Archive for November 2008
NEW BOOKS OFFER EASY TO USE, RELIABLE DAILY ACTIVITY FOR PEOPLE WITH MODERATE TO SEVERE ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© picture books engage people with second and third stage Alzheimer’s disease and create connections with their caregivers by providing a drug-free visual therapy that is “uplifting, surprising and gratifying.”
Camano Island, WA (OPENPRESS) December 4, 2008 – One of the most important and challenging aspects of caring for people with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease is identifying activities that engage the individuals and create connections with their caregivers and the world around them.
Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors©, a new picture book series created by artist Dan Koffman, does just that.
“I saw a need,” say Koffman, “for something that would engage Special Seniors and open the door to quiet reflections, fresh reminiscences and peaceful times free from frustration and confusion, something that would create new memories for caregivers to treasure. At the same time, I knew that that something had to be easy to do, without lots of supplies to buy, preparation or clean up for busy caregivers.”
The simple act of opening a Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© book generates smiles and encourages communication. Each book focuses on a familiar aspect of life and is filled with simple, bold photo illustrations of familiar objects easily recognizable to most Special Seniors. The first three books in the series are Fruits, Fun Foods and Hand Tools.
A picture IS worth a thousand words – and the pictures in Simple Pleasures books create “wide eyes, smiles, ooh’s and aah’s and the sharing of memories,” according to David Johnson (Personal Pathways, Garden House, Merrill Gardens at Stanwood, WA).
“Our Activity Assistants are enjoying using the Simple Pleasures books with our residents who have memory loss. The books are easy for us to reach for and utilize as an engaging activity for our residents on a daily basis. The responses that we are seeing are often uplifting, surprising and gratifying . . . we can feel the connection. It’s great to have a drug-free visual therapy easily available such as the Simple Pleasures books that have only positive side effects. Simple Pleasuresfor Special Seniors books are “simply wonderful!” says Diana Koob (Activity Director at Josephine, an Intergenerational Care Community, Stanwood, WA).
Barb Paterson (Administrator. Eagle Ridge Assisted Living, Ferndale, WA) says, “Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© books are a new and enlightening way to connect with loved ones who suffer from Alzheimer’s and dementia diseases. These easy to use books . . . offer an opportunity to spark reflections and reminiscences, thus improving the quality of life to both residents and their families.”
Koffman’s interest and passion in creating a tool to engage and connect with people with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease is very personal. His father was diagnosed with dementia in the early 1980’s; his mother was the primary caregiver. He lost both parents in 1994. “I vowed to find a way to have a positive effect on other families going through this sadness, says Koffman, an artist whose career has been based on the power of images. “Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© is the realization of that goal.”
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s disease every 71 seconds. An estimated five million Americans are affected today, with numbers expected to rise to as many as 16 million of our country’s aging population by 2050.
In the early stages of Alzheimer’s, options for engaging and connecting are many, but as the disease progresses and attention spans and communication skills become more limited, possibilities are greatly reduced even as engaging and connecting become ever more important.
“There’s nothing nice about Alzheimer’s and dementia,” Koffman concludes, “but Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© books can be a silver lining in that gray cloud, providing an easy way to create shared moments of loving closeness and new times to treasure, taking full advantage of every precious moment between Special Seniors and those who love and care for them.”
Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© books are available at www.simplepleasuresforspecialseniors.com (hardcover and softcover) as well as at www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com (softcover only).
For more information on Alzheimer’s disease, contact the Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center (alzheimers.org), the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org) and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (alzfdn.org).
Dan Koffman is an artist and creator of Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors©, books specifically for people with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease.
Contact:
Dan Koffman
Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors
360-387-3024
www.simplepleasuresforspecialseniors.co
BOOKS FOR PEOPLE WITH ALZHEIMER’S DEBUT IN TIME FOR WORLD ALZHEIMER’S DAY, SEPTEMBER, 21, 2008
Picture Books that Spark Reflection and Reminiscences may be Silver Lining in Dark Cloud of Alzheimer’s Disease
CAMANO ISLAND, WA - When Dan Koffman’s father was diagnosed with dementia, he vowed to do something that would have a positive effect on people suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia as well as those who love and care for them. “Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© is the realization of that goal,” says Koffman.
The debut of the Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© book series coincides with World Alzheimer’s Day on September 21, a day focused on raising awareness about Alzheimer’s and dementia, diseases that effect an estimated five million Americans today, with numbers expected to rise to as many as 16 million of our country’s aging population by 2050.
Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© is a picture book series created by Koffman, an artist whose career has been based on the power of images, especially for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia that encourages moments of quiet reflection, fresh reminiscences and peaceful times free from frustration and confusion. Each book focuses on a familiar aspect of life and is filled with simple, bold photo illustrations of familiar objects easily recognized by most Special Seniors. The first three books in the series are FRUITS, FUN FOODS and HAND TOOLS.
“Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© books can provide that little spark necessary to create sweet, shared moments of loving closeness and joyful connectedness for a Special Senior and his or her caregiving family, moments that will be treasured forever,” says Koffman.
“There’s nothing nice about Alzheimer’s and dementia,” Koffman concludes, “but Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© books can be a silver lining in that gray cloud, creating new times to treasure, taking full advantage of every precious moment between Special Seniors and those who love and care for them.”
Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© books are available at www.simplepleasuresforspecialseniors.com (hardcover and softcover) as well as at www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com (softcover only).
