Socialization is just as important as eating right and exercise. As the public becomes more aware of this, we will see a great increase in quality of life for everyone, young and old.
Imagine a day where none of your coworkers would look at you, your family all ignored you when you tried to speak to them, and even strangers on the street went out of their way to avoid you. How would that feel? Now imagine it happening every day.
Last week, we hosted a special guest, The Very Rev. Tracey Lind, who came to speak about the spiritual insights and lessons she has gained from a life complicated by dementia. Tracey is a newly retired episcopal priest who for the last 17 years served as Dean of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Cleveland. On Nov. 8, 2016, Tracey was diagnosed with early stage Frontotemporal Dementia. In what some might consider a cruel twist of fate, the type of FTD Lind has, Primary Progressive Aphasia, affects the neurons in the part of the brain that involves communication and language. The woman who in 2004 wrote and published the book “Interrupted by God,” who wrote and delivered weekly sermons for nearly three decades, who could converse and joke as easily with a homeless woman as with a corporate CEO, was going to be robbed, gradually, of her ability to write, read, speak and understand what others are saying. As she spoke it was clear that the deep and abiding faith that has inspired this gifted preacher and teacher throughout her life continues to sustain her as she meets the challenges of the years ahead supported by her wife of 18 years. Tracey’s message was filled with honesty, courage, faith, and hope.
At lunch Tracey shared with us a blog she is writing using the story of Pandora’s box and how she had found new meaning in it. Of course, Pandora is well recognized as the Greek mythical character, the first woman, created by Zeus. Upon her creation, the gods gave her many gifts – beauty, charm, wit, artistry, and cunning; the last gift was curiosity. Included with the gifts was a box, which she was told to emphatically, “Never open the box.” She even hid the box deep in the ground but the pull of curiosity was too strong. Finally, she could hold back no longer, she lifted the lid, and out flew all the evils of the world, such as toil, illness and despair. That’s how most of us remember the end of the story, but wait, at the bottom of the box, the last creature that she let loose was HOPE. Pandora’s last words were: “HOPE is what makes us strong. It is why we are here. It is what we fight with when all else is lost.” The Very Rev. Tracey has preached about hope for years and now she is living it out in a new way. The diagnosis hasn’t stopped her from fully immersing in what life has to offer — and what she has to give.
I was asked to write my first article while Jon Schilling was on vacation. Since I’m one of the newest full time employees, I thought that it would be best for me to take this opportunity to introduce myself to Beatitudes Campus.
I am a personal fitness instructor, certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine since 1996. I worked as a fitness instructor in various Health Clubs and Medical Clinics. Most of that time I worked at Mountain Shadows Resort and Golf Club in Paradise Valley.
I am a new full time employee, but I am not new to this campus. Many of you know me from my previous positions. I started working here for Beatitudes at Home in July, 2012.
I later became the group instructor in the Functional Fitness class.
I left Beatitudes at Home to work in a physical therapy clinic in 2013 for two years, but I continued to be the instructor for the Functional Fitness class.
From the beginning, I made it clear that I enjoyed working with the people in this environment and that I wanted to work here full time. The average age of my fitness clients, over the course of my 20 year career, has always been 50+ years old.
My new position title is Fitness Specialist. My duties include Fitness Center Attendant, Personal Fitness Instructor and Group Fitness Instructor.
Now that I am here full time, I will channel all of my studies into fitness training for residents 65 years and older. This means that I will find the best ways to address age related physical illnesses and injuries.
I am gathering as much literature on dementia as I can find, so I can create effective workout strategies that best serve residents who may suffer from this terrible disease. I also want to be able to offer useful tips to help friends, relatives and caregivers to communicate with them through troubling times.
The physical therapists who work on campus are wonderful! I have a good relationship with them. Residents who have suffered from an illness or injury that work with the campus therapists may want to extend their physical rehabilitation long after they have been discharged. I can do one on one fitness sessions to extend the physical therapist’s treatment strategies within my limitations as a Certified Fitness Trainer. It has been three months since I have been a full time employee on Campus. I DO NOT need any more time to analyze my decision to take this position. I already concluded that I made the BEST decision to join this team.
I feel very comfortable with the staff and the residents. I enjoy getting opportunities to share laughs with everyone, especially when I “goof up” during my fitness classes.
If I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you yet, please stop me in the hallways, come to one of my fitness classes or stop by the Fitness Center. I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT!
Clara Graham, Caregiver
Are you taking care of a loved one? You are not alone! About twenty million unpaid caregivers take care of almost ten million adults ages 65 and older in the United States, according to a 2014 study from the Department of Health and Human Services.
The Alzheimer’s Association has determined that in Arizona, 130,000 adults ages 65 and older have Alzheimer’s disease and that about 800,000 residents provide unpaid care for their loved ones with disabling conditions.
Support for family caregivers is critical for them to stay healthy so they can keep helping their loved ones and have an improved quality of life, yet most of our community’s caregivers do not know that help is available.
Duet, a non-profit interfaith organization, is offering a Caregiver Symposium: “How to Find Hope while Coping with Stress and Grief” on October 6 at Church of the Beatitudes, 555 W. Glendale Ave., Phoenix. Renowned researcher, educator and therapist, Dr. Pauline, Boss will share proven techniques to help caregivers deal with losses and how to reclaim hope amidst grief. Duet very much appreciates the support of Beatitudes Campus, Beatitudes at Home and Church of the Beatitudes in making this event possible. Beatitudes at Home is actually providing respite caregivers for those who wish to attend the conference.
Dr. Boss is best known for her groundbreaking research on a form of prolonged grief known as “ambiguous loss.” For over four decades, much of her work has focused on helping family caregivers successfully navigate this unique type of grief in which their loved ones are physically alive but not the person the caregivers once knew.
