THE JOURNEY THROUGH DEMENTIA EZINE

Dear Reader:

Do you know what an eldercare mediator does?  I'll bet that once you know more about this wonderful resource, you will be able to think of one or more families who could benefit from mediation.  I know from first-hand experience what it's like to have a loved one with a form of dementia, and to live far away and have to rely on siblings and others to take care of that loved one.  Even if I had lived much closer, it may have just precipitated bickering with my siblings over the "right" way to do things.   As it was, I took great pains to be non-judgmental in my frequent long distance phone calls because I know how difficult caregiving can be.  There are many, many families today who could benefit from family mediation of some type before the problems they face, and cannot agree on, completely alters their relationships with one another in a negative and lasting way.   

I met Bonnie Clayton-Loewy, M.Ed. at a course I was teaching in Tucson, and I was struck by her calm professionalism and her deep sense of caring that was evident in everything she said and did.  It did not surprise me to find out Bonnie is a trained eldercare mediator and holds a Master's of Education and two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and Religious Studies.  I decided my readers should know about eldercare mediation because so many of the families struggling with a loved one with dementia can become fractured and split apart with the stresses of caregiving.   

FAMILY MEMBERS UNPREPARED TO MEET GROWING CHALLENGES OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE   

By:  Bonnie Clayton-Loewy, M.Ed

When my father was diagnosed with AD in February of 2010, he and I were thrust into a heartbreaking and complex predicament that is faced in one way or another by all who live with this disease or care for those who do. With such a diagnosis comes a wrenching new reality: Suddenly, the physical, emotional, legal, and financial welfare of a loved one becomes the responsibility of his or her family members. The grief experienced by family members is compounded by anxiety about how they are going to manage the burden of their new responsibilities. There are healthcare considerations, such as specialty care and medication management. Legal counsel is required for issues pertaining to healthcare and financial powers of attorney. Insurance companies may need to be held accountable for payment of long-term care or other benefits. Difficult family dynamics may require mediation or counseling, as family members navigate the decision-making process and deal with the emotional strains of care-giving.

In my case, as my father's only local family member, with two young children of my own, I was confronted with overwhelming grief at the same time that I was trying both to keep up my existing responsibilities and manage new ones for which I was not yet prepared. So often I wished for someone to consult, someone with the expertise I didn't have.

Then, after months of dealing with this situation, I realized I was becoming the expert I'd wished I could consult, and I resolved that I would do what I could to make things easier for others by sharing what I had to learn the hard way. I founded Shine Your Light Tucson to assist those seeking guidance in negotiating the myriad challenges of caring for a parent or spouse with AD and other forms of dementia.

Shine Your Light offers a variety of services for caregivers and family members of people with AD and other forms of dementia, including training and support, elder care mediation, communication training, long-term care referrals, and senior fitness testing and coaching. 

Mediation can be very helpful to siblings who need to sort out who will do what to help their parents and to resolve issues that might otherwise lead to costly litigation and broken relationships. Mediation produces satisfying results in about 80% of cases and can make a big difference to seniors who are torn apart by conflict between their children. As a mediator, I am absolutely neutral. Both sides are allowed an uninterrupted voice and once all parties feel truly heard and respected, solutions begin to emerge that can meet the needs of everyone involved. In the aftermath of mediation, relationships often begin to heal and everyone in the family benefits.

At this point, I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to do something constructive in the face of this destructive disease. I hope to bring skills and resources to others facing the same challenges.

If you would like additional information about this topic or would like to contact Bonnie, you can contact her by phone at 520-909-4431, by email at info@shinyourlighttucon.com, or visit her website www.shineyourlighttucson.com.

WE WANT TO HEAR THE VOICES OF THE CHILDREN! 

