George Barnes MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S I recently watched a fascinating course by Jennifer Brush, MA, CCC/SLP, titled “Shifting Our Perspective: Dementia and Dysphagia.” I’ve been following her work for a while now, and she has blazed a trail in this area. Her insights on patient-centered care for people with dementia have transformed my approach to…
By Rita Akins, Owner of Montessori Images Reading a story together with a loved one or in a group can be a very positive social experience for those with dementia. A simple story can invite human connection through conversation and discussion and a shared feeling of enjoyment. This kind of interaction is a valued part of…
by Rita Akins, Montessori Images, Company founder A Whole Brain WorkoutJust as reading is one of the last functions lost in dementia, musical memory is accessible even in the late stages of memory disorders when only some brain tissue is still capable of functioning normally. Because musical perception is processed throughout the entire brain, music…
We had the privilege of having Henna Jalovaara, the founding member of Muisti Montessori, the Finnish Montessori for Dementia Association, speak at our symposium. Henna is an OT in a non-profit care home in Helsinki, Finland. This care home piloted Montessori in two of its eight households. During her presentation, Henna shared both the challenges and wins of initiating a Montessori program in her care community.
Beth Ann Scruggs took the Practitioner Certificate course to design ideas and programs that were practical and engaging for members of an adult day program. In the end she gained more than she expected. Beth Ann is part of a team of dedicated providers at Renew, a Montessori based Adult Day Program in South Carolina. Their…
We are proud to share this article written by Beth Ann Scruggs, Director of the Renew Montessori Center for Aging and Memory, an adult day program in Fort Mill, South Carolina. We have been in partnership with Renew since 2020, working with the leadership team to plan and implement a Montessori program, training staff, and providing ongoing coaching as the program got off the ground. We are so proud of all they have accomplished!
Many of you have written to share your challenges and successes over the past few weeks and to ask for simple activity ideas that can be done easily in one’s bedroom on a tray table. Here is an idea for a simple activity that can help an individual to maintain fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination while feeling a sense of purpose by caring for his or her belongings.
In honor of Better Hearing and Speech month, I’d like to say a few words about communication and the relationships we have with our loved ones with dementia. I’d like to share a story with you. Last year I worked with a client who lived with frontotemporal degeneration. I made a once weekly home…
