Staff Writer/Photographer

Serving the needs of Alzheimer's patients puts life in perspective for Karla Laws, a licensed practical nurse serving Epworth Villa in Oklahoma City.
"When you're just deduced to maybe a bedside table and maybe your favorite frame and picture or whatever, what's really important is friends, family and relationships you made along the way," Laws said.
One's goals and hopes and dreams are what matters in life because one doesn't know where their life's journey will take them. "It could happen to any of us," she said.
Epworth Villa provides seniors independent living, assisted living, nursing care and Alzheimer's disease care. The Flora Deen Marin Center where Laws works at Epworth offers care for residents living with Alzheimer's and other types of dementia.
"I just make sure that it's a safe environment for them and also provide a continuum, repetition. They like that," she said. "I notice for any signs or symptoms of a flu bug coming on, a cold, any injuries, something not ordinary. If their gait is unsteady then I just notify their physician. Also, I keep track of lab values and fax the physician."
As a memory care assisted living center, the Flora Deen Martin Center opened in 2002 with 24 licensed beds to offer care for residents who are ambulatory but need assistance with daily living. A full-time nurse is on staff to monitor medications.
Alzheimer's is the most common type of dementia. The progressive degenerative disease ravages the brain, leaving impaired memory and  behavior for 70,000 Oklahomans. Scientists are challenged to find a cure and better treatment to meet the needs of the 4.5 million people who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in the United States.
"I know that they have dementia and they have Alzheimer's, but you'd be surprised. They are familiar with you," Laws described. "And they may not be familiar with your face, but just your voice. The way you interact with them - they become familiar with that."
It most often strikes older people, affecting about 10 percent of Americans older than 65 and nearly half of individuals  older than 85, according to the Alzheimer's Association. By 2050, more than 14 million people in the U.S. are expected to be living with Alzheimer's.
Those residents with dementia at the Flora Deen Martin Center each have their individual apartments placed in a larger setting so they can feel part of a group. Soothing music that may be familiar to the residents from decades ago is interspersed with daily activities such as meal time. Laws said the nursing staff is one that must be familiar with the needs of dementia patients by redirecting them if they have a bout of confusion.
"They normally do have small bouts, but sometimes their big bouts are something that may endanger them," she said. "We have to keep track of their coming and going and making sure everything is safe for them. It's pretty much like toddlers with an oral fixation. We have to make sure there is nothing unsafe around them." Laws had a nursing background in orthopedics before placing her focus on geriatric care. Both disciplines are complimentary, she said.
"When you're dealing with orthopedic patients, a lot of them already have dementia," she said. "So that in itself is always there when you work with the geriatric public."
Laws said life at Epworth for the resident with Alzheimer's disease is simplified for their quality of life. Doors leading to other areas of the building are camouflaged as book cases. Memory walls with items displayed from previous decades bring comfort.
Fresh air and natural vitamin D from sunlight is good for wellness and is a mood stabilizer, Laws said. During warm weather, residents can work in their gardens or simply walk outside in a supervised, enclosed area.
"They cover mind, body and spirit for their residents," Laws said. "They truly care."