Comments on: My 15 minutes of Dementia http://www.transitionagingparents.com/2009/05/28/my-15-minutes-of-dementia/ Providing insight and information to adult children of aging parents so they may "thrive and find joy" in every stage of life! Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:41:36 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Dale http://www.transitionagingparents.com/2009/05/28/my-15-minutes-of-dementia/comment-page-1/#comment-344 Dale Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:09:46 +0000 http://www.transitionagingparents.com/?p=165#comment-344 Thanks for your comment. Actually "experiencing" the symptoms of dementia is so very powerful. It is truly walking in the shoes of one with dementia. I agree, this simulation should be a part of the required training in dementia. Best wishes to you and your mother in 2010! Dale... Thanks for your comment. Actually “experiencing” the symptoms of dementia is so very powerful.
It is truly walking in the shoes of one with dementia. I agree, this simulation should be a part of the required training in dementia.
Best wishes to you and your mother in 2010! Dale…

]]> By: Felisa Grace http://www.transitionagingparents.com/2009/05/28/my-15-minutes-of-dementia/comment-page-1/#comment-342 Felisa Grace Sun, 03 Jan 2010 05:38:52 +0000 http://www.transitionagingparents.com/?p=165#comment-342 I'm fascinated by the information you provided and think the kit should probably be required for orientation for every person working in a nursing home and/or assisted living facility. I have dealt with my mother's dementia for many years and started writing about it recently, but I had never heard of a kit like you have described. Thank you very much for the information. I’m fascinated by the information you provided and think the kit should probably be required for orientation for every person working in a nursing home and/or assisted living facility. I have dealt with my mother’s dementia for many years and started writing about it recently, but I had never heard of a kit like you have described. Thank you very much for the information.

]]> By: Top Five 2009 ‘Transition Aging Parents’ Posts http://www.transitionagingparents.com/2009/05/28/my-15-minutes-of-dementia/comment-page-1/#comment-323 Top Five 2009 ‘Transition Aging Parents’ Posts Sat, 26 Dec 2009 17:29:15 +0000 http://www.transitionagingparents.com/?p=165#comment-323 [...] 1.  My 15 Minutes of Dementia [...] [...] 1.  My 15 Minutes of Dementia [...]

]]> By: Help for Those Who Care for Elderly with Dementia http://www.transitionagingparents.com/2009/05/28/my-15-minutes-of-dementia/comment-page-1/#comment-45 Help for Those Who Care for Elderly with Dementia Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:01:19 +0000 http://www.transitionagingparents.com/?p=165#comment-45 [...] http://www.transitionagingparents.com/2009/05/28/my-15-minutes-of-dementia/ [...] [...] http://www.transitionagingparents.com/2009/05/28/my-15-minutes-of-dementia/ [...]

]]> By: Home Care Daily News (May 30, 2009) « Home Care Blog http://www.transitionagingparents.com/2009/05/28/my-15-minutes-of-dementia/comment-page-1/#comment-44 Home Care Daily News (May 30, 2009) « Home Care Blog Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:16:07 +0000 http://www.transitionagingparents.com/?p=165#comment-44 [...] Care Daily News (May 30, 2009) Senior Technology Updates -Virtual Dementia Tour. More here>> -Robots used for elder care in Asia! More [...] [...] Care Daily News (May 30, 2009) Senior Technology Updates -Virtual Dementia Tour. More here>> -Robots used for elder care in Asia! More [...]

]]> By: Dale http://www.transitionagingparents.com/2009/05/28/my-15-minutes-of-dementia/comment-page-1/#comment-38 Dale Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:34:00 +0000 http://www.transitionagingparents.com/?p=165#comment-38 Anne, In response to your request about tracking system and bracelet, I'd like to suggest you look at the tracking system highlighted on the Alzheimer's website, http://www.alz.org/we_can_help_medicalert_safereturn.asp "When a person with dementia wanders or becomes lost, one call immediately activates a community support network to help reunite the lost person with his or her caregiver." Also, be sure to check out the rest of this official Alzheimer's website. It has a wealth of information for caregivers. Anne,
In response to your request about tracking system and bracelet, I’d like to suggest you look at the tracking system highlighted on the Alzheimer’s website, http://www.alz.org/we_can_help_medicalert_safereturn.asp
“When a person with dementia wanders or becomes lost, one call immediately activates a community support network to help reunite the lost person with his or her caregiver.”
Also, be sure to check out the rest of this official Alzheimer’s website. It has a wealth of information for caregivers.

