Jennifer Brush was recently featured in an article from the October 2015 issue of ASHA Leader, published by the American Speech and Hearing Association. In the article, entitled “Stepping Up to the Plate,” Jennifer was interviewed about her person-centered approach to helping older adults with dementia find ways to enjoy the foods they love while…
“The purpose of this article is to outline the findings of several systematic reviews of this literature, highlighting the areas of improvement needs, and to describe a new person-centered care model, DementiAbility Methods: The Montessori Way. This model focuses on the abilities, needs, interests, and strengths of the person and creating worthwhile and meaningful roles, routines, and activities for…
The power of reminiscence is a tool that should not be underestimated in dementia care. Long-term memory involves the retrieval process and permanent storage of an unlimited amount of information and the ability to retrieve this information again at another time. One type of storage system is called non-declarative memory. Non-declarative memory begins to develop…
Task breakdown is the process of helping a person successfully participate in or complete an activity by making it a step-by-step process. People with dementia often become confused when there are many steps in a sequence. However, when we break an activity into its individual steps, and present each step one at a time, people…
Some see their glass as half empty; others see their glass as half full. So, which is it? Well, it all depends on where you choose to focus your thoughts. When we focus on negative things, we seem to see more negative things all around us. Living with dementia is not easy, and caring for…
Those of us who have children in Montessori school, as I do, have seen firsthand the joy of learning that takes place in a Montessori classroom. We have watched our children be naturally drawn to the beautiful materials because they appeal to their instinctive drives. Their work leads to a feeling of accomplishment and self-respect. …
My colleague Gail Elliot in Ontario, Canada has used her never ending creativity to develop a fun program for people with dementia. Here’s what she has to say about it: It is often a challenge to find things that people with dementia can do successfully that truly engage the person in the activity. An iPad…
I recently served as Principle Investigator on a National Institutes of Health Small Business Innovative Research grant in partnership with the Center for Applied Research in Dementia. The purpose of our recent research was to develop and implement a signage system for long-term care that supports wayfinding for persons with dementia. Recognizing where one is…
I would like to welcome my friend and colleague Rev. Katie Norris, a guest blogger for us this month. Rev. Katie and I collaborated on a book called Creative Connections that will be available through Health Professions Press by April 2015. Christmas is just around the corner. Many of us are excited to decorate our…
“The essence of independence is to be able to do something for one’s self.” People with dementia are often confronted with what they are no longer able to do or understand. In turn, the Montessori principles are designed to focus on what they are still capable of doing. This person-centered way to approach dementia focuses…
In a few weeks I’ll be visiting Sydney, Australia to attend and teach at the Montessori Environments for Dementia International Conference. In the time leading up to the conference, I thought I would share with you some information about the Montessori philosophy and why it is successful for people who are living with dementia. …
For all of us, not just someone with dementia, the ability to communicate and express our needs is of utmost importance. In order for someone with dementia to have a good relationship with a care partner, healthy and frequent communication is a key ingredient. If your loved one with dementia begins to lose social…
