Staff in a nursing home in Dresden in the land which was once the GDR or East Germany, have found an unusual way to make their clients feel more comfortable. At that stage in life, many old people find their minds get addlepated but there is a way to make ex-Communists feel more at home in their dotage.
Watson: move them into a Communist nursing home?
You may make it to Detective yet, Watson. That's right. If you can't find a Communist nursing home then make this one look like it's one of them and that did the trick. (RT: Dresden retirement home recreates communist E. Germany to help dementia patients)
Picture of an old person's hand in case you never saw one.
Note: I'm posting this because I'm getting kind of a kick out of the ridiculous pictures which often get posted with articles as if there's even a tiny relationship.
Gunter Wolfram, the home’s director, told Bild newspaper that the idea came about by accident.
“We wanted to set up a projector room to show old films, and we got hold of a GD-era scooter as a prop,” he said, as quoted by The Telegraph.
When the residents saw the scooter, many with dementia seemed to recall the workings of it, how to fill it with petrol, and remembered their first rides.
- RT
Note: to immediately allay any concerns or suspicions, I don't find this topic funny but rather adorable.
Here's the adorable part:
That’s when Wolfram and his staff set out to bring more retro pieces into the lives of residents.
The results have been remarkable, according to Alicia Schöppe, an occupational therapist at the home.
“Many of them have started eating independently again, they go to the toilet on their own, even some who were bed-ridden have got up,” she told Bild.
It has been a win-win for everyone involved – not just the residents.
- RT
Actually, this is the kind of thing the Mystery Lady would spot as she had an incredible simpatico with the aged and found many insightful ways to get through to them even when it seemed to others they were too far gone.
East Germany doesn't want Communists any more than Manhattan wants more bedbugs but they do this for their clients after seeing their need ... and it works.
Well.
Watson: move them into a Communist nursing home?
You may make it to Detective yet, Watson. That's right. If you can't find a Communist nursing home then make this one look like it's one of them and that did the trick. (RT: Dresden retirement home recreates communist E. Germany to help dementia patients)
Picture of an old person's hand in case you never saw one.
Note: I'm posting this because I'm getting kind of a kick out of the ridiculous pictures which often get posted with articles as if there's even a tiny relationship.
Gunter Wolfram, the home’s director, told Bild newspaper that the idea came about by accident.
“We wanted to set up a projector room to show old films, and we got hold of a GD-era scooter as a prop,” he said, as quoted by The Telegraph.
When the residents saw the scooter, many with dementia seemed to recall the workings of it, how to fill it with petrol, and remembered their first rides.
- RT
Note: to immediately allay any concerns or suspicions, I don't find this topic funny but rather adorable.
Here's the adorable part:
That’s when Wolfram and his staff set out to bring more retro pieces into the lives of residents.
The results have been remarkable, according to Alicia Schöppe, an occupational therapist at the home.
“Many of them have started eating independently again, they go to the toilet on their own, even some who were bed-ridden have got up,” she told Bild.
It has been a win-win for everyone involved – not just the residents.
- RT
Actually, this is the kind of thing the Mystery Lady would spot as she had an incredible simpatico with the aged and found many insightful ways to get through to them even when it seemed to others they were too far gone.
East Germany doesn't want Communists any more than Manhattan wants more bedbugs but they do this for their clients after seeing their need ... and it works.
Well.
4 comments:
Old people do enjoy memories from the past. I for example sleep on a waterbed and maintain an 8 track player. The article mentions that some of the items from the past evoke good memories that seem to improve the quality of life of older patients. This does make sense.
However, the RT article mentions that the store has a photo of Eric Honecker. I suppose this is to remind its residents of the good old days of the GDR. I seriously doubt whether older East Germans enjoy memories of Eric Honecker any more than I fondly remember Richard Nixon. Eric Honecker was responsible for building the Berlin Wall. Once built he was responsible for killing over 1100 East Germans who attempted escape under his 'open fire' policy. He was also responsible for providing economic reform that would provide East Germans some similarity to the economic prosperity of West Germans. It never happened and ultimately the people ousted him with public protest in late 1989. Shortly thereafter, the Berlin Wall came down. Honecker fled in disgrace, fleeing to Chile and avoiding prosecution for crimes against humanity.
You see it too. I thought it was charming how they grokked that need in the old geezers.
It may be Honecker is not perceived as such a hellboy as even today there are those who miss East Germany since having a bullshit job is better than not having any job. We have seen how PEGIDA has amplified that discontent even when the current situation has nothing to do with Communism. I've heard quite a bit from the original West Germany about how they would be happy to send East Germany back because of all the problems which came from it.
The irony goes cold dead since the East Germans were, in effect, immigrants after all that and yet no-one has more of a hate for immigrants now. Whew, evolution in action is a sight to behold.
I didnt get the impression that they were trying to only find the Good Old Days. It seems they wanted to recreate a time when they were able bodied and clear thinking.
That remembrance of clear thinking was the key to aiding a surge in cognitive activity. So bad memories would have to be involved.
It would be an extraordinary thing to behold in seeing that happen in someone. The clear thinking aspect is the same reason I rarely drink since it muddles my thinking. To be able to reclaim clear thought is maybe like coming out of a hangover at least for a while.
The things they were remembering were highly practical rather than fanciful. One saw the scooter and remembered how to put fuel in it. Maybe that says it again about looking for clear thinking.
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