BOOKS FOR PEOPLE WITH ALZHEIMER’S TO DEBUT AT MEMORY WALK IN MT. VERNON, WA
Picture Books that Spark Reflection and Reminiscences may be a Silver Lining in the Dark Cloud of Alzheimer’s Disease
CAMANO ISLAND, WA - Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© — books for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia — will debut at the North Sound Memory Walk in Mt. Vernon, WA on Saturday, September 6, 2008 at 10 am in the Merrill Gardens Retirement Community event booth.
It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Dan Koffman, artist and author of Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© books, believes that this may be especially so for people with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.
Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© is a picture book series especially for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia that encourages moments of quiet reflection and fresh reminiscence, creating peaceful times free from frustration and confusion.
“The fine folks at Merrill Gardens have graciously offered Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© the opportunity to share their booth space at the North Sound Alzheimer’s Memory Walk in Mt. Vernon, a great event in support of Alzheimer’s research and care,” says Koffman.
Koffman’s father was diagnosed with dementia in the early-1980’s; his mother was the primary caregiver. “My dad passed away in 1994. My mom, just one day short of six months later. But those simple facts don’t begin to convey the sadness and helplessness I felt watching these people I loved so much go through that long, painful good-bye,” says Koffman.
“I wanted to do something that would have a positive effect on people suffering from dementia as well as those who love and care for them,” he continues. “Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© is the realization of that goal.”
Each Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© book focuses on a familiar aspect of life and is filled with simple, bold photo illustrations of familiar objects easily recognized by most Special Seniors. The first three books in the series are FRUITS, FUN FOODS and HAND TOOLS.
“My dad was a ‘tool guy’, always in his work shop, always building or fixing something,” says Koffman. “If he’d been able to look through the TOOLS book, he’d have been telling stories, making Mom smile, giving my whole family some moments of joy, something precious to remember.”
The forms of dementia are many, varied and ever-changing, but it is still possible for dementia sufferers and their caregivers to have moments of loving closeness, happiness, sharing and joyful connectedness, no matter the depth of the dementia.
“Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© books can provide that little spark necessary to create a new, shared experience for a Special Senior and his or her caregiver that will be treasured forever, says Koffman.
Early trials of the books have been done at Merrill Gardens facilities in Stanwood and Bellingham, WA. “Response by residents with varying degrees of dementia (from low to high) to the images in the Simple Pleasures book was 100% . . . ranging from wide eyes, smiles and ooo’s and ahhh’s, to expressing personal likes and even the sharing of several good memories. Even those with strong dementia smiled and laughed a lot,” says David Johnson, Personal Pathways, Garden House, Merrill Gardens at Stanwood, WA.
“There’s nothing nice about Alzheimer’s and dementia,” says Koffman, “but it is my hope that Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© books will be a silver lining in that gray cloud, creating sweet, shared moments of closeness and joy between Special Seniors and those who love and care for them.”
While brilliant researchers are hard at work searching for cures, Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© books are here now to create new times to treasure and help take full advantage of every precious moment between Special Seniors and their caregivers.
“Everyone knows and loves someone who suffers with dementia or who is the caregiver for someone who suffers with dementia,” says Koffman. “Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© books are a way to provide support to Special Seniors and their caregivers . . . a loving way to say, ‘You are not alone. I care.’”
Koffman’s final word: “Enjoy every precious moment of joyous connection . . . and treasure every day!”
Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© books are available online at: www.SimplePleasuresforSpecialSeniors.com
Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© picture books offer an easy and engaging daily activity with reliably positive results for people with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
- Easy to use for anyone – a professional caregiver, an activity director, a family member, even a grandchild
- Use anywhere – at home, in the doctor’s office, in care facilities
- Use anytime – between physical care activities, to pass the time between meals, to promote a pleasant state of mind before bedtime
- Self-contained
- No supplies to purchase
- Nothing to clean up
- Many titles to choose from
Helpful Hints to Insure the Best Response from Your Special Senior
Time and Place
- Be in tune with your Special Senior’s most positive, awake, alert and lucid patterns.
- Sit comfortably with your Special Senior in a calm and positive environment.
Verbal Cues to Draw Out Your Special Senior’s Participation
- Watch closely as your Special Senior looks at the images in the Simple Pleasures books.
- Does your Special Senior linger or smile while on a particular page?
- If so, that is a cue to ask a simple question:
“What do you see?”
“What thoughts does this picture give you?”
“What feelings does this picture give you?”
“Tell me a story about a ‘peach’ (or whatever picture it is).”
Wait to see what happens.
- Be patient.
- Linger on the pages.
- Look for facial responses: eyes widened, smiles, thoughtfulness.
- Listen for audible responses: laughter, any sound, a comment.
- Empathize. Put yourself in their shoes. This is for them.
Pages to Personalize at End of Book
- Several pages have been left blank at the end of each book for the addition of other specific images that may have personal meaning for your Special Senior.
- We suggest that these images or photographs be simple and not include people or other details that could be distracting or cause confusion or frustration.
- We also suggest that only copies of original photos be used and that they be well secured to the page
Please let us know how your Special Senior responds to Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© books.
We would love to hear your comments and especially any and all comments and responses from your Special Senior.
To Share your Comments, please use the E-mail Form on the Contact Dan page.
It is our sincere hope that Simple Pleasures for Special Seniors© books will create special moments for your Special Senior and new memories for you to treasure.