teepa snow

This episode with guest, Gay Gingrich, RN, BSN, and host Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly, shares how both women met through their studies with Teepa Snow's “Positive Approach to Care.” The discussion begins with two new friends with shared interests and passion for those with dementia as well as Gay’s obvious love of her work as a Geriatric Psych Nurse.  

Gay’s approach to caring for those living with dementia is that of relationships, compassion, and a different perspective of care. She discusses how she believes it’s a better approach when these principles are adhered to. Gay’s faith is of utmost importance to her daily walk and the care given to her patients. It's an unwavering belief that there is a better more compassionate way to care for and give hope to families along with those living with dementia. There is a much better way to help those with no voice in today’s society. We must all come together and seek that better way. 

www.verandaministries.org

Episode 46 from the #agingangstandalleluiaspodcast, featuring host Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly and Teepa Snow, is a candid and vulnerably honest dialogue about hospice and dementia. The hunger for knowledge to help others began with Mary Anne's desire to experience Teepa and The Positive Approach to Care (PAC) Team, bringing it to fruition, for without this team, there would be no Veranda Ministries.

www.verandaministries.org

With relationship-based approach for individuals with dementia, human touch plays an important role in promoting overall well-being. There's nothing quite like a hug or holding hands to promote a physical relaxation response. It's known to reduce levels of cortisol, a hormone released during times of stress. And there's no difference between those with or without dementia in that response.

The Veranda Ministries offers caregivers the role of "Second Family", as each day, clients are treated with great care and personal attention. When one of the Veranda "chosen" passes on, it's not unlikely that the remaining friends and staff also go through their own kind of grief. Much like Miss Jane, Yvonne and Ricky, you will hear the heart-felt journey that each one took, as Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly tells their moving stories. 

Caregivers need aftercare too.

www.theverandaministries.org

A very difficult episode, but one that surely needs to be told. This situation is one family's struggle with when their loved ones need care in a community setting.  It's a hard decision. The word placement strikes fear in their hearts for many reasons.

Since the recording of this episode, the Colonel, as you’ll hear about, passed away within a few weeks of his placement. To be honest, there are thousands in this country with the same outcome. This is the tragedy of a healthcare system that gives little to no hope or direction when treatment is administered to someone with dementia. There has to be a better way than the massive amounts of medications to “combat bad behaviors and agitation.” 

People living with dementia and dying from massive amounts of drugs not indicated for dementia need to stop. We need more voices to advocate for those with no voice. It's simply out of hand. This podcast episode makes no apologies for the blunt honest reaction to a system gone bad. It was literally “from dancing to dying”, in less than thirty days for the Colonel.

www.theverandaministries.org

This is part two of Anthony Facello's difficult story. The value of having a POA (power of attorney) is of utmost in any family with a loved one. And if that loved one is suffering from dementia and is a mother of an only child, it's even more imperative. What makes Anthony's story even more tragic is the abuse his mother received from her second husband. 

Making things worse, the cocktail of meds that were given to Anthony's mother, sent her to a tragic end, when indeed it didn't have to be that way. Sadly, it's not unusual in the realm of care for those with dementia.

His mother wasn't afraid to die, and thankfully Anthony knew that his mother was dying. That was obvious. It was the goodbye that was the worst part. Thankfully, host Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly walked alongside Anthony with counsel and guidance during his most desperate of times.

Listen to the heartache of a family caught up in a broken system, a relationship that on any given day was intense, and a son who found himself in that broken system trying to help find peace for his mom and himself.

www.theverandaministries.org

Host, Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly and producer, Sue Duffield come right out of the starting gate discussing the hilarity of being hacked and cloned on Facebook! Plus an update on Mary Anne's client whose charges were dropped after being arrested - is a great story with a compassionate ending. There's still the on-going struggle with those who have dementia, and how the system treats these individuals when they make mistakes, but thankfully, the officials in Sumner County, Tennessee, returned dignity to the person and their family.

"When a family's back is against the wall while dealing with caregiving, there's no doubt that we make it way too hard", Mary Anne shares. "You don't need a PhD to be kind." Advocacy for yourself also in the medical system is a struggle in of itself without dementia, let alone with it. 

The 2023 Sumner County Caregivers Conference will be Aug. 4th, 2023 at Rehoboth United Methodist Church in Gallatin, TN. For more information, get on www.verandaministries.org

The concept of "Dementia Doula" is somewhat new to the community of caregivers, but not new to compassionate expert, Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly. This episode is a celebration of this podcast's first year, but also an anticipatory view ahead into the lives of those who are becoming more aware of how quality end of life should look.

