 | Roselyn Schmidt, R.N.,
partnering with husband Don and son Kent, designed, own, manage and operate Chaucer Estates, Retirement and Assisted Living. Since 1967, the Schmidt's have owned five nursing homes, managing and operating the facilities as a family. In 1986, they built Andover Health Care, and in 1995 became part owners of Park West in West Wichita, until the 1998 flood, leading them to create Chaucer Estates. Most recently, the Schmidt family has opened their newest retirement and assisted living facility in Overland Park, KS, "Rose Estates". Since 1955, Rose has enjoyed a vast nursing career, raised six children, and presently serves as Admissions, and oversees marketing at Chaucer Estates. You can reach Rose at (316) 630-8111, or visit Chaucer Estates at 10550 E. 21st North, in East Wichita. |
Senior Living
2005-07-01 11:46:00
Keeping family life w/Alzheimer’s
: My wife is being placed in Special Care due to Alzheimer's disease, but I'm remaining in our home. How can I best interact with her during visits at her care center? And, can she come home for visits?
ANSWER: As a person begins to develop a dementing illness, he or she may begin to have difficulty managing independently. The first step to make changes in a person's independence is to get an evaluation. That will dictate if a move needs to be made to a Special Care Facility for Memory Impaired residents.Changes are frequently upsetting to people with dementing illnesses. This does not mean the end of family relationships. The family member should continue to be a part of the impaired person; therefore, it is important that visits be part of their life. Even if the person does not recognize you or does not seem to want you there, your regular visits help at some level to sustain his awareness that he is valued and is a part of a family.A family member can help orientate the impaired individual to his or her new home by reviewing daily routines; try to involve the individual in family outings, go for rides or shopping. Help the impaired person to remain part of special family events; telephone calls between visits should not be forgotten. Music is a wonderful way to share; sing old familiar songs, take along tape recordings of the family or the children, make a personal history scrapbook. Do show that you are interested in her new home.Sharing family life and loving a person who is in an institution and who is in the late stages of a dementing illness are not easy, but perhaps you will find your own meaning in doing so. This reminds me of a memorable quote I once read, "I've grown in these visits."
