The Spiritual Side

Several years ago I had the opportunity to attend a conference here in Cleveland where I heard a presentation on the Spiritual Side of Dementia. I was mesmerized by some of the presenter’s information. Most fascinating to me was her research and finding that a scan of the brain of an individual with advancing Alzheimer’s is almost identical to the scan of a brain of someone who is engaged in meditation. It was intriguing to think about the correlation between the two. The thought that a person living with Alzheimer’s could be living in a contemplative place opened a whole new world of possibilities of looking at the disease. It also ignited in me the desire to explore more activities that could unleash the spiritual in the people with whom I was interacting.
The spiritual side of a person has so many facets. Using activities to tap into the sacred can be rewarding to the individual. Besides looking at any of the religious practices that were important in their life, it is good to glance at the areas of beliefs and values that were significant. The spiritual side of a person is the essence –is at the core- of who they are. When I think over the years of the wonderful seniors I have met, I am blessed with numerous memories of ways they taught me about retaining the important things.
I remember the woman who continued to do photography even after she became blind because it was such a part of her soul. She won awards by pointing the camera in the direction of what she heard.
There was the gentleman who loved the chance to be in nature and a trip to Lake Erie would always lift his spirits even if we had to stay in the car. There were the ladies who found a place of spirituality when they went to the cemetery. One of them did that weekly after church as part of her childhood. There was the woman who felt like she was touching holiness whenever she could sing. It was possible to give her the opportunity to do that with sing-a-longs, or through her religious services at the facility, or even just by talking about music and breaking into song. Then there were the piano players. I can see so often those who would start to play and eventually close their eyes as they let their fingers run over the keys and play beautiful songs or melodies.
Core values and tapping into the core of what makes one tick – such an awesome rediscovery when the right activity is found and made simple enough that it matches the skill and abilities levels. It is another important aspect for consideration when searching for person centered activities. Mary Ann