With heartfelt truth and wisdom, the Veranda Ministries continues to open doors for families who so desperately need expert wisdom and tips on how to handle their mentally impaired loved ones. These quality minutes on this episode are merely a conversation between good friends (Sue Duffield, producer and host, Mary Anne) who continually support and bring to light the need for understanding and insight when the time comes to place a loved one in a dementia care facility. It's not easy, but knowledge through training and discernment gives the power to overcome a lot of what's ahead for every caregiver.

Be sure to invest in the ministry of The Veranda, in Gallatin, TN. The Veranda Ministries is a 501(c)3 ministry.

www.verandaministries.org

Kelley Smith from CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to add insights and advice to the fifth and sixth of Teepa Snow's six tips for making holidays successful for those who have Alzheimer's and dementia, providing advice and insight.

Tip 5: Accept General Comments. Kelley says, "If mom and dad have some memory issues, help them. Teepa gives an example, if you're Jewish, of setting the menorah on the mantle, but she says Mom might not understand the word menorah. So maybe what you do is, you pick up the menorah. 'Mom, would you like me to put this over here?' and show her as you're doing it. Mom, do you like the green lights of the white lights? Maybe you show her the lights. A lot of times with dementia, the detail is what becomes missing. Grandpa might not be able to describe things specifically, like when you're helping him get his dinner plate together. Sometimes it's very general. They might say, I want the bird. I don't want that yellow stuff. Show Dad the cranberries, this cranberry sauce. 'Dad, do you like this, you used to like this.' And don't make him describe it to you until he wants it, help him. And that's kind of what she's getting at with that. Keep it simple."

Tip 6: Give Room For a Getaway. Kelley clarifies, "I'm a grown up. I can go get in my car and I can drive away, and I can go get away from everybody if I need you. If I have dementia, I can't do that. So if you're gonna have mom or dad over, do you have a room that has a bed, that's on the first floor, easy to get to, that's a quiet space, if they are overwhelmed and they just need to get away from everybody? They're not ready to go home yet, but just need a break. Do you have a quiet spot where they can just go reconnect for a minute? Take a nap, be able to put your feet up for a minute. Sometimes that's all they need, a little bit of quiet time, and they can come back and join the rest of the family recharged again."

Suzanne adds, "Make it a kid-free zone, too. Let the kids know, grandpa's just gonna go be quiet for a few minutes. Leave him alone for a little bit. Give them that opportunity to recharge. There are many of us in this world who need that, and don't have dementia yet. Now put somebody who's having a hard time keeping up with the conversations, who can't describe how good dinner was because they can't find their words, and that's exhausting. Think about how tired they are, you know. So I love that advice, give them some space."

As an alternative to having everybody together in one big event, spread out the holiday. Kelley says, "It depends on where they're at with their dementia journey. Depending on the type of work that you do, many people are off this week. If you have that kind of time, why cram everything into one day? They're not gonna remember half of it if you do that anyway. You can have dinner at your house and have lunch with mom a day later. If taking her out is too much for her, there are other things you can do. If you've got family coming in from out of town that they'd like to see, if they live in assistant living, call the community, check visiting stuff, see if they've got anything going on — some of them have holiday dinners that you can sign up for. Lots of places like ours, we even have private dining rooms. You could come in, and bring the kids from out of town to come see mom, and spend an hour or two. Or on Christmas morning, have family show up at different times at the senior living community, bring them some goodies."

Learn more about CarePartners Senior Living at their website.

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Kelley Smith from CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to add insights and advice to the third and fourth of Teepa Snow's six tips for making holidays successful for those who have Alzheimer's and dementia, providing advice and insight.

Tip 3: Be Ready to Hear the Same Story Multiple Times. Kelley says, "This is also a good way to connect with mom and dad. What if, while dad was telling your story about his fishing trip to Alaska – you've heard it nine times – ask who went with you. Who went? How long have you known Bobby? Didn't you guys grow up together? You can steer the story, to see what else do they remember? One of these days you're not gonna hear that story any more. For your grandkids, what about taking the opportunity to record some of these stories over the holidays? These are things that I look back on, things I wish I had of my grandparents."

Tip 4. Avoid Direct Corrections. Kelley says, "This is one of my favorites. What Teepa says is, corrections don't make you feel good about yourself. I'll tell you something, I've been embarrassed in the past by well-meaning people who correct you, and the first thing I always jumped to is, I don't remember you being my mother, and I'm not five, right? A person living with dementia, their brain doesn't fire the same way. You have dementia and you don't really even understand first of all what was said, but now, coming at you is this correction, it's it's a little demeaning in a way. I've always been a big fan of 'follow them where they're going.'

"They're doing the best they can with the memories that they've got. They're not liars, they're not trying to set you up, but just telling a story, and they might not get all the details right. Is it important? No, so pick your battles. Not every story is going to be 100% accurate, not every every memory is going to be 100%, and that's okay. You have to give yourself a little grace too. You're not going to be perfect. Let it go. It's not life for death."

