- With Mayo Clinic health education outreach coordinator
Angela Lunde
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Angela Lunde
Angela Lunde is a dementia education specialist in the education core of Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at the Abigail Van Buren Alzheimer's Disease Research Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Angela Lunde
The transfer of information about dementias, as well as understanding the need for participation in clinical trials, is an essential component of the education core.
Angela is a member of the Alzheimer's Association board of directors and co-chair of the annual Minnesota Dementia Conference. She is a member of the Dementia Behavior Assessment and Response Team (D-BART), a multidisciplinary outreach service assisting professional and family caregivers in understanding and managing difficult behaviors often present in dementia. She facilitates several support groups, including Memory Club, an early-stage education and support series, and more recently, helped to develop and now deliver Healthy Action to Benefit Independence and Thinking (HABIT), a 10-day cognitive rehab and wellness program for people with mild cognitive impairment.
Angela takes a personal interest in understanding the complex changes that take place within relationships and among families when dementia is present. She is particularly interested in providing innovative and accessible ways for people with dementia and their families to receive information and participate in valuable programs that promote well-being.
"Amid a devastating disease, there are tools, therapies, programs and ways to cope, and it is vital that families are connected to these resources," she says.
Latest entries
- Take the time to find gratitude: You'll be happier, healthier
April 3, 2013
- Gratitude is the one pill everyone should be prescribed
March 19, 2013
- Teamwork unites caregivers, those with dementia
March 6, 2013
- Much work lies ahead to increase research, resources for Alzheimer's caregivers
Feb. 19, 2013
- Conference highlights those with dementia, caregiving and research
Feb. 5, 2013
Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Alzheimer's blog
-
Dec. 8, 2009
Alzheimer's and the holidays: Find real joy by simplifying
By Angela Lunde
It's the holiday season and if you're like many who are caring for a loved one with dementia, the season may not feel so merry.
Memories of better times may surface as reminders of what you've lost or what has changed. Often it's a time when you believe you should be happy, yet increased stress, disappointment, and sadness are the prevailing emotions.
At the same time, you may think that you should live up to expectations of family traditions and how things ought to be. As a caregiver, it isn't realistic to think that you will have the time or the energy to participate in all of the holiday activities as you once did.
And for the person with dementia, the holidays can disrupt the sanctuary of the calm and structured routine that suits them best. I have two general themes for caregivers and families to follow during the holidays:
- Adjust your expectations.
- Simplify the season.
Pick and choose which traditions are most important to you and which you can live without. Think about ways you can modify traditions that will still provide meaning to you and your family. Here are some ideas:
- Attend church services that will be less crowded or create a quiet ceremony at home that includes traditional readings, stories and hymns.
- Minimize holiday baking.
- Think about alternatives to writing and sending out lots of holiday cards.
- Simplify decorating, which is not only time consuming but can be confusing (blinking lights) and sometimes unsafe (wires, cords, candles) for the person with dementia. Instead, you might plan on outing to look at holiday lights and decorations.
- Think about holiday shopping with your loved one during evenings and weekends or opt for respite care for your loved one while you shop (maybe avoid stores all together).
- Also, recognize that the person with dementia may feel the discomfort of not knowing all family and friends and feel overwhelmed by the increased pressure and stimulation. Consider more intimate gatherings spread out over several days versus a large family get-together.
By adjusting your expectations and modifying some traditions you just might find the real joy in the season comes from simply being and reminiscing with the ones we love.
9 comments posted
Share on:
9 comments posted