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34 | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | MARCH 2021 | HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY! Don't forget to wear green. Make it fun this year and wear a green mask! Growing up in an Italian family, two days after St. Paddy's Day we celebrated St. Joseph's Day. So to all my Italian friends, HAPPY ST. JOSEPH'S DAY! Wishing all of you a happy and safe celebration. The next Zoom meeting will be Thurs., March 18 at 10 am. Members will be notified of the details by email a few days prior to the meeting. The Zoom meetings have been very successful. If anyone needs help setting up for zoom, contact Diane and she will get you going. If you have not participated in Zoom, you are missing out. Give it a try. If you have any questions, would like to learn more about Memory Loss, or would like reading materials that we can loan you, call Diane at (951) 769-0130, Doug at (360) 840-5559, or Anne at (951) 845-8700. Remember we are here to help. CAREGIVER INTERVENTION 1. Detect and connect Try to join the person's reality rather than trying to get the person to join yours. Keep respect for the person as an adult in mind. Let the person know that you understand that he or she is upset and that you want to help. Attempt to discover what may be triggering behavior by exploring who was involved when the behavior began, what took place and where, when the behavior started, and how the event played out. 2. Address physical needs first Explore whether the person is experiencing pain, and make attempts to resolve it safely. Check with the person's doctor to determine whether medication or physical conditions may be causing the behavior, especially if it occurred suddenly. 3. Then address emotional needs The behavior may be an expression of emotional need, including feeling lonely, bored, or over or under stimulated. Approach the person gently and provide reassurance. Redirect the person as needed. 4. Reassess and plan for the next time If the behavior took place once, it may well occur again. Plan for escalation of the behavior in the future and make plans to get additional support and resources as needed. Remember that you cannot eliminate all challenging behaviors, but continue building your resources and attempting new interventions. Caregiver Support Group