By Jill Vitale-Aussem, LNHA, MMH, author of Disrupting the Status Quo of Senior Living: A Mindshift This post was originally shared on www.jillvitaleaussem.com and has been re-posted here with permission. View the original post here. I had hoped, with the current focus on healthcare workers as heroes,…

The COVID-19 crisis is taking a heavy toll on all of us, particularly family and professional care partners. Visitors are prohibited in most residential care communities; this is necessary but certainly can be distressing to families and persons with dementia. Even when we are together, we are told to stay…

This post originally appeared on www.bestfriendsapproach.com. View it here. When we make friends, our stories come out slowly. As we get to know one another, we learn each other’s favorite foods and songs, pastimes and passions. But person’s with dementia, especially those who live in memory care, may…

What is the Best Friends™ Approach? These 13 handouts are free for you to download and will introduce you to the Best Friends™ approach, a highly successful model for dementia care that puts the person first. Adopted world-wide, this easy-to-implement approach is built on the essential elements of friendship—respect, empathy,…

One of the most challenging aspects of providing person-centered care is assembling a dedicated, competent, and well-trained team of caregivers. Continuity of care is compromised when there is a high rate of employee turnover; it is detrimental to the well-being of the residents and is a financial burden to the…

Identifying substance abuse in an older adult Substance abuse problems are often misdiagnosed in older adults. Perhaps as a result of ageism or generational stereotyping, the topic of substance abuse and dependence is rarely associated with older adults, yet clinical research is beginning to identify the consequences of unrecognized substance…