Hello everyone, If at first you don’t succeed…well, you know the rest: Try, try again! How often do we ask residents to join us for exercise class or another activity, have them say “no”, and we say “ok” and move on to the next person. Then after a few “no thank-you’s” from them, we give […]
Tag: resident engagement
March into Spring
Hello everyone, March is here and soon you’ll want to be spending more time outside with residents enjoying the spring sunshine and flowers. Let’s get ready! Encouraging residents to move more now can help improve balance, maintain or increase lower body strength, and improve flexibility, which will make it easier for everybody to go outside. […]
Never Give Up on Activity!
Hello everyone, How often do we see a group of residents participating in a recreational activity, but notice that at least a few of them are left out… sitting in the corner looking on? Often, these more “challenging” residents are the people who most need to be active and engaged in activity so they avoid […]
How Engaged are Your Residents in Activities?
Hello everyone, When it comes to engaging residents in activities, especially people who have dementia, one size does not fit all. It can be challenging find activities that a particular resident will take part in and enjoy. In addition, communities sometimes rely on nursing assistants to engage residents in activities, and these staff are often […]
Strategies to help you care for those with chronic mental illness
Hello everyone, Some of you have told us that one of the most difficult challenges you face is how to care for an aging resident who also has a chronic mental illness. While depression and anxiety—especially in people with dementia—can be common in long term care, other mental illnesses such as personality disorder, bipolar disorder […]
If at first you don’t succeed…
Hello everyone, If at first you don’t succeed…well, you know the rest: Try, try again! How often do we ask residents to join us for exercise class or another activity, have them say “no”, and we say “ok” and move on to the next person. Then after a few no thank-you’s from them, we give […]
Therapeutic Fibbing
Hello everyone, Since we were children, we’ve been taught not to lie to people. But sometimes there are exceptions to this rule. One of them is when we are working with a person who has dementia. In some cases, telling “white lies” helps them to preserve their dignity, allay their fears, and make them feel […]
What To Do When Nothing Else Works
Hello everyone, You’ve tried distractions, music, walking, going outside, changing caregivers and adjusting schedules. Nothing seems to work with this resident who consistently has challenging behaviors related to dementia. Some caregivers may even tell you that they can’t handle the person anymore. What do you do? The answer may just be—YOU. You may be the […]
Approaches to Address Apathy
Hello everyone, We’ve mentioned that apathy is a common challenge for people who have dementia, and is often overlooked because the person with apathy is not generally disruptive to staff or other residents. It is important to remember that apathy is different from depression, as a person who is apathetic is not necessarily sad, but […]
Wandering Worries
Hello everyone, Wandering is common for many people with dementia, and can sometimes be frustrating and nerve-wracking for caregivers. DailyCaring.com has an article about wandering this week. The article describes some reasons why people with Alzheimer’s disease might wander: Fear or stress: they might not recognize where they are, the environment is overstimulating, or a loud noise or […]