Resources: Dementia
Don’t we each have someone in our life that has – or had – some form of dementia? It’s devastating to watch our loved one wane and diminish, losing their sense of self, and their ability to express their wishes to us.
There are resources that teach us how to better communicate with folks that have dementia. And there is planning we can do to prepare ourselves for the possibility of our own slipping into dementia.
Alzheimer’s Association – Washington
Whether it’s offering support to anyone facing Alzheimer’s, advocating for the needs and rights of those facing dementia, or advancing critical research, we work toward methods of treatment, prevention, and ultimately, a cure.
https://www.alz.org/alzwa
Dementia Directives (from End of Life Washington)
This first-of-its-kind advance planning document allows people coping with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia to document their wishes about the inevitable challenges related to living with these illnesses. Even if this directive is not legal where you live, you can still use it to document your wishes and provide a guide for your family, health care providers, long-term care providers, and others.
https://endoflifewa.org/tools-for-planning/dementia-directives/
Dementia Legal Planning Toolkit
From the Dementia Action Collaborative of Washington State (with DSHS): “We created the Dementia Legal Planning Toolkit to help you think about the kinds of financial and health care decisions you will need to make if you are living with mild cognitive impairment or dementia. We have also included some do-it-yourself legal forms to get you started.”
Dementia Values and Priorities Tool
The Dementia Values and Priorities Tool is designed to help you communicate your wishes regarding future care if you are living with dementia. After answering a series of questions related to the changes commonly seen in the progression of dementia, the tool will provide you with a document that can be added to your existing advance directive and shared with others. The interactive online tool is available in English and Spanish. Printable versions are available in multiple languages.
“Mr. Smith Has No Mealtimes”: Minimal Comfort Feeding for Patients with Advanced Dementia
“We introduce Minimal Comfort Feeding (MCF). Rather than offering food and liquids proactively as with Comfort Feeding Only, caregivers provide nutrition and hydration only in response to signs of hunger and thirst…” Article in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management by Dr. Hope Wechkin and colleagues. Read the full article below:
https://www.jpsmjournal.com/article/S0885-3924(24)01116-3/fulltext
Teepa Snow
Radically transforming the experience of dementia. You deserve to know practical dementia care skills, so that you can experience life-changing results.
Teepa Snow: Accepting the Challenge!
FANTASTIC lesson on communicating and interacting with persons living with dementia. (Start watching the video at 1:16)
Functional Assessment Staging Tool (FAST Scale)
The Functional Assessment Staging (FAST) Tool is a validated clinical instrument by Dr. Barry Reisberg to assess the progression of dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease, by staging functional decline through seven stages.
LGBTQIA+ Ally