Lesson 3: Validation Principles that Describe the Population (continued)
-
-
The exercise in principle 10 did take me to a familiar place I did feel a peaceful and calm feeling because I have fond memories of the beach. I learned that the residents may be experiencing being in a setting from the past. I did have distractions like the phone and others talking to me. In general, it did help me to understand a person with dementia more.
-
Principle 11 – Exercise: 1) / 2) I’m a anxious person, I hate to be late and i hate when people make me late. For example in the morning during work days i have my routine and is timed in my head already, if ts for some reason, i have to do something that is not part of that routine and make me late, my anxiety goes through the roof, and then it feels that everything else will go wrong through the day. Another trigger is loud noises when i’m trying to do something importante, i can’t concentrate and then i get irritable.
-
Principle 10 – Exercise: Did it work for you?
Yes, It worked.
How did it work?
I felt I was in my favorite beach in Portugal, the day was beautiful, I felt the black sand in my feet, was warm. The sound of the waves and the smell of the ocean. I felt relaxed in peace. This was only possible because my environment around me was quiet. Usually if i have to many background noise i can’t concentrate, and i get frustrate it .
What did you learn/experience?
I learn what triggers’ it my concentration, how to center my.
How did it not work?
Not applicable for me this time.
What got in your way?
the sound of my phone ringing. usually if i tried to meditate is sound noises and people talking loud that triggers me.
How do you think this exercise might help you gain more insight into the behavior of people who have some forms of dementia?
This happens daily at work, I see how my residents get frustrated when we are trying to do an activity but they can’t ear me, and listen, because I have staff members being loud, talking etc… Doing this exercise is excellent toll because this way i can learn about a resident, what triggers them, what senses are more “sensitive”. This is a excellent exercise also to do with my staff, as a “being in our old old people shoes. How “they” staff feel, when they are trying to concentrate or listen or doing an activity but your environment is loud, dark or the temperature is to hat or cold?!
All behaviors as a reason. a lot of them are caused simply because of what’s around you. I love this exercise and i think this will be a very good tool, with my staff in the future. -
Clip 1, is a perfect example that you should never lie, “she wants to go home to see her mother but she known’ in that back of her conscious that her mother passed away a long time ago” she misses her mother, but as soon Nomay says she is worried about you? she says yes that her mother was always worried and the Noemi says she is waiting for you? and she answers my mother is long gone, and she came back to reality, and she opened up to Noemi because she trust her. . When Noemay asked her the woman indicates her mother is waiting for and probably worried about her but is also conscious that her parents have passed as she indicates so.
-
A trigger in my life is when someone talks down to someone and makes them feel bad. I just want to remove them from that person.
-
#9 Levels of awareness. Example- listening to the baby crying. Never lie to your client. #10 A needs to feel loved and be safe. Expresses their basic needs with emotions. May create in their own mind stimulating the brain as it was real. #11 Triggers from events, emotions, sounds, smells and taste may trigger similar emotions from the past. We should accept and acknowledge that experience from the past without judgement and with empathy. We can gain a better understanding of the behavior. A color of a chair could trigger a memory. The woman in the video who was toughening the ring. Could bring back a memory. Listening to her story about a different ring.
-
Characteristics From Last 2 Video Clips: 1) Physical reaching out almost in an excitable need for touch & engagement.
2) A physical angst for connection.
3) Facial & shoulder relaxation after enough time having physical & verbal engagement.
4) Breathing that’s in slower rhythm with longer drawn-out relaxed breaths.
5) The power of words of affirmation.On a side note, the last clip really hit home for me the beauty of loved ones who make the most of their role in this. Chris’ husband is a great example of someone who comes to terms with their spouse’s disease, learns to connect with their spouse in new found ways, & he magnified his love for Chris.
-
“A trigger in my life is being around bad drivers on the road-way and it makes me want to go out of my way to call those drivers out .”
-
Identic Image/Mind’s Eye Did it work for you?
Tapping into my identic image/minds-eye I could imagine the beach. It felt like I’ve experienced my favorite beach in the past.
How did it work?
At the beginning I had to recreate an experience while listening to the direction. Like jump starting a motor. However, there was a cross over point where my consciousness took over the narrative. As an example, I could hear the voices of kids playing on the beach along with background laughter before laughter was even mentioned in the video.
What did you learn/experience?
I learned that there’s a point where our consciousness motor takes over & it’s hard to pin-point when that happens.
How did it not work?
Not applicable for me this time.
What got in your way?
Nothing this time. However, in the past when I’ve tried to do something similar it’s usually outside noises & distractions that make it harder to fully commit to having the minds-eye/identic image take over.
How do you think this exercise might help you gain more insight into the behavior of people who have some forms of dementia?
The insight I gained is deeper empathy for behaviors that appear irrational recognizing that identic image doesn’t isn’t always capable of mitigation what’s rational vs irrational. When someone with a form of dementia is living in their identic image I can see how the lines between what factual & emotional are blurred.
#11 This helps me have a more understanding with my residents behaviors that may seem sad, but could mean joy or missing family members from the past. Really listening and see what my have triggered the emotions we are really feeling. We accept and acknowledge the experience from the past. Without judgement. So maybe I am crying because I am happy about my memories.