Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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SENIOR CORNER Be a Best Friend by MARTHA OWEN & SUSAN GUY The Home Instead Senior Care network's free Alzheimer's Disease or other Dementias CARE: Changing Aging Through Research and Education Training Program incorporates best practices in dementia care including The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer's Care, written by David Troxel and Virginia Bell. The book describes the importance of relationships in quality dementia care. A key way to build relationships, according to Troxel and Bell, is to know and use an indi- vidual's life story to deliver outstanding care and to treat the person with dementia with dignity and respect as you would a best friend. "Every caregiver should know 100 things about the per- son in his or her care," noted Troxel, who served on the expert panel to develop CARE content. "For instance, my mother was Canadian and loved Earl Grey tea with milk. When mom developed Alzheimer's disease and was having a bad day, I'd say: 'How about I make you a nice cup of Earl Grey tea just the way you like it?' And she would smile and it would turn a bad day into a good day," he concluded taking time each day to help the person dress, bathe, eat a healthy meal or perform other important daily activities. "Persons with Alzheimer's might forget who you are, but you approach them with confidence and competence, they will respond," Troxel said. Examples include starting the day with a nice compliment (Dad, you look handsome in that blue sweater) and using their life story to talk with them. Troxel said the new Home Instead Senior Care program stresses the benefits of helping the caregiver live in the senior's world, not the reality that individual can no longer manage. "For instance, if Mom said President Eisenhower is doing The new Alzheimer's Disease or Other Dementias CARE Program encourages family caregivers to develop strategies to bring out the best in persons with dementia. When the person with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia feels safe, secure and valued, everything goes better. Thus the family caregiver takes a walk with the loved one, enjoys look- ing at a family photo album, prepares some blueberry muffins, all while A key way to build relationships, according to Troxel, is to know and use an individual's life story. a great job, her caregiver should say, 'I like Ike, too. Tell me about President Eisenhower. What do you like most about him?'" For more about the Best Friends approach and the new Alzheimer's Disease or Other Dementia CARE program, visit www.HelpforAlzheimersFamilies.com. To sign up for the new Alzheimer's Disease or Other Dementia CARE training offered in our community, email susan.guy@homeinstead.com. Classes will begin in August. MARTHA OWEN & SUSAN GUY, Owners of Home Instead Senior Care, Editor@upandcomingweekly. com. Methodist University Introduces Master of Education Program by SUE GODWIN Summer 2012 is right around the corner, and it will usher in the fourth master's level program at Methodist University. The Master of Education Program at Methodist will begin its first class June 11, with an exciting new program designed for today's working and busy classroom teachers. Our Master of Education Program is especially looking for teachers who want to increase their knowledge and skills in the K-12 areas of reading or special education. These two subjects were chosen as degree concentrations to complement our current program and increase teaching expertise in these vital areas. group of school partners for professional input in the program's development, including principals, teachers, central office staff and Methodist education candidates. The various school personnel came from Sampson, Harnett, Cumberland and Hoke counties, as well as Fort Bragg Schools. The teachers had either recently complet- ed a master's level program or were experienced master teachers. Together, the group made up our Professional Community Committee. Looking carefully at the North Carolina Department of When we were building our program, we gathered a Public Instruction's Graduate Standards, the PCC dis- cussed what a master teacher should know and be able to do. We also discussed the new North Carolina Teacher Evaluation Instrument and process. We felt strongly that teachers graduating from a Master of Education Program should have the knowledge, skills and dispositions neces- sary to extend themselves as leaders in the classroom and beyond. Additionally, the PCC discussed student assessment data and how to use it to impact teaching and learning. We very much wanted to ensure that our course offerings were rel- evant to today's teachers. A good example is how we approached the Instructional Technology class. Teachers must be familiar with the tools of technology, but they also need to know how to integrate them into 16 UCW MAY 23-29, 2012 Master of Education Program is espe- cially looking for teachers who want to increase their knowledge and skills in the K-12 areas of reading or special education. their teaching and give students hands-on experience with these techno- logical advancements. As recruitment efforts have geared up for the Term II summer start date, applicants have been pleased with the program's schedule. Teachers can finish the program in two full years, which includes two summers. During the summer, classes will be face-to-face on campus, fol- lowed by a blend of occasional on-campus sessions and online courses in the fall and winter semesters. The hybrid classes fit into a teacher's busy schedule, but still provide useful professional interaction. Applicants are also happy about our convenient location. Methodist University serves the Fayetteville/Fort Bragg and surrounding area counties. Applicant Yasmeen Robins said she decided to apply to the program partly because of the proximity of the university to both her home and school. More importantly, she said her colleagues who are grad- uates of the Methodist undergraduate education program speak highly of their experience at the university. They talk about their training, the strong faculty and staff, and the support they received. Each professional who is motivated to further his/her education and to be a lifelong learner has usually been influenced by a mentor in his/her profession or communi- ty. Each of us has the opportunity to encourage that pro- fessional who will continue to grow and learn and make a difference in the life of our students and community. In keeping with the Methodist vision, we want to continue to engage, enrich, and empower today's teachers, as we all strive for rigor, relevance and excellence in our profession. For more information, contact Sue Godwin at 910.630.7060 or sgodwin@methodist.edu. SUE GODWIN, Contributing Writer, Associate Professor of Education Methodist University COMMENTS? Editor@upandcom- ingweekly.com. WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM