Ana's blog

Love Therapy: Caregiving

The basis for love therapy is the biblical notion that a key to solving most emotional problems is the development of "victorious love output." According to this notion, learning to build deep, mature relationships will naturally bring to light our relational deficiencies and these in turn are usually the main problems we face in life.

While love therapy is compatible with dynamic model approaches that focus on discovering deep causes for emotional and mental problems, it focuses mainly on a different question: Where do we go from here? Love therapy assumes that insight has accomplished little until we observe tangible improvement in the heart of human living: clients’ relational lives.

Caregivers rightly have an aversion to treating older adults like children, even when the effects of dementia render them child-like. But here’s a wonderful exception that Alzheimer’s patients enjoy: Try giving a woman in the later stages of dementia a baby doll.

Surprisingly, an “Alzheimer’s baby” helps someone with dementia feel like a functional adult (not a patronized child). And that brings feelings of satisfaction, pleasure, calm, and accomplishment. Cuddling a doll soothes and entertains, reducing aggression. Pretty good, as dementia activities go.

I’ll never forget bringing my daughter Page, then about 15 months old, to her older sister’s Brownie troop outing at a local nursing home. Page was in a huge baby phase–she gravitated toward babies, whether real, toy, or pictured in board books. So of course she quickly noticed the elderly resident sitting in a corner with a baby doll in her arms. Page made a beeline.

I hesitated, wondering what might ensue. (Confusion on Page’s part as to why a grown-up had a doll? A tussle over it?) But the woman smiled and tenderly showed off her “baby” to Page. She even let her hold it. (Which my 15-month-old did tenderly!). The two of them communed a common wavelength for almost 20 minutes while the Brownies sang songs.

“Dolls can create miracles,” says architectural gerontologist Mark Warner, founder of Ageless Design and The Alzheimer’s Store. “They allow people who are no longer able to communicate to once again say that they’re hungry, need to go to the bathroom, are uncomfortable, often using the doll as their tool: ‘My baby is cold.’ Also a parent’s need to nurture and care for another reappears, at a time when it seems they’re the ones needing all the care.”

 

Importance of Music Therapy

Music therapy can be of inestimable value for children who have difficulties in hearing, seeing, moving, thinking or responding.

A single instrument can possess qualities of sound and tone irresistible enough to reach a child in a direct, uncomplicated manner.

Children who experience severe obstacles in forming relationships with other children, adults and their environment can achieve security and joy in making music.

By means of therapeutic music, we can assist these children to come to maturity in many ways. "Music confers non-musical benefits that have particular consequences for children with special needs.

Music Therapy technique

Music therapy techniques have been used to develop and maintain joint and muscle function or to increase fine and gross motor coordination and control, increase muscle strength, increase range of motion, improve cardiopulmonary and respiratory functioning, improve oral-motor skills, facilitate relaxation and controlled movement, as well as provide an outlet for emotional self-expression and provide opportunities for social interaction.

Musical experiences presented within a music therapy sessions can be effective in achieving a variety of physical, emotional and social goals relevant to the individuals needs capabilities and preferences.

Therapeutic Characteristics of Music

• Music captivates and maintains attention
• Music stimulates and utilizes many parts of the brain
• Music is easily adapted to, and can be reflective of, a person's abilities
• Music structures time in a way that we can understand ("that's the last verse - my exercise session is almost over!")
• Music provides a meaningful, enjoyable context for repetition
• Music provides a social context -- it sets up a safe, structured setting for verbal and nonverbal communication
• Music is an effective memory aid
• Music supports and encourages movement
• Music taps into memories and emotions
• Music and the silences within it provide nonverbal, immediate feedback
• Music is success-oriented - people of all ability levels can participate

 

 

 

Caregiving Tips: Supporting Your Love one’s Health

As a caregiver, you can’t make your loved one healthy. But by making sure that he or she gets good medical care -- and fostering a healthy environment and lifestyle -- you can make a real difference. Here are some keys caregiving tips. 

·         Medical care. Make sure your loved one gets to doctor appointments. Caregivers may also want to tag along to at least some appointments and serve as medical advocates. Come up with a list of questions and concerns to discuss with the doctor beforehand. Have you noticed any new symptoms? Might any medications be causing side effects? You will notice things that your loved one won’t realize or remember to mention. 

·         Medication safety. Many seniors take lot of medicines. It’s easy to get confused, skipping a dose of one drug and taking a double dose of another. Caregivers can try to simplify the process as much as possible. Get a large, easy-to-read weekly pillbox and help set it up. Use timers or alarms to remind your loved one to take medicine. And if your loved one’s medicine schedule is just too complicated, ask his doctor if it could be simplified by using different drugs or dosages.

·         Physical activity. As a caregiver, try to encourage your loved one to stay active. Exercise can improve physical health, strength, sleep, and mood while also reducing the risk of falls. Try short walks around the neighborhood or take swims at the community pool. If that doesn’t appeal, encourage an activity like gardening. Of course, it’s always a good idea to check with your loved one’s doctor before you start any sort of formal exercise program.

·         Mental health. Depression and anxiety are real risks for people who are elderly or sick. Watch for the signs and don’t assume that issues will resolve on their own. Caregivers can go to their loved one’s doctor or get the help of a therapist. 

·         Good nutrition. Encourage your loved one to eat a healthy diet. You can help by shopping together and choosing nutritious foods that are easy to prepare. You and other caregivers can bring over frozen meals that you’ve made for reheating in the microwave -- just make sure they’re clearly labeled and dated. You should also take a look in the fridge and cabinets to make sure that your loved one isn’t at risk of eating food that’s gone bad. 

·         Medical ID jewelry. Get your loved one a medical ID bracelet or pendant that includes his or her name and pertinent medical information in case of an emergency. You could also consider signing up for a service that provides medical jewelry with an alarm that can summon emergency help. 

·         Assistive devices. See if your loved one is having trouble doing basic tasks -- like using a can opener or turning on the faucet. Simple and often inexpensive devices can be an easy fix. Reach extenders allow people to get things high up without having to stand on a chair, risking a fall. Special kitchen utensils with large grips are much easier for people with arthritis to use. 

·         Overheating. As people age, their bodies don’t regulate heat as well. Medications can also interfere with their ability to sense temperature accurately. Many older people can feel cold even on warm days. This can sometimes become a serious problem. If your elderly mother is outside gardening in a sweater and jacket on a 100-degree day, she’s at serious risk of heat stroke. 

·         Safety-proofing. Caregivers need to take a hard look at their loved ones’ living space to identify any potential dangers. Make sure that there aren’t tripping hazards, like loose rugs or piles of papers. Replace burned out light bulbs and assure that the rooms are well-lit. If your loved one has Alzheimer’s, you may need to make more extensive changes, like putting locks on some cabinets and removing the knobs on the stove.

·         Home improvements. Making simple changes to a loved one’s home -- for safety and ease -- often allows elderly people to live independently for longer. Fixes can range from the cheap and simple (adding hand rails to the bathroom, replacing doorknobs with easier-to-open handles) to the expensive and complex (installing stair lifts.) Caregivers can talk to their loved one’s doctor or a social worker about what changes to consider.

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