Many older adults want to stay in their home as long as possible. There is an assumption that staying in your home means you are independent, but the reality is it can often lead to loneliness and isolation. The health effects of long-term isolation are measurable and include: chronic health conditions, depression, anxiety, dementia and even premature death. One study reported the negative health effects of long-term isolation are equal to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
 
Loneliness is on the rise overall, but those most affected are those 80 and older according to a 2016 study.
 
Older adults who are most at risk are often:

• living alone
• living with untreated hearing loss
• living with mobility impairments
• no longer driving or have limited access to transportation
• recently experienced the loss of a spouse, friend or partner
• caregivers

 
The best remedy for loneliness is staying connected. Staying connected, interacting with others, and staying socially engaged with friends and your community can help keep fight loneliness and the health risks that are associated with it.
 
How can a move to Senior Living help fight loneliness?
 
When people move into a senior living community, the older adults often tell us, “I wish I would have moved sooner.” And their family members tell us, “We’ve seen our loved one blossom in the last few months!”
 
Here’s why:

• Senior living brings people together. Coffee socials, happy hours, and even chatting over lunch helps to grow those meaningful relationships that increase health and longevity.
• Senior living provides opportunities for purposeful engagement in daily life. Our residents like to volunteer, help out their neighbors, and share with friends.
• Senior living offers spiritual programming in the community, and often offers transportation to local services. Research shows that regular attendance at faith-based services (no matter the denomination) improves life expectancy.
• Intergenerational programing brings older adults and young children together to work on projects together, enjoy each other’s company, and learn from each other. The young and the young at heart both have so much wisdom to share.
• Senior living provides regularly scheduled fitness classes to help maintain physical mobility. It’s also an environment where you don’t have to feel judged or insecure about using adaptive devices (like walkers or wheelchairs) you may need to help you stay more independent.
• An accessible van means you can easily get out and about, to do shopping, visit restaurants, and more. You stay connected with the community at large, and continue to do the activities you love.

 
We invite you to visit York Gardens. Speak with our residents to hear how their health and their lives have changed for the better after moving to senior living.
 
For more information about loneliness and isolation, the AARP Foundation offers its online resource Connect2Affect. There you can find a self-assessment to determine your risk factors and tips on how to stay connected. Click here to take your self-assessment. Resources that informed this article include Government’s Role in Fighting Loneliness by Emily Holland, as published in the Wall Street Journal, and the Blue Zones Power 9 ® by Dan Buettner.

When a person with dementia asks you a question for what seems like the 29th time in a row, how do you respond? 
Have you found yourself saying (or almost saying) anything like this:   

• “Don’t you remember?”
• “Not again!  I already told you!”
• “I’ve told you a hundred times already!”

You may have learned from experience that that those types of responses don’t get you very far. They simply serve to increase your own frustration and impatience as well as that of your loved one. Rather, try responding in a calm, reassuring voice, as though it is the very first time you have answered the question.  

Physical changes in the brain can result in a person with dementia no longer being able to remember that s/he is repeating themselves. These changes also make it difficult for a person to stop a repetitive motion such as rubbing hands together, or tapping on a table.  Anxiety and tension, (byproducts of the disorientation and memory loss of dementia) can translate themselves into repetitive motions or questions which others may experience as annoying.  

Whatever a person with dementia does that appears “wrong” or “inappropriate” or “unnecessary” to our brains and our way of relating to the world is actually an expression of a need. That’s why I like the phrase “behavioral expression” so much better than the term “behavior” when referring to the challenges that can arise when someone lives with dementia. “Behavior” often implies judgment, that the person is being “bad," which encourages us to assume that if the person only tried a little harder, they could control that incessant tapping, stop asking those repeated questions, and avoid using those four letter words that they never used before!  The fact is that the person could only exert control over those things if they could STOP having dementia. This is, alas, too much to ask.

We must have patience and compassion for the seriousness of a broken brain.  It’s up to us whose brains are in better shape, who have better control over our actions and responses to others to take a deep breath…and focus on helping the person out with whatever need is making itself known, however it may be expressed.     

A hungry person might ask “What’s for lunch?” over and over. For this person, giving them a piece of paper with the upcoming “menu” written down may satisfy the question. In addition, getting the person involved in some aspect of meal or table preparation might be an effective distraction.  

