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© Teepa Snow, Positive Approach, LLC – to be reused only with permission.

Humor

and

Caregiving


Laughing Versus Surviving:

Our goals for you:

•Understanding of what’s happening with

the person with dementia

•Support so you can survive

•Insight for the moments of joy


Why is Humor Important?

• Laughter is healthy

• Laughter connects you to others

• Laughter makes your brain work better

• Laughter makes you learn faster

• Laughter energizes you

• Laughter refocuses your thoughts

• Laughter relieves stress and worry

• Laughter heals

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Why Do We Laugh?

Four Theories:

•Superiority Theory

•Relief Theory

•Incongruity Theory

•Play Theory


Some Types of Humor:

Funny stories

Funny comments

Jokes

Professional humor:

topic-specific humor

Puns or word play

Cartoons (TV)

Riddles

Mimicry

Slapstick

Self-deprecation

Sarcastic

Dry or wry

Caricature

Photos or pictures

Video clips

Comics

Tongue twisters


Why Do We Laugh?

Something Seems ‘Funny’ to Us:

•What we see

•What we hear

•What we experience

•What we see compared to what we hear

•What we see compared to our experiences

•What we experience compared to what we

expected

•What other people say or do, or say versus do

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Finding the Right Humor for

You:

Your sense of humor may stay the same

Your sense of humor may change over time

Ability to understand humor will change

over time


Humor for a Person Living

with Dementia:• ‘Silly’ or ‘stupid’ may become ‘funny’

• ‘Funny’ may become ‘not funny’!

• It may take longer for them to ‘get it’ – slow

down

• Familiar stories and jokes may become more

fun than those they don’t already know

• They may want more visual humor versus

written or spoken humor


Laughter Breeds Laughter:

• Hang out with happy people

• Decide to look on the bright side - for right

now

• Think about what might be funny about this

• Expose yourself to funny things: try some

different resources and types

• Work your way up from a smile to belly

laugh

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Put Humor In Your Day:

• Make time for having fun

• Make time to laugh

• Smile at someone

• Smile at yourself in the mirror

• When you are having a hard time:

•Stop

•Take a break

•Laugh

•Try again


When the Going Gets Tough

Take a Break and Change

Gears:• Back off

• Breathe, and then and change focus for

a few minutes:

•Change place and space

•Go to a different sensory experience

•Alter the social situation

•Find a different surface for some part of

you


Here Are Some Ideas…

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History According to Kids:

Ancient Egypt was old. It was inhabited by

gypsies and mummies who all wrote in

hydraulics. They lived in the Sarah Dessert.

The climate Of the Sarah is such that all the

inhabitants have to live elsewhere.

Solomon had three hundred wives and seven

hundred porcupines. He was an actual

hysterical figure as well as being in the bible.

It sounds like he was sort of busy too.


Socrates was a famous old Greek teacher who went around giving people advice. They killed him. He later died from an overdose of wedlock which is apparently poisonous. After his death, his career suffered a dramatic decline.

In the first Olympic games, Greeks ran races, jumped, hurled biscuits, and threw the java. The games were messier then than they show on TV now.

Madman Curie discovered radio. She was the first woman to do what she did. Other women have become scientists since her but they didn't get to find radios because they were already taken.


Sir Francis Drake circumcised the world with a 100 foot clipper which was very dangerous to all his men.

Johann Bach wrote a great many musical compositions and had a large number of children. In between he practiced on an old spinster which he kept up in his attic. Bach died from 1750 to the present. Bach was the most famous composer in the world and so was Handel. Handel was half German, half Italian, and half English. He was very large.

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Higher Power:

A teacher said to her children, " We have

been learning how powerful kings and

queens were in ancient times.

But, there is a higher power. Can anybody

tell me what it is?“

One child blurted out, "Aces!"



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How many dogs does it

take to change a light

bulb?


Golden Retriever: The sun is

shining, the day is young, we've

got our whole lives ahead of us,

and you're inside worrying about

a stupid burned out bulb?

