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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1996-09-18, Page 181 i►►►e s-; %dirvrrite, September 18, 1996 (fllv[M1JW[TY Taking a coffee break in preparation for World Alzheimer Day are, from left, Connie Town- send, food supervisor at Queensway Nursing and Retirement Home, Evelyn Josephson, Queensway director of care, Ted Underwood, Queensway administrator, Shelley Rodgers - Bedard. co-ordinator of the Alzheimer's Society of Huron County, Marg Cole, a Queensway volunteer, and Fran Hook, president of the Alzheimer Society of Huron County. Dementia presentation kicks off Alzheimer fundraiser By Brenda Burke T -A Reporter HI.NSAI.1. - :\s an introduction to the lirst national :\lihes:nor Coffee Break Day. Leanne Armstrong. a speech :1111 language pathologist with Huron County Home ('sues case it prescntatiun un Communication \\ nh Dementia last Tuesday night at Queensway Nurs- iii and Re! rentent Home. The cotlee break Iundraiscr. to he held at Queens- \\ as bons 2 10 4 p.m. on Sept. 20. World Alzheimer ).ts . ss s11 pros tdc col lee and refreshments in exchange tut donations to the Alzheimer Society of Huron Count Donations oI S5 earn a T-shirt or hat. A cam- pair.0 brochure encourages organizations and in - 11n s.luafs w host sttniLu coffee hrcaks. "Hosting a break." it reads. "is simply a matter of setting tan the collection NIX pros idcd and inviting people to add meaning to their daily grind .. In het presentation to approximately 45 people, Arnt- .trong e\ptained some cases of dementia. defined as a Gradual decline of memory. language. personality, judgement. prohlem-solving and reasoning, are clas- sified as ;\lihcimcr's. She outlined the stages of dementia. beginning with the rants stens including a deficient memory, word choscc 11slllcully. straying item the topic. repeating ide- as and thoughts. using a smaller vocabulary of well- Icaunc11 phrases and having trouble understanding long - et sentences. V Iec1e11 people are usually aware of their com- ntunication problems. As \sell as assuring the health of t!.. person's physical condition including hearing and eyesight. a speech pathologist provides communication strategies such as list -snaking. ' de in the middle stage of dementia, Armstrong c plamcsl. "the individual isn't quite as aware they are haven_. these problems... Vocabulary is reduced further and ideas tend to be repealed in sentence fragments. 11 is difficult both for them 10 monitor their speech and to realize when it is their tern in conversation. Also. dementia patients tend to lieu. on themselves. In Iter stages of the disease, fluent speech is often followed by nonsensical phrases. Muteness and speech problems such as stuttering and repetition may also oc- cur. "It's difficult to teach these individuals any new strategies as they progress through the different stag- es," said Armstrong. Communication techniques for those dealing with a person affected by dementia are extremely important, she added, suggesting common sense goes a long way in facilitating interaction. Addressing the person's needs may be as simple as closing a window or turning off a television. Armstrong played a video entitled Alzheimer's Dis- ease: Effects on Communication, which pointed out the disease has no known cure and is difficult to di- agnose. Examples were given of people affected by Alzheimer's, and tips to facilitate communication were offered. Armstrong pointed out helpful communication tech- niques. Identify yourself, use direct eye contact and a calm. clear, low-pitched voice. Eliminate background noise, use short, simple sentences and commands as well as yes/no questions and word cues. "Word recall is more impaired than word recogni- tion," she said. Also, take time to interact with the person, pause and use different voice tones to express yourself. Tell them when you are switching topics, redirect conversation hack to the topic and use cues to signify their turn to speak. Repeat important information without adding new details, replace the use of pronouns with names and try to anticipate what the individual wants to say. According to Armstrong, non-verbal tips are also im- portant. Avoid startling the individual, hold items out one by one, make a consistent schedule for them, sup- ply notes and wave good-bye to confirm you are leav- ing. Maintain a