If a person with dementia is in pain, they might rock, pace or otherwise move rhythmically to express their discomfort.  We must be sensitive to the comfort–related needs of the person, and do what we can to alleviate them. Sometimes, giving a repetitive task like winding yarn or folding towels can be a comforting distraction for the person.   

Sometimes people may be bored, craving a sense of purpose and meaning. Repetitive movement can be reflective of things the person used to enjoy doing on a regular basis. If your loved one asks you, “What do I do now?” they are in effect asking you to involve them in something that will give them a sense of pleasure, peace, or usefulness.  Put something of interest in their hands. Ask them for help with a task. We all need to be of use.  This does not stop when we get older or when we develop dementia. An inability to take initiative is usually part of the dementia progression. Do not assume that your loved one is beyond having interest in things that have been important to them. The person may be at a loss as to how to access or activate that interest. In that case, it falls to us to remind the person of their accomplishments and adapt past interests into activities they are able to enjoy now.  

It is a good idea not to discuss plans with a person (appointments, visitors, outings) who has very short-term memory loss.  Knowing an event too far ahead of time can cause extreme agitation (as well as, you guessed it, repeated questions) for a person with dementia.  This tendency will vary, of course, person to person, but it is necessary to monitor and adapt to the changes as dementia progresses.  

Sometimes the need expressed is an emotional one. The person may be fearful, sad, or feeling insecure. That emotion could come out as a repeated question or as a physical expression, i.e., pacing, as the person attempts to express what is inside.  Listen for the emotion behind a person’s question or behavioral expression, and respond to that, i.e., “You seem worried.  I’m right here if you need anything.  “We will be together all day.”   Putting on soothing music that the person likes and using gentle touch may provide further reassurance.  
If the person seems to need a hug, tell him or her that YOU need a hug, and they will very likely oblige you with one.  Then they get to feel that they are giving you something that YOU need.  We all feel better when that happens!

--Marysue Moses, Ebenezer Dimensions Program Coordinator

--Information in this post is partially based on material in Coping with Behavior Change in Dementia: A Family Caregiver’s Guide, by Beth Spencer and Laurie White 

Few processes are more stressful than deciding upon the best place to move a loved one when it is determined that a move to memory care is the best option.  Keep in mind that when this decision needs to be made, it is often critically important, not only for the well-being of the person with dementia, but in order to maintain the health and safety of the family member who is their current care partner.
If you are in the process of making this potentially agonizing decision, here are some questions to ask yourself, and others, as you tour and consider various possibilities:
What does the environment feel like?

• Is it cozy? Is the atmosphere comfortable and homelike?   
• How’s the temperature?  Are there pleasant smells?
• Are there items of interest on the wall to attract attention and engage the residents?  
• Is television on, with no one really engaged, or is there some soothing music happening if there is not a scheduled activity going on?
• Do you see residents out and about, chatting together?
• Do you see staff interacting warmly with residents? 
• Do residents seem calm and content, overall? 
• What sorts of interventions are tried here should a resident become upset?  For example, is  Aromatherapy in use?  (see http://www.haaromatherapy.com/  to learn more)

What can you learn about the staff?

• Are staff members trained in dementia care on a computer, or do they get plenty of in-person instruction?
• How much training does the front-line staff get upon hire and yearly on different dementia topics?   
• Are staff warm and friendly towards visitors?
• Do staff members seem to take their time around residents, or are they rushing?
• If you have the opportunity, away from residents, ask a staff member, “What do you like about working with persons with dementia?”
• Ask how staff members are trained to deal with challenging situations, such as a resident pounding on the door and wanting to leave? (Encouraging answers would include “We are trained to validate the need behind whatever the resident is feeling, to comfort, to reassure, and to redirect them to something that we know is meaningful or pleasurable for them” and “When possible, we take someone who wants to leave this part of the building for a short walk in another part of the building, or (weather permitting) even outside.”
• What is the ratio of staff to residents?  Is memory care currently full now?  How many memory care residents will there be when it is full? (Does this sound like too big of a crowd for your loved one to manage well around?)  

What is the level of activity and engagement?  

• Is there an activity staff person specifically assigned to the memory care community? 
• Are activities ever scheduled after supper?  How about on the weekend?   If you get an activities schedule, look to see if the weekend schedule is as full as the weekday schedule.  
• Ask to observe an activity.  Note the level of engagement of the participants.  Is the activity being done FOR the residents, or (preferably) is there lots of interaction and participation, because the activity is being done WITH the residents?
• How often do staff engage residents during the down time they have between cares?
• How much is music a regular part of the life of the community? 
• Are there any service projects being done?
• Do Assisted Living residents and Memory Care residents ever come together and interact?   
• How would my loved one be made to feel useful in this community?

