June 2006 Vol. 25. No. 6

Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.

Meeting health needs of the future: Introducing the New Alzheimer's Center

Rural representation: Eureka man named to California Commission on Aging

Happy 25th anniversary, Silvercrest!

Designing for Alzheimer's

Get healthy in McKinleyville this month

Think About It: Health district option is being explored

Delivering care - Single payer is the way to go

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A nationally recognized authority on designing for the elderly and Alzheimer's disease, Elizabeth Brawley, recently spoke in Eureka, and said, "Most buildings are not designed with an understanding of managing cognitive impairment," she said. "Dementia destroys people's ability to understand events and people in their environment and to plan for and take care of themselves. Without help, such a person cannot do what most of us take for granted, the most basic activities of daily life - walking, dressing, eating, bathing, using the toilet, making a telephone call, taking medication or cooking a meal."

It is left to us as caregivers to maximize their remaining abilities by making the environment more user friendly. We have the responsibility to provide opportunities for them every day to feel security, control, inclusion and affection.

When the Humboldt Senior Resource Center staff looked at our current adult day care setting, we realized we were not providing the best environment to our elders with Alzheimer's. We have had a waiting list for more than six years, and Eureka residents are traveling to Fortuna or Arcata to receive adult day health services because they can't get into our program when they need to.

Our current program space works fine for people without cognitive impairments because they understand what is happening around them and why. But for those with Alzheimer's and other dementias, the noise can get confusing and unbearable - from moving furniture, a kitchen that opens into the main room, overcrowding, and poorly insulated ceiling, walls and doors.

Our front door opens onto a busy street, rooms feel institutional because they need to be utilitarian enough to be used for a variety of purposes. Lighting is sometimes inadequate for older eyes to see, and our outdoor space, when nice enough to use, can be too bright to enjoy. We are lucky to have amazingly talented staff working to make our folks feel safe and secure despite these problems.

Creating safe spaces

Creating places to move safely and freely for as long as they are able, both indoors and in a garden setting, is critical to the health and well-being of people with dementia. According to Brawley, physical design features can respond to the impairments and needs of people with dementia in many ways:
• Ensure safety and security while providing as much independence as possible.
• Support functional abilities through meaningful activities that contribute to a positive self-image.
• Provide heightened awareness and orientation by using clear paths, cues and landmarks to help the person find places and things in the environment.
• Provide appropriate environmental stimulation by using textures, colors, views, gardens and pets.
• Maximize autonomy and control by allowing as much choice as possible for as long as possible.
• Provide familiar environments that link people to their past, helping them feel more comfortable and secure.

We are excited about the opportunity to provide state-of-the-art Alzheimer's and dementia care to our community with the New Alzheimer's Center and expanded family and professional support services throughout Humboldt and Del Norte counties.