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$34.95 Stock #29142 (ISBN 978-1-932529-14-2) 224 pages 7" x 10" layflat ©2006  |
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Excerpted
from Chapters 1 and 9 of Movement with Meaning, by Barbara Larsen,
M.Ed. Chapter
1 When we hear the word Alzheimer's, our initial reaction is often a chilling feeling followed by an equally charged sense of loss. Our imagination may conjure pictures of the brain being engulfed in a cool mist, lights slowly dimming, or other visions that represent an overwhelming sense of fading away. But it is important to understand that the loss of memory and cognitive functioning does not mean the loss of a person's uniqueness as a human being. On the surface, the Alzheimer's mind seems like a deserted residence, but we can find folklore and legends to be rediscovered within its corridors. Many skills, feelings, and experiences are embodied within older adults with Alzheimer's disease because of the lives they've led. Each person represents a bounty of resources to be used in rediscovering the self. Whatever was lost in the cognitive realm can be recalled through the senses. For this reason, it is critical to separate the disease from the person (Woods, 1999). Yet, on another level, we must embrace the individual within the context of the disease to some degree. How the person with Alzheimer's disease is affected cannot be separated from his or her individual experience. Over the years, I have witnessed the tenacity and determination of the human spirit to express itself, finding any avenue to do so. This is the essence of Movement with Meaning™-to grab on to these innate experiences before the mist turns into fog, before the lights go out. Why is it that a person with Alzheimer's disease cannot remember what he or she had for breakfast or the name of last night's movie but can vividly remember a poem from childhood or a song from the past? Perhaps the simplest way to explain this phenomenon is to examine the functions of the various parts of the brain. Researchers have found that memory processes- taking in information, storing it, and retrieving it-are carried out by different parts of the brain. New memories are made and stored deep in a structure called the hippocampus. Individuals in early-stage Alzheimer's disease have damage to the hippocampus, which affects short-term memory. They do not, however, experience damage to the cerebral cortex, where long-term memory is stored (Rodgers, 2004). As a result, they can remember things from the distant past. Because these long-term memories are preserved, the challenge is to assist the individual with Alzheimer's disease in retrieving them. Repetition is an effective tool to retrieve memories (Burns, McCarten, Adler, Bauer, & Kuskowski, 2004). In Movement with Meaning, the multisensory activities in each class are divided into five segments that create a choreography of movements in which short, repetitive exercises increase a sense of well-being. The repetition of activities enables the person with Alzheimer's disease not only to refamiliarize him- or herself with a specific poem, song, or hymn but also to embody the present. One of the first subtle effects of Alzheimer's disease is disorientation. When a person with Alzheimer's disease becomes lost in familiar surroundings-not knowing where he or she is or how to get home-an increase in anxiety can occur. With this anxiety comes a sense of bewilderment and confusion. The underlying question becomes, "Where is my body in time and space?" It is therefore imperative that the word home take on a deeper meaning regarding disorientation. Home refers to the core of our essential being, the core of the body (Fazio, Seman, & Stansell, 1999). In Movement with Meaning, the body becomes the container through which the person with Alzheimer's disease can feel empowered. This is why the classes begin with simple breathing techniques that are very effective for relaxing the mind and the body and for bringing the individual into the present moment. By using a mindful breathing practice to address the issues of disorientation in a person in early-stage Alzheimer's disease, it is possible to prevent the sense of feeling overwhelmed and replace it with the ability to focus with greater clarity and peace of mind. Determining where one exists in physical space is the result of an ongoing interaction based on knowledge of both the starting point and the direction in which one has moved. To be able to comprehend where the body is in time and space-to be able to navigate the environment-is crucial for independence. The yoga postures and bilateral integration exercises in Movement with Meaning stimulate both the right and left hemispheres of the brain. A sense of equilibrium is enhanced when the midline of the body is in alignment with the earth. Increasing spatial awareness enhances balance and coordination. Early in the disease process, verbal communication skills become impaired. Individuals may have difficulty finding the right word or naming common objects. They might make errors in speech, such as saying "baffet" instead of "basket." Although these words have gone, familiar songs, prayers, hymns, and poems learned early in life are still rooted in long-term memory. These retained memories, developed throughout a lifetime, are part of the person. They are, in the case of a person with Alzheimer's disease, the basis of self-worth (Schmall, Cleland, & Sturdevant, 2000). In Movement with Meaning, memorizing a short poem can cue reminiscence, bringing back images and feelings from the past. Incorporating percussion instruments, music, and dance into the multisensory activities reinforces confidence and increases visual, auditory, and kinesthetic awareness. When the elements of Movement with Meaning are put together in a daily program, attention is refocused back on the body of the person with Alzheimer's disease. After all, many individuals are aware of the nature of their disease and the ways in which it is altering their lives. Why wait until the disease progresses, watching the skills that are still intact slowly fade like a photograph that has been exposed to the sun too long? The time is now, in the early stage, to reinforce remaining strengths and abilities (Karp et al., 2004). The time is now, while the individual is aware of his or her personal biography, to investigate the sense of how the individual's inner landscape is changing. The time is now to create an environment that strives to preserve the identity and dignity of each individual affected by Alzheimer's disease. Movement with Meaning is a program that focuses on connecting-on a very personal level-with each unique individual. Instead of defining people by their disease, the program presents a vital opportunity to open up new avenues for bonding. It is a journey through the senses, an excursion through the corridors of the mind where legends can be discovered. Sample Activity from Chapter 9 The Pedigree of Honey, Honey Have a serving plate, crackers, and a jar of honey with a plastic self-pouring lid available. This activity reinforces the theme of the Emily Dickinson poem memorized at the beginning of class.
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