]]> By: Mr. Jason Mark Young, MS http://www.transitionagingparents.com/2009/05/28/my-15-minutes-of-dementia/comment-page-1/#comment-37 Mr. Jason Mark Young, MS Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:09:40 +0000 http://www.transitionagingparents.com/?p=165#comment-37 Anne, Hi, my name is Jason Young. I am a geriatric clinician working at a geriatric psychiatric unit within a hospital. I have provided treatment to people with Alzheimer's disease for 10 years now. I am so glad that Dale contacted me and asked if I could be of any assistance to you. I don't think I can be of help with your finding a tracking system, though I feel I could be a great resource in your learning more about the disease and how to cope. I maintain a personal blog at this address: http://jasonyoung99.wordpress.com/ . I post topics and links related to many of the things that you are dealing with. Please take a look and also feel free to contact me at my email address: jason.young99@yahoo.com with any questions. Thank goodness your mother is safe. Anne,

Hi, my name is Jason Young. I am a geriatric clinician working at a geriatric psychiatric unit within a hospital. I have provided treatment to people with Alzheimer’s disease for 10 years now. I am so glad that Dale contacted me and asked if I could be of any assistance to you. I don’t think I can be of help with your finding a tracking system, though I feel I could be a great resource in your learning more about the disease and how to cope. I maintain a personal blog at this address: http://jasonyoung99.wordpress.com/ . I post topics and links related to many of the things that you are dealing with. Please take a look and also feel free to contact me at my email address: jason.young99@yahoo.com with any questions. Thank goodness your mother is safe.

]]> By: Dale http://www.transitionagingparents.com/2009/05/28/my-15-minutes-of-dementia/comment-page-1/#comment-35 Dale Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:21:54 +0000 http://www.transitionagingparents.com/?p=165#comment-35 Anne, Thank you for writing. I am so sorry to hear about your mother lost outside. That must have been very frightening for all of you. I am working to get answers to your questions. I have asked a geriatric clinician I know about the tracking system and also how you can best educate and prepare yourself to help your mother now and in the future. Your parents are fortunate to have you and your sister working together to care for them. Take care, Dale... Anne,
Thank you for writing. I am so sorry to hear about your mother lost outside. That must have been very frightening for all of you. I am working to get answers to your questions. I have asked a geriatric clinician I know about the tracking system and also how you can best educate and prepare yourself to help your mother now and in the future.
Your parents are fortunate to have you and your sister working together to care for them. Take care, Dale…

]]> By: Anne Dominguez http://www.transitionagingparents.com/2009/05/28/my-15-minutes-of-dementia/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Anne Dominguez Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:19:46 +0000 http://www.transitionagingparents.com/?p=165#comment-34 My mother has been diagnosed with Dementia. My father (her husband) can't quite grasp it and he is trying to ignore it making it look like its a temporary condition and part of aging. My mother has been lost numerous times and the last episode was just on Sunday where she was gone for 15 hours, spending the entire night on the streets. Luckily she was found safe and alive. She has also been located on the center divider of the freeway. I am trying to locate a tracking system as well as a bracelet for her to wear. I am also trying to understand this disease well myself and of course my sister and I have taken my mother into our care, where we understand the disease and her condition better than my father. My mother has been diagnosed with Dementia. My father (her husband) can’t quite grasp it and he is trying to ignore it making it look like its a temporary condition and part of aging. My mother has been lost numerous times and the last episode was just on Sunday where she was gone for 15 hours, spending the entire night on the streets. Luckily she was found safe and alive. She has also been located on the center divider of the freeway. I am trying to locate a tracking system as well as a bracelet for her to wear. I am also trying to understand this disease well myself and of course my sister and I have taken my mother into our care, where we understand the disease and her condition better than my father.