calm, consistent environment allowing small groups, short visits, breaks and simple choices as well as a limited amount of background noise and caf- feine. In order to help the dementia patient, Armstrong en- couraged changes in the environment and communica- tion habits of family and caregivers. Your Views Letters to the editor Lunch in the mum "I urge parents whose children eat lunch at school to visit the 'lunchroom'..." Dear Editor Parents of students at Exeter Public School were inforrned in the first newsletter of the year that due to lire regulations and staffing requirements, stu- dents remaining at the school during the lunch peri- od will eat sitting on the floor in the gymnasium. There are two teacher supervisors present, and the potential of 482 students attending, if every student retrained at school. The principal expects about 300 students to cat lunch at school on a regular basis. The supervisors do not have a method of keeping track of who is attending lunch, or which students come and go - to the washroom, for example. I object to this arrangement for the following rea- sons, 1. The large number of loosely supervised chil- dren in one room creates a level of noise and excite- ment that is not conducive to eating; rather to hurry- ing and either throwing half the food away or eating quickly and getting indigestion. This is especially true for the primary children who are easily distract- ed and may be slow eaters. 2. The use of the floor for food and bodies is at very best unsanitary and at worse, poses a health risk. Again, primary children are more likely to be at risk as they are frequently sufficiently inattentive or "care" less enough that they will set food on the floor and cat food that has been set on the floor. 3. 1 am concerned that the student to supervisor ratio (150:1) is sufficiently large that it poses a fire safety risk and a personal safety risk as teachers do not have a method of keeping track of who is present for lunch or who leaves the lunchroom. The procedures manual of the Huron Board of Ed- ucation requires that principals make "reasonable" provisions for students to eat their lunch and make "reasonable" provision for lunchroom supervision. i believe it is "reasonable" to expect the school to provide my child with a chair. a table, and a ralaueed atmosphere in which to eat lunch. This is good training/modelling for primary children, common decency for older students, and a matter of good health and safety for everyone. I would like to see students be able to remain in their classrooms, where they are in a familiar, and therefore more relaxed, atmosphere, at their own desks, where they have a personal interest in pre- venting and cleaning up spills. I don't understand why teachers could not also eat their lunch in the classroom with the remaining students. The class- room teacher would know who should be present, and have a smaller group to account for in case of an emergency. Furthermore, eating with the children sends them the message "We are a community", whereas patrolling the hall, waiting for lunch to fin- ish, sends an entirely different message, including "Hurry up!" (I'm told the teachers' contract requires that they be given 40 minutes of uninterrupted lunch time and that the interpretation of "uninterrupted" is currently before the courts.) My copy of the communique from the Office of the Fire Marshall states only that the "use of corri- dors as a "lunch room" may be considered a viola- tion." As there is a desk for everyone in the scho,t, I think fire regulations are being used as a scapegoat for what is essentially a staffing issue. I urge parents whose children eat lunch at school to visit the 'lunchroom' - this week - between noon and 12:20 to see and hear the situation for them- selves. If they do not like what they see and hear, they should go directly to the principal's office and register their concern. If changes are going to be made, they will be made before October because by that time, eating on the floor in the gym will have become "standard practice." Solutions I have heard suggested include having older students supervise younger students, charging parents whole children stay for lunch to pay for ad- ditional supervision in the classroom, and asking parents to psi Mole volunteer supervision. I'm sure the principal John Roils would welcome any other suggestiotls. Sincerely, - Prances