SLPs in Adult Services – The HPP Resource Center

Category: SLPs in Adult Services

Incorporating Montessori Principles into All Areas: Personal Care (Bathing)

While assisting with personal care, care partners can implement the Montessori philosophy by using task breakdown and following these six steps: To help care partners understand how this process works, here are some tips that provide examples with each step when helping someone bathe. Know the person Prepare the environment Invite Demonstrate Observe Encourage Thank the person This post was excerpted from Montessori for Elder and Dementia Care, Second Edition by Jennifer Brush, M.A., SLP, and Margaret C. Jarrell, M.Ed. Copyright © 2024 by Jennifer A. Brush. All rights reserved.

Montessori and Meaningful Engagement: Reclaiming Previous Roles

An elder or person with dementia still has the same needs as everyone else. The person wants to socialize, express desires, participate in hobbies, interact with family, be included in activities, teach and learn, and be asked for advice. The person has the same desires to contribute to the household or the community. The need to have purpose in one’s life and to be productive does not end once someone reaches a certain age, moves into a long-term care community, or receives a diagnosis of dementia. Think of all the roles you have in your everyday life. You are a…

Intergenerational Programming: Getting Started

Montessori in Elder Care People of older generations may have memories of standing at their grandmother’s side in the kitchen and baking bread or helping their grandfather plant the vegetable garden in the spring. Many of us have wonderful memories of growing up in an extended family. Today, however, young adults often move far away from their families to build careers or take advantage of other opportunities. As a result, they are raising families away from their parents and grandparents. The decline of the extended family support system means many children grow up disconnected from their grandparents and lacking the…

Getting Started with Montessori Materials in Elder Care

Dr. Montessori designed an array of hands-on materials for every area of the curriculum: Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Math, Science, Geography, Culture, Art, and Music. Some of these materials can be used—or adapted for use—with elders. Whether using traditional materials or creating your own, these manipulatives share common characteristics: progression from the concrete to the abstract, a control of error, and isolation of difficulty. Characteristics of Montessori Materials Concrete to Abstract, Simple to Complex In the classroom, Montessori materials provide concrete representations of abstract concepts. For example, the decimal system is made physical with golden beads, parts of speech are…

The Montessori Philosophy in Practice with Older Adults

Montessori philosophy, based on the principles of free choice and purposeful activity, has historically been focused on children’s education. However, its essential principles and practices are increasingly seen as critical to enhancing the lives of the older adults in our care. Central to both the Montessori philosophy and person-centered care are the core values of respect for the individual, the importance of knowing the person deeply, seeking and honoring the elder’s preferences over all aspects of his or her daily life, and creating a supportive environment that allows for continued participation in familiar and preferred activities, inside and outside. In…

Tips to Lessen Your Risk of Choking

Even if you have swallowing challenges, eating foods you enjoy can lead to improved nutrition, desired body weight, and overall improved quality of life. Use this infographic for quick tips on minimizing your risk of choking. Download PDF Read the book! The Inside Scoop on Informed Choice A Step-by-Step Guide for Personalizing Diets in Long-Term Care By Diane Hall, NHA, RDLDN Copyright © 2018 by Balanced Senior Nutrition Support a person’s right to make personal food choices (while also meeting regulatory guidelines and reducing your liability) with this guide to creating person-centered meal plans…

Implementing Modifications in the Care Community

Environmental interventions and modifications may require approval and/or funding to implement. When requesting funding from a supervisor or the administrator of your care community, here are a few things to keep in mind. The importance of environment Research has shown that communication is impacted by the environment, and that modifications improve communication skills in individuals with dementia. Unfortunately, poorly designed environmental features often contribute to unsatisfactory responses or behaviors in individuals with cognitive impairment. As individuals age, there are changes in cognition, memory, language, vision, and hearing. Therefore, it is necessary that the living environment adapt to optimize cognitive, visual, and…

Environmental Interventions to Ensure Resident Safety in Bathrooms

Residents living in long-term care environments may need special environmental accommodations to ensure their safety. Personal and public spaces—such as bathrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, etc.—should be evaluated to address any potential problems in these spaces, and intervene as necessary.

8 Tips for Communicating with Clients Who Have Hearing Loss

Hearing is one of the first senses affected by the aging processes, and often makes communication more difficult, causing older adults to withdraw socially. Many older adults simply give up and tell themselves that it does not matter if they cannot hear what others are saying. They may view it as too much work (or too embarrassing) to constantly ask people to repeat themselves. These disruptions of daily life may seem small or insignificant to a person with intact hearing, but for a person who is hard of hearing or deaf, difficult listening situations are a way of life, all…

The Link Between Age-Related Hearing Loss and Dementia

By Guest Blogger Joan McKechnie, BSc, Hons Audiology & Speech Pathology from www.hearingdirect.com. The estimates for people who are hard of hearing and/or deaf across America vary from 22 million to 36 million. The figures are based on statistics from The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), which is under the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the U.S. Census Bureau. There is no statistic showing the cause for hearing loss amongst these groups, but based on other western counties, age related hearing loss, as well as noise induced hearing loss are likely to be the…

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