Home Instead Senior Care offers Alzheimer’s training

Posted

BATTLE GROUND – Front-of-the-house staff at Mill Creek Pub in Battle Ground recently received training from staff at Home Instead Senior Care on how to properly understand and work with customers who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.

Julie Williams, president of J Williams Enterprises LLC and Home Instead Senior Care in the Vancouver area, said Home Instead originally started out offering caregiver and Alzheimer’s trainings for family members and care takers. They recently adjusted the training in order to train front staff at businesses such as restaurants, banks, retail businesses and more. Williams said they try to give the frontline staff at these businesses information on what they might expect from someone who suffers from Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Several weeks ago, front-of-the-house staff at Mill Creek Pub, which includes servers, bartenders, hosts and managers, received this training on Alzheimer’s. Since the staff is now trained, Williams said the restaurant will hold a “launch event” that they are calling the Mill Creek Supper Club. This event will be held Wed., Nov. 18, 3:30 p.m., at the restaurant, 1710 SW 9th Ave., in Battle Ground. Families with family members or friends who suffer from Alzheimer’s or dementia are invited to come for an early dinner at the restaurant that day.

“It’s a great idea,” Williams said. “There’s a lot of people who need to get out, but don’t get out (because of challenges that come from Alzheimer’s). This will give them a safe place to go with understanding staff. They are also going to offer a simplified menu, so it’s easier for those restaurant patrons to choose. Decisions can sometimes be hard, reading can be hard as well. They’re also doing the earlier dinner time so it’s not as busy.”

The training provided by Home Instead Senior Care is designed to help business’ employees understand Alzheimer’s disease and provide simple techniques to ensure customers with Alzheimer’s are treated with compassion and respect.

For caregivers of someone with Alzheimer’s, being prepared is one of the best ways to help ensure an individual with Alzheimer’s disease has what he or she needs for a stress-free experience in the community. According to the Alzheimer’s training website, www.helpforalzheimersfamilies.com, here are a few ways to be prepared and keep it simple:

• Something to hold – It can be helpful for someone with a dementia illness to have something to grasp to keep his or her hand occupied. A water bottle, for instance, which not only keeps an individual hydrated, but also prevents fidgeting.

• Accessories – Take along a hat, baseball cap or umbrella. Think about the weather as those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia can be especially sensitive to outside conditions, such as extreme heat or cold.

• Snacks – Keep healthy snacks on hand both for the individual with Alzheimer’s as well as you, the caregiver. Caregivers can find themselves too busy to eat if food is not readily available.

• Bags or totes – Keeping track of belongings when you’re going out can be a challenge for anyone, but especially so for someone with dementia. Totes can come in handy for a variety of items, including snacks, sunscreen, books and magazines, and provide an easy way to help a loved one keep track of everything.

• A notebook and a pen or pencil – Individuals with a dementia illness sometimes like to make lists. That’s why it’s good to have something to write on and with. A notebook is also a great place for the family caregiver to write down questions for or comments from the doctor.

• Emergency contact information – Wandering is one potential behavioral symptom of Alzheimer’s. Be sure that both you and a loved one has contact and medical information on you or in an easily accessible location at all times. This can be critical, for example, if one of you is in an accident and unable to speak for himself or herself.

Here are some tips also offered to business employees through trainings by Home Instead Senior Care if any of these business scenarios occur with someone who suffers from Alzheimer’s:

Banks

Scenario: A long-time senior-age customer comes into the bank obviously confused and wants to withdraw from his account a substantial amount of money, for which he has insufficient funds, to buy a race car – an action uncharacteristic for the normally frugal individual.

What do you do?

• Poor judgment is one potential sign of dementia. Seek to understand what the individual is going through.

• Treat the customer with dignity and respect, and be encouraging.

• Ask to call a family member that you know to assist the individual if he is alone.

• Follow your company’s policies and procedures about how to handle the business ramifications of the situation.

Drugs stores

Scenario: A regular customer who approaches the pharmacy counter is having problems communicating what he wants, repeating the same questions and comments over and over.

What do you do?

• Communication problems can increase as Alzheimer’s disease advances. Try to understand that they customer must be very frustrated as well.

• Remain calm and reassuring, and maintain eye contact.

• Speak slowly while using short, simple words to try to understand what the customer needs.

• If the customer is unable to complete the transaction, check with your company management to learn how to deal with the business aspect of a situation such as this.

Grocery stores



Scenario: A customer is wandering through the store and, when you approach him, he doesn’t appear to know where he is.

What do you do?

• Understand that the customer is likely frightened.

• Approach the customer slowly from the front and use a comforting tone of voice.

• Politely address the customer by sir or ma’am.

• Reassure him that he is safe and everything is OK.

• Refer to company procedures to learn how to appropriately resolve the issue if you are unable to help the individual find what he needs.

Restaurants

Scenario: A customer has just ordered his meal and, when he is served, he can’t recall what he ordered and becomes upset.

What do you do?

• Limit distractions during communication.

• Respect the individual’s feelings.

• Apologize and take the blame (e.g., “I’m sorry, I must have misheard your order”). Try to redirect with a comment such as, “This fried chicken is our favorite meal. Would you like to try it and let me know what you think?”

• Contact management to help resolve the situation if the behavior escalates.

Early signs of dementia are something that can be looked out for. Early signs include difficulty remembering names and recent events; apathy; and depression. The Alzheimer’s Association has identified the following 10 signs of Alzheimer’s disease:

• Memory loss that disrupts daily life.

• Challenges in planning or solving problems.

• Difficulty completing familiar tasks.

• Confusion with time or place.

• Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships.

• New problems with words in speaking or writing.

• Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps.

• Decreased or poor judgement.

• Withdrawal from work or social activities.

• Changes in mood and personality.

For more information on Alzheimer’s training, visit www.helpforalzheimersfamilies.com. To learn more about Home Instead Senior Care, visit www.homeinstead.com.