Dementia Training for Caregivers with Jill Lorentz
Quote of the day: ” Of all the things I’ve lost, I miss my mind the most.” Mark Twain
When I first met Jill in our Forever Fierce group, I knew we would be fast friends from the start. She’s the kind of go getter woman that we all love to have as friends. Especially when you’re an introvert like me. You may remember seeing Jill when I met up with a bunch of Denver women earlier last month.
And then when I found out she has a company that helps with training for caregivers of people with dementia, I figured this could be SO helpful for you guys too.
Even if you aren’t in places to attend her training, she has a podcast program that you can sign up for and receive emails with a link when new ones are available. It’s an easy way to hear it on your computer. All of Jill’s links are below, and I hope you enjoy what this amazing woman has to say.
1-You work with families of people with memory loss. How did this start?
Several years ago, my mom Dee started showing signs of memory loss. My sister noticed it during a family questionnaire, asking for preferences and your favorite this and that. Question 8 was, what was your biggest regret? My mom answered, “my memory loss.” She was 58. My mom was such a loving, generous person. She was the bedtime story, kiss your booboo and make it better, encourage you to be your best self, kind of mom!
When her cognitive impairment memory loss started showing significantly, I made it my mission to read every book involving research and every piece of information I could get my hands on. I wanted to understand what was happening to her, so I could make it easier. I started volunteering at the Alzheimer’s Association of Colorado, and eventually went to work there.
My mom lived with Alzheimer’s for 23 years. For the most part we used strategies and techniques to understand her communication issues and help find ways to maintain her quality of life and dignity. I quickly understood that my mom reacted to the energy that was presented to her from anyone who entered her space. We have the power to set the emotional temperature/tone of each interaction with her. If we were happy, she was happy, if we were anxious, she was anxious.
After working at the Alzheimer’s Association, I decided to open my own company, Summit Resilience Training, to provide interactive classes for families and professionals living and working with various dementias such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Frontal Temporal, and Lewy Body. My oldest brother Dave has Frontal Temporal Degeneration, so I also have a keen interest in this area. After creating my training, I started teaching classes at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Hospital for the Neurology Department and their patients and families.
2-I know you have a podcast, what should people expect when they tune in?
I started my podcast as a radio show called Dementia Resilience with Jill Lorentz. I began the show to help families in the smallest corners of the world and big cities, so that they could have some help in the understanding and education, as well providing support, as they are living with these dementia diseases. My goal was to provide resources, strategies, ideas for activities, and home safety to the families who are listening.
To date there has been no caregiver books that break down the smallest details that need to be addressed, as well as the biggest ones, when caring for someone with cognitive impairment and memory loss. Families feel lost and frustrated, and if I can do something to make that better, I want to!
I also provide various resources such as how to stay safe from scammers, assistance with driving issues, wandering, gun safety, alternate therapies and much more. The biggest thing I want families to understand is that they are not alone. I am here to support and encourage them in every way. I believe more education regarding various dementias is important so that we can see what the person with diagnosis can still do, not just what they’ve lost.
For the caregiver moving through their frustration and misunderstanding of symptoms they see and their own involvement in creating reactions which are perceived as behaviors, is empowering! This is where we create caregiver growth. Utilizing Person Centered Care, and understanding our friends with diagnosis, their preferences, and using their history to effectively communicate with them throughout their life with the disease is always my main focus and what I choose as my tool to educate.
3-So if someone finds them self with a friend or loved one with memory loss issues, what should be their first step?
Getting a diagnosis through a neurologist is a good first step. It is true, currently there is no cure for any of the diseases under the umbrella of dementia.
However, understanding the disease as it’s diagnosed, gives us clues into the symptoms, and the redirection skills, exercise, and various strategies and techniques that may make living with the disease somewhat simpler. Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Lewy body, and Frontal Temporal, are caused by different proteins and genetic mutations. Some come with memory loss and some don’t. Even the memory loss between Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, is very different.
I offer classes to teach families about these diseases, and how they can understand and work with these diseases in their own home. On my website, www.summitresiliencetraining.com I offer 26 bundles of information, free of charge, to help families have a one-stop shop to understanding Medicare, Medicaid, tax implications when caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, choosing a nursing home, taking the car keys away, how to get through a family gathering peacefully, communication skills and much more.
You can also contact your local Alzheimer’s Association 24-hour helpline at 1-800-272-3900. They offer assistance, 24 hours a day in 200 languages, when you’re in a traumatic situation or need an answer right away. I also suggest that you find a local support group where you can share your innermost thoughts and let your emotions out, rather than sharing them with the person with diagnosis.
I will however caution, only attend the support group that moves forward and tries to help you live with this disease with resilience. If it’s not doing that, move on. I encourage my support group to continue to live for themselves, overcome obstacles and adversity, and understand the grief they are feeling each day as their loved one slips away. I encourage outside friendships and sharing the care, so my caregivernation, which is what I call my listeners, is as healthy as they can be.
4-Dealing with this is such an emotional subject, how do you keep yourself so upbeat and positive?
Having these diseases in my family is sometimes emotionally and physically taxing. I practice retaining my brain through games that encourage retention and complex reasoning such as Words with Friends, Solitaire, Word Stacks, Word Scape.
I continue learning on a regular basis, as I am currently writing a book about my mom and her life and working on technology for caregivers that will truly help them in the trenches. I also eat a lot of fish, chicken, sushi, salads, fruits, and heart healthy nutritional foods that keep me strong and my brain healthy. I exercise several times a week with circuit training at the gym, so I work all areas of my body. I run on the treadmill or ride a stationary bike for my cardio workout. I also enjoy walking my dog Kizzie Lou, as often as I can.
For fun, I enjoy fashion, and lunch and a glass of wine with friends, and date night with my husband of 21 years, on a regular basis. I enjoy being a grandmother of 4 and babysitting when I can. I think it’s very important to be happy and healthy and spiritually grounded. I find time to volunteer, as my mom always told me that volunteering is a life lesson that keeps on giving. I always receive more than I give and that is a wonderful feeling.
I enjoy working in my garden, which is immense and a ridiculous amount of work, but a labor of love! I am rewarded for my hard work every spring summer and fall by the beauty that nature gives me in the form of flowers and plants, butterflies and birds. It is a joy to sit on my back porch, look at the beautiful mountains of pine national forest and my lovely garden, and enjoy lunch or a cup of tea, or read a good book under the shade of an umbrella.
5-Give us a fun fact about yourself.
My husband and I are musicians and we often play music together in the evenings and on weekends. My husband Jim plays guitar and harmonica and I sing. We’ve even gone into the studio and made 2 Christmas albums, albeit 14 years apart!
Find More About Jill
Make sure to check out Jill and finding out more about dementia training for caregivers on her Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
Here is the list of recent podcasts if you’re interested. Her shows now air in 40 states and 25 countries on Itunes, Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play and TuneIn.
Or do what I did and just subscribe to get them as an email reminder. You can easily listen to them on your phone or computer. The place to sign up is on her website, at the bottom corner (if you’re on a desktop).
Join me for More of the Fun
While many of us don’t want more junk in our email, I hope my emails are an added benefit. One way I try to do this is to have a monthly giveaway for email subscribers only and add a sentence or two about my personal life on the days an email goes out. Just add your email to the green box that says email below.
