Dementia Care Takes Understanding
The reality of someone with dementia can be confusing, frustrating, and even frightening. A person may not remember the name of their daughter...or their own name. Yet, they may clearly remember they are supposed to be at their son's home today (in Ohio) and start walking there. Or they may become paranoid that you are stealing their socks or hoard items from around the house.
We offer specific services for our residents who are living with Alzheimer's disease, dementia and other forms of memory impairment. These services require special licensing and special training, along with a tremendous amount of patience and understanding.
Our fabulous caregivers strive to help each of our residents to:
- Live comfortably and safely within "their" world.
- Improve, then sustain, their quality of life.
- Stimulate their minds and bodies to meet (and even challenge) their level of ability.
- Maintain their dignity.
On A Personal Level
There is no standard or norm for dementia. Every person is affected by the disease in their own unique way. So we approach each resident as a unique person, with a unique problem that requires a unique solution.
Here are some of the personal services we include:
- Recognize the capabilities and identify the needs of each individual.
- Adjust our level of personal supervision to match the level of cognitive ability.
- Design a 'Personal Care' Plan and establish an individual routine that keeps the resident within their comfort zone.
- Allow the resident to express themselves and live in 'their' world. (Safety permitting.).
- Monitor each resident for proper nutrition and adequate hydration..
- It is common for a resident with dementia to lock on to an action that is not in their best interest. Instead of being confrontational, our staff 'redirects' their focus to another course of action.
The Illness Can Distort The World
Daily life can be so confusing for someone with dementia. We try to provide clarity by maintaining memories and traditions.
What Is Dementia?
Dementia is a symptom (caused by various illnesses) that makes it difficult for a person to think clearly. It can show itself as confusion, poor judgment, personality changes, atypical behavior and emotional disturbances.
Diseases that can have the symptom of dementia include Alzheimer's disease, strokes and mini-strokes, a heart condition, depression, alcoholism, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, reactions to medications, hypothyroidism and Pick's disease.
On A Social Level
Social contact is so important to human beings, even to those who have lost many of their social skills. We strive to keep our residents active and involved in the world around them...as much as possible. This may take a bit of prodding or a lot of patience...and a lot of determination.
Here are some of the personal services we include:
- Encourage participation in daily activities designed for memory impaired individuals.
- Our staff engages the residents. They talk to them, even when they know the resident has minimal communication skills. When a resident chooses not to participate in activity (and just sits off to the side and watches), our staff still strives to make them feel included.
- Communicate with family members, addressing their needs and helping them stay involved in the life of their loved one.
- Some of our residents are at risk to wander away. So we provide a secure perimeter that allows them to roam as they wish within the safety of our grounds.
