Creating Moments of Joy for the Person with Alzheimer's or Dementia » (New Edition)

Jolene Brackey began her career as an interior designer after graduating from Iowa State University. But she soon realized that she derived great joy from helping people improve the interiors of their lives, rather than their homes. When she left her interior design job, the first job available was in an Alzheimer' special care unit as an activity director. She didn't know what Alzheimer's was but she knew she liked older people. Before long, she realized that God had given her a gift. She found ways to create positive outcomes and moments of joy for the individuals with the disease, their loved ones, and professional caregivers. Eager to share her practical solutions and insights, Jolene began speaking at educational seminars. Her message of hope, encouragement-along with generous helpings of humor-was warmly embraced by family members and professional caregivers alike. So, she established a business, Enhanced Moments, to help guide people through the Alzheimer's journey. Jolene and her husband, Troy, live in Polson, Montana with their children Sidney, Taylor, and Keegan.

Jolene Brackey has a vision. A vision that will soon look beyond the challenges of Alzheimer's disease and focus more of our energy on creating moments of joy. When a person has short-term memory loss, his life is made up of moments. But if you think about it, our memory is made up of moments, too. We are not able to create a perfectly wonderful day with someone who has dementia, but it is absolutely attainable to create a perfectly wonderful moment; a moment that puts a smile on their face, a twinkle in their eye, or triggers a memory. Five minutes later, they won't remember what you did or said, but the feeling you left them with will linger.