The Value of Doing Adapted Activities: Adapted activities work wonders. They meet a basic need that allows you to have daily goals. Why would I want to shower if I don’t have anything to do in my day? Doing activities contributes to a sense of identity. Playing a social role is a human need. This…
“It Doesn’t Matter Because They Won’t Remember Anyway.” Unpacking Dementia Myths: If you are a memory care professional, you’ve likely heard this expression before. Maybe the thought has even crossed your own mind at some point in your experience providing care for a person with dementia. The idea, of course, is that slip-ups or shortcuts…
Meaningful Activities Improve Residents’ Lives We recently wrapped up a certified adapted Montessori training session with a wonderful group of people from the R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. What an engaged group! The passion for their work was evident right from the start. And we see how they work to improve residents’ lives….
The Way we Care for Persons Living with Dementia They say that doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is insanity. When it comes to the way we care for persons living with dementia, that’s what many, many care providers are still doing after all these years. In much of…
The Arrival of Baby Boomers in Senior Care: Residences, Assisted Living Centers and Long-Term Care Centers. The aged population is growing and the arrival of Baby Boomers in senior care – residences, Assisted Living centers and LTC’s – is going to be expensive and it’s going to put a big strain on the industry. According…
Resident Participation Reduces Agitation and Aggression – We hear it all the time. Many residents simply don’t want to have a bath, a partial bath or a shower. They object to having their personal hygiene taken care of by others. In this story, you’ll see how resident participation reduces agitation and aggressive behavior. That was…
Caregivers and People with Dementia. When the adapted Montessori method is being used the rewards are plentiful for everyone involved…caregivers and people with dementia. A person with Alzheimer’s disease or any other type of dementia, is treated with respect, dignity and equality. They get to live the best life they can despite their diagnosis. They…
Making the decision to place a loved one in a retirement home is not easy. For the caregiver, it can feel like a failure. However, it is often a decision that will allow for better care of the person who needs it and allows the carer to have much deserved periods of rest. But…
Deception in dementia care is examined in this article* entitled: Truth, Deception & Consequences. Professionals who work in memory care often are asked questions that are difficult or uncomfortable to answer truthfully. These questions require us to make a choice. While opinions are plentiful, there is a lack of consensus on the topic of deception…
Medication has often been a response to cognitive impairment in seniors in LTCs. When faced with behavioral problems or periods of dementia, numbing the patient makes life easier for the caregiver. In 2021-2022, a preliminary study shows an increase of more than 23% in the use of medication in LTC. This is a direct response…
