Tree of Life Dementia Care Consulting

02/12/2024

I appreciated being asked to speak last week for Benchmark Senior Solutions monthly Senior Summit. It was a wonderful group with lively and engaging conversation about what exactly dementia is/isn't, how to pro-actively pursue brain health, and how to best communicate with those living with a form of dementia.
I love what I do and that it can help others!

09/19/2023

Join us for this free, insightful, and engaging vendor fair featuring many of RVA's best resources for healthy aging! Tree of Life DCC will be there and I'd love to share our most recent "Brain Train" packet with you - all free of charge!
Stop by and see us at Chesterfield Heights in Midlothian on September 26th! Flyer with details posted.

05/18/2023

I gave a presentation last week called "Making the Most of It: How to Still Find Joy in Dementia."
I then wrote a summarizing article and thought I would share here as well. 💜

Making the Most of It: How to Still Find Joy in Dementia
By Julie Bingham, M.A., CCC-SLP, CDP, CADDCT
Tree of Life DCC

1) TAKE IT ALL IN. Understand that sensory-emotional memories (what we sensed and how we felt about it) are stored in the amygdala primarily and episodic memories (things that happened) are stored in the hippocampus in the brain. The hippocampus comes under direct attack as most dementias progress, which is why short-term memory is so impaired. However, stimulating familiar sensory memories can enhance both long-term recall and the potential to embed new memories.
2) GET EARS AND EYES CHECKED REGULARLY. Sensory loss and subsequent deprivation, mainly through declining hearing and vision, increases the risk of cognitive decline and exacerbates any current cognitive impairment. Clean glasses of the correct prescription and working hearing aids are crucial to maintaining awareness and understanding of the world around us. As caregivers, we must ensure that the person with dementia has access to whatever is needed to maximize those functions.
3) CREATE JOY IN YOUR INTERACTIONS. Consider the sensory stimulation opportunities in any activity or visit to make it a positive experience for the person with dementia. As the caregiver and/or loved one, you still have the chance to create joyful experiences with a person who cannot remember all of the joyful experiences from before. Joy and laughter = positive endorphins and neurotransmitters in the brain and body = improved heart rate, blood pressure, and overall mood for your loved one. Bet it works for you, too.
4) BE CREATIVE AND ADAPTABLE. Everything around you has the potential to create even the silliest of small activities and an opportunity for joy. Don’t be afraid to be silly!!! Engagement is the goal, not perfection. Look around your home at even the most mundane items and think of two ways you could use it for an activity. You’d be surprised what gems you have around you already! Bonus if you can think of at least two senses it could stimulate! Also, remember that a new activity that isn’t hugely successful shouldn’t be discarded. Every person functions at a different cognitive reserve every single day. Something that works one day may not work another. This is where the idea of having at least two ideas of how you would use an item comes in handy. And always remember, activities should be errorless! Perfection is not the goal. Engagement and positive interaction is.
5) STAY IN THE PRESENT IF THAT’S WHERE YOUR PERSON IS. Some days an activity or item may bring that person into a beautiful moment of reminiscence while other days it triggers no recall. Continue to engage with aspects of the item or activity that the person enjoyed (ex. washing and painting seashells or running hands through sand and filling buckets both stimulate talk about the ocean and beach and sensory memory, even if your person can’t recall that wonderful trip you took) so learn to just GO WITH IT if it creates joy!
Want to learn more tips?
Contact Julie Bingham, CCC-SLP, CDP, CADDCT
Tree of Life DCC
www.facebook.com/treeoflifedcc
Julie.treeoflifedcc@gmail.com
804-998-3664

We believe there is still JOY after a dementia diagnosis. We are here to help. Let's go do some good

05/11/2023

Wow, y'all.
Today's presentation at Circle Center Adult Day Services with Benchmark Senior Solutions went longer than anticipated but what an engaged group! It was an honor and joy to share my knowledge and passion with you all. Thank you for the invitation! Would love to come back! 💜
It was a successful day of doing what I love most. This is my call.

05/04/2023

All too often I see people who care, but don't know HOW to care properly, for people who are not like them, for people who are going through an experience others can't fully understand, but they operate as if they do somehow.
Conflict or apathy, inevitably, arises because needs aren't being met.
Great harm can be done when "caring" for someone without empathy and understanding of what that person is going through.
Get educated. I'm here to help.
- Julie/Jules
Dementia Coach and Certified Trainer
804-998-3664

04/20/2023

I expected 10 in attendance and was thrilled to have SO many more when I presented, "Tips and Tricks" about neurocognitive disorders today! What an engaged and enthusiastic group of residents! Thank you to Amada Senior Care for inviting me to present!

04/14/2023

Looking to become a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP)?
Tree of Life DCC will be offering the CDP required course at Lakewood Retirement Community on April 25th! Discounted rate of $175 (normally $195) available with additional discounts for groups and CNAs.
To register, contact julie.treeoflifedcc@gmail.com and the registration form will be sent over to you!
Also, if you are interested in hosting a team course of 10+, GREAT discounts and benefits are available.
I'm here to help because I care.

02/14/2023

Six years ago today, Tree of Life DCC became official. So many ups and downs thanks to a strong start and then a global pandemic, but I am so proud to say that TOLDCC is stronger than ever and expanding in its services to people living with dementia and those who care for them.
Thank you to all who have supported me along these six years!

12/07/2022

What a horrific and heartbreaking story 💔 - it's also another warning for pre-screening and hypervigilance for health care workers providing in-home care. So very sad.

SPOKANE, Wash. - The suspect in a fatal shooting in the Sunset Hills area was arrested on skis after a night spent searching for him. Court documents with testimony from

08/13/2022

How many medications and supplements do you count?
This is called, "polypharmacy," and results when patients are prescribed one or more medications for a condition and then another for the side effects of the initial medication though it may have interactions with other medications.
It snowballs quickly and impacts cognition and overall function.
Tree of Life DCC is investigating healthier options. Stay tuned.

07/14/2022

If you've taken one of my courses, you have heard me on my soapbox about the importance of oral care for our patients to mitigate the risk of avoidable infection, and possible death. And there is also the dignity issue with access to both hand hygiene and oral care...
We MUST do better, y'all.
Take care of your patient like you take care of yourself.

Brushing a patient’s teeth is basic care that often gets skipped when hospitals are busy. Experts warn the danger of unbrushed teeth is greater than realized.

06/03/2022

Enjoyed visiting The Residence at Watertown Square today even if my Uber dropped me at the wrong address and I had to walk! I appreciated their willingness to work me in on a Friday afternoon. Lovely IL/AL/MC community near Boston who trains their staff in the NCCDP curriculum.