According to the latest calculations, around 1.84 million people with dementia are currently living in Germany. “The disease increases,” says Michaela Katz. She adds: “The more we learn to deal with good dealings, the easier it will be for everyone.”
The 57-year-old has been a dementia ambassador for Tuttlingen since June, one of 90 in all of Baden-Württemberg. She sees her task in bringing dementia into conversation and contributing to an open handling through information and encounter. She wants to be the contact person for the sick and her relatives. Also very low -threshold with individual problems. “For example, if it escalates every time you have to be on time for a doctor’s appointment and the sick resist,” she says.
We are there to talk to dementia.
Michaela Katz
It is important to her that people with dementia are of course integrated without looking at their deficits. “But to focus on the positive things and to look forward to little things.” This also includes trying what you used to do together. “Anyone who always likes to go to the Trinity Mountain should also make it possible with the disease,” she says. Then by car and not on foot. And plan more time for everything.
Hiding is not good for long
Katz says: “The hiding and denial of the disease is at most a short -term solution.” It advocates open handling. In doing so, she knows that relatives in particular are extremely stressed by the topic of dementia and are under pressure.
General tips can give you how the patient’s acceptance with what moves him. Likewise, the indication that it does not bring anything to discuss with a dementia patient or to ask him W questions. Why did you do that? What’s that supposed to mean? “Because these people don’t know that.”
It won’t work without help
But if you live as a partner or child 24 hours a day with a person who has dementia, you have anything but easy. Its day-night rhythm can be postponed, he can react aggressively because he realizes that he does not understand what is going on. “Get help” is the tip of the dementia ambassador. As early as possible.
Day care for the patient could be a solution – then take time for himself. For hairdresser, eat ice cream, meet friends. Support in the household and shopping and cleaning could also be helpful. “We are also there to see that people with care degrees get all the services that they are entitled to,” she explains.
Michaela Katz learned nurse and did her specialist in social and health care. “The topic of dementia had no place during my training,” she says in retrospect. Through family experiences and her further career – she worked in the city’s senior citizens’ office for ten years – she has trained, many times through the offer of the Alzheimer’s Society Baden -Württemberg. There she also trained as a dementia ambassador.
She has held the house management of the “Mevita Residence am Stadtgarten” in Tuttlingen since April. 50 apartments with assisted living, a care flat share as well as care apartments and day care that can also visit external are united under one roof.
Week of dementia with these actions:
The following promotions are planning dementia during the week of dementia under the motto “Dementia – being human and remain”:
Am Friday, September 19ththere is a joint presentation of the working group dementia on the Tuttlingen marketplace, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Am Saturday, September 20thas part of the Tuttlinger Nachtkulture at 8 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.: 25 minutes each in the Seniors’ house, Honbergstrasse 10 in Tuttlingen. Program: “Cheen and sad and sad” – poems and texts on forgetfulness: Various poems and short texts, thoughtful, also sad and cheerful for forgetfulness are performed by the employees of the working group of dementia.
In her role as a dementia ambassador, she is basically available to everyone, not only for the residents of the residence at the city garden. If you are upside down, you can refer to other places, for example to the working group dementia. It is made up of representatives of various performance providers in the core city of Tuttlingen and offers low-threshold relief and advisory services.
Every dementia disease is different.
Michaela Katz
Katz says: “Every dementia disease is different.” But with everyone, the same applies that the person suffering from dementia changes and that the positive past will no longer come back. Even if there may always be good days.
