Part of our assignments is to develop daily activities where we think will be appropriate for our clients. The conflict arises when the person you present it to is not necessarily as enthusiastic about your idea as you may be.
Today, I would like to talk about disappointments one might face at their place of employment. When a job requires creativity, innovation, and dedication, just how much worth can be measured for each factor? The problem I ran appears to be the generational gap. Age has nothing to do with mentality but I will discuss why that is an issue at work. When a co-worker who is very old-fashioned and set in their ways, novel ideas for music, movies, and activities are often restricted or prohibited to be implemented. As much as we adore Elvis and the Beatles, there is room for musical artists who made music since the 50s. When I tried to introduce a mixed CD with Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, the music was immediately turned off. None of the clients made a comment that the songs were offensive.
Some of our art ideas come from the internet. Apparently, it is too complicated. Anything beyond coloring and cutting has to be altered. So I ask myself, if I am spending time to do research, am I being productive for coming up with new ideas or is it a waste of my time to prepare activities when it will not be on the calendar?
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Music
One of our clients, name withheld of course is manic. She refers to herself by the third person. She says her husband is dead. She thinks people are trying to kill her. She is always getting up and wandering around. However, when we manage to get her to sit down, put in a CD, and play a song she recognizes, she is there jazzin' around, snapping her fingers, and singing to the lyrics.
We underestimate the significance of music and its affects on the elderly. For me, music usually serves as background ambiance, fainted in the loud noise of traffic, or just lost when I am studying or running. I forget that my mood changes to certain songs or the memories that triggers.
When serving a population, you will need to understand how to select songs based on how appropriate it is, and yet, not limit the selections based on age. I am going to to put in a song that I hear while everything is dancing at the club for my clients. However, I am also not going to play a song based on an assumption they will like it because it is by Frank Sinatra. This is all about trial and error. You do not need to play the entire song. If there are no offensive or explicit language, try it.
Recently, I had songs from Madonna (her earlier stuff), Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Earth, Wind and Fire, and Lionel Ritchie. It was tested when we did our morning exercise and the response was mixed. None was negative. Backstreet boys and Boys II Men did not make any impact.
We try not to play the same music for many reasons. Your CDs get scratched. You start to tune the music out instead of enjoying it. You do not know what else you can play. Our clients may have Alzheimer's, but they do not need to have a deja vu moment everyday.
We underestimate the significance of music and its affects on the elderly. For me, music usually serves as background ambiance, fainted in the loud noise of traffic, or just lost when I am studying or running. I forget that my mood changes to certain songs or the memories that triggers.
When serving a population, you will need to understand how to select songs based on how appropriate it is, and yet, not limit the selections based on age. I am going to to put in a song that I hear while everything is dancing at the club for my clients. However, I am also not going to play a song based on an assumption they will like it because it is by Frank Sinatra. This is all about trial and error. You do not need to play the entire song. If there are no offensive or explicit language, try it.
Recently, I had songs from Madonna (her earlier stuff), Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Earth, Wind and Fire, and Lionel Ritchie. It was tested when we did our morning exercise and the response was mixed. None was negative. Backstreet boys and Boys II Men did not make any impact.
We try not to play the same music for many reasons. Your CDs get scratched. You start to tune the music out instead of enjoying it. You do not know what else you can play. Our clients may have Alzheimer's, but they do not need to have a deja vu moment everyday.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Artist of the Month- Art Idea
We wanted to introduce Faith Ringgold, someone many of our clients are unfamiliar with at the Center. She is a wonderful painter who narrates her stories on quilt. For more information, you may go to this website:
http://www.faithringgold.com/ringgold/bio.htm
To honor her work, staff members sat in groups and read aloud her accomplishments and display her art on our bulletin. Most of the images were found online. To engage our clients to demonstrate their creativity, we had cut plain fabric, preferably a white or beige color, worked with fabric markers and crayons, and allow our clients to freely draw whatever they wanted. Encourage your clients to draw what they are passionate about or even simple objects such as a key or a heart. For our clients who were experiencing artistic block, you can show them magazines so they pick an image or get pictures of birds and flowers.
While doing the project, one of the clients remembered when she was a teacher and had the kids draw. Although the images did not resemble anything, it was best to encourage. That principle applies with adults as well. The idea of this art project is not to stir a competition to see who is the next Matisse, but to allow clients to express themselves in a positive manner.
