Learn how Brush Development is working alongside staff and residents to implement meaningful change We are off and running with a lot of progress in several areas of our Montessori project at Clark Retirement Community this month! Research First, our researchers, Natalie Douglas, PhD, Michelle Bourgeois, PhD, and students from Central Michigan University working with…
Stay up to date and learn alongside Jennifer Brush and her team as they implement a model program of person-directed living It’s a new year, a time for new beginnings, and the perfect time to start a new project. During 2017, I’ll be working with the team at Clark Retirement Community in Grand Rapids, Michigan…
Let’s not keep secrets any longer. I’m please to welcome Vicki Tapia as our guest this month, author of Somebody Stole My Iron. By reading about one what daughter’s journey was like with Alzheimer’s disease, you may find help with the challenges you face. Reticence by Vicki Tapia An unexplained inner drive compelled me to…
We are pleased to announce that Brush Development is the first Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) training center in the U.S. for Montessori for Aging and Dementia. Jennifer Brush, an AMI Certified Educator, is the only person in the U.S. to offer the two-day Montessori for Aging and Dementia workshop, which is the first step…
The ability to speak, hear, and understand language and conversation are central to almost every aspect of daily life. Yet, these skills are often taken for granted until someone loses them. For older Americans, communication disorders are among the most common challenges they may face. Unfortunately, these disorders may go untreated for years—or may never…
This week, I’d like to share an interview with me conducted by Vicki Tapia about the book I wrote with Kerry Mills, I Care: A Handbook For Care Partners Of People With Dementia. Vicki is the author of Somebody Stole My Iron, a family memoir about dementia. You can learn more about it at…
I would like to welcome Matthew Adams to our blog this month. He is trying to provide a solution to a very difficult question-how do you explain dementia to a child when we ourselves are having trouble understanding it? I applaud his efforts and hope that the Ally Bally Bee Project helps destigmatize dementia and…
Twenty years ago while working at a long-term care community, I learned about a memory-training strategy called Spaced Retrieval, which is used to teach people with memory loss new or previously known information. I began using this strategy with people who had Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, aphasia and other conditions that cause…
There is not a magic pill, at least not yet, that can prevent memory loss, ward off cognitive decline, or keep us young and healthy forever, but we can help to maintain our brain health by reducing stress, having a positive attitude, engaging in social activities, being more physically active and challenging ourselves mentally. If…
This week I welcome Vicki Tapia as a guest blogger, family care partner, and advocate for people with dementia. By Vicki Tapia: In 2004, my father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s-related dementia and a few months later, my mother with Alzheimer’s disease. That was the year I became a caregiver. While my parents didn’t reside with me,…
Person-Centered Care puts considerable value on an individual’s right to make decisions concerning every aspect of her or his life. Often long-term care providers want to honor resident choice, but are afraid to do so because of fear of injury or risk of liability. The key is to find the balance between providing good care…
In honor of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month this November, I am offering some helpful tips for the many men and women helping to care for and support their loved ones with Alzheimer’s Disease or another type of dementia. Below are the top five most effective tips for positive communication…
