Start Small

Start small, start collecting:

photos

song lyrics

poetry collections

spiritual resources

homemade or published works

powerpoint slide shows

YouTube links

Having these resources available at all times will make it easier to do any part of your day together.

“I keep a photo or story nearby and a song on my lips at all times of the day to add focus or to distract a person from perceived difficulties. The flow keeps moving forward at any time of the day during the morning routine of shower, dressing, preparing for breakfast, after breakfast, in the bathroom, while sitting out on the patio, while preparing a meal… It keeps us both entertained, connected, and builds trust during all kinds of tender and personal circumstances.”IMG_8366

~p, 26, “15 Minutes of Fame: One Photo Does Wonders To Bring You Both Back to Solid Ground”

 

 

Take care, and stay in touch,

Tryn Rose Seley,

Author, 15 Minutes of Fame: One Photo Does Wonders To Bring You Both Back to Solid Ground at www.caregiverheart.com

trynrose@gmail.com

Purchase PDF version of 15 Minutes of Fame

For those of you who prefer Amazon Kindle versions, Click Here.

For those of you who prefer Nook versions, Click Here.

Request printed copies at trynrose@gmail.com

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Care for the Caregiver

IMG_0168I read so much on the world-wide web about self-care while caregiving.

You deserve care, for sure.

I don’t believe in saying, “Take a break, take a bath, have a walk with a friend, make sure you care for yourself…” because the answer is “When? How? I am caregiving full-time, all the time, 365/24/7…”

So instead, from my own caregiving days, I have learned to care for myself *while* caregiving. How? By creating 15 minutes of fame a day for me, the one I care for, and any who join the circle of care. When I am telling great stories of life, every day, then *that* is what we’re doing.

“When you create 15 minutes of fame every day for a person, those 15 minutes improve the daily mood, energy, and hope…When your mood and energy are good, you have a good outlook on life, and you can use that energy to create positive circumstances. When his or her mood and energy are good, he or she has a good outlook on life and you can use that energy to create positive circumstances…You’ve created solid ground for both of you.” ~p. 6, “15 Minutes of Fame: One Photo Does Wonders To Bring You Both Back to Solid Ground”

Photos, songs, musical instruments, stories, books with favorite pages marked, sitting right there on the table, begging to be opened and read aloud for the benefit of all within earshot (and even on Skype for those far away) – generate the fun, the pride, the joy of a full and interesting life, to draw upon, consider, and celebrate, every single day. If a new caregiver joins the team, he or she knows what to say immediately to bring this fun, pride, and joy to this day, in this moment. So do occasional visitors, pastors, chaplains, grandchildren, neighbors, family friends who otherwise might not know what to say. Show them what to say, then they can say it, with love, authenticity, and success. Inform them of the best things to do and say, and you’ll generate positive energy that benefits all of you.

May it work for you. Let me know how it goes.

Take care, and stay in touch,

Tryn Rose Seley,

Author, 15 Minutes of Fame: One Photo Does Wonders To Bring You Both Back to Solid Ground at www.caregiverheart.com

trynrose@gmail.com

Purchase PDF version of 15 Minutes of Fame

For those of you who prefer Amazon Kindle versions, Click Here.

For those of you who prefer Nook versions, Click Here.

Request printed copies at trynrose@gmail.com

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Book Review: Cindy Brown, Girls with Swagger

15 Minutes of Fame – for Caregivers

August 9th, 2013

6913a_Web_Cover__sq_250px_whiteonredWomen often find themselves in the position of caregiver – for children, parents, or others with special needs. The demands of caregiving can leave us feeling depleted and sad. A new book from Tryn Rose Seley, 15 Minutes of Fame: One Photo Does Wonders to Bring You Both Back to Solid Ground provides some ideas on how to raise your effectiveness and lower your frustration if you are caring for a relative or others who have dementia.

In the book, Tryn says: “As a caregiver, I share one photo, one song, one story about that person’s life every day, all day, whatever we’re doing. I wrote this book because I want to empower you to do the same.” The book has stories about people she has worked with and what she’s learned, along with photos and illustrations to give you ideas on how to deal with the frustrations of working with someone who might not remember a conversation that you had five minutes ago, but remembers people, stories, and talents from the past. Read more…

Take care, and stay in touch,

Tryn Rose Seley,

Author, 15 Minutes of Fame: One Photo Does Wonders To Bring You Both Back to Solid Ground at www.caregiverheart.com

trynrose@gmail.com

Purchase PDF version of 15 Minutes of Fame

For those of you who prefer Amazon Kindle versions, Click Here.

For those of you who prefer Nook versions, Click Here.

Request printed copies at trynrose@gmail.com

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From Arizona to You-A Story about Caring

This morning, my husband found a hummingbird, lying on the ground, freezing. It might have had a fight with another territorial hummer, or it might have run into our window near the feeder. First, he picked it up with gloves, and placed it on a towel in the sun, so it might warm up and recover. We planned to rearrange our day, nurse it back to health, clear out a big box, re-purpose a dropper to feed it nectar. Then, it flew away into the sunshine! We were ready to lend more support for its recovery, but were glad it recovered from its traumatic experience with a little help from us.

The other action we took was we added a second feeder in another part of the yard, so there wouldn’t be so many fights. There’s room for everyone, friends…

Like caregiving, sometimes we make plans for that person’s best interests, and part of the plan is useful, but the rest is not needed, or things change moment to moment.

May your path be as smooth as it can be, and you are ready to smile when a challenging moment turns towards the sun.

See original post, and more, at Facebook.com/caregiverheart
Photo: This morning, my husband found a hummingbird, lying on the ground, freezing. It might have had a fight with another territorial hummer, or it might have run into our window near the feeder. First, he picked it up with gloves, and placed it on a towel in the sun, so it might warm up and recover. We planned to rearrange our day, nurse it back to health, clear out a big box, re-purpose a dropper to feed it nectar. Then, it flew away into the sunshine! We were ready to lend more support for its recovery, but were glad it recovered from its traumatic experience with a little help from us. The other action we took was we added a second feeder in another part of the yard, so there wouldn't be so many fights. There's room for everyone, friends... Like caregiving, sometimes we make plans for that person's best interests, and part of the plan is useful, but the rest is not needed, or things change moment to moment. May your path be as smooth as it can be, and you are ready to smile when a challenging moment turns towards the sun.

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Purchase PDF version of 15 Minutes of Fame

For those of you who prefer Amazon Kindle versions, Click Here.

For those of you who prefer Nook versions, Click Here.

Request printed copies at trynrose@gmail.com

Take care, and stay in touch,

Tryn Rose Seley,

Author, 15 Minutes of Fame: One Photo Does Wonders To Bring You Both Back to Solid Ground at www.caregiverheart.com

trynrose@gmail.com

Purchase PDF version of 15 Minutes of Fame

For those of you who prefer Amazon Kindle versions, Click Here.

For those of you who prefer Nook versions, Click Here.

Request printed copies at trynrose@gmail.com

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Book Review for “15 Minutes of Fame”-Brenda Avadian, The Caregiver’s Voice

Thank you Brenda Avadian for the review! Visit her website for wonderful resources.

The Caregiver’s Voice Review: 15 Minutes of Fame

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tryn Rose Seley’s 15 Minutes of Fame is wisdom delivered elegantly. 

The best ideas are often so simple we knock ourselves on the head and ask, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Well, professional caregiver, photographer, and musician, Tryn Rose Seley did think of it in her attractive book, 15 Minutes of Fame (Empowering Caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s).

Seley has spent her life with people who need care, from her early childhood with her brother to caregiving in private homes and care communities. Seley has developed simple techniques that transform the cognitively impaired person’s anger and discomfort into peace and acceptance.

How does she do it?

In her introductory remarks, Seley writes:

As a caregiver, I share one photo, one song, or one story about that person’s life
every day, all day, whatever we’re doing.

That’s all? Just one photo?  One song? One story?

When you read her book, you realize how in 15 minutes she brings people back to terra firma or “solid ground.”

She explains why this technique works and why it’s important for  both the caregiver and care recipient.

Want a hint?

In the fast-flowing river of life–sometimes all it takes is one person who will take a few moments to connect with another, meaningfully.

This beautifully crafted book makes a delightful gift for the holidays or anytime of the year.

Caregiver Heart – Tryn Rose Seley’s website

15 Minutes of Fame is available on Kindle at Amazon.com

 

About the Author

Brenda Avadian, MA, Executive Director, founded The Caregiver’s Voice in 1998 while caring for her father who lived with Alzheimer’s disease. As a prolific author and national spokesperson for family caregivers and professionals, she brings hope and strength to caregivers with knowledge, support, and humor.

