WEBVTT 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:04.940 Hey everyone, welcome back to another daily senior 00:00:04.940 --> 00:00:09.160 safety advice podcast. I'm Esther Kane, a retired 00:00:09.160 --> 00:00:12.900 occupational therapist and a certified aging 00:00:12.900 --> 00:00:16.420 in place specialist. This is March. March is 00:00:16.420 --> 00:00:19.039 mobility and independence month. And if you've 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:21.199 been listening, you know that we're talking about 00:00:21.199 --> 00:00:25.429 all issues. related to mobility and independence. 00:00:25.929 --> 00:00:29.129 And today I'm going to talk about encouraging 00:00:29.129 --> 00:00:32.929 movement for loved ones with dementia. I want 00:00:32.929 --> 00:00:36.369 to say this upfront. This is one of those topics 00:00:36.369 --> 00:00:40.850 that sounds kind of simple but feels really hard 00:00:40.850 --> 00:00:43.929 when you're living it. I worked in geriatric 00:00:43.929 --> 00:00:47.750 head injury for years which included dementia, 00:00:48.270 --> 00:00:52.929 Alzheimer's, any type of neurological issues. 00:00:53.429 --> 00:00:58.189 So I'm very familiar with working with seniors 00:00:58.189 --> 00:01:02.130 suffering from dementia. And movement can be 00:01:02.130 --> 00:01:08.510 a difficult issue to manage with them. Now, movement 00:01:08.510 --> 00:01:12.530 in this case isn't just about exercise. For someone 00:01:12.530 --> 00:01:16.430 with dementia, it's about fear. It's about confusion. 00:01:16.829 --> 00:01:20.819 And it's about the habits that they had previously 00:01:20.819 --> 00:01:25.140 that are quietly slipping away. And if you're 00:01:25.140 --> 00:01:27.640 caring for someone with dementia, you've probably 00:01:27.640 --> 00:01:32.040 noticed how quickly movement can drop off. They 00:01:32.040 --> 00:01:36.400 tend to sit more. They hesitate more. They say 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:40.180 no more. You know, they say, that's it. You know, 00:01:40.180 --> 00:01:42.599 I'm not going here. I'm not sitting there. I'm 00:01:42.599 --> 00:01:45.359 not moving from here. And you might find yourself 00:01:45.359 --> 00:01:48.239 thinking, if they just move a little more, they 00:01:48.239 --> 00:01:51.739 may feel better. And you're not necessarily wrong. 00:01:52.340 --> 00:01:55.420 But what I want to give you today is a gentler 00:01:55.420 --> 00:01:59.280 way to think about movement in this instance, 00:01:59.579 --> 00:02:02.079 a way that works with seniors with dementia, 00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:04.959 not against it, and a way that protects your 00:02:04.959 --> 00:02:09.729 loved one's dignity. safety and confidence. And 00:02:09.729 --> 00:02:12.409 here's the big thing that I want you to remember 00:02:12.409 --> 00:02:19.030 as I talk, as you listen to this podcast. Movement 00:02:19.030 --> 00:02:22.110 doesn't have to look like exercise. That's usually 00:02:22.110 --> 00:02:25.590 where things kind of get stuck. When we picture 00:02:25.590 --> 00:02:29.789 movement, we picture walking laps or doing exercises 00:02:29.789 --> 00:02:33.349 or following instructions. And for someone with 00:02:33.349 --> 00:02:37.069 dementia, that can feel overwhelming. It's too 00:02:37.069 --> 00:02:39.990 many steps, too many words, too much pressure. 00:02:40.990 --> 00:02:43.889 What I've seen and experienced over the years 00:02:43.889 --> 00:02:47.129 is that seniors with dementia move more when 00:02:47.129 --> 00:02:50.750 movement is part of something familiar, something 00:02:50.750 --> 00:02:55.689 purposeful, something that feels normal. That's 00:02:55.689 --> 00:03:00.169 usually when I see resistance tend to drop. Think 00:03:00.169 --> 00:03:03.930 about it like this. Your loved one may not remember 00:03:04.110 --> 00:03:07.750 that they're supposed to exercise. They might 00:03:07.750 --> 00:03:11.569 remember, though, how to fold towels or how to 00:03:11.569 --> 00:03:15.629 water plants or how to set the table. Those are 00:03:15.629 --> 00:03:19.009 all movements. Those are all real movements and 00:03:19.009 --> 00:03:22.330 very good movements. And honestly, they're often 00:03:22.330 --> 00:03:26.430 safer and really, at the end of the day, more 00:03:26.430 --> 00:03:30.259 meaningful than formal exercises. I've seen this 00:03:30.259 --> 00:03:33.960 come up a lot with family caregivers who usually 00:03:33.960 --> 00:03:37.460 feel guilty. They'll say, I know they need to 00:03:37.460 --> 00:03:40.280 move more, but I can't get them to do exercises. 