Border Collie: Just one. And then

I'll replace any wiring that's not up

to code.

Dachshund: You know I can't

reach that stupid lamp!


Rottweiler: Make me

Boxer: Who cares? I can still play

with my squeaky toys in the dark.

Lab: Oh, me, me!!!!! Pleeeeeeeeeze

let me change the light bulb! Can I?

Can I? Huh? Huh? Huh? Can I?

Pleeeeeeeeeze, please, please,

please!

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German Shepherd: I'll change it as

soon as I've led these people from the

dark, check to make sure I haven't

missed any, and make just one more

perimeter patrol to see that no one has

tried to take advantage of the situation.

Jack Russell Terrier: I'll just pop it

in while I'm bouncing off the walls

and furniture.

Old English Sheep Dog: Light

bulb? I'm sorry, but I don't see a

light bulb!


Cocker Spaniel: Why change it? I can

still pee on the carpet in the dark.

Greyhound: It isn't moving. Who

cares?

Australian Shepherd: First, I'll put all the light bulbs in a little circle....


Poodle: I'll just blow in

the Border Collie's ear

and he'll do it. By the

time he finishes rewiring

the house, my nails will

be dry.

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How many cats does it take

to change a light bulb?

The Cat's Answer:

“Cats do not change light bulbs. People change light bulbs. So, the real question is: how long will it be before I can expect some light, some dinner, and a massage?”

ALL OF WHICH PROVES, ONCE AGAIN, THAT WHILE DOGS HAVE MASTERS, CATS HAVE STAFF!


What Else Should You Do?

Plan for the probabilities

Create environments that reduce risk

Get skilled or find someone who is

Get others on board

Keep track of ‘what is’

Watch for signs of changes

Get help early – call or contact

Be flexible


How You Feel is

Real and Important!

However you feel is okay, it’s how you feel!

It’s not about judgment, it’s about support!

Acknowledge the feelings, then decide what

to do about it:

Is it how you want to feel?

If yes, go with it

If no, work to change it!

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If You are Having a Hard Time:

Think about:

•What helps you

•What you need

•What is missing

•What you are struggling with

•Who else might help

•What will happen if you don’t do something

•What might happen if you do


Some Ideas for Changing:

Pick one thing

Plan on baby steps

Get support for you

Build a routine

Check in on your feelings

Add something before giving something up

Believe it: not everyone is meant to do

hands-on care

Give it a try… not permanent… just try


What is There to Laugh About?

• What the person says

• What the person does

• What the person says versus what is done

• Your mistakes and ‘oops’ moments

• Your moments of joy

• Your moments of insight

• Their moments of insight, awareness, or humor

• Other people and their behaviors or words

• Things you see, hear, read, etc.

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Let Go:

How it ‘used to be’

How it ‘should be’

How you ‘should be’


Identify:

What you’re good at…and what you’re not

Who can help…and how they can help

What really matters

Where do you find joy? Get there regularly!


Final Suggestions:Back off, change something and try again

Adopt a “So What” mentality

Try being supportive, not confrontational

Accept yourself, and the person with dementia

Get support for you!

Find something you like about the person you are trying to help

Get help for them so you can take a break!

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The content contained in this presentation is strictly for informational purposes. Therefore, if you wish to apply

concepts or ideas contained from this presentation you are taking full responsibility for your actions. Neither

the creators, nor the copyright holder shall in any event be held liable to any party for any direct, indirect,

implied, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use

of this material, which is provided as is, and without warranties.

Any links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content, accuracy or any other implied

or explicit purpose.

This presentation is copyrighted by Positive Approach to Care and is protected under the US Copyright Act of

1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws, with ALL rights reserved. No part of

this may be copied, or changed in any format, sold, or used in any way other than what is outlined within this

under any circumstances without express permission from Positive Approach to Care.

Copyright 2017, All Rights Reserved

Teepa Snow and Positive Approach to Care

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