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Melissa 16th Oct 2020 Activity Co Ordinator
Hi. I have changed jobs recently and am now a companion for a lady with dementia. She had a very very high powered job and was director of several companies, a member of the house of lords and a big part of the conservative party. Because she was a workaholic she has had no outside interests. I have tried most of the activities i used to do in the care home i worked in but she doesn't want to engage. Any ideas to make her life more enjoyable? Thanks
Susan 16th Oct 2020 Activity Director
Hi Melissa
This can be quite challenging
Can you contact anyone that worked with her
Perhaps they can call her and ask for her advice or ask her to make something she used to make
Find out what things she did specifically at her job
Perhaps he can invite people in so she could have a board meeting with them
Perhaps she prepared financial reports so perhaps you could have her do one with the modifications necessary for her to be successful
Let me know the specifics and perhaps can come up with some thing
Perhaps she wrote letters
Let me know
Maybe she just wants to relax
Solange 16th Oct 2020 Diversional Therapist
Hi, Melissa, In this case, I would recommend tapping into her memory before she was an executive. Several studies indicate that a person’s late teens and 20s experiences are very strong. Find out what was on the hit parade or popular dances and poems when she was growing up. If she ever belonged to a faith you may tap into popular religious hymns. I also believe that you can tap into children’s music and nursery rhymes to remind her of herself as a young parent.
Melissa 16th Oct 2020 Activity Co Ordinator
Thank you both. She has no family left but does have a goddaughter so have asked her for any information about her past. Just waiting for it to be sent. She is an amazing woman
Melissa 17th Oct 2020 Activity Co Ordinator
Thank you both. She has no family left but does have a goddaughter so have asked her for any information about her past. Just waiting for it to be sent. She is an amazing woman
Susan 17th Oct 2020 Activity Director
Hi Melissa
Great
I hope things work out
Elisa 19th Oct 2020 Senior Activity Coordinator
I would suggest finding things she used to do at work but be very mindful that because she will find difficulty they might make her worse due to low tolerance to frustration.
You might want to check out resources for people with autism as they have ideas for how to keep daily schedules and how to break down tasks in a way that prevents failure.
In the meantime, have you tried reminiscence photo-cards? Leaving the cards around so she doesn't feel it's an "activity".
https://www.winslowresources.com/famous-faces-events.html
Susan 20th Oct 2020 Activity Director
Wow ELISA
You have some great ideas
Elisa 23rd Oct 2020 Senior Activity Coordinator
Thanks Susan.

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