All these supplies can be found in an art store, Michael's, or a thrift store. I would advise against using Sharpies because they are permanent, hard to clean, and more expensive.
http://www.faithringgold.com/ringgold/bio.htm
To honor her work, staff members sat in groups and read aloud her accomplishments and display her art on our bulletin. Most of the images were found online. To engage our clients to demonstrate their creativity, we had cut plain fabric, preferably a white or beige color, worked with fabric markers and crayons, and allow our clients to freely draw whatever they wanted. Encourage your clients to draw what they are passionate about or even simple objects such as a key or a heart. For our clients who were experiencing artistic block, you can show them magazines so they pick an image or get pictures of birds and flowers.
While doing the project, one of the clients remembered when she was a teacher and had the kids draw. Although the images did not resemble anything, it was best to encourage. That principle applies with adults as well. The idea of this art project is not to stir a competition to see who is the next Matisse, but to allow clients to express themselves in a positive manner.
All these supplies can be found in an art store, Michael's, or a thrift store. I would advise against using Sharpies because they are permanent, hard to clean, and more expensive.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Desserts
When thinking of a dessert for elderly clients, consider not just what they will like, but what they can eat. It is simple to think of the usual soft serve ice cream, jello, or pudding. And that is what they like. Sweet, easy to on the teeth food. However, as a racially blended society, we often like to open our clients to new tastes and enriching them with eye-pleasing delicacies.
In our journey, I want to introduce you to something I am familiar with. If you had pass by a place late night eatery with mainly Asian diners, mostly Chinese and Vietnamese, you will notice a colorful clear bowl. Inside that bowl, there are balls of cantaloupe, watermelon, kiwi, and strawberry with a blended fruit juice. Something that you might not be able to see is sago, a tapioca-like texture. Sago is very easy to cook, boil and rinse with cold water. You can find sago at Ranch 99 or other types of Asian market. This dessert is very healthy and seasonably friendly. The sago can be mixed with any fruit you like to blend (mango, strawberries, honeydew). I prefer this dessert over cakes and pudding because it is light and the colors are so pretty.
Below is a picture of the dessert you can try. Yelp is a good website for you to find dessert places that will serve this.
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/lwHhXgzuW8yYqILkwrhxdQ?select=EiY8dFePIf2OZjV2bEgLGw
In our journey, I want to introduce you to something I am familiar with. If you had pass by a place late night eatery with mainly Asian diners, mostly Chinese and Vietnamese, you will notice a colorful clear bowl. Inside that bowl, there are balls of cantaloupe, watermelon, kiwi, and strawberry with a blended fruit juice. Something that you might not be able to see is sago, a tapioca-like texture. Sago is very easy to cook, boil and rinse with cold water. You can find sago at Ranch 99 or other types of Asian market. This dessert is very healthy and seasonably friendly. The sago can be mixed with any fruit you like to blend (mango, strawberries, honeydew). I prefer this dessert over cakes and pudding because it is light and the colors are so pretty.
Below is a picture of the dessert you can try. Yelp is a good website for you to find dessert places that will serve this.
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/lwHhXgzuW8yYqILkwrhxdQ?select=EiY8dFePIf2OZjV2bEgLGw
Thursday, October 1, 2009
It is okay to be a BIG KID
Do you ever hear someone say they are too old to do something? "That's for children." "You can do that because you are young." Bless their hearts, our motto is you are capable to do anything at any age. If a woman can give birth at the age of sixty, I think age is really nothing but a number.
Of course, we do not recommend that an elderly client go out and swim with sting rays, we try to experience with activities which may bring out the child in us. Duck, duck, goose is not something we try because of the mobility restrictions in our clients. However, singing a classic tune such as the Alphabet Song, finger painting (using non-toxic paint), or playing a game of kickball. When we do hear our clients say things such as that is for kids, we encourage and offer to be partners in an activity to show them it is appropriate for all ages. With movie selections, please do not think animated movies are juvenile. Cartoons are often appropriate because of the decent language and colorful scenes. A movie you have seen ten, twenty years ago can be seen again.
You will always have a client or family member comment negatively on the age appropriateness of a certain event, activity, or show. However, calmly explain to them we can do things to have fun so just enjoy.
