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Glad, it was very simple: The researchers trained members of staff to engage with the 7 subjects (all with Dx of dementia/Alz, limited verbal skills, ambulatory but usually sedentary) by doing a "check-in" every 15 minutes. The staff offered items/activities of interest based on preference assessments done prior to the treatment. The "check-in" procedure offering preferred items is the treatment.

Part of me says "duh," of course this would likely increase engagement, but also I guess you have to start somewhere. It took some digging to find this article from 2013 while searching across the entire last 10 years of JABA with keywords like "older populations" and "dementia." Just seems like there isn't a lot out there. Ran into this same thing a few terms ago while looking at research on psychoanalysis/CBT used with older adults. There's a little bit but doesn't seem like much. I wonder why because it's a demographic that receives a lot of care.
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I know it Geaton, sister's job is a constant need to replace workers who are no shows and trying to balance workers that actually work with those who don't, plus drama about refusing to work with certain people or on certain wards. They are filling shifts with an outside agency and still often working short and everyone is so busy just plugging holes and trying to CYA that nothing ever improves - it's systemic dysfunction.
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cwillie, bad workers now have to be tolerated because of the labor shortage. In some instances (like in NHs) a bad worker is better than no worker. Many young employees entering the working world have a terrible work ethic. The good news (for that generation) is that they don't need a college degree to advance -- just good people skills and a solid work ethic and they will be advanced in any organization that doesn't require a specialty credential (like MD, lawyer, architect, engineer, etc). My son's ex GF is dumb as a box of rocks and is a nurse, with a job, in a hospital...ugh.
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My son and family came early today and had breakfast with me and DIL's mother in the dining room. My youngest grandson is working on a cub scout project. He talked to a number of the older men asking if they had been in scouting. Several of the women told him they had been Girl Scouts and Brownies. He was impressed with an older man who still had his Eagle Scout badge. One of the aides had told the men that Jax was going to be asking about scouting and he had brought his badge to the dining room.
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TN, I'm sorry for your loss.
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It's mystifying that despite the fact we've insisted front line workers are now educated and that they continue training annually many seem to be completely unaware of best practices that would make their lives and those of the people in their care better. My own time dealing with the nursing home and since then listening to sis vent about her job (NH scheduler) has convinced me that much of the dysfunction in facilities could be alleviated if enlightened benevolent management ruled with an iron fist - good workers should be rewarded, bad workers should not be tolerated. Easy, right?🤣
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Ali, what was the treatment that worked?
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TN, addiction sucks. And meth is arguably the worst drug out there for causing psychosis in the user. Terrible stuff. Sorry for this tragedy.

Barb, I hope granddaughter has a nice birthday. I wonder why this suddenly became such an issue for him, if he had no real contact with her for years. I hope he gets help and this can be resolved for everyone's sake.

Glad... that is a story that will stick with me. lol Not every day you read about stolen heads off a medical supplies truck.

I finally get to start working with some aging-related research in my schoolwork. I'm writing this week about a research study conducted in a care facility on 7 subjects with dementia, published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. The goal of the treatment was to see if it would increase "appropriate engagement" in social/leisure opportunities in the facility. It did, but not across all subjects. I'll be writing about the research methods and whether experimental control and a functional relationship was demonstrated.

Then I'll work on my final paper, writing behavioral plans to help kids with learning disabilities and skill delays. That's by far the most common application for what I'm learning but I like to look at the gerontological possibilities. We all know that a great antecedent set-up is key to successful bath times, for example. Getting things just so for the individual -- grab bars, water pressure, temperature, etc. -- means compliance with and an increase in important social behaviors. So I see a lot of ways ABA can help older adults who have limited cognitive or daily living skills, mostly by training staff to implement little things that would make a difference in their daily lives. In the study I'm referencing this week, all that was done was offering/encouraging the participant to get involved in something social, aka a prompt in ABA terms -- such as singing with others, looking at magazines of interest. And it worked to cause increased engagement. So simple but effective.
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😏😏 Stolen heads?I

Imagine the surprise, fright when opening the box they stole?! We need more surprises like this, then maybe some of the craziness will so a down.