]]> By: PK Beville http://www.transitionagingparents.com/2009/05/28/my-15-minutes-of-dementia/comment-page-1/#comment-32 PK Beville Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:54:10 +0000 http://www.transitionagingparents.com/?p=165#comment-32 I am so excited about Rose asking such great questions about the VDT. I will address them one by one but if I miss anything, please don't hesitate to blog back. How do we know what a person with AD or Dementia is going through? Of course, we can't be spot on with what they are going through and everyone is different in how they respond to the losses but we sure can get as close to it as possible so that we can try to better understand and help them. The items used in the VDT are based on 2 studies I conducted, about sensitizing people to dementia and has been peer reviewed with strong reliability and validity. Believe me, it has been through many generations and there are likely many more to come as we continue to learn . For the physical sensations that are impaired, I looked at the most common impairments associated with aging. I felt this was important as a way to really get a sense of what the elder is going through on top of the confusion associated with the disease. You had mentioned a woman you cared for that didn't realize she had cut her hand and you had to assist. This is due to a loss of the brains ability to interpret pain and why we use special gloves in the VDT to mimic that loss. I have spent 26 years working with and assisting families, elder care communities and specifically with the cognitively impaired. I have conducted numerous evaluations and learned a great deal about how their brains work and what seems to be most difficult to them. I then researched and interviewed other professionals in my field to get as close to what seems to be going on with AD and Dementia. The confusion tape "noise" along with the tasks, replicate what I have been told from early stage sufferers and researching the areas of the brain that are affected. The main result is that I created a situation where the person going through the VDT is unable to weed out revelant vs. irrelevant stimuli. This is a common problem with this horrible disease and helps explain how tough it is for them to follow a conversation, react to questions, and carry out a task completely. You mentioned the loss of smell in one of your elders. This is very common in this disease, but I have yet to figure out how to replicate it for the VDT. It is an important point though becasue as you point out, it can really place the elder in danger from fire or bad food. I'm always open to suggestions. I hope I have offered some insight. We really need more people like you working in this field. You care very deeply. PK, author, VDT I am so excited about Rose asking such great questions about the VDT. I will address them one by one but if I miss anything, please don’t hesitate to blog back.
How do we know what a person with AD or Dementia is going through? Of course, we can’t be spot on with what they are going through and everyone is different in how they respond to the losses but we sure can get as close to it as possible so that we can try to better understand and help them.
The items used in the VDT are based on 2 studies I conducted, about sensitizing people to dementia and has been peer reviewed with strong reliability and validity. Believe me, it has been through many generations and there are likely many more to come as we continue to learn .
For the physical sensations that are impaired, I looked at the most common impairments associated with aging. I felt this was important as a way to really get a sense of what the elder is going through on top of the confusion associated with the disease. You had mentioned a woman you cared for that didn’t realize she had cut her hand and you had to assist. This is due to a loss of the brains ability to interpret pain and why we use special gloves in the VDT to mimic that loss.
I have spent 26 years working with and assisting families, elder care communities and specifically with the cognitively impaired. I have conducted numerous evaluations and learned a great deal about how their brains work and what seems to be most difficult to them. I then researched and interviewed other professionals in my field to get as close to what seems to be going on with AD and Dementia.
The confusion tape “noise” along with the tasks, replicate what I have been told from early stage sufferers and researching the areas of the brain that are affected. The main result is that I created a situation where the person going through the VDT is unable to weed out revelant vs. irrelevant stimuli. This is a common problem with this horrible disease and helps explain how tough it is for them to follow a conversation, react to questions, and carry out a task completely.
You mentioned the loss of smell in one of your elders. This is very common in this disease, but I have yet to figure out how to replicate it for the VDT. It is an important point though becasue as you point out, it can really place the elder in danger from fire or bad food. I’m always open to suggestions.
I hope I have offered some insight. We really need more people like you working in this field. You care very deeply.
PK, author, VDT

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