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Family
Testimonial 1
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Keeping Mom at Home, Assisted
Living,
or Long Term Care?
Keeping Mom at home, assisted living, or long
term care are gut wrenching decisions that are
faced by many people today. All have
advantages and disadvantages. All are
emotional decisions to make. There is
always guilt no matter what decision is made.
When my mother's dementia progressed to the
point where my sister could no longer take care
of our mom at home, we chose long term care.
We visited several facilities. We wanted
her to have a facility that would not only take
care of her but stimulate her mind, keep her
active, and accept her for who she was. We
found a facility that used Communication Art
Programs. What a great experience for Mom!
The programs included in the Communication Art
Programs kept her brain stimulated. There
was reminiscing, choices, sensory activities,
trivia, theme art projects, and outdoor
activities. The Clock Test helped the
people caring for our mother to plan activities
for her
that were at her ability level.
This gave Mom a sense of pride and helped her
keep her dignity.
As she progressed through the disease process
and declined, the Clock Test gave the caregivers
information to continually adjust activities so
Mom could still participate. She had an
individual care plan for activities that was
tailored to her needs and abilities. Mom
was not left to sit and stare around a room.
She had a day of activities that would keep her
brain stimulated, which added quality to her
life. Many people think that a person with
a form of dementia can't do anything. With
the Communication Art Programs, ways are found
so that the person with dementia has activities
to do which gives them self-worth, helps them
keep their dignity, and their mind exercised.
For me to see my Mom participating in the
activities and feeling good about herself was
peace of mind. She was getting more than I
could have provided for her at home. When
it was time for a care conference, I was given
information from the Clock Test that helped me
understand where Mom was functioning. I
would also get a report from activities that
told me what sort of things she was still able
to do.
I feel lucky that we found a facility for my
mother where the Clock Test and Communication
Art programming are used. It's difficult
to watch a loved one decline with dementia, but
the Clock Test helped my sister and myself stay
in step with the progression of her disease so
our visits were less traumatic for her and for
us. I feel the programming kept her
functioning longer than she would have in
another facility. Because of the
information we had, my mom didn't have to go
down that long road alone.
Sincerely,
B. Miller, Tipp City, Ohio
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