I Don't Remember
An elderly gentleman was telling his friend about a new restaurant he and his wife recently visited.
"The food and service were great!" he said.
His friend asked, "What's the name of the place?"
"Gee, I don't remember," he said, "What do you call the long stemmed flower people give on special occasions?"
"You mean a rose?" asked his friend.
"That's it!" he exclaimed and turning to his wife, asked, "Rose, what's the name of that restaurant we went to the other day?"
An elderly gentleman was telling his friend about a new restaurant he and his wife recently visited.
"The food and service were great!" he said.
His friend asked, "What's the name of the place?"
"Gee, I don't remember," he said, "What do you call the long stemmed flower people give on special occasions?"
"You mean a rose?" asked his friend.
"That's it!" he exclaimed and turning to his wife, asked, "Rose, what's the name of that restaurant we went to the other day?"
I think that everyone expects to experience some memory loss as we age. It can just become a little harder to keep track of things, but what happens when you start to notice more than just “age related” memory issues and what exactly is normal? Experts report that “normal” memory loss typically is characterized by difficulty retaining new pieces of information, like the name of a person you just met or where you put your keys. More extreme memory loss, like not knowing where one is, whether or not you have eaten or forgetting to put your shoes on before you go outside, can be signs that something serious is developing. If you notice this type of behavior in yourself or a loved one, it is always best to ere on the side of caution and consult with a physician.
Regency Grand offers not only independent and assisted living, but memory care as well. The memory care neighborhood of our community is called Kingswood Court and provides specialized care for those with varying stages of Alzheimer’s and related types of dementia. Our Kingswood Court program is designed to cater specifically to the needs of those with memory care issues. Our staff receives additional training on dementia and we practice behavior management to help distract, redirect or engage our residents in positive behavior. Kingswood also has a Life Enrichment Coordinator whose job it is to plan activities and events that meet the social and sensory stimulation needs of everyone.
November is National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and every year Regency Grand holds a series of fundraisers to raise money for a contribution to the Alzheimer’s Association. Our staff also participates in their annual Memory Walk. In the last few months, we have held a bake sale, smoothie sale and several estate sales. In September we also held an art show and silent auction featuring the work of one of the residents in Kingswood. He is an amazing painter and worked for many years as an art professor at a local college. In October we will be holding a pancake breakfast and ending things with a candlelight dinner. All proceeds from our efforts will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association on November 4th, the date of this year’s walk.
It is so important for us, as a community, to support our families and our residents by being involved in Alzheimer’s awareness and the search for a cure. To learn more about Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia please visit www.alz.org. Another excellent resource is a book called The 36 Hour Day. It is a guide for caregivers and family members who have a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia. So many of our families have found it very helpful and we always provide a copy to those touring Kingswood.
If you would like to make a contribution to Regency Grand’s fundraising please email me at reggrand.cr1@bpmsenior.com. It’s important to keep in mind, as Maya Angelou once said, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
