There are so many opportunities for resident choice. It goes way beyond “the red shirt or the blue one?” Choice is not just “Which one do you want?” It is also “How would you like this to happen?” When we talk about choice in dementia care, the examples are often very small, like “Would you like the red shirt…
Dr. Steven Sabat * has made an important point about dementia care: That is – just because we do not know the reason a person with dementia is doing something does not mean that person does not have a reason. That idea sounds simple. But it asks us to reconsider something very important. When a person without dementia does…
When we recently discussed the way texture-modified foods are described on menus, one residence leader raised the idea of the “sensate experience.” It is a useful way of thinking about something much larger than food. The Sensate Experience in Dementia Care: Why the Senses Matter A sensate experience is one that is experienced through the senses — what we…
In dementia care, the environment speaks; it is never silent. Every hallway, doorway, sign, chair, dining table, bathroom, closet, and activity space is communicating something. Sometimes it says, “You are safe.” or “This is where you belong.” or “Come this way.” Sometimes it says, “This is too much. I do not know what to do here.” The challenge is…
At the case conference, the idea sounded simple enough. “We could place a broom and dustpan in the corner of the dining room,” said the recreation therapist. “Not hidden. Visible. With a small sign that says, Help us keep the home clean.” She said it the way people do when they think they are suggesting something completely reasonable. And…
“Nothing in the Hallway”: When Safety and Meaning Collide in Dementia Care – In many long-term care homes, a familiar moment happens. Someone suggests placing a simple engagement station in a hallway—a plant to water, a small task station, something meaningful for residents with dementia to interact with along their path. And immediately, the response comes: “No. Absolutely not. Hallways…
What is concentration in dementia? “Concentration” doesn’t necessarily mean the same kind of sustained, complex attention an individual without dementia might exhibit. Instead, it refers to a state of focused engagement on an activity or stimulus that is: Meaningful: The activity resonates with the individual’s interests, past experiences, or current emotional state. Accessible: The task is within their current cognitive and physical capabilities,…
Long-term care environments are structured around tasks: meals prepared, medications administered, rooms cleaned, risks managed. Over time, these tasks accumulate in staff hands, not because residents are incapable of contributing, but because efficiency and protection gradually override participation. The result is subtle but significant — responsibility centralizes, and resident roles shrink. Redistributing meaning challenges that structure. It asks whether…
We talk about residents having nervous systems. We talk about dysregulation. Agitation. Escalation. Calm. But we rarely talk about something just as influential: The nervous system of the unit itself. Because every care environment has one. You can feel it within seconds of walking in. You Don’t See It — But You Feel It Is the hallway tight and tense?…
What is the rhythm of a life? Most of us don’t think of ourselves as creatures of routine. We say we like flexibility. We believe we’re adaptable. We assume we could live anywhere, adjust to anything, manage just fine. But try this. Imagine you go to stay with a friend for a few days. It’s voluntary. You like them. You’re…
A dementia diagnosis does not cancel adulthood. One of the most damaging mistakes we…
There are so many opportunities for resident choice. It goes way beyond “the red…