 Bonnie and I are investigating the possibility of co-authoring a book together!  The stories in the book would be taken from children and teenagers who have lived with dementia in a loved one and talk about how that impacted them and their families.  We would also address the issues pertaining to feelings of guilt and possibly betrayal amongst the parents and family members which could, or have been resolved by family mediation.  We're very excited about this project and have sent out letters requesting parents to contact us if they would like to contribute their children's voices to this project.  I am extending this plea to the readers of this ezine.  If you know of families who might be willing to be interviewed, please have them contact me or Bonnie.  Thank you for sending this on!    

IS CHECKING BIOMARKERS BETTER AT ALZHEIMER'S DETECTION THAN LOOKING AT THE COGNITIVE CHANGES?

I found this interesting little study through Medical News Today (www.medicalnewstoday.com).  Jesus Goman, Ph.D. and his team from the Benito Menni Complex inBarcelona, Spain recently reported that measuring cognitive abilities is actually a better predictor of AD than looking at changes in the biomarkers.  This study was reported in the Archives of General Psychiatry, which is a JAMA journal. 
This team looked at just how accurate using cognitive markers and biomarkers were at predicting whether the patients with MCI (mild cognitive impairment) would develop AD.  They found that comparing the cognitive markers from baseline along with functional abilities and decline in executive function, showed a better predictive value for developing AD than looking at the biomarker tests (analysis of cerebrospinal fluid; testing for AD genes; MRI's looking at cortical thickness and brain volume).  As the researchers noted, it's better to utilize any available data to predict going from MCI to AD. 
I'm encouraged that they did this study just to see which method might be better, and it looks like the least expensive one, if one cannot afford the testing, is preferred.  The URL for this article can be accessed at:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/233907.php.    

LOVE, LAUGHTER, & MAYHEM IN ELDERCARE FACILITIES: THE MASTER KEY FOR DEMENTIA TRAINING

www.mindinmemorycare.com 

View the Table of Contents as well as a sample Module from the book.  Purchase 1 workbook for each staff member and download one bonus Management's "Master Key" Training Guide from my website to enhance your training.  This is at least a 4 hour training and can easily be segmented to accommodate your schedule. 

Price:  $12.95 (order 1 per employee)
Management's Training Guide:  Free Download
S & H: $3.00 for entire order

LOVE, LAUGHTER & MAYHEM - Caregiver Survival Manual For Living With A Person With Dementia

to read an excerpt from this book or to order it online. 

(for PA residents, add $1.02 tax)

Would you like to give your dementia caregiving staff a big boost?  Consider having Cindy come to your facility to give this course:  

7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

8 Contact Hours applied for to PSNA for nurses, Nevada Board of Social Workers, National Cert. Council for Activity Professionals, and the AZ Board of Examiners of Nursing Care Institution Administrators & AL Facility Managers

This course is appropriate for all healthcare workers, and is also approved by the National Council for Certified Dementia Practitioners (NCCDP) as the pre-requisite course for those wishing to apply for certification as a Certified Dementia Practitioner.  

If your workers were "Certified Dementia Practitioners" you would see an improvement in the care and safety of your dementia residents.  You would have less liability in your facility, and your staff would be much more comfortable in their role as a daily caregiver.  Call Cindy with questions, and view the 

www.mindinmemorycare.com     

THIS IS MY NEW WEBSITE--CHECK IT OUT! 

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SCHEDULE A BOOK SIGNING?

I would love to attend your group meeting to give a free, 30-40 informational talk about dementia and then hold a book signing for my first book "Love, Laughter, & Mayhem - Caregiver Survival Manual For Living With A Person With Dementia."  Give me a call AT 814-235-0691 to discuss this! 
ALSO--CHECK OUT MY NEW WEBSITE at www.mindinmemorycare.com  

RECOMMENDED READING: 

Thank you, reader for taking the time to learn more about dementia and what's going on with M.I.N.D. in Memory Care.  I would be honored if you would forward this ezine to anyone you believe would benefit from reading it or contacting me.  Have a blessed day!

Sincerely,

Cindy Keith

M.I.N.D. In Memory Care