RonnyG Intervention

RonnyG CALLA Blog

I’d like to start by saying thank-you to Dr. Rachel Wu, her staff and instructors that were put together for this intervention.  All are patient, understanding and most importantly non-judgmental.  And I did learn new things in each class which will be useful in the future.

My initial thoughts were three easy classes to learn something new that I probably would not have taken on my own.  I based my effort on could be accomplished during class time and not expecting the homework load that would be required to actually be proficient and excel at any of the three classes, practice, practice, practice.

From the very beginning I was behind and did think about quitting after a few weeks, just not enough time with the “perfect storm” going on in my life.  My wife workman’s comp surgery, therapy and follow-up appointments, it seemed that the medical program was sabotaging my classes by having appointments on Tuesdays and Wednesdays which happened to be the only days the doctor was at her clinic.  The workman’s comp program schedules everything as fast as they can to get a person healed and back to work as soon as possible.  Then there was post-surgery care-giving, two foreign students at a time from China, Japan and Korea.  With my wife being on the injured reserve status it was up to me to make sure students were awake, make them breakfast and sack lunch, taking to school and picking up, dinner, dishes, housecleaning, dog care/exercise and yard-work.  By the time I got around to study time I had no more energy.

I entered this program not being involved with or knowing anyone that cared for or related to people suffering with Alzheimer’s or dementia.  I thought it was A.D.D. for older people.  While recently talking to my sister and telling her about the A.B.L.E. Intervention Program that I participate in, she responded that she recently learned from our Canadian cousins that my grandmother her sisters were affected by the disease.  We moved back from Canada when I was 4 years old and there was not much contact with my mother’s side of the family until recently with social media, mostly FB.

During my career I was required to go to training seminars or formal schools to learn new regulations, environmental law, emergency response equipment and techniques, software and other requirements for my job.  These classes were typically out of town and they sometimes implemented the 200-mile rule to keep us focused and not handling business back at our homes or offices except emergencies.

You only get out as much as you put into the classes.

Linda’s First Day

Goodies for School

I had no idea what I was signing up for.  Boy was I surprised and pleased.  

I really didn’t expect much. I honestly signed up for the $40 that we were promised to take a few assessment tests.  I had hoped to get a class in gourmet cooking, not Spanish, iPad, and certainly not painting.  I had taken Spanish in high school and again in college and now as a senior, oh no. iPad I thought all computers, phones, lap tops etc. worked the same, and I barely understood how to make a call or send a text. Painting no way.  I have never been creative, or artistic in any way. So here we go, at least I’ll get another $40 at the end of it all.

Oh my goodness was I pleasantly surprised.  Not only had I made several new friends, and even when I didn’t feel like going to class the free coffee and the social interaction with my new classmates got me to class.  We were given  homework so we could practice outside the classroom setting, yuck, homework, I don’t believe anyone enjoys homework. Most of us complained but completing it. Spanish was the most difficult for me, but was surprised once again that painting was calling my name.  Me, the least creative person on the planet loved to paint.  Oh don’t get me wrong. At first I was positive it was gonna look like a first grader had thrown  some paint on the canvas, but as time went on it started to make sense to me.  Me, who believed I had no “talent” for anything artistic now seemed to have gained some kind of ability to put something recognizable on a canvas.  

To be honest, I wasn’t thrilled with the other two classes, however with each milestone reached I felt more proud of what I was doing of what I was investing my time in.  I no longer have to find one of my grandkids to help me with posting pictures or looking up something on my phone.  I still may have some difficulty with grammar and tense with Spanish, but I feel I am able to converse should the need arise.  

This study has giving me so much confidence in myself, my abilities. I still will say I have “no talent” to paint, but I have realized that I can do a fairly decent job, and many of my friends and family seemed impressed, in fact people are asking for my paintings, who knew?  I feel important and valuable, which before I kind of believed I was a “ had been”, basically just passing the time waiting to meet my maker.  I still had quite a bit to offer other than watching my grandkids. Of course I love to do that too and always have, but now I have many other activities to engage in.  