Anderton Date changes for Hensall Council meeting Hensall Council will meet October 7. By Liz Simpler Hensall correspondent HENSALL - Residents of Hen- sall and area are advised that the regular meeting of Hensall Council will be held Monday, October 7. This change is due to the Thanks- giving holiday. Also, the Parks Board meeting will be changed to Wednesday, October 2. Hensall Community Channel is now programmed from the Cable Office in Dublin. Community groups and individuals are to con- tact Dublin to add information. In- formation can be by phone (1-800- 360-1556). faxed or mailed. Bag tags for Hensall residents are now available at three locations within the village. These are: the Municipal Office, 108 King Street, Ron's Health Centre, and B&D Va- riety (formerly Bell's Variety). Bag tags are $2.00 each and all garbage must be tagged for pickup. Week of the Child events are be- ing planned for October. Hensall and area residents are asked to mark October 18 to 26 on their cal- endars. There will be many exciting events for the whole family, includ- ing a family dinner on October 18. More details will be circulated as they are available. Groups interest- ed in hosting an event, or sponsor- ing an event, are asked to contact Barb at the Hensall Municipal Of- fice (262-2812). This would in- clude groups with regularly sched- uled events, which they are willing to accept "guest" participation at. The Week of the Child celebrates the important role of the child in the community. At Hensall United Church on Sunday, organist Paul Klopp was welcomed back. Rev, Annen opened the service. Psalm 125 was read in unison, followed by a read- ing from Exodus 14:19-31. Laura Elder was the Junior Minister. "Tell Me the Story of Jesus" was sung followed by Welcome and Greet- ings. The Children's Story was "Are You ever Embarrassed?" and the children's hymn was sung. Prayers of the People preceded the New Testament reading from Mark. Rev. Henry's message was "What Makes You Blush?" "Jesus Savior Pilot Me" was sung fol- lowed by the offering and oftitory, dedication by doxology and prayer. The greeters were Sheila and Rob- ert Reaburn. Raye Jacobe and Ja- mie Young looked after the usher- ing duties. "Rise Up On Saints of God" was the closing hymn. The commissioning was followed by the Benediction and Three -fold Amen. Junior Choir practice is at - ter school every Wednesday. The Presbytery Meeting will he held all day Tuesday at Camp Menesetung. The Official Board meeting is on Wednesday at 8 p.m. The Drop -In is on Thursday, September 19. Call Marg Cole at 262-2304 if you are new to this group. On Sunday, October 6 the Onta- rio Hiking Days will be held at Bannockburn Wildlife Area from 2 to 4 p.m. The Hensall Sunset Seniors met at the United Church on September 9 for their meeting and potluck din- ner. The meeting opened with the Lord's Prayer and "Oh Canada". A trip to Blyth for the musical shows was to be arranged. A euchre party is to be held October 16 at the Hen- sall Arena, price $2.00. Everyone is welcome. Isobel Rogerson and Marg Cole are in charge of the Oc- tober meeting. The ,Senior Games meeting is in Delaware on Septem- ber 17. The winners of the cards were: High, Pearl Taylor, Stewart Blackwell; Low,, Lorna Spencer, Marg Cole; Lone hands, Irene Blackwell. The Hensall and District Horti- cultural Society is planning a bus trip on December 7. Planned desti- nations are the Ben Veldhuis Greenhouses in Dundas, the Butter- fly Conservatory and Niagara Parks Greenhouse in Niagara Fulls. The day will end with a tour of the Festival of Lights. The cost is $50.00 for those belonging to the Horticultural Society and $3.00 ex- tra for non-members. Reservations must be trade and money paid by October 25. Call Doris at 262-2721 to reserve a place on the bus. Pre-school story hour begins September 30 at the Hensall Li- brary. Story hour will be held from 10:45 to 11:45 on Monday morn- ings and will include stories, songs, crafts, and games. Pre -registration is appreciated. Phone 262-2445 or 262-2449 to pre -register for story hour. A donation of $S.00 is sug- gested. The Afternoon Ladies Group of Hensall United Church held their first meeting of the fall season be- ginning with a potluck lunch. Eve- lyn Flynn, Ilene Rannie and Jean- ette Turner were hostesses. Evelyn Flynn opened the meeting with the poem "God's