Thanksgiving, with turkey and all the trimmings, ushers in the fall/winter holiday season and people look forward to celebrating with family and friends. However, for those living with dementia, it can be a stressful time.
Jeanette Lauture, a certified dementia practitioner, memory care advisor, and director of marketing at Arden Courts-ProMedica Memory Care in West Orange, deals exclusively with persons living with dementia. “People with dementia often have trouble communicating their needs,” she says, adding that a roomful of people may be overwhelming to them. Providing a quiet place for them may be helpful, where they can feel comfortable.”
She offers the following tips, provided by the Alzheimer’s Association, to help make the holidays more manageable for all:
· Involve persons with dementia in safe, manageable holiday preparation activities that they enjoy.
· Avoid using candles or artificial fruits and vegetables as decorations since some people living with dementia might confuse them with real food. Blinking lights may also be distracting to them.
· Consider what will be most comfortable and enjoyable for them when making holiday plans, while keeping safety in mind.
· Maintain their normal routine as much as possible so that holiday preparations don’t become disruptive or confusing.
· Focus on the things that bring happiness and let go of activities that seem overwhelming or too risky. Taking on too many tasks can weigh on both of you.
· Build on traditional memories but introduce new traditions that might be less stressful or better suited, such as watching a holiday movie.
Lauture, who has worked in healthcare for more than 30 years, began taking care of her mother in 2016 after she took a fall. “At that time, it was discovered that my mom had vascular dementia,” she says. “Therefore, I had to educate myself about dementia.” This led to a desire to help other families dealing with a loved one living with dementia.
“The transition from independent living to a residential community can be daunting, for both the family and the person living with dementia,” says Lauture, who has worked at Arden Courts for two years. “But I love my job helping families navigate the transition.”
Lauture is quick to point out that Arden Courts is not an assisted living facility, but a self-contained community that is totally focused on care for persons living with dementia. It serves communities in 58 locations around the country. In addition to West Orange, Arden Courts has communities in Whippany, Wayne, and Cherry Hill in New Jersey.
The 56 residents living in the West Orange facility have fully-furnished rooms within four self-contained “houses” with their own living rooms, kitchen, bath, and laundry room. There are exercise classes, an indoor walking track, lectures, current events discussions, movies, and musical programs. Outside, residents have access to an expansive, secure campus that includes a walking path, a community garden, and a picnic area, all within a private, safe environment. “Wandering is common with some people with dementia,” Lauture says, “but they can’t get lost here.” In addition to the vigilance of staff members, there are cameras to ensure residents are always safe.
All staff members are given regular training about interacting with persons with dementia, following by tests of their knowledge. Although a variety of physicians and healthcare professional visit patients at Arden Courts, there may be times when a resident needs to consult with a provider outside of the community. “We offer instruction for hospital personnel on communicating with people with dementia who have trouble expressing their needs to staff,” Lauture says. “They also may require more time during their visit.”
Additionally, Arden Courts offers a monthly dementia support group specifically geared towards families and caregivers.
Arden Courts is home to people in their early 60s and older in different stages of dementia, according to Lauture, who explains that residents are not separated by stage. “We find that both people with late-stage dementia and those in the early stage of the disease feed off one another,” she says, adding that early-stage persons can sympathize with what those in later stages are going through, while those with late-stage dementia can receive assistance from early-stage persons.”
Lauture stresses the importance of making the residents feel part of a community, where they have the freedom to participate in a host of activities or choose to read a book in the privacy of their room. “This place is their home,” she says.
Arden Courts-ProMedica Memory Care Community
510 Prospect Avenue
West Orange, NJ 07052
“The transition from independent living to a residential community can be daunting..."
I love helping families navigate the transition