https://kdvr.com/news/local/box-of-human-heads-stolen-from-a-truck-in-denver/
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Tntechie, I am sorry for your families loss.
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TN, I am so sorry. What a horrible story. My sympathy goes out to your family.
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Becky: That's great news!💗
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I'm making a little progress. I can now transfer from my bed to wheelchair and from wheelchair to toilet. Don't have to call for assistance. PT guy approved to do by myself. Hoping to get a shower wheelchair later on when I don't have a cast.
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TN: How horrible! I send deepest condolences.
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Barb: I understand why you wouldn't sleep well. Odd story for sure. Hugs.
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Glad I can always find boxes at the liquor store!! And the wine boxes have dividers in them for glasswear and such.
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Barb, may be daughter and family should go cruising with you. The whole scenario is something very suspicious.
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TN, so sorry, very difficult for all involved.
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TN - my deepest sympathies. Addictions are horrible.
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So sad, TN! I'm so sorry for your family's troubles.
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My nephew's former BIL (first wife's brother and uncle to two of my grand-nephews) has been murdered. He walked a life bordering the drug trade from his early teens; mostly as a user, often as a dealer and in recent years as a meth manufacturer. Over the past couple of years he has had 2-4 month long periods where he "gets clean" then returns to the drug life. His body was found in the home of another meth dealer, mutilated, more than a week after his death. Two lives are over: the 23 year old murderer and his 34 year old victim.
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Dear Glad; Oy.

You're absolutely right. I just checked with my daughter and indeed, he is coming to NY. DD has alerted the preschool that NO ONE other than the folks on the list are to be allowed to take her.

I am not going to sleep well.
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Barb,
Parents had best keep a close eye on the kiddos for awhile. Has he come to New York? And now says he doesn't want to see anyone? Something is definitely off.

Such a strange, off-the-wall reaction, he should definitely see a doc for a complete exam.
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Who would be the family member to contact about your concerns? His doctor should be informed. Paranoia can be a sign of developing dementia. I think he needs a full geri-psych evaluation, not that that will be easy to arrange in his state of mind. Is he the one responsible for his frail father? If he is, I would be concerned about that too and looking for alternatives. To me it looks like a train wreck waiting to happen. It is sad when aging produces issues which isolate people.

Thanks for updating us.
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Golden, CM, I'm starting to wonder about his mental health, as you point out. Such an extreme reaction.

Oh, and I'm told he wrote the kids an email saying that he knows why we all hate him.

It's because he's Catholic.

His argument was a bit deflated when my SIL pointed out that my whole family is Catholic and we get along with THEM just fine.

Sad.
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Ample evidence, if more was needed, that it wasn't a good idea.

Barb- he sounds unwell.
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UHH???

Barb, I've only just caught up with this.

Arizona Gpa is as daft as a brush. Everyone realised that when he proposed that a five year old would be content, nay delighted, to spend her birthday with two old men she doesn't know from Adam, right?

Silly old sod. I don't think you or SIL need have any worries about what the Almighty will have to say about it.
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The denouement of the Arizona grandfather's trip to NY (wanted 5 year old granddaughter for the day without any "interference" from us--hasn't seen her since she was a baby, will be here with his elderly, frail, wheelchair bound father--what could go wrong, right?) is that he is refusing to see her at all, has cut off all communication with his son and "will let the kid decide when she grows up who was wrong". Lots of blustering about "you'll have to answer to God".

Too sad.
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:) just wishing us all a great day!! and courage!! :)

for many of us, it’s a very stressful rollercoaster:

emergency/calm/emergency…etc.

(i’m in the lucky calm phase. my LOs are doing well!)
:)

hugs to everyone!
be careful of your own health.

by health i mean many things:
…the food you eat (stress eating)
…social health (more isolated, not spending time with kind, uplifting friends, because all your energy is going into your LOs)
…love health (for example, maybe unconsciously avoiding to fall in love, because again, all your energy is going into your LOs)
…dreams/goals health
…etc.

the side-effects of being altruistic sort of creep up on us. and time passes.

somehow one must be careful:
actively love others and ACTIVELY love yourself too.

hug!!
:)
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LOL!!!!!I

Hunting boxes. I thought I had saved them from the last moves, but gave many/all to DD1 with her last move. My son is coming to help and will pickup what I think I need at HD. Not even boxes, at a reasonable price, in this city.

I have probably packed close to 15 boxes at this point. I feel like there is still lots to go. I have taken eight boxes of books to donate. Two big bags of clothes and shoes to goodwill. So much to do. Will be in my new office in three weeks! Excited to get out of here.

Only two showings on the house so far, that is discouraging. One of them is, supposedly, working on financing.
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