Does the well-being of residents seem to be a priority?

• Observe the relationship between front line staff and memory care residents very closely. The quality of life of your loved one will be dependent on the quality of the relationships s/he has with the staff who interact with them the most.
• Ask how consistent the staffing patterns are. Will your loved one have the same person helping them for a certain number of days in a row?  Consistent staffing patterns are a very good sign, as are caregivers who have worked at the site or in memory care for many years.   

What support is available here for family members?

• Is there a Care Partner Support Group that meets onsite or nearby?
• How often are educational presentations given about dementia or related issues? 
• How often will I be invited to attend a care conference concerning my loved one?    
• Has this site had experience with different types of dementia (such as Lewy Body, Frontotemporal, and Vascular)?   Even if your loved one has Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia, you want to know if the site has experience and training on working with different types of dementia.   

This is by no mean a complete list of what you will want to ask, but it’s a start.  Two more ideas:

• Ask the person who is touring you, “What are you most excited about currently in terms of what is going in in your memory care community?”
• Think about your loved one, their personality, their habits, their interests and accomplishments, and ask specific questions to determine how all of that might be catered to at whatever sites you are considering.

Good luck in your search!
-Marysue Moses, Ebenezer Dimensions Coordinator

I am grateful for all the inspiration I have received over the past year, from persons living with dementia (many of them, I must add, functioning very well.  For instance, Paulann Gordon has been living with dementia for the past 5 years. She is now in the middle stages and continues to function well. She has chosen to live her life as an advocate, speaker and author. Paulann has published a booklet sharing her experiences living with dementia. Vascular Dementia – An Inside Perspective, is available on Amazon. Her story provides valuable insight and encouragement for those living with dementia their caregivers.
​
Whether we work with persons with dementia, or have loved ones with dementia, we must never forget that the wholeness of the person’s spirit is still there, even when it looks like it isn’t. What are the person’s strengths?  What makes them smile?  What lights them up? What interests and passions can still be reached and celebrated?  For me, answering these questions is of primary importance in caring for our fellow human beings who happen to have dementia.
I am thankful that I am surrounded by people who are deeply committed to caring for those living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. From devoted care partners whose closest loved ones have dementia, to front-line staff at Ebenezer sites whom I have observed slowing down and taking time to connect with residents, and activities staff who exhibit tremendous energy and enthusiasm to make life easier, friendlier, more pleasant and more meaningful for those residents with whom they work, I am grateful. I have been inspired by occupational therapists, dementia trainers, receptionists, chaplains, administrators, nurses, executives, donors and professional artists, all of whom in some way are making a profound difference for persons with dementia. 

In my personal circle, I have been inspired by many friends and family members.  It’s reassuring to remember support is available. And there are those who are passionately devoted to caring for those with dementia. If you feel, like I do, that the news of late is oh, a bit challenging to take in, it helps to remember what is going well in our own sphere in order to maintain and cultivate resilience.  It’s part of self-care, which is an essential practice for anyone out there caring for a person with dementia.
HappyThanksgiving to all.
--Marysue Moses, Dimensions Coordinator, Ebenezer. mmoses1@fairview.org, 11/21/2017

At the end of June, I had the opportunity to experience the first ever North American Dementia Action Alliance Conference in Atlanta. This was an amazing event, the best and most moving dementia conference I have ever been to, and it scrambled my brain in the very best way. 

The conference organizers included persons with early-stage dementia in their planning. There were many speakers at the conference who also had dementia, who spoke movingly and clearly about horrendous experiences with diagnosis (example: essentially being told by the doctor to “get your affairs in order”, and just prepare to curl up and die) the stigma that accompanies the diagnosis, the despair the ensues, and the long climb back into hope, purpose and connection which now fills their lives.

