Each Friday morning I join a writing class with Meggin McIntosh. We check in and then work on our project of the day: writing, organizing, researching, responding to emails – whatever needs doing. After 105 minutes we re-unite as everyone shares their efforts. Often during this debriefing time, I jot down ideas for my articles and that’s where the title of this piece originated.
While I always have topics for my weekly submission, sometimes my article is too long or too short. Usually I go beyond my allotment and editing forces me to eliminate wordiness. Too short presents a challenge since meandering and repetition lack pizzazz. And so, dribs and drubs allow me to wander through a variety of topics as I will do today.
First, and foremost for November, the 10th Annual Alzheimer’s Awareness Turkey Trot is set for Thanksgiving morning. With Lowry Wrestlers leading us and Lowry Cheer guiding us through the routes, you know it will be awesome. Our funds go to respite and education. Do you know a caregiver who might benefit from this money? Someone who has a friend who would step into help while the full-time caregiver takes a break to walk, shop, go to appointments, or just rest. That’s how we spend our donations and all you have to do is contact me for more information.
December 21st, as you know, is the shortest day, the darkest day, the Winter Solstice. To honor caregivers who experience the 24/7 Longest Day in June and the Longest Night next month, ADF-Winnemucca in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Association has created Candelaria to be placed on doorsteps and business windows throughout our community. These are available at the Turkey Trot (your first one at no cost; your second at $5), by contacting me, or perhaps we will pass on the street. I’d seen these in Albuquerque and wow! do they light up the holiday season. Proceeds go to Alzheimer’s research for finding a cure.
ADSD has sponsored the Nevada Resiliency Project that helps rural residents register for resources like SNAP and Medicaid. I’ve been told Governor Lombardo plans to drop the program, not realizing I am sure, how important this guidance is for people. Use your super powers to be sure that the funding for this valuable project remains. Senator Rosen has just sponsored a bill to allow adult children caring for parents to be able to write off expenses on their taxes. Knowing that we have many people locally who care for loved ones while working full time, this extra money will make a difference.
Final topic: capacity. At the Nevada Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias guest presenters David Godfrey, Dr. Dylan Wint, and Jennifer Richards shared insight on decision making capacity, the ability to form a decision or make a sound choice. “Capacity is a spectrum and it is situational…it may also be transient as in ‘I’ve got it today but not tomorrow.’” These variations in cognition may be due to many things: drugs, time of day, illness, pain, stress, depression, or mental health. Respecting personal autonomy, it is all right for an individual to make a bad decision if the impact of the choice is understood. Sometimes the poor choice does not come from any of the above but rather from misunderstanding through cultural differences or language barriers.
Ethics laws require that lawyers and physicians recognize personal autonomy while advocating for the benefit of the client. This can be challenging as it is difficult to determine what capacity the person with say, dementia, will have six months or a year from now. Questions concerning capacity often arise with Power of Attorney Financial or Medical decisions. For example, Grandma has appointed her grandson to make medical decisions following guidelines the two have established, but if Grandma is unable to communicate wants and needs even though grandson works to respect them, other nefarious characters may step in with demands. If Grandma, in a moment of lucidity, agrees under duress with unscrupulous demands, a disaster can ensue.
Nevada Legal Services comes to Pleasant Senior Center every other month to offer advice on Nevada law. Call the Center to set up a no-cost appointment. Volunteer Attorneys for Rural Nevada (VARN) also provide legal advice (775-883-8278) and are a reliable resource. Laws can be confusing; consultation brings enlightenment and peace of mind.
I might Drib and Drub onward, but I think you have plenty of food for thought.