Today is the 10th day of February. Four days from now it will be the 14th day of February, which we culturally, socially and commercially refer to as “Valentine’s Day.” If that is startling information to you, put this newspaper down and go take care of whatever it is (or WHOever it is) that will allow your life to proceed without emotional distress – The newspaper will still be here when you get back.
If that is not startling information to you, read on.
Valentine’s Day is an interesting grab-bag of images and icons: A fat little cherub-like critter flits hither-and-yon, smilingly firing arrows into humans, who are then struck by love and romance, and/or the bill from the ER room. I particularly like the “love and romance” part, presume you do, too, and further presume that you have that part under control, because that is not the kind of “help” we purport to offer under “Help Line.”
My second favorite part of the Valentine’s Day hoop-tee-doo is the almost unanimous, if fleeting, acceptance of chocolate as a “good” thing, which to my mind merely overstates the obvious, but do you know who else might have a lasting affinity for chocolate? Folks with Alzheimer’s disease.
No, I’m not kidding, and NO! – I’m not prescribing chocolate as a universal panacea for dementia, but listen to this:
A December 31, 2010, article in The New York Times relates the story of a 96-year-old with Alzheimer’s (or some other dementia that “looks” like Alzheimer’s, so I’m just going to call that – Caregivers don’t really care) who was summarily evicted from several nursing homes for being “difficult,” refusing to eat and rather routinely whacking on staff members and other residents. Her family, after considerable angst and pleading, moved her into a home in Phoenix called “Beatitudes” – Care to guess what “Beatitudes” did?
Well, they let her sleep, be bathed and dine whenever she wanted – Even at 2 a.m. – And she could eat anything she wanted anytime she wanted, including unlimited chocolate; and Yes, I have reserved a corner room with a view.
Further, after plumbing her past with the family, they gave her a baby doll, which seems to calm and soothe her; apparently, folks with dementia at “Beatitudes” fare pretty well, as they can even be provided an alcoholic “nip at night,” if that’s their custom and preference.
I realize that I’ve already “lost” a lot of folks, either because chocolate is considered “unhealthy” or because baby dolls are undignified or because liquor is generally objectionable, but I’m largely talking to caregivers (somebody who is taking care of somebody who needs to be taken care of, whether they like it or not) who are all about what “works.”
Listen: Some of the latest science on the subject of Alzheimer’s suggests that creating “…positive emotional experiences” for patients diminishes distress and behavior problems. Some facilities have stopped anti-anxiety and/or antipsychotic drugs, which can have some pretty harmful side effects, and focused more on prescriptions for pain or depression; in other words, trying to get to what’s really wrong.
A study published in “The Journal of the American Medical Association” found that brightening lights decreased depression, cognitive deterioration and loss of functional abilities. At Beatitudes, they’ve installed rectangles of black carpet in front of elevators, which seem to be perceived as cliffs or holes, so residents shy away; in fact, when it’s necessary to escort a resident via the elevator, the place a white towel over the black carpet, to make it be OK….hmm…
And they greet folks with “over-the-top” HELLOS! Like Cheshire cats! It works.
More new research suggests that emotion persists after cognition deteriorates; in other words, the feeling lasts a lot longer than the thought, so…Focus on creating positive feelings? Makes sense to me.
The general drift here won’t come as big news to serious pro’s who work with Alzheimer’s patients – They’ve learned a lot of it because it’s taught to them by the folks they work with, but listen to this, since we’re all about the “latest science:” All kinds of professionals and studies have found that when people who cared for folks with Alzheimer’s were given six counseling sessions as well as counselors whom they could call in a crisis, they did a lot better for a lot longer – The “patient” didn’t change, but the “caregiver” did….hmm…
No, caregivers aren’t crazy - At least, not “officially” – But they are doing high-stress work 24/7, and usually with someone they loved in another way, before it was “this way” – Counseling kinda makes sense, huh?
But let’s go back to Beatitudes, for a minute: They figured out that nutritious, low-salt, low-fat, doctor-recommended foods might actually be discouraging folks from eating, so they serve whatever folks seem to want – Including bacon, and/or whatever; in fact, some staff members carry a stash of chocolate in their pockets. They think that comforting food improves behavior and mood because it sends a message that can still be understood: “It feels good, therefore I must be in a place where I am loved.”
Happy Valentine’s Day.
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