CARE at the UW-Madison School of Nursing
“As a caregiver, I can speak to the fact that life is intense,” says Traci Edmondson. Edmondson is the dementia care specialist for Calumet and Outagamie counties in Wisconsin. She also cared for her husband while he was living with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. “You are always on. You are always caregiving,” she says. “You don’t …
The following is an excerpt from the “Planning for your hospital” section of the Dementia Friendly Hospital Toolkit developed by CARE and clinical and research faculty at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing. As we developed CARE’s Dementia Friendly Hospital Toolkit, we learned from two Wisconsin hospitals with their own dementia friendly initiatives: the …
Five years ago, Kathryn Gerber, BSN, RN was a junior at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing, volunteering with the Watertown Dementia Awareness Coalition. “Before this experience, I knew what dementia was, but I wasn’t aware of the wider community aspects,” Gerber said in 2015. “For example, if a person with dementia goes into …
“Today we’re continuing to focus on strategies that help us maintain and even improve our brain health,” says University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing student Laura Block. “Today’s brain health strategy is sleep,” says Block, standing before an attentive group in a mirrored gym room. “We don’t know exactly why humans need such a long …
Charlie holds up a prescription bottle and looks at the pharmacist, confused. “You are not due for a refill on your metoprolol,” says the pharmacist. “I refilled this medication for you Tuesday. Remember?” “I need a refill,” Charlie responds. “The bottle is empty.” Charlie’s son asks, “Do you know where the bottle is that you …
“If Alzheimer’s is bad, ignorance of the disease is worse,” says family caregiver and former Wisconsin Governor Martin Schreiber. Since his wife Elaine was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s 14 years ago, Schreiber has struggled with his own ignorance. “There were moments of joy I passed up because I didn’t know about the disease. The world …
Direct care workers meet the daily needs of older adults in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and continuing care retirement communities, and greatly impact the care provided by hospitals and home health agencies. Yet most have limited access to educational opportunities. The CARE conference is changing that.
“I had never considered working with older adults because I thought it would be sad and depressing, but now I have completely changed my mind.” That was the impact on one University of Wisconsin–Madison undergraduate of volunteering with the Music and Memory Program, as part of her independent study with the School of Nursing’s Center …
“What is person-centered care?” asked Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, an occupational therapist and nationally renowned dementia care educator with clinical appointments at Duke University’s School of Nursing and the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill’s School of Medicine. “It’s really a lot, but when it comes to dementia, it’s essential. It’s what every one of …
“People love to feel ‘normal,’” says Betty Lefebvre-Hill, MSE, the Fox Valley Memory Project’s Program Coordinator. “They want to get out and have the type of experiences they’ve enjoyed their whole lives, but then felt that they had to put aside. Re-engaging is joyful, and it’s heartwarming to be a part of that.” For an …