Memory Therapy Services in Oakbrook Terrace, IL
Dementia and memory loss can affect the lives of those with it greatly, as well as their families. If your loved one is struggling with the symptoms of dementia, you don’t have to take on all of their care alone. At Terra Vista, we provide a safe environment for our residents to thrive with memory care therapies and programs. Your loved one will be in the very best hands.
Types of Memory Therapy For Dementia
Physical Therapy
At Terra Vista, we offer a variety of activities that promote physical wellness. It’s essential that our residents feel safe and secure when they take part in physical exercise, which is why we have an expansive Innerwalk™ that is over 18,000 square feet. It provides our residents with beautiful gardens, walking pathways, and open areas to safely join in on our many activities.
Your loved one can participate in:
- Yoga therapy
- Day trip outings
- Group walks
- Gardening
- Much more
Staying physically active has a myriad of benefits for your loved ones with dementia, including:
- Improved sleep
- Better overall fitness
- Greater self-esteem
- Reduced depression and social isolation
Keeping up physical health with enriching activities is absolutely essential to the happiness and health of our residents.
Speech Therapy
Speech therapy has benefits for not only communication but for cognitive function, as well.
There are three main targets in speech therapy for our residents with dementia.
Language
Our speech therapists help to preserve the ability to communicate. They can also offer suggestions for other methods to communicate with your loved one beyond verbal, like written words or pictures.
Cognition
Swallowing
Chewing and swallowing can become more challenging, as the muscles and mechanisms in their throat will no longer function like they used to. They will have less protection against the airway, which can cause them to choke.
Our speech therapy program typically includes:
- Assessments
- Reports
- Reviews
- Therapy programs
- Support groups
- Advice
- Education
The assessments that are performed are vital for deciding on the most clinically appropriate and effective treatment plan for your loved one.
Validation Therapy
The Validation method was first created by Naomi Fell in 1982 and has since been put into practice to help communicate with loved ones with dementia.
This method of communication puts empathy and listening first to ease any disorientation or frustrations that your loved one has. It suggests that you don’t try to pull them into your reality, but instead, you enter theirs. The conversations using the validation method will focus more on emotion rather than whether or not what is said is factually accurate.
At Terra Vista, we apply validation therapy to all of our residents so that they are both heard and seen the way that they want to be. This eases combative behavior and makes your loved one feel respected and comfortable.
Cognitive Stimulation Therapy
At Terra Vista, we offer cognitive stimulation therapy to maintain our residents’ cognitive functions. This therapy involves a series of activities that not only promote cognitive health but also help them connect with others who are going through the same experience as them.
Some cognitive stimulation therapy activities could include:
- Solving math problems
- Coloring or drawing
- Solving puzzles
- Playing card and board games
- Reading
- Listening to music
- Singing songs
Performing these activities regularly can have the following benefits:
- Improved mood
- Reduced agitation
- Increased social engagement
- Improved quality of life
- Improved cognitive function in many areas, like problem-solving, attention span, memory, language skills, planning, and reasoning
Occupational Therapy
The occupational therapy programs we provide to our residents are vital to helping your loved one maintain their independence on a day-to-day basis.
This includes tasks like:
- Bathing
- Eating
- Sleeping
- Communicating
- Using the bathroom
In our occupational programs, we focus on four strategies to benefit your loved one.
Environment Modification
Maintenance & Support Systems
Promoting Their Strengths
Physical and Cognitive Improvement
Horticulture Therapy
In our gorgeous Innerwalk™, there are a number of gardens that offer the opportunity for horticultural therapy. During this practice, your loved one will be assisted by a therapist to learn and master planting, watering, and caring for plants.
Horticulture therapy offers a selection of benefits, like:
- Promoting confidence and curiosity
- Improving communication skills
- Strengthening memory & cognition
Art Therapy
Art therapy offers numerous benefits for dementia patients, including increased confidence, enhanced motor skills, and maintained social connections. Through creative expression, individuals with dementia can find purpose and accomplishment, alleviate anxiety, and foster non-verbal communication. Popular activities like coloring, painting, sculpting, crafts, and decorating baked goods provide engaging outlets for artistic expression and memory preservation.
Pet Therapy
Pet therapy offers numerous benefits for dementia patients, including improved self-esteem, reduced agitation, and increased social interaction. Dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, and fish are popular choices, each with unique advantages and considerations. At Terra Vista, we prioritize your loved one’s happiness and well-being, offering pet companionship alongside tailored memory therapy programs.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy makes use of scented essential oils from flowers, herbs, trees, and other plants to improve mental and physical well-being. It is gaining traction in dementia care as these oils can aid cognitive function, emotional stability, and physical relaxation. Lavender, bergamot, lemon balm, and rosemary are among the recommended scents. Ongoing research supports aromatherapy’s role in enhancing memory and mood, indicating its promising future in care settings.
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Benefits of the Holistic Memory Care Approach
Delay Disease Progression
Both cognitive and physical therapies can help delay the progression of dementia. They help your loved one stay independent for longer and help them retain their cognitive abilities.
Encourage Physical Fitness
Physical exercise assists with both physical and mental health, no matter what stage of dementia your loved one is in. Keeping up their fitness can help them maintain their independence by promoting the strength that’s needed to dress, clean, and perform other daily activities. It also helps them sleep, which is excellent for their mental health.
Help Cope With Disease Symptoms
As the stages of dementia develop further, so do its symptoms. The effects of this disease can be very scary, which is why memory care focuses on helping your loved one cope with their evolving symptoms.
Stay Socially Active
When your loved one participates in our many enriching programs, there is always time and opportunity to make new friends or stay connected to old ones.
Reminisce About the Past
While short-term memory suffers with dementia, long-term memories are usually held onto. Reminiscing about your loved one’s important memories can help improve memory, stimulate mental activity, and improve their overall well-being.
Memory Care Therapy With Terra Vista
At Terra Vista, your loved one’s safety and health are our top priority. For this very reason, we have programs designed specifically to benefit our residents, from speech therapy, socialization, exercise, and much more in a secure environment.
All of our residents are family at Terra Vista, and we are committed to providing them with comprehensive care, a safe and secure environment, and enriching activities that bring joy to each day. If you’d like to learn more about what makes our memory care center award-winning, call us at 630-793-0753, or contact us online.