There were 30 persons who attended the conference who are currently living well with dementia, and doing amazing things. Yes, they run on adrenaline in conference situations and there is another side to their lives that conference goers like me can only imagine, i.e. the utter exhaustion at the end of the day, the confusion that comes and goes, the losing one’s way in a large hotel, the forgetting a portion of what happened this morning. 
Here are 10 things I learned: 

1. While I am the Dimensions Coordinator for Ebenezer, a large and reputable organization which cares for older people, many of them with dementia, I am NOT a dementia expert.  People who have dementia are the real dementia experts, and we all, including me, need to listen to them more.  
2. People with dementia are very smart, especially about dementia.  Having dementia is not to be confused with mental retardation. (I assumed that I understood that already, but it was only after hearing this panel of people who happened to have dementia and who were all brilliant, articulate and expressive did I really get it.)  People with dementia use their intelligence to compensate, to reach out to others, and to express their truth.   
3. People with dementia do not appreciate the automatic assumption that they are “suffering” with dementia.  Yes, they may be struggling to stay connected to who they were, but they are not steeped in misery 24/7.  As one person very succinctly put it, “I have Alzheimer’s, but it doesn’t have me”. 
4. We must change the lens with which we view dementia. Persons with dementia would prefer to be seen as “living with a chronic disability” rather than “dying from a fatal disease”.  We encourage people to give up when we frame it in the latter way.  People often have MANY years left once given a diagnosis.  A pronouncement of their “timeline” may not serve them well. No one has a crystal ball.  
5. People with dementia are creative and flexible.  Many have found ways to compensate for changes in their cognition; they use tools, routines, technology and strategies to support themselves.    
6. People with dementia are keenly aware of our response to them; they’re sensitive to the mood on our faces and the look in our eyes.  If we are kind and open, and willing to meet the person where they are at, that means the world to them.  If we only pity them, or turn away because we don’t know how to respond, that hurts.
7. People with dementia have passion: passion to make a difference in the lives of others with dementia, passion to rise above the fog that sets in, passion to choose to LIVE, passion to mentor others with dementia (visit DementiaMentors.org for more information). Their passion fuels them to live their purpose.  They may find that purpose in creating art.  One participant at the conference spoke of losing her ability to speak early on in her dementia process.  For a time, she was suffering intensely.  She felt devastated, and without hope. A smart friend got her into a clay workshop and she started making pots.  Now, her sense of purpose is fueled by making astoundingly elegant, museum-quality pots.  And by the way, she has completely regained her ability to speak.
8. People with dementia are fierce advocates.  They are resilient.  They do get tired of course, partially because they spend a lot of energy making sure other people are comfortable with their illness. 
9. People with dementia are ordinary people.  They do not want to disappear.  They try to forget about dementia so that it doesn’t define them.
10. People with dementia want to live a life with a sense of normalcy, and to live fully, for as long as possible.  This includes the right to make mistakes once in a while.  Do people without dementia have the right to make some mistakes?  

So, there’s a lot of food for thought here for those of us who care for people with dementia at any stage.  I have to wonder…What if every resident with dementia at Ebenezer had the advantage, at the start  of his/her diagnosis, of experiencing the abundance of support, encouragement, mentoring and community that now exists for persons living with an early stage-diagnosis?

Might they be doing a whole lot better now?  I think they might.  But it is never too late to support people in finding a sense of purpose and meaning, and never too late to treat them with the compassion and respect they deserve.  It is with a renewed and profound sense of purpose that I will continue to learn about dementia from the real experts, and to advocate for them, all along the way.     
 
-Marysue Moses, Ebenezer Dimensions Coordinator, mmoses1@fairview.org

With thanks to Megan Carnarius, author and nursing home operator, for the insight on Native American beliefs.  
~Marysue Moses
Dimensions Program Coordinator
moses1@fairview. org  

If you have ever surfed websites of senior housing options, I bet you have frequently run into the term “person-centered care” which we owe to Dr. Thomas Kitwood, a British physician who focused on the importance of remembering that a person with dementia is first and foremost a PERSON with particular needs, challenges, strengths and preferences. 

Cannot expect persons with dementia to think like we do
It is also due to Dr. Kitwood’s brilliant work that nurses are no longer trained to try to orient persons with dementia to reality, e.g., “No, no, Mrs. Jones, it’s 2017 now – actually your mother is dead, and the farm has been sold!” Thank goodness for Tom Kitwood! He helped us understand that we cannot expect persons with dementia to think like we do. As I’ve heard nursing home operator and author Megan Carnarius say, “We need to cross to their side of the street.” People with dementia simply cannot come over to ours. We need to give them responses that make sense with the way in which they understand the world. 

Relationship-based care
Dementia expert Elion Caspi encourages us to also think about dementia care as “relationship-based care.”  If we do not maintain relationship and genuine connection with persons with dementia, trust wears thin. As a result, it becomes challenging for persons with dementia to accept the care they need.  

