June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month
Did you know….
- People living with dementia can maintain a life of quality longer with an early diagnosis and early interventions
- With compassion and positive support, persons with dementia can still feel a sense of well-being and purpose in their life. According to the National Library of Medicine, engaging in fun and meaningful activities with family and friends, the person with dementia has better psychological and physical functioning
- Breaking down tasks for someone living with dementia will allow the person to continue to live independently longer and complete daily routines.
- When a strengths-based approach for support is provided, (focusing on what the person can do rather than what they can’t do) people living with dementia can develop and build new strengths.
- When supporting someone living with dementia, shifting to a more positive approach to communication will result in less conflicts. This shift can lessens feelings of shame and embarrassment for the person when they are constantly corrected or asked “don’t you remember?”
- A trust and emotional safety is created when someone living with dementia feels listened to and understood. Constantly correcting some with dementia will erode both of these emotional feelings.
- When people living with dementia are valued, respected, and feel a sense of autonomy, the person can engage in life with meaning.
- Research suggests that brain-healthy choices such as regular exercise, healthy diet, and staying socially engaged and connected and slow the progression of dementia symptoms.
- Addressing social, physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual needs is the best first intervention for someone living with dementia, AND are also the best approach to decreasing risk for cognitive decline.
For more information on our Memory Ministry, Memory Cafe, or our Family and Friends Workshops contact Vicky Pitner, Memory Ministry Coordinator at vpitnerfirstumc.org