MEMORY CARE
Helping Families Feel Comfortable During Memory Care Resident Visits
Helping families have a good memory care visit is often about making them comfortable and helping them cope with their relatives’ condition. Some senior living leaders build on their own experiences when making policy recommendations. And they say it’s important to realize that dementia can affect each resident, their families and loved ones differently. Senior living experts in the field offer 18 tips.
TIP 1 TIP 2 TIP 3 TIP 4
Tip Cards Have team members carry printed tip cards in their pockets and discretely hand them to visitors who could benefit from them. The cards offer advice on starting conversations with residents who ex- perience dementia and can be extremely useful for those first visits.
- Joe Jasmon, CEO of Shepherd Senior Living TIP 5 Start the Conversation
When families are struggling to communicate with relatives, encourage team members to politely walk in the room and help start the conversation.
- Jasmon TIP 6
Meet Families Other Places When families don’t want to or are unable to visit a community, have a cup of coffee with them at their home or a coffee shop. It helps family members feel comfortable when talking about their loved ones.
- Jasmon TIP 7 Text Message Families
Sending families text messages and photos can also help them continue to know they’re part of their loved one’s life and that they’re welcome in the new community. The texts don’t have to be lengthy or complex. It could be as simple as, “Mom had a great lunch today. She had her favorite, mac and cheese.”
- Jasmon TIP 8
Help Establish External Events A Minnesota museum created a tour designed for people with dementia and their family members. This gave visiting family members another friendly destination to take their relatives.
- Guidry Continued on page 46 JULY/AUGUST 2016 / SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE 45 Bring Group Activities
Crafting as a group can be a good activity that allows all members of formal and informal groups to share. This may encourage residents to talk, reminiscing about their lives as part of a group.
- Guidry Coordinate Visits
Informal groups of families who visit at the same time can create supportive environments for them- selves and their parents. If a family member isn’t talking, the relatives get to talk with others in the group. This may encourage their family member to talk or have a better visit, too. At the very least, all family members are able to interact with others.
- Bobbie Guidry, vice president for housing and community services at LeadingAge Minnesota
Share Campus Calendars Sharing campus calendars with family members lets them plan visits and, when possible, help their loved ones participate in or attend com- munity events.
- Guidry
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