Activities as a Path for Culture Change – The Best Friends Approach David Troxel, MPH

Dr. Alzheimer

November 25, 1901, 51 years old Problems with every day tasks Jealousy, delusions Memory I have lost myself Auguste Deter

Be a Best Friend

Being Person Centered

Daphne Gormley, Santa Barbara Dx at 59. Credits dementia meds with helping. Uses water soluble crayons and felt tipped markers for my paintings. Rather than limiting my artwork, my Alzheimers seems to have unleashed a whole new area of creativity for me. Emphasizes process rather than outcome. Ambitious, motivated.

Daphne continues... One of the benefits of my art for me is that it provides me a way of communicating without words. The colors I use are colors I find to be joyous. This is a way for me express my joy in painting and in my life. AD has really taught me to concentrate on the things I can do not on the things I can no longer do.

Develop the Knack Knack is the art of doing difficult things with ease. Or, clever tricks and strategies! Helps in unstructured moments.

Knack Humor Flexibility Patience Respect Being in the moment Creative activities

Moving Toward Quality Care

We Know how to Create a Quality Dementia Care Program Being outside Learning & growth Creative activities Conversation Purposeful chores Animals Using the Life Story Laughter Exercise Music

Skilled, Empathetic Staff who Build Relationships

Supporting Staff Knowing that we cannot treat staff badly and expect a badly treated staff to treat residents well. Showing appreciation Giving them the tools to succeed.

Programs that Embrace the Life Story

Tips Bullet Cards Campaigns Monthly focus Shadow box beauty shows Resident Jeopardy Putting Life Story to work in activity creation. Name tags

Person Centered Activities Here are some principles of Activities from a Best Friends Approach

Its not in what is done, its in the doing

Should be individualized and tap into past interests and skills

Should be adult in nature

Should recall a persons work related life

Should stimulate the senses

Sometimes doing nothing is doing something

Tap into remaining physical skills.

Should be initiated by others.

Should be voluntary

Intergenerational activities work!

Personal care is an activity.

Activities can be short

Should fulfill religious & spiritual needs.

Activities are everywhere.

Remarkable programs create signature programs Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without words, and never stops at all. Emily Dickinson

Collage

Music Fills the Room

Exercise at Atria

Longwharf Theater

Ideas for your setting Signature activities Exercise Evenings & Weekends Just for Men Creating theme rooms – the beauty parlor or Susies Salon?

Ideas for your setting Visiting: –Flower arranging –Gift wrapping –Mail order shopping –Organizing –Reminiscing –Movie musicals –chit chat –Outdoor time. Make it Memorable!!

Recommendations Create a Dementia Care Study Group/Team Consider a monthly or quarterly focus. Embrace Life Story work even for short stays Innovate in activities –Adult Learning –Music –Exercise –Spirituality

Recommendations Embrace creative and effective training –Monthly focus –Role plays –Mini 5 or 10 minute in-services Follow up and model as a leadership team.

Activities you think wont work sometimes do Failure Free Activities??? How many of us lead failure free lives? From failure comes growth and planned activities that go in a different direction are sometimes the most fun.

Classroom ideas Apples The State of Indiana

Activities as a path toward Culture Change Allow all staff to recast their work in light of activities Embrace 30 second activities Teach activities in your staff training programs Whats the cook doing in the activity room?

30 Second Rule Teaching staff (and families) that it only takes 30 seconds to be a little less task oriented and a little more person centered.

The Impact of Best Friends