 

Take care, and stay in touch,

Tryn Rose Seley,

Author, 15 Minutes of Fame: One Photo Does Wonders To Bring You Both Back to Solid Ground at www.caregiverheart.com

trynrose@gmail.com

Purchase PDF version of 15 Minutes of Fame

For those of you who prefer Amazon Kindle versions, Click Here.

For those of you who prefer Nook versions, Click Here.

Request printed copies at trynrose@gmail.com

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How to Celebrate Holidays, and Create Them Every Day

Be gentle with yourself and your expectations around holidays, which can be challenging for any of us, particularly those living with Alzheimer’s. Plan with care, enjoy your family and friends, and adjust the schedule to suit a person’s energy. Notice, adjust and explore how it goes to retain the joy of holiday times with some new strategies for success.

Here are some suggestions of ways to celebrate holidays:

1) Have a party early in the day, when energy is best.

People living with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, like many of us, need to conserve energy. Never mind the midnight traditions; if you gather at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m., you and your family member or friend will enjoy the event, skip the over-extended feelings, and get home at a reasonable hour.

Feel the fun of staying up late, but readjust reality to suit your needs. Set the clock to Midnight at 6 p.m. on New Year’s Day, sing, celebrate, and go home early!

I worked for a beautiful retirement community in Colorado. For holidays and special occasions, we decorated the glorious room which had high ceilings, grand wooden floors, and stained glass windows. It was a setting likened to a five star hotel. And on New Year’s Eve, we lowered the large sparkling crystalline ball-at 7 p.m. We toasted the New Year, sang “Auld Lang Syne,” kissed each other, and went home while we still had stamina to carry us there!

2) Create a quiet room for 1:1 visits, and film the rest of the festivities to re-play for days, months, and years to come.

A person living with dementia can manage short, simple visits. Create this atmosphere for success. The happy, boisterous fun can happen in another part of the house. The best part: if you run a camera in both rooms, you have captured the joy of the party, and can selectively play back the event in smaller bursts to enjoy the fun at any time of the year. You can improve the mood on a Tuesday in March, or a Saturday afternoon in July. When you and the one you care for needs a lift, play this footage.

3) Leave a journal for family and friends to write memories of this gathering, or ones from the past, to read aloud any time you need a good story.

Write something in the front cover to prompt these stories, like “I remember Mom making plum pudding; we’d rush to the table to get a taste! Tell your plum pudding story here…” or “What’s a friendly piece of advice Dad gave you over the years?” or “Share a story about a memorable holiday present or event. I know you’ve got one!…”

Holiday visitors may come once a year, but you can extend their presence by asking them to write thoughts, affirmations, and stories from childhood, college, or any part of life. It’s a gift that keeps on giving; it’s why we invented writing, so we can ‘go back’ and read it again for information or pleasure. Writing these stories down brings the past to the present, where it can be re-lived, now and in the future.

When it comes to holidays this year, consider this: notice, adjust, and explore the possibilities of having full celebrations a different way. Don’t give them up; change them up.

Tryn Rose Seley, Author of “15 Minutes of Fame: One Photo Does Wonders” at caregiverheart.com

facebook.com/caregiverheart
twitter.com/trynrose

Take care, and stay in touch,

Tryn Rose Seley,

Author, 15 Minutes of Fame: One Photo Does Wonders To Bring You Both Back to Solid Ground at www.caregiverheart.com

trynrose@gmail.com

Purchase PDF version of 15 Minutes of Fame

For those of you who prefer Amazon Kindle versions, Click Here.

For those of you who prefer Nook versions, Click Here.

Request printed copies at trynrose@gmail.com

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Caregiving Strategies to Engage with Seniors with Alzheimers 07/23 by Empowering Family Caregivers | Blog Talk Radio

Caregiving Strategies to Engage with Seniors with Alzheimers 07/23 by Empowering Family Caregivers | Blog Talk Radio.

Check in with me on eCareDiary’s radio show! This link will lead you to the interview live on Tuesday, July 23rd at 11am Arizona Time, 2pm EST, or any day after this one. Call 347-857-3399 to talk with me and Polly Whitehorn, host of the show. Follow this group for great caregiving resources.

