family and professional caregivers.  In addition, she is an instructor and the Interim Director of Gerontology at Northern Illinois University and lives in the Chicago Northwest Suburb of Mount Prospect, IL.