Strategies for dealing with social isolation and loneliness

Lane Simonian

I am passing along this workshop sent to me by Michael Ellenbogen:

On April 23, 2024, from 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET, the National Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center will host the webinar, Strategies to Address Social Isolation and Loneliness for People Living with Dementia and their Caregivers.  A description of the webinar and registration information follows.

Given the high prevalence and impact of social isolation and loneliness among people living with dementia (PLWD) and those who care for them, providing activities that offer a range of positive health outcomes is critical. In this webinar, presenters will discuss the unique impact of dementia on social isolation and loneliness, tools for measuring these experiences, and common types of programs for addressing social isolation and loneliness among people living with dementia and their caregivers. In addition, Oakwood Creative Care will present how they use Memory Cafés to address the needs of PLWD and their caregivers. Information will be shared on how to create a successful Memory Café in your community and how participation in the Memory Café can significantly reduce social isolation and loneliness for both PLWD and their caregiver.

 

Additional information about this webinar and the registration form can be found here: 04-23-2024 NADRC Webinar-Social Isolation and Loneliness for PLWD

Iris L.

I want to address the topic of social isolation from my point of view as a person with memory loss but not dementia. When I first asked permission to join a Memory Club sponsored by my local AA, I was told that I could not attend, because the PWDs would become upset that I was not progressing as they were. As it happened, I was eventually allowed to attend a Memory Club. The PWDs were accompanied by a spouse or adult child or by a paid caregiver. I attended for almost four sessions: fall, spring, fall and spring. Actually, the reverse happened, it was I who realized that the PWDs were at a different level of comprehension and cognition than I was. In fact, I had decided to stop attending at the end of the spring session 2020, but Covid came along and prematurely ended the session.

What I also realized was that the Memory Club was a euphemism for "babysitting" while the caregivers could have a chance to get away for a few moments with their peers for whatever they wanted to talk about. Each 2 hour session met together for a few minutes, then we separated into PWDs and caregivers, each group being led by a professional social worker or psychologist. It took me a while to figure out that the PWDS were regimented in their responses and their conversation. But at the time I was desperate for companionship myself, so I overlooked the fact that I was communicating more with the caregivers than with the PWDs. There is much more that I could say but I'll leave it here.

My observation is that PWDs have a limited need to be around other people with memory loss for the purpose of bonding with them. Mainly they need someone who can guide their socialization from the background. This is because PWDs cannot initiate anything. Nor can they follow sequences. PWDs need to engage in failure-free activities on their level.

For those who remember records, I have said that PWDs are functioning at 33 1/3 rpms, whereas the rest of the world is functioning at 78 rpms. Meaning, the PWD will be uncomfortable in the real world, and the caregiver and family members will be uncomfortable in the dementia world. Adult day care centers sound like they would be the ideal locality for daytime activities for PWDs. The PWD can be engaged in activities with appropriate encouragement and supervision, while the caregiver can go to work or engage in household chores and other activities unencumbered by the need to closely supervise her LO. But there are not enough.

I reached these thoughts with the realization that the majority of PWDs have anosognosia and do not have the concept of marshalling their forces against an illness. They were living in the moment.

Iris

Edited to add: Mr Toad on the Spouse/ Partner board posted "Update on Dementia Friendly Movies". His community sponsored viewings of classic movies suitable for and enjoyable by PWDs and families. This sounds like a great idea! Please go over and read and see if you can replicate this in your community. I will bring it to my local senior center, because they offer talks about Alzheimer's Disease.

Iris

dancsfo

@Iris L. This is a good observation. I think PWDs not only cannot initiate, but may not adequately know how to interact with other PWDs. So an experienced caregiver may repeat statements, or acknowledge what a PWD says and brings some joy to a PWD who wants to interact.

But a PWD attempting to talk to another PWD may get frustrated when one does not get a reaction they seek, even if they were both running at 33 1/3 r.p.m.