Through the Looking Glass is an empathy program created by an administrator struggling to jump-start culture change in her residential care community. This unique program challenges staff to put themselves in the shoes of the residents, by having staff simulate a diagnosis and live alongside residents.
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Communicating with people with dementia can seem hard, but it doesn’t have to be! Let these person-centered tips be your guide.
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Respect, trust, humor, support—these are all things we share with our friends. We know our friend’s occupations, marital status, general interests, favorite foods, type of car, hobbies, and other details. We know their family history and traditions, likes and dislikes, even some of their secrets! We also know their strengths and weaknesses and understand their basic personalities. We know how to cheer them up when they are having a bad day, when to give advice (or not), and how to turn a no into a yes. Great dementia care can be rooted in something as simple as friendship. As we…
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The Life Story in dementia care is a person’s right to be known and be among people who care. To help ensure that right, you need to learn a lot about the person and incorporate that into your everyday relationship. You can use this knowledge to bring up favorite memories and special achievements, provide cues, and take advantage of past preferences and interests. Life Story information enhances conversations, helps customize activities, allows us to better understand behavior, and helps us redirect with greater success. Play detective when writing a Life Story! Looking beneath the surface can pay many dividends in…
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In long-term care, institution-directed dining is the old route. Steer your community in a new direction with self-directed dining. This infographic gives you examples of how to pivot from the old dining route to the new one. Download 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 in long-term…
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We communicate in some way with everyone around us all day. It is easy to think of communication as spoken words, but we also communicate with writing, signs, gestures, expressions, intonation, volume, colors, sounds, and even our clothing. Impaired or diminished memory, attention and concentration, perception and visuospatial functions, hearing, and visual acuity all make it difficult for people with dementia to communicate effectively. When communicating with a person with dementia, keep these tips in mind: Ask the person, “What would you like me to call you?” Always speak respectfully and use age-appropriate language when communicating with older adults with…
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Planned activities do not happen all day long. Individuals with the ability to think through how to spend their time can initiate being with others or spending time alone. Persons with dementia often cannot do this. They need help—not only in structured activity—but also in relational interactions throughout the day. These 30 simple, unstructured interactions are not on the activity calendar, but they are probably the most important of the ways that we interact with persons with dementia. Greet the person by name Make eye contact and smile Shake hands Ask someone…
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