Lost in the grief
It is completely understandable that care partners are exhausted. They often get caught up in the grief of losing the precise relationship they had with their loved one before dementia was part of the picture. All too often, people become angry and bitter, even to the point of saying things such as “Alzheimer’s is worse than death.” That is a direct quote from the despondent husband of a wonderfully clever woman; let’s call her “Pam,” with whom I worked for some years. What a heartbreaking pronouncement from her husband! At this point, Pam still loved to share opinions and insight, sing Broadway tunes, reminisce, walk, dance, and hold hands.

A person is NOT their Alzheimer's disease any more than a person who has cancer is their cancer!
Those of us who have had family members with dementia or other progressive diseases do understand from whence that sentiment arises.  However, it is ultimately not a helpful one.  Nor is it accurate. It implies that we might as well give up on a person who is still very much alive. This could not be further from the truth. A person is NOT their Alzheimer’s disease any more than a person who has cancer IS their cancer. The person, an intact spiritual being, is still there, though many of their needs have changed dramatically. We do our loved ones a disservice if we refuse to rise to the occasion of their increased needs. 

Maintain connections along the way
There are many gifts to be gained by accepting where the person is at, through each and every phase of their dementia experience. There is connection to maintain all along the way. How we connect will vary with different types and different phases of dementia, but in general, smiling, eye contact, gentle touch and approach, curiosity, acceptance of where the person is, conversation about things that are meaningful to the person, sharing laughter, singing, enjoying simple pleasures, giving compliments, promoting calm, validating the person’s feelings, doing things just the way the person likes, making things easier for them, reminiscing, having fun together, sparking creativity, enjoying humor….well, the list of what can be done to maintain a healthy, nurturing relationship goes on and on.

Responding to the world from an earlier developmental time
In short, we can treat the person like a PERSON, and remember that even though this person is losing skills, even though this person may enjoy and indeed benefit from things that children like, this person is still an adult who is simply responding to the world from an earlier developmental time. This person still has strengths and skills we must actively encourage and appreciate in order for them to have a meaningful life.     

Language is powerful
Did you notice that I’ve been using the term “care partner” rather than “caregiver?”  Language is powerful. When the relationship between a person with dementia and someone caring for them is viewed more as a partnership, what’s implied is that both persons have something to give. Think about it…What might persons with dementia still have to offer us, their care partners?

Some bonds remain unbreakable
They can give valuable input as to what they like and what they don’t like. They can lend us wisdom from past experience; they can share memories of olden days, with humor and perspective. They can inspire us with their courage and resilience. They can give us love. In this process, we may be surprised at how flexible our own capacity to love may become. Even in the late stage of their dementia, our loved one may remind us how some bonds remain unbreakable. Caring for persons with dementia may give us more patience and more appreciation for wordless communication and for life than we’ve ever known.
​ 
We are in this together
Thinking about our relationship as a partnership will help make us more open to a person’s participation and input. We just might respect, value and love this person all the more.  We are not the same as this person, and we have each been impacted by dementia and changed forever in vastly different ways, but surely we are in this together.      
 
 
--Marysue Moses, Ebenezer Dementia Care Program Coordinator                                                                                     ​

If I am in the earliest phase of dementia, I generally will hide my deficits pretty well, even though I may be experiencing fear and anxiety as I realize that my brain is not functioning as well as it used to.  Because people with dementia lose skills in the reverse order that children gain them, this phase represents the loss of my Adult Learning. This means that those skills that I got really good at when I became a full-fledged adult will be the first abilities that I lose. I may have challenges with word-finding, vocabulary and math. I may have issues with driving (car accidents, tickets) and my checkbook may become increasingly confusing and difficult for me to manage. I might mix up medications, so please keep an eye on that.  I can’t seem to plan an event any more, make a shopping list, or even cook a whole meal. Multitasking is way too overwhelming for me. My speech may become vague as I struggle to remember the details of whatever you are asking me about. 

It is important (not just now but throughout the dementia experience) that you as my care partner remember and focus on the strengths that I still have. There are many! In this early phase, I still have a sense of humor. Please help me find opportunities to laugh. Ask me questions you know I can still answer.  (Do not quiz me to remind me of what I am forgetting.)  I still have the capacity for ideas and decisions, so be sure to give me some choices.  Relationships are still important to me.  Please reassure me that you care. Hold my hand and speak to me with warmth and kindness. I still have interests.  Help me explore them.  I will have fun reminiscing with you about days gone by because my long-term memory is still really good. I can probably still use clocks, watches and calendars to some degree. Give me reminder notes if those still work for me. 

