Our retirement community has a locked unit for people with dementia. Interacting with them is a completely unique experience from everything else in my life. I have found people with dementia to have their own realities. The reality I live in just provides them symbols to use to deal with any feelings they may be having.
Many people from the section of the retirement community I work in will have enough memory difficulties some day that they will need to move into the locked unit. Even if they don't, their neighbors may and I believe they and the possible future they represent shouldn't be ignored. So one activity I have on the schedule is to make something for the people in the locked unit, and then later in the week to deliver it to them.
This week was the first time it came up and we made puzzles from pictures in magazines. We cut out any large vibrant photos we could find without text and glued them to plain white paper. Then we cut them into 4 or 6 pieces and voila- puzzles! Today we visited with the dementia residents and after a pet visit with my sugar glider we helped small groups configure the pieces. It was great to see the residents there working together and helping one another and it was good for my group to see that they are still human beings and enjoy visitors. I think this is a great group to connect with and I can't wait for our next visit.
Unfortunately, one of my residents was so upset she had to leave the locked unit. In particular, she has severe memory issues. She is very physically capable and hates the fact that her husband has "put her here against her will". Her anger towards him might as well be against the aging of her brain that prevents her from staying focused and safe. Today was the first time she mentioned her memory issues to me and it was only after she saw someone she knew in the dementia unit. It was someone whom she had befriended in another part of the retirement community when they lived across the hall from each other. That person did not recognize my resident. She just shrieked at us and ran away. It was then my resident asked to leave and said she couldn't deal with this, it was why her husband "really" put her here. I think she was seeing herself in her old friend- and imagining herself shrieking and running away.
Last night was my second attempt at setting up a movie night before I left and hoping it went smoothly. I could try for a third strike, but instead I think I'll just put it into my schedule for a time I am here so I can make sure no buttons are accidentally pushed or rude movie watchers do not ruin the experience for anyone. This morning I came in to find the input changed, DVD player moved, and a suspicious trail of popcorn leading to a bathroom.
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