To the editor;
Please read this.
Communication Tips
By an anonymous author.
“When I ask you to listen to me,
And you start giving me advice,
You have not done what I asked.
When I ask that you listen to me,
And you begin to tell me why I shouldn’t feel that way,
You are trampling my feelings.
When I asked you to listen to me,
And you feel you have to do something to solve my problems,
You have failed me, strange
as that may seem.
Listen: All that I ask is
that you listen,
Not talk or do – just hear me.
When you do something for me
That I need to do for myself,
You contribute to my fear
and feelings of inadequacy.
But when you accept
as a simple fact
That I do feel what I feel,
no matter how irrational,
Then I can quit trying
to convince you
And go about the business
Of understanding what’s
behind my feelings.
So please listen and just hear me
And if you want to talk,
Wait a minute for your turn –
and I’ll listen to you.”
—————–
Here are 10 warning signs for Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, provided by the Alzheimer Society of B.C.:
1. Memory loss that affects day-to-day abilities. Forgetting things often or struggling to retain new information.
2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks. Forgetting how to do something you’ve been doing your whole life, such as preparing a meal or getting dressed
3. Problems with language. Forgetting words or substituting words that don’t fit the context.
4. Disorientation in time and space. Not knowing what day of the week it is or getting lost in a familiar place.
5. Impaired judgment. Not recognizing a medical problem that needs attention or wearing light clothing on a cold day.
6. Problems with abstract thinking. Having difficulty balancing a chequebook, for example, or not understanding what numbers are and how they are used.
7. Misplacing things. Putting things in strange places, like a dress in the refrigerator or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl.
8. Changes in mood and behaviour. Exhibiting severe mood swings from being easy-going to quick-tempered.
9. Changes in personality. Behaving out of character, such as becoming confused, suspicious, or fearful.
10. Loss of initiative. Losing interest in friends, family and favourite activities.
You can help; support the Barriere Walk For Memories, Jan. 25, registration at 10 a.m., Walk at 11 a.m. leaving from the Seniors Centre.
Sign me: A Barriere walker who strives to be a better listener
