This meme is going around social media right now. I giggled when I first saw it, but then thought, “Wait, this isn’t that funny, it actually worries me.”
“Is this the start of Alzheimer’s or am I just so busy that I can’t remember?” is a question I have asked myself and many of my friends say the same. I have watched my mother’s processing slow down and, for a while, the change in her living environment brought about enough confusion that it worried both of us.
Mom recently told me that every day she goes through the alphabet naming something that starts with each letter to keep her mind sharp. I love that she has taken this on without my prompting her. Because she has trouble remembering the name of her assisted living community, we decided that we would use B for Bear and C for Creek to embed in her mind where she lives. She has also decided that when she can’t remember the town, she would remember Walter Winchell as her reminder of where she lives.
It turns out mom is onto something. Rena Yudkowsky, MSW, is a memory coach and founder of Memory Matters. Rena has a rich history in working with people living with a dementia. She began working with Sunrise Assisted Living as Reminiscence Department Head, then at Melabev Community Clubs for Elderly and then with Xperience Senior Enrichment as Director of Development, where she trained staff and lectured.
Now as a memory coach, Rena provides fun, interactive and practical webinars for people of all ages to improve focus and memory, determine how to train your brain with the best exercises for you and four tips to prevent dementia. Rena currently teaches online memory improvement courses for those over 50, so they can age confidently and stay sharp for many years. I love how Rena uses acronyms to help you and she shared with with me, TEAS, (Task, Environment, Automatically, Senses) which helps to improve focus.
To learn more about Rena and her work and to help you improve your focus, here is a link to her TEAS blog: https://renayudkowsky.com/teas-how-to-improve-focus/
Rena Yudkowsky, a professional memory coach and geriatric social worker, is the founder of Memory Matters. She teaches online memory improvement courses to mid-lifers and seniors. Over the past twenty years in the field, she has served as the director of an Alzheimer’s unit in an assisted living facility in Maryland, the director of development at a senior enrichment program in Israel, trainer for dementia caregivers, facilitator of support groups, and international lecturer on aging topics.
Currently, she is the memory coach for an international anti-aging clinic where she does 1:1 coaching and Is working on a comprehensive program to prevent dementia.
She is super passionate about her mission of helping those 50 + to age more healthfully, both physically and cognitively as she empowers them to believe in their own memory with confidence and grace.
Website: www.renayudkowsky.com
Facebook group: Memory Matters-tips and tricks for mid-lifers and seniors https://cutt.ly/memorymatters
Disclaimer: The material in this blog is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace, nor does it replace, consulting with a physician, lawyer, accountant, financial planner or other qualified professional.
Deb is available as a caregiver consultant. She will answer the question: “Where do I start?” and find the resources to alleviate your stress. If you would like to invest a half hour to learn how she can help you, please contact her at: Free 30 minute consulting call
Deb is the author of “Your Caregiver Relationship Contract.” Available in both English and Spanish, this book explains how to have an intentional conversation and the how unspoken expectations can cause problems during caregiving. Click here to learn more about Your Caregiver Relationship Contract or here for the Spanish version: Su Contrato de relación como cuidador de un ser querido.
