Author: Katie Lamar
After 20 years of volunteering and working with folks living with dementia, I started to recognize signs in my mom. I knew it was coming. My paternal grandmother and my maternal grandfather both lived with Alzheimer’s disease. It doesn’t make it any easier.
My sister and I rallied to help plan her care, organize her financials, and verify her wishes through her health directive and powers of attorney.
Eventually it was obvious she needed to move. She was missing meds, not eating regularly, and the house was falling into disrepair. …
From Professional to Personal Experience: Moving my MomRead More »
If you are caring for someone living with a progressive condition or a change in health or cognition, you have likely heard the phrase person-centered care.
Person-centered care is the foundation of our Creative Engagement program, which is built on the core values of purpose, respect, and exquisite listening. A person-centered approach focuses on an individual’s preferences, goals, and needs. This approach makes sure that individuals living with dementia or other health changes can take part in what they value and enjoy.
We extend invitations to participate. We do not assume to know what our clients want, and we involve our clients in decision-making as we tailor projects and outings to their preferences. We ask for feedback. We observe body language and make eye contact. We allow for feelings to be expressed and then validate those feelings. …
Documenting and preserving individual client histories has always been a passion of our staff. These narratives are illuminating and offer delightful windows into a client’s past and present, providing a framework for personally tailoring care options, goals, enrichment, outings, and activities.
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The Legacy of a Life: Capture pearls of wisdom, dreams and experiencesRead More »
The foundation of Aging Wisdom’s Creative Engagement program is person-centered care, which is built with core values of purpose, respect, and exquisite listening1.
If you are a caregiver, a great start to person-centered care is centering yourself first. You’ve probably heard that caregivers need to take care of themselves to care well for their loved one. And it is true! By clearing your head before focusing on the person in your care and an activity, you are better equipped to meet them where they are and show greater patience. You can do this with a brief walk, a brisk dance to a favorite song, or intentional breathing. …
What is your role at Aging Wisdom?
Director of Creative Engagement
What made you want to work in the field of aging?
Dementia is in my family – I’ve lost two grandparents to dementia and now my mother is living with it. When my paternal grandmother died in 2007, I began volunteering with Alzheimer’s organizations. My maternal grandfather died from the disease in 2014 – the summer after my first year of graduate school where I was first introduced to the idea of “creative aging” and started volunteering with the Frye Art Museum. It married two loves for me – older adults and art. That year was full of “what if’s” thinking about my grandparents’ care and engagement. I knew we could do better as a family, community and country in taking care of older adults. …
On any given weekday, my Creative Engagement colleagues are tapping into the richness of clients’ interests, histories, talents, and strengths. These intentional connections help reduce social isolation and loneliness, renew purpose, increase self-esteem, engage the senses, and spark joy. …
May is Older Americans Month (OAM). This year’s OAM theme is Powered by Connection, recognizing “the profound impact that meaningful relationships and social connections have on our health and well-being.”
As Aging Life Care professionals and Creative Engagement Specialists, we understand how vital meaningful relationships and social connections are to quality of life and individual well-being, especially as we age. This is supported by research and our experiences working with clients and other older adults and their supports. …
Many of us look forward to holiday gatherings – getting together with family and friends, sharing lively conversation and good food, exchanging gifts, treats, and merrymaking.
But for someone living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, all the activity, the people, and associated noise can be very unsettling. …
Making the holidays more inclusive and meaningful for those living with dementiaRead More »