The article already appeared in the Schwäbische Zeitung. Due to the great interest, we are publishing it again.
According to the latest calculations, live in Deutschland There are currently around 1.84 million people with dementia. “The disease is increasing,” says Michaela Katz. She adds: “The more we learn how to behave well, the easier it will be for all of us.”
The 57-year-old has been a dementia ambassador for Tuttlingen for six months, one of 90 in all of Baden-Württemberg. She sees her task as bringing the topic of dementia into conversation and contributing to an open approach through information and encounters. She wants to be a contact person for sick people and their relatives. Also very low-threshold for individual problems. “For example, if it escalates every time you have to be on time for a doctor’s appointment and the sick person resists it,” she says.
We are here to bring dementia into conversation.
Michaela Katz
It is important to her that people with dementia are naturally integrated without only focusing on their deficits. “But to focus on the positive things and enjoy the little things.” This also includes continuing to try to do things that we used to enjoy doing together. “Anyone who liked going to Trinity Hill should be able to do that even if they are sick,” she gives an example. Then just with that Auto and not on foot. And plan more time for everything.
Concealing things doesn’t work for long
Katz says: “Secreting and denying the disease is at best a short-term solution.” She advocates an open approach. She knows that family members in particular are extremely stressed and under pressure due to the issue of dementia.
She can give you general tips, such as the patient’s acceptance of what is currently affecting them. Also the point that there is no point in discussing with someone suffering from dementia or asking them W-questions. Why did you do that? What’s that supposed to mean? “Because these people don’t know the answer to that.”
It won’t work without help
But if you, as a partner or child, live with someone who has dementia 24 hours a day, things are anything but easy. His day-night rhythm may be shifted and he may react aggressively because he realizes that he does not understand what is going on. “Get help,” is the dementia ambassador’s tip. As early as possible.
Day care for the sick could be a solution – so that they can then take time for themselves. For the hairdresser, going for ice cream, meeting friends. Support around the house and with shopping and cleaning could also be helpful. “We are also there to ensure that people with a nursing level classification receive all the services that they are entitled to,” she explains further.
Michaela Katz trained as a nurse and earned her specialist degree in social and health care. “The topic of dementia had no place at all during my training,” she says looking back. Through family experiences and her future career – she worked in the city’s senior citizens’ office for ten years – she continued her education, often through offers from the Baden-Württemberg Alzheimer’s Society. There she also completed the training to become a dementia ambassador.
Since April she has been managing the “MeVita Residenz am Stadtgarten” in Tuttlingen. 50 apartments with assisted living, a care shared apartment as well as care apartments and day care, which external parties can also visit, are united under one roof.
Dementia Week with these actions:
The Dementia Working Group is planning the following actions as part of Dementia Week under the motto “Dementia – being and remaining human”:
Am Friday, September 19ththere will be a joint presentation by the Dementia Working Group on the Tuttlingen market square, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Am Saturday September 20thas part of the Tuttlinger NachtKultour at 8 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.: 25 minutes each in the Senior Citizens’ House, Honbergstraße 10 in Tuttlingen. Program: “Cheerful and sad” – poems and texts about forgetfulness: Various poems and short texts, thoughtful, also sad and cheerful, on the subject of forgetfulness are presented by the employees of the Dementia Working Group.
In her role as a dementia ambassador, she is basically accessible to everyone, not just the residents of the Residenz am Stadtgarten. If your inquiries get out of hand, you can refer them to other places, for example to the Dementia Working Group. It is made up of representatives from various service providers in the core city of Tuttlingen and offers low-threshold relief and advice.
Every dementia disease progresses differently.
Michaela Katz
Katz says: “Every dementia disease progresses differently.” But it is equally true for everyone that the person suffering from dementia is changing and that the positive past will no longer come back. Even though there may always be good days.
