THE INTERMISSIONS INFORMER
C h a r l e s t o w n R et i r e m e n t C o m m u n i t y
Volume 3, Issue 10
October 2014
Inside:
Intermissions
Moments
2
Caregiver’s
Corner
3
October
Calendar
4
The Facts About
Intermissions:
Coming in October
Cool weather, hot beverages and the slow
cascade of leaves from the trees can only mean
one thing, Fall is here! We will highlight all
the excitement of autumn by spending time
together working on trivia, crafts and projects
that remind us of this beautiful time of year.
Because there will be a surplus of
leaves around Charlestown, we will use them
to create a beautiful piece of artwork that
shows the vivid colors of the season. Later in
the month, our friends from Renaissance Gardens Terrace will be joining us for a morning
of party games and music with Dr. Bev. We
always enjoy having them over for a visit.
One of our volunteers, Annette
McDaniels, will be spending more time with
the group through her Movin’ to the Music
program every Tuesday afternoon. Annette and
I think this is a great way to get some extra exercise since we won’t be able to get outside as
much as we did in the summer. We’re excited
to try out this new program!
 Intermissions enriches
lives
Our most heartfelt thanks go
out to the following
volunteers, who shared their
gifts with us last month.
We are truly grateful!
Residents:
Muriel Hartge
Mat Merker & Charmin
Eugene & Charlotte Langbehn
Annette McDaniels
Nancy Hollenbach
Staff:
Mary Evans
Rose Sands
Sarah Chrzanowski
Martin Buker
Judi Welsh
Amy Sarro
Christopher Rudolf
Other Volunteers:
Dr. Bev Hall
 Intermissions is: joy, com-
fort, success and wellbeing for participants.
 Intermissions is: reassur-
ance and respite for caregivers.
Come and get to know us
and leave your worries on
the doorstep.
Just a reminder, we have another Intermissions Caregivers Meeting scheduled for October 13th at 10:30am in the Intermissions
Room. More information will be coming to
you in the mail shortly.
For more information about
enrolling or volunteering,
contact Kayleigh Reese,
Intermissions Program
Coordinator, at 443-297-3500
or
[email protected]
Page 2
The Intermissions Informer
September Intermissions Moments
Barbara Walker put on a terrific presentation and brought the beauty of nature
right into our room!
We got to see, touch, and smell fragrant
clippings of flowers, herbs and trees that
Barbara collected from right here at
Charlestown. One thing’s for sure, we’ll
never call them weeds again!
Thank you Barbara for the informative
program!
Community Resources, led by Mary Evans,
came by toward the end of the month to
work on a craft project. We all got to take
home a small wreath to put on our doors or
windows. It was easy to assemble, and very
appropriate for the first day of fall!
Maureen’s Moment
One of our favorite activities is to visit our friends at
RGT. In the past, we have engaged in joint activities
such as making sandwiches for Our Daily Bread,
participating in a spelling bee and enjoying a trivia
session. Recently we joined some of the RGT residents in a game of
modified volleyball. With two rows of chairs on each side of the room
and 18 residents participating, they hit a balloon back and forth, while
sitting, trying their best to not let it drop. Everyone really got into the
game! We discovered some competitive spirits as the players gave their
all as they stretched and reached to get the balloon to the other side. (It
made me wonder what the game would have been like 30 years ago!)
We look forward to future activities with our friends at RGT.
Volume 3, Issue 10
Page 3
Caregiver’s Corner
Me and My Alzheimer's Shadow (Part I)
By: Carole B. Larkin
Shadowing causes the Alzheimer's caregiver to feel like their personal space is being
violated. They feel smothered and attempts to separate themselves from the person with dementia can lead to the perception on the part of the patient that they are being rejected or
worse.
Some people start exhibiting a behavior I call “shadowing” in the mid-stages of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Those who are able to walk or roll in their wheelchairs will
literally follow their loved one or caregiver around the house trying to be as close as they
physically can to the other person. After a while this behavior becomes disconcerting and
even annoying to the Alzheimer's caregiver.
The caregiver essentially loses personal space and begins to feel smothered by the person
with dementia. This leads the caregiver to attempt to separate themselves from the person
with dementia physically, which then can lead to the perception of rejection by the demented person.
If the person with dementia cannot formulate the words or thoughts to tell the other person
that they feel sad or angry or upset or hurt by being rejected, they will show their displeasure in other ways. I call those actions negative behaviors. There are more negative behaviors than I can enumerate, but some examples are, shouting, cursing, hitting, or biting. The
circle of caregiver attempt to escape and the demented person feeling hurt by the caregiver's actions is a downward spiral leading to pain for both.
At the bottom of the shadowing is one of humanity’s most basic emotions -- FEAR. Fear is
the constant companion of the person with dementia. As they shadow us, fear shadows
them. The world grows more and more incomprehensible, and eventually the environment
becomes scary and confusing (i.e. getting lost in the house looking for the bathroom or
kitchen). Often, patients cannot comprehend what is being said by their loved ones and others. They frequently feel lost and alone. It is easy for a person suffering from dementia to
become confused. No wonder they look for a protector. Wouldn’t you?
Look for Part II in next months’ newsletter
Information obtained from:
http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/2014/07/Alzheimers-Shadowing-Me.html
If you have any questions
about the activities listed,
please call Kayleigh at
443-297-3500.
Tuesday-Friday
9:30am– 2:30pm
Intermissions is held in
Caton Ridge 302
12:00– Lunch
11:45– Sitting Fitness
10:30– This Day in
History
10:00– Good News
Stories
9:30– Coffee Chat
(Except where noted)
Daily Activities