Finding ways to fill the gaps left in the lives of senior residents who suffer from dementia and coming up with ways to keep them actively involved in daily life is all part of being an inclusive, age-friendly community that strives to ensure its elders enjoy the opportunity to lead a longer, more fulfilling existence.
In partnership with the Alberta Council on Aging ó an independent non-profit charitable organization ó the Greenwood Neighbourhood Place Society hosted on June 6-7 several events for Seniors Week, with presentations covering topics such as identifying and managing dementia, recognizing fraud and elder abuse, as well as brainstorming ways to make the community more dementia friendly.
The events were held at the Sundre Senior Supportive Living Facility's Drop-In Centre, the Sundre West Country Centre as well as Sundre High School, where students engaged in several exercises that helped them to understand how challenging life can be for seniors.
One of the tests was an audio exercise in which a recording of 10 words that was edited to remove high and low notes was played back for students who were then asked to write down what they thought they heard, said Laureen Guldbrandsen, a community outreach coordinator with the Alberta Council on Aging who came down from Edmonton.
"We had a couple of students who got one right, but nobody got more than one," she told the Round Up, adding that even relatively simple words such as "thumb" and "fill" become hard to hear without high and low notes.
"We also had some modified glasses that they tried on, that would show what it's like to live with cataracts" and other visual impairments such as glaucoma, she said, adding students then were asked to try to read, which proved to be a challenge.
The students even got to experience arthritis by wearing special gloves that stiffen fingers and restrict dexterity, making something as simple as opening a pill container a difficult and even frustrating task, she said.
"I heard a lot of the students wanting to help each other, which is really sweet. They used the logic that we would help seniors."
The eye-opening presentation also offered the opportunity to learn about ageism and to relate with seniors as well as to understand the kinds of daily struggles they might endure, she said.
"They said ëseniors are people too'."
Another presentation led by Guldbrandsen at the West Country Centre covered recognizing elder abuse and how to make a community more age and dementia friendly.
Dementia, which affects one in three people aged 85 or older, is not a normal part of aging, leading sufferers to struggle with questions such as "Who am I?", "Where am I?" and "Why am I?", she said.
"Everybody needs to have a sense of purpose so we don't feel lost."
Guldbrandsen dispelled myths including the notion that someone who suffers from dementia cannot enjoy a good quality of life or does not know what he or she wants, when in fact the problem becomes an inability to communicate desires.
Additionally, as social isolation is a leading cause of depression among seniors, it's important to find ways to create opportunities to socialize and spend time with them. Part of that equation involves ensuring physical environments in local businesses and community venues are accessible for seniors with walkers or wheelchairs, she said.
A major part of social inclusion also means showing seniors kindness, respect and courtesy "just as we would expect for ourselves," she said.
The GNP has also planned an additional information session for Thursday, June 15 at the Sundre Senior Supportive Living Facility's Drop-In Centre to further discuss senior abuse in recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Visit the society's office for more information including pointers on recognizing elder abuse and creating more dementia friendly communities.
