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W e d n e s d ay, F e b r u a ry 26, 2025
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ALZHEIMER’S Q&A
Ease into shaving ritual with pleasing environment, conversation What are some tips to assist a male Alzheimer’s patient with shaving? Shaving is a complex task and is usually one of the first things affected by the onset of Alzheimer’s or dementia. For men, this grooming activity is a private ritual. So for the patient with Alzheimer’s who can no longer manage the task himself, it becomes uncomfortable in allowing another person to undertake the task and incorporate it into his daily routine. His anxiety about someone else assisting him in shaving, even his spouse, could fragment, in some way, his sense of masculinity. Shaving is a sensory experience, and often the affected individual cannot fully apprehend when someone else is shaving him and why. Additionally, if shaving was a pleasurable experience for him, and someone is assisting him differently, he might become resistant in that respect. On the other hand, if shaving was a chore for the male Alzheimer’s patient, and he typically shaved before going to work, there might be anxiety rooted in the fact that he associates the shaving ritual with going to work afterward. That confuses him and makes him anxious. As the disease progresses, the affected individual will forget the complicated steps involved in grooming and how to shave entirely. Plus, the actual razor is unidentifiable to him, so there’s an underlying fear of it. And he might simply be embarrassed because he doesn’t understand the whole process or purpose. Before undertaking the task of this grooming, the caregivers need to prepare. Arranging the environment so that it is as pleasing and nonthreatening as possible is the first step in assuring the individual. For instance, having a soothing lavender aroma in the bathroom and playing soft, relaxing and familiar music creates a pacifying atmosphere for shaving. Taking the steps beforehand and having all the tools available and accessible, i.e., warm water in the lavatory, washcloths, shaving cream, razor (electric ones are less likely to nick) and after-shave lotion, will make the task easier. The caregiver should gently and slowly talk through each step of the shaving process with the individual, which will help him become more comfortable and put him at ease. Additionally, dialogue, dialogue, dialogue. Having meaningful conversations will not only distract from the shaving process but will also provide opportunities for reminiscing and bring laughter and smiles. If the affected individual is still resistant, perhaps another member of the family, or a trusted friend, preferably male, can assist with the shaving. The male relative or friend can also accompany the affected individual in shaving, promoting confidence and
ä See ALZHEIMER’S, page 2G
Shoppers take their time at the Cavalier House Book Fair at Episcopal High School on Feb. 5.
HERE COME THE
BOOKS La. business brings bookstore to school campuses BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer
Shortly after John and Michelle Cavalier opened a brick and mortar shop, the couple included school book fairs as a major piece of their independent bookstore business. Today, even after moving to a larger building in Denham Springs and expanding to a store in Lafayette, book fairs are still a part of their business plan. Since 2011, Cavalier House Books has been trekking across south Louisiana to public and private schools to conduct their book fairs. The company began while the Cavaliers were in college at Southeastern. They would place orders in the computer labs between classes, and they kept the books at John Cavalier’s parents’ house, hence the name. The idea for Students flip through the pages of a book fairs came book at the Cavalier House Book Fair. to John Cavalier when he was working at Book Warehouse in Baton Rouge in 2003. He asked his boss at the time why they didn’t do book fairs, and he told Cavalier that fairs were too much trouble. Cavalier said that the amount of work and muscle required to put on one weeklong fair would not be worth the return on investment. Instead, scheduling and spacing out many fairs throughout the year makes the work worth it. He typically works with about 40 schools each school year. Over the years, he and his father used carpentry and
STAFF PHOTOS BY HILARY SCHEINUK
Annie Ponceti, left, and her daughter, Addie Ponceti, 9, look through the books at the local authors table at the Cavalier House Book Fair at ä See BOOKS, page 2G Episcopal High School.
Louisiana woman faces the wild on Fox show BR native competing on survival show ‘Extracted’
BY JUDY BERGERON
Staff writer
Who gets married, buys a house and is voluntarily dropped into the Canadian wilderness alone, all in a couple of weeks’ time? Meet Meagan Delatte, the feisty fitness trainer from Louisiana currently competing on Fox’s new survival adventure competition series, “Extracted.” In the series, Delatte, a native of Baton Rouge now living in Mandeville, and 11 other competitors fight to survive frigid temperatures, treacherous terrain and the threat of four-legged predators in a remote forest near Whistler, British Columbia. Meanwhile, their family members are at a secluded headquarters watching the contestants navigate their surroundings via a 24/7 live feed. Each family has the power to decide their loved ones’ fate. They can push the extract button to remove them from the competition. The participants have $250,000 at
stake, awarded to the last remaining competitor and their family. Back at HQ watching out for Delatte are her father Gerrad Delatte, of Baton Rouge, and best friend Abby Hayes, also a Baton Rouge native now living in Park City, Utah. Delatte and Hayes are lifelong friends, and when other Delatte family members couldn’t arrange to be part of the show, Hayes stepped up. The Delattes are longtime adventure racers. Gerrad Delatte, 56, explained that in an expedition adventure race, the contestants navigate the course with a map and compass, hitting various checkpoints along the way in this human-powered experience. “You either hike or run. There are mountain bike sections and there are water sections. So you jump in a canoe or kayak and you hit different transition areas to change from one discipline to another,” he said. “So they mix it up.” Gerrad Delatte and his daughter completed a four-day race in Florida where they slept on the side of trails for a few hours and then started traveling again.
PROVIDED PHOTO FROM FOX
Survivalist competitor Meagan Delatte is seen at her campsite in the second episode, titled ‘Gimme Shelter,’ of ä See SHOW, page 2G the Fox series ‘Extracted.’