Power of Touch and Other Ideas..........For Caregivers of Their Loved Ones

 

 PLEASE Do Reach Out and Touch Them ...Acknowledge Them ..They Know..IMHO

                AND They So Desrve Respct and Dignity Shown to Them

All individuals, regardless of age or abilities, have the need for touch and love and the desire for companionship. Touch is a human need and personalizes caregiving. People respond to touch depending upon their upbringing and self-image. A touch can convey compassion, not just sexual interest. It can convey reassurance (as a gentle stroking of the forearm), safety (as an arm around the shoulder) or relaxation (as a shoulder massage) among other feelings.

Take out old family photos and go thru them with them telling them who they are OR seeing if they still can remember some of the ppl in the pics.......

Doing big puzzles with them also keeps their minds active and that is truly need IMHO,if you are left with nothing to think abiut you will get stagnant and go further into sellf making self more prone to quick downfall in the dang disease

If they like to play cards make huge ones out of bristol board and they can still try and play ( it doesnt matter if they get it right ..IT matters that they are being shown and given attention) the GK's and GGK's can play with them ..Take for walks out to see th flowers and let them touch them.............. smell them ......they need this

Caregivers have the ability to show the loved ones by just touching them hugging them and sitting to listen to them talk about whatever even if it doesnt make sense to you ....I do not believe in outright lying but I do believe in going to where they are in their world ..obviously I am talking about those not in the last stages but I truly believe we can slow down the progression of this DD by showing and giving more of ourselves to them

However you cope with the changes in your loving relationship, you may be able to find additional emotional support and relationships in friends and family, children, pets, and coworkers/volunteers.

The Power of Touch

All individuals, regardless of age or abilities, have the need for touch and love and the desire for companionship. Touch is a human need and personalizes caregiving. People respond to touch depending upon their upbringing and self-image. A touch can convey compassion, not just sexual interest. It can convey reassurance (as a gentle stroking of the forearm), safety (as in an arm around the shoulder)

Encourage family members and guests to face their elder when talking to him/her. This is an essential skill for hearing-impaired or demented elderly. Gently massage some lightly scented lotion on your loved one’s hands and feet. Yeah, old people’s feet get gnarly, because/so they don’t get touched often. Have a podiatrist take care of nail clipping and necessary medical procedures. 

 Whenever you sit or stand with your loved one, retain physical contact by holding his/her hand or arm. This also can help to orient a demented or sight-impaired person.  Avoid signs and actions that show your discomfort or repulsion to your loved one’s ailment(s). People are very conscious of the way that other people perceive them and take on negative frames of mind.  

Just my thoughts ppl .......I know I did this with Mom and Dad both

Cherish them please for once they are gone.........Make Memories..I Miss Them So

..A Hug and a kiss on the cheek is free and forever remembered
Maybe not always by your loved ones but
YOU can make these memories.......

Cherish them so .......

I know I did and still miss them so much........LYN

God Bless

this is so true.....

i can feel your love for your parents with each post......thanks for that...

 

POWER OF TOUCH..............................GOES A LONG WAY IMHO AND IN OTHER'S OPINIONS


All individuals, regardless of age or abilities, have the need for touch and love and the desire for companionship. Touch is a human need and personalizes caregiving. People respond to touch depending upon their upbringing and self-image. A touch can convey compassion, not just sexual interest. It can convey reassurance (as a gentle stroking of the forearm), safety (as an arm around the shoulder) or relaxation (as a shoulder massage) among other feelings.

So often we rely on the "miracles of modern medicine" and technological solutions to the stresses of aging and physical illness (and even spiritual/emotional losses). Most religions have traditions of the healing and curative powers of touch. These traditions can be interpreted as myth or fact. Yet even modern science recognizes the importance of human interaction and physical contact. Touching or massage can promote physiological responses such as decreased nervous tension, decreased muscle contractions, increased circulation, and decreased heart rate and blood pressure.

Ten years ago as I watched a good friend of mine die of AIDS. As David’s disease progressed he suffered from terribly disfiguring Kaposi’s sarcoma. People avoided him on the street and averted their eyes. In the days before he died, I made a conscious effort to face him as I spoke and rest my hand on his knee or shoulder when we sat together. At times this was not easy for me. I did not – could not – cure his disease. But I know that I made a difference in his frame of mind, especially given his own perception of himself as "untouchable."

When I volunteered as a Long-Term Care Ombudsman at a nursing home, I frequently found myself sitting and talking with residents. THEY reached out to touch me – grasping my arm (sometimes bone-crunching!), tapping my knee and even kissing my hand. People in residential settings are not solely "patients" – they need attention and affection more than ever before.

Caregivers have a great opportunity to enhance the well-being of their loved ones by being more conscious of the power that they hold in the fingertips. I have included a few additional examples:

Encourage family members and guests to face their elder when talking to him/her. This is an essential skill for hearing-impaired or demented elderly. Gently massage some lightly scented lotion on your loved one’s hands and feet. Yeah, old people’s feet get gnarly, because/so they don’t get touched often. Have a podiatrist take care of nail clipping and necessary medical procedures. Whenever you sit or stand with your loved one, retain physical contact by holding his/her hand or arm. This also can help to orient a demented or sight-impaired person. Avoid signs and actions that show your discomfort or repulsion to your loved one’s ailment(s). People are very conscious of the way that other people perceive them and take on negative frames of mind.

Recommended Books:

Alzheimer's Early Stages: First Steps in Caring and Treatment by Daniel Kuhn et al.
The 36-Hour Day : A Family Guide to Caring for Persons With Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementing Illnesses, and Memory Loss in Later Life by Nancy L. Mace et al.
There's Still a Person in There : The Complete Guide to Treating and Coping With Alzheimer's by Michael Castleman et al.

I have read these books and they give a warm HEALTHY insight to the caregiver............IMHO.........LYN