00:03:40.979 --> 00:03:43.960 And I always tell them, you're not failing. You're 00:03:43.960 --> 00:03:48.139 just aiming at the wrong target. Dementia changes 00:03:48.139 --> 00:03:51.560 how the brain understands instructions. It changes 00:03:51.560 --> 00:03:55.939 how the brain plans movement. So instead of asking 00:03:55.939 --> 00:03:59.939 someone to do this, It works better to invite 00:03:59.939 --> 00:04:03.680 them into doing something. And that invitation 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:08.020 doesn't need a whole lot of words. Simple works 00:04:08.020 --> 00:04:12.259 best. Sometimes it's as simple as standing up. 00:04:12.699 --> 00:04:18.899 Stand up. You stand. You smile. You say, come 00:04:18.899 --> 00:04:24.259 with me. And they move. That shared movement 00:04:24.259 --> 00:04:29.199 and that shared moment matters. One thing I noticed 00:04:29.199 --> 00:04:31.339 when working with seniors with dementia is that 00:04:31.339 --> 00:04:33.920 they often mirror what's happening around them. 00:04:34.379 --> 00:04:37.939 If you sit, they sit. If you move, they're more 00:04:37.939 --> 00:04:41.279 likely to move. So your body language matters 00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:45.560 more than your words. It's important when you're 00:04:45.560 --> 00:04:48.600 working with anyone or helping anyone with dementia 00:04:48.600 --> 00:04:51.860 to keep the number of words that you give in 00:04:51.860 --> 00:04:56.519 an instruction as little as possible. Now, That, 00:04:56.519 --> 00:04:59.040 of course, depends on the stage of dementia that 00:04:59.040 --> 00:05:02.079 they're in. At the beginning, you can probably 00:05:02.079 --> 00:05:05.160 say a full entire sentence and they'll understand. 00:05:05.680 --> 00:05:08.860 But as the disease progresses, you do need to 00:05:08.860 --> 00:05:13.420 break it down into smaller increments. Most likely, 00:05:13.560 --> 00:05:15.600 they're not going to remember everything that 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:18.399 you're asking them to do. And that's confusing 00:05:18.399 --> 00:05:22.579 and frightening. So here's where safety comes 00:05:22.579 --> 00:05:25.240 in because moving without safety just really 00:05:25.240 --> 00:05:28.339 ends up creating more stress. If your loved one 00:05:28.339 --> 00:05:31.300 is afraid of falling, they will avoid moving 00:05:31.300 --> 00:05:34.579 and fear shows up quietly. They may say they're 00:05:34.579 --> 00:05:37.319 tired. They might say they're fine where they 00:05:37.319 --> 00:05:39.540 are. They might get irritated when you suggest 00:05:39.540 --> 00:05:43.879 getting up. That's often fear talking. So take 00:05:43.879 --> 00:05:46.779 a look at the environment. Is there clutter in 00:05:46.779 --> 00:05:49.300 the walking paths? Are there throw rugs that 00:05:49.300 --> 00:05:52.259 shift, you know, is the ground just not safe, 00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:55.920 doesn't feel safe? Is the lighting dim or uneven? 00:05:56.620 --> 00:05:59.959 When the space feels safer, movement tends to 00:05:59.959 --> 00:06:03.779 feel safer. I've also seen how powerful routine 00:06:03.779 --> 00:06:07.439 can be. And I am repeating this because I know 00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:09.720 I've said this in other podcasts, but routine 00:06:09.720 --> 00:06:12.379 is extremely important when working with seniors 00:06:12.379 --> 00:06:15.839 with dementia. People with dementia tend to do 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:18.199 better when movement happens at the same time 00:06:18.199 --> 00:06:21.660 every day not because they remember the schedule 00:06:21.660 --> 00:06:24.680 Definitely not because they remember the schedule 00:06:24.680 --> 00:06:28.540 but because the body remembers the patterns Because 00:06:28.540 --> 00:06:32.560 it's a short walk after breakfast, you know Because 00:06:32.560 --> 00:06:34.800 it's a standing at the kitchen counter while 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:38.339 you're preparing lunch because it's a few stretches 00:06:38.339 --> 00:06:41.500 while waiting for the kettle to boil, those kinds 00:06:41.500 --> 00:06:45.959 of little things, the same time, same place associated 00:06:45.959 --> 00:06:50.500 with the same action, same event. That's when 00:06:50.500 --> 00:06:53.040 movement becomes familiar instead of stressful. 00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:56.879 And let's talk about mood for a minute because 00:06:56.879 --> 00:07:00.300 movement and mood are deeply connected. When 00:07:00.300 --> 00:07:04.360 people stop moving, they often become more anxious. 00:07:04.620 --> 00:07:08.819 more restless, more withdrawn. And then caregivers 00:07:08.819 --> 00:07:11.939 think movement isn't working. But what's really 00:07:11.939 --> 00:07:14.939 happening is that the lack of movement is making 00:07:14.939 --> 00:07:19.459 everything harder. Even gentle movement can regulate 00:07:19.459 --> 00:07:23.339 sleep. It can improve appetite. It can reduce 00:07:23.339 --> 00:07:27.399 agitation. I've seen people become calmer just 00:07:27.399 --> 00:07:30.259 from standing up and walking down a short hallway. 