Of course, we do not recommend that an elderly client go out and swim with sting rays, we try to experience with activities which may bring out the child in us. Duck, duck, goose is not something we try because of the mobility restrictions in our clients. However, singing a classic tune such as the Alphabet Song, finger painting (using non-toxic paint), or playing a game of kickball. When we do hear our clients say things such as that is for kids, we encourage and offer to be partners in an activity to show them it is appropriate for all ages. With movie selections, please do not think animated movies are juvenile. Cartoons are often appropriate because of the decent language and colorful scenes. A movie you have seen ten, twenty years ago can be seen again.
You will always have a client or family member comment negatively on the age appropriateness of a certain event, activity, or show. However, calmly explain to them we can do things to have fun so just enjoy.
Quality and Meaning of Acitivities: Enough Stimulation?
The Series: Elements of Planning and Coordinating Successful Activities
4. Quality and Meaning of Activities: Enough Stimulation?
Quality and meaning of activities are another factor when we plan and coordinate successful activities. Our clients with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia need to have frequent stimulation physically and mentally in order to retain their current functioning level. Every activity is supposed to help clients reaching their goals and an activity should maintain certain quality and meaning in itself when it is carried out.
What do we mean quality and meaning in regards to activities?
a. Quality of Activities
-Our clients with memory impairment have symptoms of forgetfulness, inability to take care of themselves gradually, and incapability of thinking reasonably. However, they need to be treated as grown-up and senior individuals in the respectful way. Successful activities for them should not be one for children. Here is the quality of activities comes up to be discussed.
-Is a planned activity simple enough for the targeted clients?
-We mean “the quality of activities” that is simple enough that the targeted clients can participate in, enjoy, reach their aimed goals, be protected safely from expected happenings (except unexpected happenings/incidents as these could happen even in a well-calculated situation/environment).
b. Meaning of Activities
-We engage and interact with senior individuals who have been through their lives that may be filled with a lot of happiness, sadness, anger, and grief. We, as activities professionals, should consider their lives fully to plan and coordinate meaningful and respectful activities. In that sense, meaningful activities could be related to the result of our activities assessment (was discussed in “Assessment of Participants in Activities: Activities Version of Care Management”).
-It is ideal if we can plan an individual meaningful activity per a client; however, it will not be possible to do so due to time limitation, staffing, functioning levels and so on.
-At our Day Care Center, we are still able to stimulate clients in few groups by providing reminiscence-related activities that clients as a whole group can appreciate, enjoy recalling their past, discuss and exchange their memories. We strongly believe these activities are very meaningful and give positive stimulations to our clients.
4. Quality and Meaning of Activities: Enough Stimulation?
Quality and meaning of activities are another factor when we plan and coordinate successful activities. Our clients with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia need to have frequent stimulation physically and mentally in order to retain their current functioning level. Every activity is supposed to help clients reaching their goals and an activity should maintain certain quality and meaning in itself when it is carried out.
What do we mean quality and meaning in regards to activities?
a. Quality of Activities
-Our clients with memory impairment have symptoms of forgetfulness, inability to take care of themselves gradually, and incapability of thinking reasonably. However, they need to be treated as grown-up and senior individuals in the respectful way. Successful activities for them should not be one for children. Here is the quality of activities comes up to be discussed.
-Is a planned activity simple enough for the targeted clients?
-We mean “the quality of activities” that is simple enough that the targeted clients can participate in, enjoy, reach their aimed goals, be protected safely from expected happenings (except unexpected happenings/incidents as these could happen even in a well-calculated situation/environment).
b. Meaning of Activities
-We engage and interact with senior individuals who have been through their lives that may be filled with a lot of happiness, sadness, anger, and grief. We, as activities professionals, should consider their lives fully to plan and coordinate meaningful and respectful activities. In that sense, meaningful activities could be related to the result of our activities assessment (was discussed in “Assessment of Participants in Activities: Activities Version of Care Management”).
-It is ideal if we can plan an individual meaningful activity per a client; however, it will not be possible to do so due to time limitation, staffing, functioning levels and so on.
-At our Day Care Center, we are still able to stimulate clients in few groups by providing reminiscence-related activities that clients as a whole group can appreciate, enjoy recalling their past, discuss and exchange their memories. We strongly believe these activities are very meaningful and give positive stimulations to our clients.
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