Noticing changes during Holiday Visits

Quote of the Day:  Families coming home for the holidays can raise or notice some concerns (about elderly family members). How to deal with this, especially during the holidays, can be difficult to figure out. Deb Cranny, director of Home Instead, from her article in The Brainerd Dispatch, Senior Class section, Tuesday, Nov, 15, 2011.
Click on the link to The Dispatch (above) to read the article. Deb has some helpful tips on handling the holidays and how to bring up concerns that you might notice in your loved one. It's hard for those living close to the situation to notice changes. But, those who have been away for a while might have a different perspective. Be respectful when talking to each other about this, and always keep loving concern as the main ingredient in this conversation.

Happy Holidays!

Make time for each other and be sure to write down the family's best traditions and recipes to pass on through the generations. Like Grandma's flawless lefse!

Memory Screening

Take charge of your brain health!

Stop in for a free, confidential screening, and tips for improving memory and thinking skills.
Lakes Area Senior Center
Tuesday, November 15
9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m
Complimentary donuts and coffee!

A memory screening is a simple and safe evaluation tool that checks memory and other thinking skills. For more information call Good Samaritan Society - Brainerd (218)829-1429.

Children's book review

Quote of the Day:  Picture books are for kids of all ages. They engage the reader and the listener. They provide relaxing lap time and stimulate conversation. They offer beauty and art that can be held and experienced. Mary Aalgaard, writer

How do you talk to young children about aging?  How do you explain changes in their grandparents and prepare them for visits to the nursing home or assisted care facility?

One great way is to read picture books and be open for their questions and comments. If they ask you something you don't know, tell them that you'll look for the answers together. If they ask you something that makes you feel uncomfortable, defer the question for a little while, gather your thoughts and information, and get back to them. Here are a couple picture books that deal well with memory loss.

A Young Man's Dance by Laurie Lazzaro Knowlton, paintings by Layne Johnson.

 From the first line of the book, Grandma Ronnie isn't home anymore, we feel the pangs of loss and confusion that a boy experiences as his Grandma Ronnie is no longer in her own home, baking cookies, and doing the "cookie dance" with him as they wait for them to bake. He and his mom visit her in the nursing home where he is uncomfortable. He says, "I don't know why we bother coming here. She doesn't know who we are." His mom answers, "She's my mama. She raised me. I don't want her to feel forgotten."

We read on to learn of the relationship this boy had with his grandmother. That she taught him to dance and said, "A young man needs to know how to dance if he is going to get himself a girl." The dance of life is shown through their actions, as they learn how to live and love and remember for each other.

The illustrations are beautiful swirls of pastels and color. Some images are blurred, while others are clear, drawing our focus into eyes, smiles, feet, the moment.

This is a story that honors memory and the life someone lived, while giving us a picture of how to keep the spirit alive and live in the moment.

Another great choice is Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Patridge written by Mem Fox and Illustrated by Julie Vivas. This story is filled with whimsical words, illuminating illustrations, and creative connections. A young boy tries to help the folks in his neighborhood nursing home get their memory back. He does this by finding objects that have meaning to the indivuduals. This book engages young readers and opens their imagination to how they can bring joy and delight to older friends.

I have included the book links to Amazon.com for more information, or ask for these books at your local bookstore. Enjoy spending time together with the very old and the the very young. They know how to keep us connected and living in the moment.

What books did you enjoy reading as a youngster?