In the next segment, Kelley and Suzanne talk about the fifth and sixth tips. Learn more about CarePartners Senior Living at their website.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelley Smith from CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to share Teepa Snow's six tips for making holidays successful for those who have Alzheimer's and dementia, providing advice and insight.

Tip 1: Smaller, Simpler, Shorter. Kelley says, "I've always said I'd rather break bread with friends than eat wagyu with strangers. It's not about the meal, it's about the company. The best times in my life were spent just with the people, I don't remember the food. Do you want to build memories for the grandkids about grandma and grandpa being there, or are you more worried about that turkey being absolutely perfect? And that's your focus, and now you're mean and hateful of the party because you didn't get a chance to also sit and enjoy your family while they were there? I've gone to things before were I never saw the host, almost the whole night, because they were in there cooking."

Suzanne relates, "When I was caring for my mom, even though I was a burned out caregiver, and working a full time job on top of it, I knew the holidays were important to my mother, so I bent over backwards to give her a wonderful Christmas celebration. And that included taking her to the Swedish Club so that she could have lutefisk. That included making sure that she got to all these places. And I know she was worn out. I think I just put way too much stress on myself and upon her. Ask for help – you don't have to do it all. Maybe what you do is have a pot luck when you bring the family together. You can downsize things, you don't have to decorate the entire house. Maybe you do a nice tree, and maybe you do some flowers and candles on the table, and that's enough. You don't have to go overboard."

Tip 2: Use Retained Abilities. Kelley explains, "Remember, mom and dad haven't forgotten everything. We have residents that couldn't tell you their name, but they know how to fold socks. They still know how to help set the table. There's some things that are like what we call 'muscle memory', that we just know how to do. It's amazing. My grandfather could probably tear a car apart, but he couldn't tell me what he had for breakfast. But what I'm getting at is, while mom and dad are there, instead of just putting them in a chair by the window, give them something to do that is a retained ability. If they can still sit with the kids and put puzzles together, let them do that. If they want to help set the table, let them help. Part of dementia is feeling like you no longer fit in and you're no longer needed. That's another big thing that people with dementia deal with. So, if mom and dad are at the house, and you could use a little help, I guarantee they'd be happy to do it. Those retained abilities also make them feel successful, like they got to help too. They say there's greater joy in giving than there is in receiving. Well, that also means in the way we treat people, and sometimes it's a good thing to let someone else feel good about trying to be part of the family."

In the next segment, Kelley and Suzanne talk about the third and fourth tips. Learn more about CarePartners Senior Living at their website.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelley Smith from CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to share Teepa Snow's six tips for making holidays successful for those who have Alzheimer's and dementia. As many of you are driving to family locations, maybe listening in the car, you may be wanting to know how to deal with a loved one who has dementia. You don't necessarily know what to expect, and there's a lot of questions about how do we deal with dad, mom, aunt, uncle, and include them in the family gathering.

According to the Alzheimer's Association, more than six million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer's disease, and that is expected to grow to 14 million people by the year 2060. About 11% of those over 65 have some sort of dementia or Alzheimer's. The majority are at least 75 years old. It progresses and gets more evident as you get older. Oftentimes we may not necessarily know how to communicate, how to best serve them, how to feel comfortable in a dialogue.

Kelley Smith explains, "A lot of it stems around education. We sometimes have higher expectations than we should. I think people also get frustrated, because when mom does have those moments of clarity, we think she's okay again. It doesn't always quite work like that. People get frustrated with the same story 600 times, but that's also part of the disease. They can't remember if they told you this or not, or who they told. As the communication declines for their loved one, a lot of times, it's how do you keep up? What do you do? And that that's where people feel lost, not so much the frustration, but, what do we do now?"

Kelley offers a few tips of her own to prepare for the holidays. "There's a ton of different things we could talk about, but I think that the easiest thing is, first of all, don't be afraid to ask questions. If mom and dad are in a community, feel free to talk to those folks, and find out what are some activities maybe they're doing in the community that might be better for mom. Ask for advice, call the Alzheimer's Association. They have resources, ask questions.

"What is your plan, and then how do we execute that? What are the key things logistically of bringing mom or dad or an aunt or uncle into your home: Can they get up the stairs? Are they in a wheelchair? Can they get to the bathroom? Not only that, but has their dementia gotten to a point where maybe they're gonna need some some help eating? Everybody's circumstances are different, everybody's journey with dementia is different. There are many things to take into consideration. You bring them into your home, and it's all decorated for Christmas, and you've got bright lights and pokey, shiny, crazy, lots of stuff going on, loud Christmas music playing. That might not necessarily be the best environment for them."

