Isolation Increases Even More with COVID but Regular Phone Calls Help

Daily phone calls at a set time are best in a dementia unit as the routine means the staff can make sure the resident is prepared and available to be able to accept the call.

Hi Everyone,
I’m Pieta Valentine from Christchurch New Zealand, a former physiotherapist and an author of 2 books on helping and empowering residents in dementia units.
These books are a good read and make for great gifts 🎁 for those working with and living with dementia (details below).

BOOKS:

The Residents’ Voice:
From a Dementia Unit
Published: Oct. 6th 2022

This book is to help family members and residents with all you need to know about the move in to a dementia unit.

The Residents’ Rise:
From a Dementia Unit
Published: Nov. 17th 2022

This book is to help family members and residents with positive practical tips enabling better managing once living in a dementia unit.

Both books can be purchased on my website below…
www.pietavalentine.com
(please copy n paste this website link to google if it doesn't activate)
Also both books are on Amazon.
Great New Yr reading 💓


THE DEMENTIA UNIT VIDEO SERIES.

This series of 600 five to ten minute videos were downloaded on to You Tube and Tic Toc from mid Feb. 2023 to mid Oct. 2023.

The videos are all dementia-unit, dementia-resident specific and explain a lot (not all) of the techniques I have written about in both books in terms of focusing on practical techniques to help residents in dementia units.

THE ON GOING ‘GRANNY’ SHORTS SERIES…

Granny is an elderly, opinionated, delightful woman (herself with Alzheimer’s dementia but with high cognitive function) who lives in a first level dementia unit and has a loyal grand daughter (physio student) who visits regularly.
Their frequently occurring in depth conversations take in to account the dementia unit issues that Granny and her resident-colleagues face on a daily basis plus a wide range of topics from the extensive reading Granny does and her grand daughters life issues and the interest Granny takes in it all.

Each one minute short/ discussion is posed as a short story from these various topics.

Tic Toc Link (copy and paste)

www.tiktok.com/@pietavalentine

You Tube Link (copy and paste)

   / @pietaval  



AUTHOR and VIDEO CREATOR

For those of you who don’t know me I’m Pieta Valentine, based in Christchurch New Zealand, a physiotherapist for 35 years who also worked for 8 years in a D3 dementia unit as a diversional therapist.
All the positive, practical tips and techniques in the books and Dementia Unit Video Series are derived from my observational skills, experience and training: along with Listening-To and Learning-From the many dementia patients I have worked with in my working experience and travels across New Zealand, England, Canada and Australia.
Integrated with this I had a physiotherapy private practice in Sydney from 1981 to 1985 treating sports injuries then another practice in Christchurch NZ for 25 years treating work place injuries.

Physiotherapists don’t medicate. They observe, assess, mobilise, motivate and problem solve. This method I’ve applied to all my work endeavours, not least with the dementia patients in dementia units.

My learning has come from lots of reading on both psychology and history along with plentiful travel and teaching experience in (and practice of) meditation, positive thinking and values empowerment.

Both books educate relatives and care staff in what residents need in dementia units Closing up earlier on conversations, especially when inclined to speak at length, is a discipline few residents have.

Pieta Valentine
Former Physiotherapist
Author of The Residents Voice: From a Dementia Unit
The Residents Rise: From
a Dementia Unit