More about relationship based care for people with Alzheimer's disease.

We have long seen that music therapy and art therapy have an almost magical quality of drawing out elders who suffer with cognitive impairment. The aura effect for  care givers seeing people become more alert, smile and sing along or express joy at finishing a watercolor goes far beyond the few hours of therapy we are able to provide. The problem is that while medicare will pay for elders to take multiple sedating or behavior control medications, no insurance we have ever encountered will pay for the lifestyle enhancements that can reduce or eliminate the need for these medications.

Now the University of Milwaukee has launched a study of this phenomenon based on the work of Music and Memory a national music therapy provider. (The Oregonian October  27, 2014, Page D7)
Here's hoping that this study is able to documents what care givers, case managers, therapists and families have long observed; that cognitively enhancing therapies dramatically increase the quality of life and lower the need for medications for elders who are living in confined circumstances because of safety needs.

Enjoyed presenting a workshop to the National Adult Protective Services Association this past week. I had a fantastic group of about thirty dedicated professionals who chose to spend time with me. Their questions helped me clarify one of the core ideas behind Restoring Lives, all great care giving is relationship based. Once they know they are protected, the daily routines of frail elders are the heart of their life.

Care givers, nurses, protective service workers, social workers and guardians are all part of the care giving world. This world can seem frightening and uncertain to frail elders, especially those who have been ripped off.  Understanding and defending care giving boundaries is important. At times care givers take advantage of those they help. But equally important is helping people who need care form positive relationships with those helping them. This is the key to making the last phase of life a time of love and joy. To quote one of the characters in Restoring Lives, a man who lived bed bound in a loving and competent adult family home for two years after we helped him leave a meth house, "I'm the luckiest guy alive!"