Ask Jennifer...
Jennifer Meagher RN is a Geriatric Care Manager and Registered Nurse. She had a 21 year nursing career at Genesee Hospital, she was the primary instructor for a local Home Health Aide training program and for the last 10 years, Jennifer has been a Geriatric Care Manager, and is owner of Senior Life, a Geriatric Care Manager firm. She is a member of Greater Rochester Area Partnership for the Elderly and is called upon by local attorneys as an expert in Geriatric cases.

Jennifer knows what you are going through. She was primary care giver for her own mother who suffered with Alzheimer’s for 12 long years.

www.SeniorLifeGCM.com

Ask Jennifer your geriatric care questions and she will respond and possibly post your answer here on www.WHEC.com.
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Dear Jennifer,

My sister and I got our father to move to Assisted Living (community name withheld.) Before he moved in they promised us they could take care of him. Now that he’s there, they aren’t doing half of what they promised. We have been fighting with them every day. It doesn’t seem like anything is getting better. Now what do we do?

Thanks
Dave

Dear Dave,

Each “Assisted Living” community is different. “Assisted Living” is a loose term. There 4-5 different levels of “Assisted Living:”  Adult Homes, Enriched Living, True Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Independent Living with Aide services available in the building.  They mean well. They want to take care of your father. They want you and your father happy.  But the bottom line is whether you feel they can accomplish these goals. Here’s what I suggest:

1. The first 3 – 6 months are almost always an adjustment period. It would be wise to have a care plan meeting with the entire team if you have not done so already.  Be prepared to state clearly what you feel are problem areas and what specifically you would like done to fix it.  Identify who will be the key person on staff to handle each of your concerns. Work directly with that individual to resolve any future issues.  Schedule a second care plan meeting to discuss if your satisfaction level has improved.

2. If you’ve already done these things, then it may be time to relocate. I highly recommend you have an experienced Advocate help you through the next decision.  We at Senior Life know the various communities and what they do well.  We also know that when a community provides a list of let’s say 10 personal care   offerings, they are not able to perform all, or nearly all of those items for one person; they just don’t have the staff to do it.

Give my office a call. We’ll help you through this. Senior Life LLC  585-424-2424  or visit us at SeniorLifeGCM.com

Warmly,
Jennifer

Our Two Cents: Dementia Memory Kits

Author: Jennifer Meagher
Owner, Senior Life Geriatric Care Management

FOR THE PERSON WITH DEMENTIA
Memory boxes are merely a shoe box sized container filled with items that might stir a recollection in your loved one. In progressive dementia recent memories are lost or become vague. Older memories may remain in better focus. The Memory Box is not a tool for testing your loved one or for forcing memories. It is meant to encourage a warm feeling at the familiar sense of the items.

It is not recommended that you fill the box with family/friend photos.

Let’s say your dad has dementia. What were his interests at 30 years old? Let’s say he always liked to fish.
Perhaps you might include items from a tackle box (nothing with sharp edges.) Maybe he enjoyed tinkering in his workspace; include nuts and bolts and a tape measure.  If the box is for your mom, and she liked to garden, include garden gloves if she wore them and a couple garden tools, a packet of seeds and the like. If she liked knitting, include a skeins of yarn and knitting needles. If she was a housewife, you might include balled up washcloths for her to fold.

What was your loved one’s interest as a child? Include memorabilia from their youth as well. Perhaps a doll for your mom, or a baseball and mitt for your dad. You see the idea.

FOR DISPLAY
If your loved one is in a senior community or nursing home, make a photo display of along with a page or two of details from his/her life. Post this prominently in their room. This allows the staff to meet your parent as s/he was before dementia, and gives the staff some ideas for conversation.

FOR YOU
Some dementias are a long drawn out affair.  If you are visiting, and running out of things to talk about, use some of this time to write out memories you have of your parent. Stop by this website:
http://lasting-legacies.com/ These workbooks encourage family to enter memories during their visits. Everyone learns more about your loved one. And as dementia takes  your loved one further from you, this workbook will be something your family will treasure.

Take some time to collect memories of your parent for yourself: