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In Watertown, Wis.,the windows of nine businesses display small purple angels decals indicating that employees are trained to recognize customers with dementia and how to best assist them and their caregivers. It's part of a broader effort to educate the town's 24,000 residents about dementia and to keep those who have the condition engaged in the community by providing the services they need.
Patrons with memory loss are encouraged to simply point to which size of coffee they want. Bank employees have been trained to look for signs that customers have been scammed.
Having worked with seniors with dementia, I really don't see how this idea would work well. That is why people with dementia need daily assistance and hopefully that person (or persons) providing care are looking out for this person with dementia's best interests.
It's not fair or smart (imho) to assume communities can take on this huge responsibility. Otherwise we wouldn't have so many scams on seniors like we currently do . I'm not saying that it's not a great idea though.
Having worked with seniors with dementia, I really don't see how this idea would work well. That is why people with dementia need daily assistance and hopefully that person (or persons) providing care are looking out for this person with dementia's best interests.
It's not fair or smart (imho) to assume communities can take on this huge responsibility. Otherwise we wouldn't have so many scams on seniors like we currently do . I'm not saying that it's not a great idea though.
No one is assuming that communities are expected to take on this huge responsibility. These business are just providing their employees with tools on how to deal with this growing population AND their caregivers!
Personally I think it is great that businesses are doing this! I can't tell you how many times I've been out with my Mom (who has dementia) and the clerks etc sometimes look at us like we are crazy and or get impatient when Mom has a hard time making a decision or just rambles on about stuff that makes no sense (and no one is even waiting in line behind us). If the person would have just smiled back at Mom it would have made her day (as well as mine)!
Personally I think it is great that businesses are doing this! I can't tell you how many times I've been out with my Mom (who has dementia) and the clerks etc sometimes look at us like we are crazy and or get impatient when Mom has a hard time making a decision or just rambles on about stuff that makes no sense (and no one is even waiting in line behind us). If the person would have just smiled back at Mom it would have made her day (as well as mine)!
So you think that someone smiling at a person who is frustrated because they can not remember a word or name that they know should be right on the tip of their tongues will make them happy??
So you think that someone smiling at a person who is frustrated because they can not remember a word or name that they know should be right on the tip of their tongues will make them happy??
I'm not sure if you have dealt with someone with dementia or not (especially on an ongoing basis) but I can tell you first hand that if someone responds to my mother in a positive manner (e.g. with a genuine smile) that it makes my mother happy.
Sure there are times when she is so deeply agitated that it may not have the same affect right away. But just because someone has dementia and can't find the right words or is in a state of confusion doesn't mean that they cannot FEEL the emotion of the people that are around them. So if someone responds to my Mom in a hurried and frustrated way it will only make my Mom more sad and frustrated. If someone responds with a calm, caring attitude and a genuine smile it does make the "moment" (reworded from my original post that said "day" because with dementia sufferers it's all about the "moments")!
I'm not sure if you have dealt with someone with dementia or not (especially on an ongoing basis) but I can tell you first hand that if someone responds to my mother in a positive manner (e.g. with a genuine smile) that it makes my mother happy.
Sure there are times when she is so deeply agitated that it may not have the same affect right away. But just because someone has dementia and can't find the right words or is in a state of confusion doesn't mean that they cannot FEEL the emotion of the people that are around them. So if someone responds to my Mom in a hurried and frustrated way it will only make my Mom more sad and frustrated. If someone responds with a calm, caring attitude and a genuine smile it does make the "moment" (reworded from my original post that said "day" because with dementia sufferers it's all about the "moments")!
Not really trying to argue with you. How ever when an older person STARTS having these problems and wonders if it is early dementia smiling at them will not help.
Not really trying to argue with you. How ever when an older person STARTS having these problems and wonders if it is early dementia smiling at them will not help.
Actually, if the smile is accompanied by a few kind words, it helps a lot.
Not really trying to argue with you. How ever when an older person STARTS having these problems and wonders if it is early dementia smiling at them will not help.
You might be missing the point. Smiling all by itself wouldn't help everybody but training the workers in these places to respond with a friendly smile accompanied by patience and a readiness to be helpful if it's needed, is, I would think, the idea.
Not really trying to argue with you. How ever when an older person STARTS having these problems and wonders if it is early dementia smiling at them will not help.
Quote:
Originally Posted by old_cold
You might be missing the point. Smiling all by itself wouldn't help everybody but training the workers in these places to respond with a friendly smile accompanied by patience and a readiness to be helpful if it's needed, is, I would think, the idea.
I believe the idea may be great for folks who are well into dementia but for old folks who are having memory problems and wondering were this memory loss may be going smiling will not help. Trust me on this one,
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. I'm not saying that it's not a great idea though.
Trust me on this one,
