In Their World

My most amusing moment today was while I was taking down Valentine's Day decorations. I remembered I needed to go back to the dementia hallways to see what decorations they had back there. I went back, no problem. Until I realized... you can't get back out. Not without a code. So I spent some time calmly pretending I had meant to get stuck back there until I could ask someone to let me out. I've met a handful of people suffering with Alzheimer's in the past. A whole roomful was very confusing and interesting.

I started mentally categorizing the different people I saw in there. I found there are many types - there are the Wanderers, who seem to move around constantly. Some residents get especially active towards sunset. There are the Sitters, who are the opposite, they just sit and hardly move at all. There are all types of styles of communicating: the Talkers, the Nonsense Talkers, the Musical Hummers/Singers, and the Quiet Ones, those don't communicate.

Of course one thing that dawned on me as I categorized ..something they all have in common - they are people and they have names. I think sometimes people get stuck on the "problems" a person has, both in my internship and in real life. We categorize people based on an obvious trait and sometimes don't get to know people beyond that. Oh she is a Flirt, he is a Loudmouth, etc. I know I can be guilty of this. I look forward to getting to know all the residents with dementia, no matter if they wander, sit, talk, sing, or don't talk. It was interesting being in a whole new world with them, a funny, confusing, sad, happy, and hopeful world behind the doors of the "dementia" ward. Even if I didn't mean to get temporarily stuck back there!

Today my biggest task was to make sure each resident has shadow boxes outside of their rooms. These boxes help personalize the residents' doors, as well as help them remember which room they live in. The families are encouraged to decorate the shadow boxes, but they may live far away or just haven't taken the time to do it. I found that the shadow boxes help me "see" who the residents are too. They aren't just an "old person". They have families, memories, and lives outside of the scope of the assisted living facility. In those little boxes, I saw a world: theirs.

A few of the residents didn't have their own, so I made some for them. I felt sad making them because I didn't know the resident, so I had to choose a theme I thought seemed nice. I tried to find themes that they would like or would encourage them to see. Perhaps their families will personalize them. Or perhaps, as I get to know them, I can personalize them by putting a snapshot of who they are, of their world, inside.