I plan on painting as long as I can afford the paint and canvases, which at this point I may choose to not buy food in order to buy paint, “JK” (for those of you not taking the iPad class that stands for just kidding).  I hope to sign up and take other classes and involve myself in different activities for as long as I am able, which I believe because I am doing it will be longer than I ever could have imagined.  

I started here with my first picture of how excited I was to get all the school supplies to attend UCR and I will like to close with my most recent painting of which I am proud I did, not perfect by any means, but for a senior who has only been exposed to this activity for 12 weeks I am impressed. 

For anyone who wants to try something that you think you can’t accomplish, trust me: you can. As Nike says, “Just Do It”.

Week 12 painting

Age Does Not Limit Learning

I feel very fortunate to have been included in this study.  My paint and pencils are back in use following a long hiatus.  I have learned new techniques and refreshed old ones.  It’s been fun and challenging.  I made new friends,  heard their stories and can relate to the challenges they express when facing the dreaded blank canvas.  

The iPad is my friend full of possibilities to enhance my life. It is like a magic carpet - climb on place to explore the wonders of technology.

There is no age limit to learning.  We  folk bring to the classroom setting  experience, maturity and ability that must surely be a blessing to our instructors. I really appreciate them.

Peggy

Retiree: Did You Put it Off Til Tomorrow?

Not sure I know what a blog is supposed to look like but here it is...

The scourge of the retired person is often the opposite of the working person: one has too much time- the other, not enough. As a retiree, how many times have you said- “I’ll do it tomorrow?” but tomorrow never comes because that thing you want to get done never seems to get done. Some folks protest: I’m busier now than before I retired. Yes, but busy doing “what” is the key. Are you spinning in endless busyness that has little value? The question is what kind of activity will be beneficial to your growth and mental activity and keep you engaged in learning and living a life you fully enjoy. If you had a good work experience, we need to understand what made us thrive in that environment. Was it camaraderie of folks you had something in common with? Maybe it was attending to several tasks at the same time; being stretched constantly to do something new; connecting with different types of people, or just the stimulation of an active work setting.

It is important to note that when these types of stimulation’s cease, the brain function slows down. Participation in the ABLE study at UC Riverside has helped me to realize how important this continuing challenge of the brain is for our well-being as we age. I plan to keep watch so that I don’t let my natural inclination to slow down take over just because I am aging and looking advanced years in the face. Maybe this is the time for you and me to take up the challenge of that lifelong desire, maybe something still on our bucket list, that we never had time for. It’s never too late, just don’t put it off til tomorrow.

RAH

This intervention has been interesting. I’ve always loved learning new things. The homework has been a little overwhelming for me. I’m still trying to figure it out with my job & our grandkids. Painting seems to take up the most time, but is also the most relaxing. Spanish has been the hardest for me. I keep looking for programs online to help with grammar & pronunciation. I will continue to take Spanish classes after this. I have enjoyed meeting everyone in this program!

By LS

Busy Bee

What have I done?  

When asked if I would like to participate in this study at UCR I thought it would be fun plus I would get paid $40.00 for each assessment!  And I might even learn something!   Even though I am a very busy person and do many different things I had been thinking I was in a rut and I needed to meet new people and I needed something a little more challenging in my life!  So this study sounded like it would fit the bill!  I was told there would be a little homework involved so I thought I could handle that!  Little did I know!   

I attended the focus group lunch and met some delightful people that were fun and believed in life long learning as I do. I was a little worried about the painting class as I knew I was not a painter but I had always wanted to take classes in painting so why not!   I have done crafts for ever and have even sold a lot of my items!  So how bad could it be?  I wasn’t to worried about the IPad class as I knew my grandson would love to help me.  The Spanish class concerned me as I have a hearing problem and don’t always hear the sounds  plus my memory is so bad!  But I decided to take the risk!   I was extremely nervous about it but decided I was up to the challenge!  