Design". Isobel Ro- gerson was the pianist for the sing- ing of several hymns. Rena Cald- well chose "Prayer" for the theme of her devotional. Caldwell gave several illustrations that prove the power of prayer and closed with a prayer. The offering was taken and dedi- cated by Evelyn Flynn. Roll call was taken and 76 visits had been made. The minutes were read from the May meeting. Everyone re- ceived a thank you note from Elva Forrest. Evelyn McBcath presented an interesting study on garbage. telling of the practice in Manila where people make a living from the dump called "Smoky Moun- tain". In Cairo the same form of re- cycling is practiced. Audrey Chris- tie read the poem "It's a Wonderful World". The October meeting will have a guest speaker. The meeting closed with the Mizpah Benedic- tion. Thames Road women dine at Millington's The U.C.W. held their September meeting at Millington's in Bruce - field. Rhoda Rohde Thames Road correspondent THAMES ROAD - Thirty-two women travelled to Millington's in Brucefield for their September meeting. 'Grace' was sung at 6:30 pan. before the meal. Mary Rowcliffe welcomed everyone and opened the meeting with a poem "The Melancholy Month". A hu- morous skit, "Richer than you think" was presented by Lorraine Alexander and Helen Hodgert. Each' member` answered the question "If you had a million dollars what would you do with it?"' A reading "Lottery Turns Sour" was given by Elda Riehl. The scripture lesson Matthew 25:14-30 was read by Rowcliffe. and Riehl gave a reading "Lifeline Shows in your Hands". Rowcliffe read "Look at Your Hands" and 12 women replied with a sentence about hands. Hodgert introduced speaker Pat Ballantyne who talked about her and her husband Lorne's recent trip to London, England, France, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, and Vimy Ridge. She sent a picture album around for everyone to look at. President Beatrice Dawson opened the business part of the meeting with a thought for the evening. The roll call and minutes were read. Marilyn Pym gave the treasurer's report. Jean Hodgert gave the Board of Managers.report. An invitation was received and read from Kirkton to meet with them on October 18. The fall rally will be held at Kippen United Church on October 2 at 6:30 p.m. There is to be a London Conference worship on Oc- tober 7 in Lambeth United Church. Anne Bray handed out the fall Christmas Regal hooks. The visiting comtnittee for the next four months are Group U, Elda Riehl; Group C, Doris Simpson; Group W, Kathy Bray. Beatrice Dawson closed the meeting with a closing thought which brought an enjoyable evening to a close. The regular church service on Sunday morning was conducted by Rev. Jock Tolmay. They sang the Doxol- ogy followed by the call to worship in unison. The minister told a story to the children. ' The choir sang "There'll be peace in the valley" ac- companied by organist Marilyn Vandenhusschc.' Rev. Tolmay read Exodus 14:19-31. The congregation read Psalm 114 and 'the minister read Matthew 18:21-35. The title of his sermon was "Contract and Covenant." Ray Cann and Gerald Cunnington received the offer- ing. The closing hymn was "All the way my saviour leads me" and the benediction was given in unison. Personals Steve Triebner of Grand Prairie, Alberta visited for a few days recently with Ray add Alice Cann. Get well wishes are extended to Judith Parker, a pa- tient in South Huron Hospital. Ruth McBride of Calgary and Jean Mastin of Rich- mond Hill visited with Murray and Beatrice Dawson after Murray's operation. He is home and doing fine. The Usborne Guild, Ray Cann, Kcn Duncan. Jean Hodgert, Harry Jeffery and Bill Rohde. played at the Fiddler's Jamboree at Kirkton on Sunday afternoon. Donna Van Allen, Rachel, Tyler and Sarah of Cross - hill visited with Margaret Stewart of Exeter on Sunday. Diane Ellis and Christine of Baden visited with Ross and Kay Hodgert of Exeter on Sunday. Popular clinic Heather Thompson, right, practices a skating drill during a hockey clinic being held at the Stephen Township arena on Thursday. Stephen Minor Hockey Association added a power skating and body checking clinic to their program this year which, in the past, has only included a goalies clinic. Morley Thompson, president of Stephen Township Minor Hockey said the clinics were a huge success and they plan on holding another goalie's clinic in February. . fa