In this phase, I will most of all need compassion and understanding.  I am still a person, a person whose spirit is experiencing considerable anguish at the moment. Please avoid arguing with me, and do whatever you can to make things easier for me. But please try not to scold or embarrass me in the process. If you see that I am frustrated, it’s okay to say, “It’s so frustrating, isn’t it!” Please don’t take it personally if I get mad at you or seem to blame you at times. I do this because I am scared.  I have a sense that I am losing control. If you can let my frustrations roll off your back and just acknowledge that I seem upset, if you can apologize to me even though you don’t know what you did to provoke my anger, I bet I will relax, and this might even encourage me to share my deeper feelings with you. I so need your love, support and your patience at this time. Thank you for asking me what I need!  

--- Marysue Moses, Ebenezer Dementia Care Program Coordinator
This blog was inspired by information and insight in the book A Deeper Perspective on Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias, by Megan Carnarius.

When persons with dementia move into a memory care community, it can take from several weeks up to three months or more for the person to adjust and feel comfortable with the new environment and routine.  From my personal experience working with memory care residents at one assisted living for over a decade, I would say the average amount of time before the person settled in was no longer than a month.  Your loved one may be angry for a while, and may seem more confused than before.  This is a perfectly normal phase.  Rest assured, things will improve in time.  Here are ten tips to help ease the transition:

1.  If your loved one has limited short-term memory, it may be helpful to reassure them that staying in this new place is “temporary”, i.e., “just for the summer”, “just for a few months”.  Telling them, “The doctor wants you to stay for a little while” may work if the person has a very good relationship with their doctor, and if they tend to place their doctor on a pedestal. “Stay for supper. You have a reservation, and the meal’s already paid for” might also be an effective approach.        
2. Introduce your loved one to other residents and staff as though these people are already your friends.
3. Avoid explanations like “You’re here so they can take care of you.” A person with dementia may not think that he or she is sick.  Likewise, “This is your home now!” is probably the least comforting thing you can say to a person who feels out of place.  Instead of trying to argue with the person, focus on empathizing with their feelings, then distracting them.  “I know it’s strange to be in a new place. Hey, I hear they have a lovely patio – let’s find it!”  Or, “Of course you don’t like it yet. You only just got here.  See how you feel in a few days! ” 
4. “I’ll help you get used to it” might be reassuring to your loved one, especially if you actually follow up on that. Attend activities with your loved one, eat a meal with them and make conversation with their new “friends”.    
5. Decorate your loved one’s room with items that define who this person is. You want staff to be able to know something about them the minute they walk in the room.  An example might be a person whose hobby was making quilts. You could put a beautiful quilt on the bed or on the wall, and bring her sewing box with fabric pieces, yarn, thread (no pins) patterns, measuring tape, etc.)
6. Create familiarity in your loved one’s room by bringing their favorite chair or other significant familiar possessions.  Avoid photos from their recent past, (unless the photos are of grandchildren). Pictures of their mom and dad, or of you when you were a child, will be more relatable.  You could even write the names of the people under each photo to give staff members a good starting point for making conversation. 
7. Hang items on the wall at 5’ or below, wherever your loved one’s line of vision is. They need to be able to see and touch their belongings.
8. If allowable, distinguish the door to their room or apartment with their name or signature, hung about 4 feet up.  
9. If allowable, hang an 8 x 10 photo of when your loved one was much younger to the side of the door or place it in a Memory Box Cabinet.  This is a wonderful tool to help people with dementia identify where they live.  Many persons with dementia think of themselves as much younger than they actually are. Staff members will also benefit from seeing this photo, it reinforces that your loved one is a complete person who has lived a long and full life.  
10. Lastly, a tip for your benefit:  Please do not bring in items of great value that you would regret losing. Wedding rings often fall off fingers and get lost. Some residents with dementia are fond of giving things away. My own mother threw most of her valuable jewelry in the trash at one point.  Some families replace a wedding ring with a similar piece of costume jewelry in order to avoid losing that heirloom. Others simply promise their loved ones that they will keep it safe for them.

Many of these wonderful tips are taken from the wonderful guidebook, Moving a Relative with Memory Loss, by Laurie White and Beth Spencer, available through Whisp Publications.