By Bee

Baby boomers back to school

Baby boomer back to school
What did I get myself into
I  knew exactly what this was all about because I had worked with UCR Calla Labs  and knew what they were trying to do and knew that learning three new skills would be quite a load.

Initial thoughts and expectations why did I join preconceive notion‘s/expectations objectives.  I felt like the intervention was a great idea  and thou that even I’d it did not help me, the knowledge gain in the study could help others in the future.

Barriers
I didn’t have many barriers to overcome I had the full support of my family and people I knew.  The only barriers I had to overcome had to do with homework and getting up and going to class early in the day.


Thing I learned about stuff
I learned that you can teach somebody something that they did not know they could do. For example, I kind a new that I would be able to study real hard and do ok at learning Spanish, I knew I would be okay with the IPad because I had so much experience work with different types of tech devices. However, I was apprehensive and completely surprised that I could have at least a little bit of attitude at painting and  learned that the talent can be developed and an individual does need aptitude to learn to paint, speak Spanish or to lean how to use an IPad.

Do I have enough knowledge a learn all I need to learn, do I have a interest and having more knowledge?

 I think regardless of your age you can always learn new things.  I feel don’t have enough knowledge, at least not all the knowledge that would like;  and I think that I will develop some new interests in other learning after this intervention is done.

What would I tell a person  that say you don’t anymore knowledge

I would tell the person there are more things for everyone to learn if they only had the desire and the opportunity.  And if attempted the new skill there’s a very good possibility they would be successful at learning a new skill

 I didn’t choose the subjects:
No I didn’t chose all the subjects for the intervention; my main desire was to learn Spanish at least learn “some” Spanish.  However, I have enjoyed all three of the classes that were chosen.

What happens if you don’t want the knowledge that is offered.

What could happen is that even if agreed to start the intervention there is a very good possibility that when it gets a little difficult or when I have to study a lot more than you want you may give up and quit.

The alternative learning about a new tech
Like it was said in class you don’t want to be tech roadkill, you had better spend a little time understanding some of the new device and apps.   I think that everything is going high tech; even house are being updated so that you can yell at Google or Siri to turn up the heat or Tuen on a light in a dark entrance way.  It may get to the point  that you will have trouble being in a hotel room because you are techie roadkill.

I came to the class anyway because I thought it was a worthwhile endeavor for the school to tackle .  Since and I had a little bit past experiences with the Calla labs I knew that I will be in good hands and they wouldn’t put me in a place where I couldn’t be successful

One thing I learned about myself

I was really really surprised I have any attitude to study an image and put that image on canvas.  A lot of it had to do with Chick and how the teaches the cla

Where my hopes fulfilled
I’am surprised how much Spanish we have learned in such a short period of time. I how will everyone a grasped all of the skills taught in the intervention.

Byproduct of being involved in the classes

Just getting involved, getting out and doing stuff. I know new people that I didn’t know just a few weeks ago and I made some friends that I would not have had without joining in the intervention.

What is easier to do now what is harder.
I haven’t seen a lot of improvement in my whole life.  It is easier now to figure out when I’m gonna do homework and get it done before I go to class.  How to make sure I have the right homework assignment by taking a picture of it instead or writing it down a taking the chance of missing one or more of the assignments.

The contrast of being in the study or not.
We are learning skills that we never would have attempted.  I think my concentration and memory has improved some. My family and friends treat me like I’m some great artist, which I find very amusing. I am looking at the world differently, I’m always looking at shadows and thing about how I would paint them

Unfortunately the intervention has not improved my exercise regiment.  I’m still laying around not doing stuff.  I do plan on attending something like a yoga or Pilates class when the intervention has ended.

What will I do going forward

I hope to continue to learn, to get more active and to continue is pick up Spanish and to continue to paint.

Hi everyone! This is the blog for the CALLA ABLE study. We will be populating this blog with posts soon! Stay tuned.