When you’re seeking long-term care for your senior loved one diagnosed with dementia, it’s critical to ensure you find not only the right community for them, but also the right care plan. Dementia can mean a loss of memory and difficulty navigating daily life for your loved one – to help them retain their sense of self, it’s important that their care plan is individualized to their preferences, emotions, and an understanding of their past. At Terra Vista, we’re committed to just that… creating a tailored care plan for each resident to help them retain their sense of self and independence while providing the support they need on a day-to-day basis.
Dementia Care: What Are the Challenges?
We know that dementia can be a daunting diagnosis for seniors, their families, and their caregivers. Life will never be the same, and care is more complicated for seniors with dementia. There are often communication and behavioral issues, resistance to care, physical health issues, and a lack of insight and understanding when it comes to the diagnosis. Further, many seniors with dementia are often best supported in a memory care community, which can be a difficult decision for families and loved ones to make.
At Terra Vista, we navigate this complicated diagnosis with person-centered care – we’re committed to developing personal relationships with each of our residents to better understand them and the type of care they need as an individual.
What Is a Person-Centered Approach in a Memory Care Community?
Some memory care communities are task-oriented when it comes to care – they use a blanketed checklist approach with their care plans, assuming that all residents with memory loss can be treated uniformly. However, these impersonal care plans are more often than not ineffective and can lead to residents resisting care, having more communication and behavioral issues, and suffering from depression.
How Does the Person-Centered Approach Benefit Residents?
The person-centered approach is beneficial for dementia care residents in so many ways. At its essence, it revolves around recognizing, understanding, and fulfilling unmet needs that may be difficult for residents to communicate with caregivers. Well-being is the ultimate priority, and residents who are treated with this approach are happier, healthier, and more engaged.
At Terra Vista, we’re committed to helping our residents retain their sense of dignity no matter how advanced their diagnosis is. Our person-centered approach is rooted in the philosophy that a personal connection with residents helps to create a rich and fulfilling care plan. We tailor our residents’ care plans to their individual preferences, personality, history, and abilities rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.
Key elements of our person-centered approach include:
- The residents are always treated with dignity and respect
- Staff is committed to developing relationships with residents to gain an understanding of their interests, culture, personality traits, histories, and preferences, as well as their dislikes
- Staff is also committed to viewing situations through the eyes of a dementia patient to cultivate empathy and understanding through Validation Therapy
- Each resident is assessed when it comes to their ability level and their care plan is tailored to it
- Residents are involved in decision-making and encouraged to retain as much independence as possible
- Residents are encouraged to engage and built relationships with caregivers and other residents to foster a sense of connection and community
- Residents are given the opportunity to continue doing activities that they enjoy and try new hobbies and activities based on their interests
In essence, our person-centered approach is about treating the resident, not the disease. Further, we encourage families and friends to help develop and maintain their loved one’s dementia care plan as they know the residents better than anyone.
How We Use Person-Centered Dementia Care at Terra Vista
Some examples of how we utilize a person-centered approach at Terra Vista include:
- We have dementia-adaptive apartments and a barrier-free layout to encourage independence and comfort
- We use memory-related therapies that utilize music, art, horticulture, and light to help residents express themselves
- We also offer speech therapy, physical therapy, cognitive stimulation therapy, and occupational therapy based on each individual resident’s needs
- We offer activities like walking club, physical exercise, yoga, day trip outings, and more to ensure residents are active and engaged
It’s our number one goal to ensure that each resident’s dementia care plan is carefully crafted to accommodate their individuality and best serve their needs. We want our residents to feel empowered, confident, and cared for at every turn.
Find the Right Memory Care Community for Your Loved One
Don’t take on finding the right dementia care for your loved one alone – let us help. Contact Terra Vista today and download your brochure to start the conversation.