The goal of the training session was to educate and empower Companion Home Care staff to render lifesaving aid to their clients in the event of a catastrophe. Caregivers were taught how to recognize the nature of the emergency, and what steps to take to stabilize an individual until emergency medical staff have arrived.
The Wounded Warriors Amputee Softball Team consists of men and women, both veterans and active duty soldiers, from all service branches, who have sustained injuries resulting in amputation. Through extensive rehabilitation, they have become competitive athletes, playing against teams across the country in competitive, celebrity, and exhibition games.
After four months into this situation, I can see the decline in his cognition in our day-to-day activities such as his confusion as what to do with his toothbrush, and how he now abhors bathing. The surprise is that this man has become quite a charming and witty personality. He is conversing and taking part in group activities and offering vocal advice that only the insight of a 90-year-old can offer. His humor is on time and I have yet to experience any stuttering.
The word “remember” is shrouded in negativity, anxiety, and feelings of uncertainty for persons experiencing dementia. “Mom, you remember your neighbors, Tom and Jane? Don’t you?” All eyes are on the person with dementia, as everyone in the room is holding their breath waiting to clap for the right answer, like watching a child taking their first step.
We spend a good portion of our lives wanting our parents’ approval and making them proud of our accomplishments. We give them grandchildren in hopes that will offer many more
memories and achievements to relish. It is incomprehensible to us that we could ever be forgotten or misplaced by the one that birthed us.
