06-21-2023 Primetime Living - Flipbook - Page 16
16 A Special Advertising Section of Baltimore Sun Media Group | Wednesday, June 21, 2023
access to the outdoors and contact with
others. It has three activity areas, dining
areas and freedom of movement in the
neighborhood. We come to meet them
where they are. Every staff person in the
community is trained in this program.”
Smith expands on how physical fitness is part of and critical to the care for
residents. “We incorporate fitness into
memory care by our life enrichment team.
There are fitness classes every day and
often the exercises are both physical and
cognitive, providing coordination. There
are exercises that help residents maintain
a full range of motion and bone health,
and the added strength movement helps
them maintain their independence as long
as possible. We also work on functional
movement: eye-hand coordination, plus
exercise provides endorphins that boost
positive emotions.”
Smith’s passion for helping those in
her care is evident. “When we work this
closely with such a small group, it’s a
more intimate connection, almost like a
small, private college, so there are more
one-on-one interactions. We try to get
them engaged in their hobbies or develop
skills with the use of life stations in various
parts of the neighborhood and use the
various stations that are scattered around.
We have a shrubbery garden, a dressing
table with jewelry, and 24-hour activity
boxes of things they can play with independently or with loved ones when they
come to visit. Doing this is very rewarding
work.”
“When you are taking care of others,”
Smith adds, “it’s never an easy job. Their
wants and needs are ahead of yours. We
have to look at what is needed beyond the
medical aspect, to see them doing what
they can today, and not put any emphasis
on what they can no longer do. It’s about
abilities, not disabilities.”
Roland Park Place
The operative word is care. That sentence describes how Roland Park Place
takes care of its memory care residents.
“We focus on the individual,” says
Becki Bees, Vice President of Sales and
Marketing at Roland Park Place, “making sure he or she is comfortable. It also
alerts us about any differences in behavior.
current with new studies and better ways
to help those in our charge.
“It’s important to remember these are
individuals,” Labute adds. “All of us do all
we can to help them stay that way, retain
their individuality, their unique personalities. The results speak for themselves.”
And we provide activities to strengthen
long-term memories, whatever people still
hold on to.”
“When people start declining,” explains
Jennifer Labute, NHA, Vice President of
Health Services, “they start in assisted living. We have a special section, a neighborhood, that has two gardens with access
to outdoors, so they can wander around
without leaving their area. It’s hard to
watch your loved one go through cognitive decline, especially when they get to
the point where you are not recognized.
They still know who you are, but they can’t
articulate it. That’s the hardest part.”
Labute takes time to educate the staff
and family members on how to communicate with the person who is declining.
“One thing I tell them is not to ask, ‘Don’t
you remember?’ because the answer is no.
You really, really want them to remember,
so celebrate the precious moments when
they can. We recommend movies, like
Alive Inside, to help them understand what
is happening mentally to their loved one.”
“We have to remember,” says Labute,
“they are not here to die. We are here to
help them continue to thrive. That’s why
we built the neighborhood, so it doesn’t
feel institutional. The rooms are small – a
bedroom with a bathroom and a shower –
because they’re only sleeping there.”
Most residents are ambulatory and
can do a lot for themselves. Sometimes
they need cueing, a reminder of how to
do certain actions independently, so they
stay independent for as long as possible.
Most can feed themselves. When they
have more physical needs, help with ADLs
(activities of daily living), they are then
moved to the nursing section.
Even in continuing care retirement
communities (CCRCs), such as this one,
it takes a village. “We changed from
apartment style to a neighborhood when
we did renovations,” Labute, a nursing
home administrator (NHA), explains. “We
studied, took classes and learned what
we needed to do for our residents. We
actually did a training exercise where we
could simulate the experience those in
memory care go through. We’re staying
Tomorrow
In the 2023 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts
and Figures Special Report, subtitled
“The Patient Journey in an Era of New
Treatments,” it points out that “research
advances offer the potential to expand the
field’s understanding of which therapies
or combination of therapies may be most
effective at which points in the Alzheimer’s
disease continuum.”
With our aging population and the
increasing incidence of dementia, we
need all the help we can get. Ask yourself,
“what can I do if a relative starts to exhibit
signs of dementia?”
Walker recommends some actions you
can take. “Don’t panic. Not everything is
about the onset of dementia. Many chronic illnesses and dehydration mimic cognitive impairment. But, equally important,
don’t be dismissive or belittle what you
observe. Keep a journal about someone
you are concerned about with dates and
times of what you witnessed.
“A journal provides context for a physician if it does become dementia. The
more you can tell the story of decline
with observations, dates and events, the
easier it will be to identify the type of
dementia. That leads to a quality conversation should the behavior progress.
Don’t assume everything that happens is
a precursor to dementia.
“Last, make sure to have your family
documents are in order: advanced directives, wills or living trusts, durable powers
of attorney for health care and for finances,
and a downloadable MOLST (Maryland
Order for Life Sustaining Treatment).”
English poet George Herbert said it
best: “Living well is the best revenge.” In
the end, that’s all that matters.