Montessori

Congratulations and thank you to all of the students who participated in the first Brush Development Montessori Workshop in Slovenia. The course was hosted by Pavel and Melita Demsar, the founders of Institut Montessori. It was inspirational to be in such a well-designed and cared for Montessori environment. Participants had the opportunity to have lessons from the school guides and practice using the materials while discussing how they can be adapted for elders.

Evergreen House is the The Village at Summerville’s new memory support neighborhood, which is currently under construction. From Evergreen House’s inception, I have worked in conjunction with Presbyterian Communities of South Carolina and McMillan Pazdan & Smith Architects to design this unique community, which will fully implement the Montessori for Aging and Dementia philosophy.

I love traveling, seeing new things, and meeting wonderful people along the way. The relationships formed during travel are some that I cherish the most. Certainly, COVID has put a damper on that for all of us. In 2019 I was scheduled to go to Finland and present my From Can’t to Can Do! Montessori for Aging and Dementia program. Of course, that was cancelled, and after rescheduling twice, I am pleased to be leaving next week for Helsinki! A group of wonderfully determined women who I first met in Prague are hosting my visit in order pioneer change in elder care. Their group is called Muisti Montessori and here is their story.

In a Montessori community for older adults, a wide range of interesting materials are available on accessible shelves and tables from which individuals can choose. This idea often makes staff in long term care communities nervous when they first learn about it. “You mean everything is out all of the time? You don’t put it away and then bring it to them? Everyone in our community would take things into their rooms. This is never going to work!” I hear this at every single workshop I teach. It can work.