00:07:30.920 --> 00:07:34.660 Not miles, not laps, just movement. That would 00:07:34.660 --> 00:07:37.519 happen often when I would go visit a patient 00:07:37.519 --> 00:07:41.279 in their home and they were grumpy and annoyed 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:45.120 and complaining and whatever but taking a short 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:50.000 walk down the catwalk or you know around the 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:52.800 block or anything at all and they were completely 00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:56.279 different by the time we got back. And here's 00:07:56.279 --> 00:07:58.740 something that families don't always realize 00:07:58.740 --> 00:08:04.019 praise truly matters. It happens, it matters 00:08:04.019 --> 00:08:07.259 at every age honestly, but especially with someone 00:08:07.259 --> 00:08:10.579 with dementia. Not big praise. I'm not talking 00:08:10.579 --> 00:08:14.819 about being, you know, overwhelmingly praising, 00:08:15.740 --> 00:08:20.019 not cheering, just simple acknowledgement. Nice 00:08:20.019 --> 00:08:22.939 job standing up. That was great. That looks really 00:08:22.939 --> 00:08:26.459 good. Thanks so much for walking with me. I really 00:08:26.459 --> 00:08:30.019 needed that. Those little comments reinforce 00:08:30.019 --> 00:08:34.460 safety and success. Correcting, rushing, or pointing 00:08:34.460 --> 00:08:38.500 out mistakes does the opposite. And honestly, 00:08:38.620 --> 00:08:41.740 this part is important too. You don't need to 00:08:41.740 --> 00:08:46.200 force movement. Forcing creates resistance and 00:08:46.200 --> 00:08:50.500 resistance increases risk, especially fall risk. 00:08:52.120 --> 00:08:56.639 If today is a low energy day, that's okay. You 00:08:56.639 --> 00:09:00.500 meet them where they are. Tomorrow may look different. 00:09:01.680 --> 00:09:04.960 Consistency over time matters more than any single 00:09:04.960 --> 00:09:08.879 day. I also want to say this to you because caregivers 00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:13.000 need to hear it. You are not responsible for 00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:18.440 making dementia better. Your role is to support 00:09:18.440 --> 00:09:24.279 comfort, safety, and quality of life. Movement 00:09:24.279 --> 00:09:27.980 supports all of those, but only when it's done 00:09:27.980 --> 00:09:32.000 with patience and compassion. So if you remember 00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:36.240 nothing else from today's episode remember this 00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:40.559 Movement with dementia works best when it feels 00:09:40.559 --> 00:09:44.299 Normal when you're doing a normal activity when 00:09:44.299 --> 00:09:48.659 it feels safe when it feels shared It's not like 00:09:48.659 --> 00:09:52.799 therapy. It's not a task. It's just part of life 00:09:52.799 --> 00:09:57.490 doing a life task And honestly, that's what occupational 00:09:57.490 --> 00:10:00.049 therapy is really all about, isn't it? It's bringing 00:10:00.049 --> 00:10:04.809 the person back to life tasks. Well, that's all 00:10:04.809 --> 00:10:07.909 I have for you today. Thank you again so much 00:10:07.909 --> 00:10:11.370 for listening, for being here with me. If today's 00:10:11.370 --> 00:10:14.990 episode gave you any useful insights or some 00:10:14.990 --> 00:10:17.429 new ideas or tips, then please share it with 00:10:17.429 --> 00:10:20.360 someone who might find it helpful as well. You 00:10:20.360 --> 00:10:23.399 can discover even more expert tips and helpful 00:10:23.399 --> 00:10:26.960 guides for seniors and caregivers at seniorsafetyadvice 00:10:26.960 --> 00:10:29.960 .com. And hey, if you're searching for an aging 00:10:29.960 --> 00:10:32.600 in place specialist, then please visit our website 00:10:32.600 --> 00:10:36.179 at aginginplacedirectory .com. There you can 00:10:36.179 --> 00:10:39.559 find professionals who can help with home modifications 00:10:39.559 --> 00:10:44.799 to make living longer and safer in your home 00:10:44.799 --> 00:10:48.019 possible. Come back tomorrow for more useful 00:10:48.019 --> 00:10:51.409 tips, insights, and ideas. right here on the 00:10:51.409 --> 00:10:54.590 Daily Senior Safety Advice Podcast. And hey, 00:10:54.789 --> 00:10:56.950 if you haven't yet subscribed to our YouTube 00:10:56.950 --> 00:10:59.769 channel or the podcast yet, then please go ahead 00:10:59.769 --> 00:11:02.830 and do that right now. That really helps us to 00:11:02.830 --> 00:11:05.389 reach more people who could use this kind of 00:11:05.389 --> 00:11:09.230 support and information. Until next time, take 00:11:09.230 --> 00:11:11.750 care of yourself and the ones that you love.