Clara Graham, an 80-year-old caregiver whose husband has Alzheimer’s disease, appreciates the support she receives at Duet’s family caregivers support group. “It has been like going from day to night,” Clara said. “He was diagnosed with early onset dementia, and within a year he couldn’t remember what day it was. “Duet is my salvation,” she adds. “It gives me hope.”
After the Symposium, Duet will use a three-year, $460,000 grant from the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust to pay for the creation of a series of videos based on Dr. Boss’s book, as well as expand other caregiver services. The videos will offer tools to help caregivers navigate losses as well as support a caregiver-to-caregiver volunteer program to better serve isolated and overwhelmed caregivers and expand services for caregivers from diverse, underserved communities.
“We’re extremely grateful to the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust for helping us further support family caregivers, who need to preserve their own well-being in their challenging roles,” said Ann Wheat, Duet’s Director of Caregiver Services.
The Reverend Dr. Dosia Carlson and Church of the Beatitudes founded Duet in 1981 as part of Dosia’s vision to provide innovative solutions to community needs. Besides assisting family caregivers, Duet also helps homebound adults, faith communities and grandparents raising grandchildren. To register for the symposium or ask for help visit www.duetaz.org or call 602-274-5022. *
Do you work around people with dementia or Alzheimer’s? The answer is yes. Many residents here on campus suffer from this disease but not all live in our memory support areas. Sometimes you can get in difficult situations with them because you don’t understand how the feel and how they are interpreting their surroundings. There are ways of deescalating these situations in a quick and positive manner and luckily we offer that training right here on campus. Also it will help in future encounters if you can better understand this disease.
We have an eight hour Comfort Matters class scheduled for Thursday, August 18th in the Facilities Management Meeting Room. To sign up please contact Karen Mitchel at x8460 or [email protected].
Beatitudes Campus will host the Virtual Dementia Tour, a unique and individual experience in a simulated environment created to better understand the physical and mental challenges that those with dementia face. During a Virtual Dementia Tour experience, participants are guided through everyday tasks and exercises while outfitted with devices that alter their senses. The Virtual Dementia Tour is sponsored by Western Arizona Council of Governments and the Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging. The group is inviting first responders and elected officials to take the tour
The Virtual Dementia Tour is a way to more fully understand the environment surrounding a person who has trouble thinking. It employs four components to alter sense perception and simulate the day-to-day experiences that people with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease have. Goggles impair vision while headphones simulate hearing difficulties, with sounds varying in decibel levels. Shoe inserts compromise mobility and special gloves simulate atrophy of sensory skills.
“Beatitudes Campus is pleased to host this tour sponsored by Western Arizona Council of Governments and the Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging,” says Cheryl Knupp, senior vice president of health services. “Having first responders experience what a person with dementia experiences may assist them in adapting their approach to lessen the fear or confusion the person with trouble thinking may be feeling.”
Tours will be conducted on June 8-9, 2016, from 8 am to 5 pm. To schedule a 20-minute tour session, please contact the Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging at 602-542-4710.
I have some exciting news to share with you! To begin, on June 21st a small, yet powerfully motivated group of volunteer community leaders focused on dementia and Alzheimer’s awareness, had a successful event called The Longest Day. The Longest Day is a team event held annually by the Alzheimer’s Association on the summer solstice which is the longest day of the year. Through the duration of the sunrise to sunset event it symbolizes the challenging journey of those living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia’s as well as their caregivers. The group decided that for their event they would have a day of yoga. And can you believe it ended up falling on the same day as International Day of Yoga! A perfect fit.
15.7 million family and friends provide care to people with Alzheimer’s and other dementia’s in the United States alone. You may not know this, but Alzheimer’s Disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S. and the only one in the top 10 that has no way to prevent, slow down or stop it. I am sure we all understand why awareness and support are so important for this cause. Unfortunately, many of us know that dementia does not care about your gender, race or political views (whether blue or red). I find it very interesting that the Alzheimer’s color for awareness is purple. As a constituent, I believe part of my job is to make sure the leaders within our State and Nation know that, just like the disease, it doesn’t matter which side of the fence they are on. This is a national crisis that we all need to come together to end.
Now to OUR big news—the group came to the campus with an amazing opportunity to take awareness to another level. They had a vision that, not only on June 21st should we honor those caregivers but for a month thereafter. Their thought was to turn our State Capitol purple for the cause! Beatitudes Campus graciously accepted this amazing partnership, and since June 21st until July 20th our State Capitol is lit a beautiful deep purple. I am proud to know that, I work for an organization that not only provides great care and awareness within our own walls, but also cares a great deal about the community and state we reside in. Over the next few weeks, we are planning some great ways to let the rest of our state know of this feat we have accomplished and why. We hope that you can help us in sharing our news.
It’s a proud day to be a part of this campus!
As a caregiver of someone with dementia, your time is precious and sometimes traveling to receive ongoing education is simply not possible. Join us for Dementia Dialogues, where we bring dementia education to you online! Dementia Dialogues offers a different, pertinent webinar topic each month. Tune in from the comfort of your home or office and learn from experts in dementia care!
Dementia Dialogues are meant to provide a caregiver with helpful information and tools to better understand and care for loved ones living with dementia. The series will be fully accessible from anywhere at any time with full lecture information available online and in accompanying audio versions.
Webinars will be hosted on the third Wednesday of each month from Noon to 1PM in the Admin Conference room. Every month, a new topic surrounding Alzheimer’s and dementia care will be discussed by experts and guest caregivers. Limited space is available in the Conference Room so please come early, if we outgrow the space we will look to move to a bigger area.
The Topics that will be covered on the Webinar are:
