Memory/Dementia

Center scholars and partners share a passion for and expertise in cutting edge dementia care.  These projects seek to answer questions like:

• How can we treat pain in people who can't express it in traditional ways?

• How can we use the arts to improve quality of life in long term care?

• How can we create a sense of "home" for people with dementia?

• How can we help families and staff cope with anticipatory grief?
• How can we help people with early memory loss?

 

Teens present stories shared by elders at March 14 TimeSlips event

MILWAUKEE- For generations, storytellers shared tales that combined fun memories with life lessons. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center on Age & Community is leading the effort to tap into that power through TimeSlips, a cross-generational project that places emphasis on storytelling from memory to imagination. On Saturday, March 14, the public is invited to celebrate storytelling with a free event beginning at 2 p.m. in the Milwaukee Public Library's Centennial Hall, 733 N. 8th St.

At the event, 10 members of the St. Joan Antida High School Boys & Girls Club will share the stories they facilitated over the past several months with their partners, the Golden Heir's Club of Calvary Baptist Church and elders at the Milwaukee Catholic Home. The youth will also lead the audience in a communal storytelling session. "We did not know how cool and funny the old folks are!" said one student after a rousing storytelling session at Calvary Baptist.

"Guests are invited to participate and be inspired to tell their own stories," says Anne Basting, director of UWM's Center on Age & Community. "Support materials on storytelling how-tos for any age or ability will be available."

In addition, the TimeSlips celebration launches a monthly storytelling session at the Milwaukee Public Library aimed at persons caring for loved ones with memory loss living at home. Dates and locations will be announced later.

Developed in 1998 by Basting, TimeSlips is a nationally recognized program. Groups across the world use it to generate stories, produce plays and art exhibits, and rekindle hope for human connection among people struggling with memory loss.

Locally based at the Center on Age & Community, TimeSlips involves an innovative partnership with the Alzheimer's Association Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter, the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute, the St. Joan Antida High School Boys & Girls Club and the Milwaukee Public Library. Northwestern Mutual sponsors the collaborative project.

"TimeSlips opens storytelling to people of any age or ability, including people with significant memory loss. Its stories capture the hopes, dreams, regrets, fears, humor and desires of the storytellers," says Basting. "While the method works for all ages and abilities, it is particularly powerful for people with memory loss because it nurtures creative communication and helps them connect with family and friends."

Generations On Line

Internet technology is making the world a smaller place, but only for those who know how to use it. Ironically, the oldest generations are the least likely to use this technology*, but are among the most likely to benefit from its potential.

Generations on Line is an award winning (American Society on Aging) national program designed to help people over age 65 who have never used a computer to overcome the barriers of access, skill and intimidation. It provides step-by-step instructions in large type and plain English for simplified email, searching in 36 languages, an intergenerational chat about the past, and links to other sites. The program is free to seniors through facilities where they live and congregate. Begun in 2000, Generations on Line has helped 30,000 people in public libraries, senior centers, nursing homes and retirement communities in 49 states and Canada. For more information,  visit the Generations On Line website.

Two-thirds of people over age 65 and three-quarters of people over age 70 cannot use the Internet today, according to Pew Internet & American Life tracking studies.

At its March 13th membership meeting, the Milwaukee Aging Consortium hosted two presentations.  One was to further explain the Generations on Line program, by special guest Tobey Dichter, president of the nonprofit Philadelphia company that developed this computer program for getting senior on-line in congregate settings.  Robert Frediani, Institute for Collaborative Health Interventions (ICHI)/Therapy Plus, and Mike Soika, YMCA CDC, discussed the Generations on Line Milwaukee pilot program, which is testing the program in 29 low-income housing communities.

The second presentation was Cognitive Functioning in Older Age, by our own Tom Fritsch, PhD, CAC Associate Director.  Fritsch discussed the latest research in memory, reducing the risk of memory loss, maintaining brain function, the role of computers as a training tool, and new ways to look at dementia.  Download his Power Point presentation below. 

Research on Early Memory Loss 

Memory loss among aging adults can take many forms, such as Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment and what is termed "subjective memory complaints" (SMCs). Statistically, a large portion of older adults will be affected by some form of memory impairment. As the population continues to age and these numbers increase, it will be ever more challenging for the health care system to provide good, quality care for people affected by these ailments. And although new medications are being developed, they only delay the progression of symptoms and are still in development.

But there is good news for the Cognitively Impaired. All over the country, "Brain Fitness" groups and early memory loss clubs are being developed to help slow the process of memory loss. The "Early Bird Club" is on the cutting edge of these programs. Developed by Jennifer Nowak of Milwaukee's LutheranLiving Services, the "Early Bird Club" is specifically designed for individuals with mild memory loss, and it focuses on maintaining and enhancing memory and brain function. Nowak was honored with the Small Business Times Health Care Heroes Award for her efforts in helping people with memory loss. 

The memory loss club consists of a standardized program of "mental exercises," designed to call on memory, verbal and spatial skills, reasoning, and other cognitive functions. The Club utilizes a variety of exercises including, but not limited to, art, mapping, trivia, education, storytelling, reminiscence, "right brain" activities, and community outings. Thanks to a $75,000 grant from the Helen Bader Foundation, a collaborative team from the Lutheran Home, Luther Manor, Lutheran Social Services, and the Center on Age and Community will examine .the impact of 60 older adults' participation in a memory club over the course of one year. The participants in the program will be individuals who have been diagnosed with a condition causing memory loss or a subjective memory complaint.

The participants will be encouraged to attend twice-weekly sessions, lasting four hours each, for one year. Data from these sessions will be collected from research volunteers, research partners (spouse, child or someone who knows the subject well), UWM graduate student research assistants, and memory club facilitators. The subject volunteers will also be tested on various cognitive measures at three times during the course of the year-long study, with the aim of evaluating the success of the program.

Through the use of these programs, people with cognitive memory problems have new hope. Participation in this program could prevent atrophy of cognitive skills; exploit the brain's capacity for plasticity and change; and increase cognitive reserve, thereby delaying the onset of symptoms. If widely adopted, such programs could impact rates of dementia prevalence by slowing cognitive decline. For more information about the CAC's role in the "Early Bird Club" and other memory loss programs, contact Thomas Fritsch, PhD, CAC Associate Director at fritscht@uwm.edu or 414.229.2729.