I met Sara while caring for her husband, Joe. Joe was in his early eighties with a myriad of hard luck health problems. I took care of Joe till he passed on hospice. I had ample time in those couple of months to become acquainted with Sara, then in her late seventies. They shared a marriage and an average blue-collar life for 40+ years.
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.
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.
"The AFA Dementia Care Partners course was great for its new information and also confirmed many of the things that I've seen in my almost 15 years of being a caregiver for people with Alzheimer's," said Belton. "The examination was quite challenging as it consisted of open ended essay style questions based on different real life scenarios that one may encounter as a caregiver."
During another weekly concert, more residents attended the performance by Michelle Belton and Todd Basham, who sounds similar to Johnny Cash. "I know you like country music," Belton said to a resident who was wearing a West Virginia shirt. He said no and that his girlfriend makes him wear the shirt.
In 2004, she opened Companion Home Care Inc in a small business incubator. I “decided to narrow my focus from not just ‘non-medical’ help with daily living for seniors to a specialty in understanding dementia and Alzheimer’s.” She is a Certified Dementia Practitioner, “which gives me a group of like-minded individuals belonging to the [national association] to help further my mission in this disease.”