In the next segment, Kelley and Suzanne provide insight and advice with the six tips for making holidays successful for those who have Alzheimer's and dementia. Learn more about CarePartners Senior Living at their website.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This raw and real episode with Teepa Snow and Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly, shares bluntly about dementia and the effects. Teepa’s life mission is to shed a positive light on dementia with the PAC (Positive Approach to Care) Team so that everyone can understand why and how to support those living with brain change in a more positive and respectful way. Teepa and host, Mary Anne share and believe that “Rewiring our own perceptions, attitudes, communication strategies, actions, and responses, provides the shift that promotes change for the others around us.” DO NOT FEAR DEMENTIA. Educate yourself. Fear is our worst ememy.

Originally from West Virginia and western Pennsylvania, Teepa now lives outside Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She is a graduate of Duke University with a degree in Zoology. She received her MS degree from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. She has a wealth of clinical, teaching, and research experiences that have informed and influenced her philosophy, approach, and practice.

www.teepasnow.com

www.verandaministries.org

Pam Speta is a certified Positive Approach® to Care Trainer and is also a Certified Nursing Assistant. She cared for her husband, Rich, who had dementia, at home. She learned first-hand the remarkable and profound effect that PAC education had on handling the behavior changes she saw in her husband.

Forget Me Not Village was born out of the idea of changing the way we treat Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dementia, and brain injury patients. When Rich, Pam’s husband was diagnosed with MCI at 60, neither of them knew what an impact that would have on their future lives. As a result of this journey, Forget Me Not Family Care Home was born, then came the Village.

The concept is simple. Create an environment where families dealing with the disease can help each other in a safe and secure facility. Add an adult daycare in the form of a dementia village and you have created something that has never been done before.

An extraordinary episode with Mary Anne and Pam - for ALL caregivers.

www.theverandaministries.org

www.forgetmenotvillage.org

How do we support our loved ones with brain changes in a positive and respectful way? Teepa's  mission is "to change the culture of dementia care to be more inclusive, more knowledgeable, and more skillful in order to truly support all brains and people in our community." Teepa and her team are doing just that.

Teepa Snow is my guest this week. She is one of the world's leaders in dementia education and advocacy. Teepa founded Positive Approach to Care and its reach includes 30 countries worldwide. Teepa's ability to connect with others, provide practical tools for families and support for others has been life-giving to many including myself. There is a wealth of knowledge that you need to explore at teepasnow.com to continue learning more about her incredible work.

We talk all about care partnership, common misconceptions, the call to destigmatize dementia, common questions caregivers have, and how Teepa fills her cup as she gives to so many. 

About Teepa Snow & Positive Approach to Care

Teepa Snow is one of the world’s leading advocates and educators for anyone living with dementia or other forms of brain change.

Teepa is an Occupational Therapist with over forty years of rich and varied clinical and academic experience. Her philosophy is reflective of her education, work experience, medical research, and first-hand caregiving experiences. Her advocacy efforts led her to the development of the GEMS® State Model for understanding the progression of dementia and changes in abilities. She also created the Positive  Approach to Care® training strategies, which are effective techniques for anyone seeking to optimize care and support for those living with brain change. As the Education Director of Eastern  North Carolina’s Alzheimer’s Association, she also helped to create the nation’s award-winning DVD  entitled Accepting the Challenge: Providing the Best Care for People with Dementia. Her user friendly approaches provide guidance and leadership to national efforts to promote best practices in care.

Teepa’s company, Positive Approach to Care (PAC), was founded in 2006 and is now collaborating to improve dementia care in over thirty countries worldwide. PAC provides online and in-person services, training, and products to professionals, family members, the lay public, and people living with brain change.

Please visit www.teepasnow.com for educational video clips, DVDs, books,  information on individual certifications, online support groups, virtual and onsite trainings, or to subscribe to a free monthly newsletter.

Teepa presents with extraordinary expertise and humor to audiences large and small throughout the world. Please join in her mission to improve the culture of dementia care, one mind at a time.

We are not medical professionals and are not providing any medical advice. If you have any medical questions, we recommend that you talk with a medical professional of your choice. willGather has taken care in selecting its speakers but the opinions of our speakers are theirs alone. Thank you for your continued interest in our podcasts.

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Nicole Will is our host and founder of willGather.

Our host, John Gonzales, speaks with Teepa Snow https://www.teepasnow.com. Teepa's life mission is to shed a positive light on dementia. Teepa and the Positive Approach to Care team share about dementia so that everyone (including investors in assisted living) can understand why this is happening and how to support those living with brain change in a more positive and respectful way.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Support this Show: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/donate-now/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Support this Show: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/donate-now/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Support this Show: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/donate-now/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.