One
Man's Experience
"My
computer is one of my best friends," says Jim from
his home near Guelph, Ontario. When he started using
a computer for his work 15 years ago, Jim never thought
he would be relying on it as much as he does now. But
then again, he never thought about being diagnosed with
dementia.
When
his computer skills deteriorated along with his memory,
he sought help from an occupational therapist. Together
with his wife, they put systems and reminders in place
that allow him to use his computer independently.
As
an engineer, Jim solved problems throughout his career.
He draws on those skills to help him with the new challenges
he faces. He has three techniques. "I overcome,
compensate and redirect. All of these things help me
keep my head above water."
Using
his computer, Jim developed a "Reminder Chart" to
set goals for himself and cue himself throughout the
day. For example, his chart may remind him to drink more
water each day, attend aquafit classes three times a
week and call his daughter once.
Using
the chart has aided his memory by making some tasks routine.
It has helped him to keep in touch with family and friends
and made him feel more in control of his life. This all
adds to his self-confidence.
Jim
now assists the Alzheimer Society both locally and nationally
in looking at ways to help other people with dementia
develop "Reminder Charts" that work for them.
Asked
about searching for information on dementia on the Internet,
Jim said "I don't look for it, it comes to me." He
subscribes to a site that sends him notices of news with
the word dementia in it. He can choose to look
at it, link to the original source's website, or just
ignore it.
We
asked Jim if he worries about the accuracy or quality
of the information. Most of the time he doesn't worry,
he said, because mostly the information comes from reliable
sources. "However, if in doubt, I follow the advice
of Ronald Reagan, who said 'Trust but verify.'"
Jim
is a member of the Dementia
Advocacy Support Network (DASN) The network helps
connect people with dementia around the world. When you
subscribe to DASN you can get information in three ways:
- You
can receive all of the e-mail messages sent by members
to the group. This can be a large number of messages
each day and can be overwhelming.
- You
can get a summary of the exchanges that happened during
the day. This still can be a large amount of information.
- You
can access the information on the DASN website. This
allows you to look at what you want to look at and
not have to figure out what to do with all of the other
information you are not interested in.
Jim
has tried all three methods. He finds that accessing
the website directly works for him, but encourages everyone
to find their own best way.
To
those with dementia who are thinking about computers,
Jim says "Now is the time to try it out." You
can get help getting started from family, friends, books,
videos and training courses. If you are just starting
out on the Internet, Jim's advice is "Go to the
Alzheimer Society of Canada website. It is a wonderful
resource that is getting better all the time. You know
you can trust it."
One
word of caution from Jim: make sure you don't get consumed
with looking only for information on dementia. "There
is a lot of information out there on all kinds of things
-- you need to find a balance."
This
article is reproduced from On the Horizon newsletter,
part of the TriAD program (TriAD -- Three for the management
of Alzheimer's disease: The Clinician, Patient, and Caregiver
Alliance). On the Horizon is supported by Pfizer
Canada Inc. and developed with input from the Alzheimer
Society of Canada.
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