Monthly Archives: November 2017

Managing Your Emotions After an Assisted Living Dementia Placement

Managing your emotions after an assisted living placement is a complex process. When the choice is made to place a Dementia loved one in residential care, you’re likely to encounter an unsettling combination of feelings. It’s important to acknowledge and deal with these feelings because your adjustment to your loved one’s new lifestyle and surroundings will have a direct impact on their adjustment. We’ve all heard this cliché, or something close to it: “The first step in dealing with a problem is admitting that a problem exists.” The reason we over-hear and over-use this expression so often in problem solving is, simply, that it’s true. When you build up a wall to shut issues out, you’re also barricading yourself from seeing solutions. For your and your loved one’s benefit, a little perspective and a lot of…

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AMATE ART PLACEMATS

November is Native American Heritage month and in the art class we made “Amate” paintings. Amate is paper that is handmade by the Otomi Indians of Mexico out of natural tree bark. However, in lieu of the real thing, we made ours out of up-cycled brown paper bags. We then used patterns similar to those found in Mexican folk art. They came out so nice, Johanna, the manager, suggested using them as place mats so names were added. Johanna’s son, grandkids, and grandnieces joined in on the fun! For residents who needed more help, a young person paired up with them and they painted together. Others mostly just needed encouragement A sampling of their finished art on one of the tables where they have their meals. Looking good! Thanks for reading. At Lakeside Manor we are committed…

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Alzheimer’s Dementia Care | 5 important Safety Precautions

Alzheimer’s is a complex disease that demands, among other things, dramatic changes in a patient’s surroundings. Alzheimer's dementia care involves important safety precautions that should be addressed right away. Before we can give attention to treatments and therapies, we initially want to be sure that our loved ones are safe. It can be difficult to create a dementia-proof living situation at home. The cost, time and knowledge required to incorporate necessary safety precautions in the face of Alzheimer’s are overwhelming. Most homes, as well as homes’ surroundings, simply have too many pitfalls. Even the biggest budgets, hired design experts and best of intentions can fall short. In many cases, dementia’s safety requirements can best be met by the attention of a dedicated, alert, full-time, around the clock staff, along with a tenet of tried and true procedures…

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