Take care, and stay in touch,

Tryn Rose Seley,

Author, 15 Minutes of Fame: One Photo Does Wonders To Bring You Both Back to Solid Ground at www.caregiverheart.com

trynrose@gmail.com

Purchase PDF version of 15 Minutes of Fame

For those of you who prefer Amazon Kindle versions, Click Here.

For those of you who prefer Nook versions, Click Here.

Request printed copies at trynrose@gmail.com

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Alzheimer’s Story Starters – Android

You, the caregiver, are the Story Starter. When you start the conversation, you get things rolling.

via Alzheimer’s Story Starters – Android.

Androidians, download this free App! It gives you something great to talk about when you need it. Let me know how it goes.

Take care, and stay in touch,

Tryn Rose Seley,

Author, 15 Minutes of Fame: One Photo Does Wonders To Bring You Both Back to Solid Ground at www.caregiverheart.com

trynrose@gmail.com

Purchase PDF version of 15 Minutes of Fame

For those of you who prefer Amazon Kindle versions, Click Here.

For those of you who prefer Nook versions, Click Here.

Request printed copies at trynrose@gmail.com

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Featured Presentation

I read a question from a caregiver, asking about family visits to a care community. I learned as a Life Enrichment Coordinator to invite families to share stories about their husband, sister, or friend so we could know, appreciate and learn to love that person as much as they did. Families brought in quilts she made, medals of honor he earned, pictures of treasured cars or doll collections or rose gardens.

This is how it affected all of us:

1) It brought the wonderful life stories back to life, right then and there, and gave us something to talk about. When the listeners heard one story, they added their own stories to the conversation.

2) It gave the family caregiver a way to celebrate his or her family member, renewing  feelings of pride and joy about their loved one.

3) It spruced up a regular day, and made it extraordinary.

We all have stories to tell. If we tell them, it can generate life for all who are there to hear them. Create a featured presentation, any day you need one.

My friend in Colorado, an oral historian, shared this with me: her husband went to a storytelling workshop when their son was young. The leader’s advice was, tell the stories now, no matter how young a kid is. My friend agrees, they followed this advice, and is also very glad her grandparents kept telling their stories as she grew up. Now she can write them down and pass them on to future generations.

May we all do the same, for the benefit of your own heart, the heart of the one you care for, and those who join you in care. Type up the best stories, or hand-write them, and leave them on the coffee table, the refrigerator, the dining room table, for all to tell, and to enjoy.

Take care, and stay in touch,

Tryn Rose Seley,

Author, 15 Minutes of Fame: One Photo Does Wonders To Bring You Both Back to Solid Ground at www.caregiverheart.com

trynrose@gmail.com

Purchase PDF version of 15 Minutes of Fame

For those of you who prefer Amazon Kindle versions, Click Here.

For those of you who prefer Nook versions, Click Here.

Request printed copies at trynrose@gmail.com

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Summertime/Anytime Real-Life Engagement

Caregivers can feel guilty that their family member or friend can’t golf 18 holes, or garden the back 40 anymore.

Don’t let guilt stop the creativity.

Go to the restaurant at the club and tell the best golfing stories you have. Bring a bowl of tomatoes onto the screened-in porch, or the dining room table. Notice, adjust, and explore.

Once a group of men who played golf together for years noticed one friend fading energetically. Eventually he received the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. His friends adjusted. They played 10 holes, then 5, and ended up on the bench, swinging clubs, describing the holes-in-one stories. Beautiful.

A friend of mine brought her mother into the kitchen while she prepared supper, bringing in fresh vegetables from the garden. She sometimes put on The Cooking Channel. By the time they served up at the table, her mom believed she had made supper herself. Let her believe.

Let your creativity get the better of you. Give yourself the widest possibilities for delight today. If you need to, pop over to the grocer’s and buy some tomatoes to go with the gardening stories. They’ll taste just as good, and the story from long ago will come to life today.

 

Take care, and stay in touch,

Tryn Rose Seley,

Author, 15 Minutes of Fame: One Photo Does Wonders To Bring You Both Back to Solid Ground at www.caregiverheart.com

trynrose@gmail.com

Purchase PDF version of 15 Minutes of Fame

For those of you who prefer Amazon Kindle versions, Click Here.

For those of you who prefer Nook versions, Click Here.

Request printed copies at trynrose@gmail.com

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