Try, Try Again

Hello everyone, If at first you don’t succeed…well, you know the rest: Try, try again! How often do we ask residents to join us for exercise class or another activity, have them say “no”, and we say “ok” and move on to the next person. Then after a few “no thank-you’s” from them, we give […]

Don’t Mask your Feelings! Tips for Communicating with your Residents While Wearing PPE

Hello everyone, We hope you are all enjoying your 4th of July holiday weekend! With COVID-19, care providers need to wear masks and other PPE (personal protective equipment) that prevent spread of the disease – but masks can also cause communication challenges, particularly for older adults living with dementia. This 20-minute video shows simple, effective ways to communicate […]

What To Do When Nothing Else Works

Hello everyone, You’ve tried distractions, music, walking, going outside, changing caregivers and adjusting schedules. Nothing seems to work with this resident who consistently has challenging behaviors related to dementia. Some caregivers may even tell you that they can’t handle the person anymore. What do you do? The answer may just be—YOU. You may be the […]

Family Members Can Benefit from Your Expertise

Hello everyone, You and your staff have lots of experience working with people with dementia—probably hundreds of years collectively if you add up everyone’s time!—and have learned ways to communicate with them effectively and therapeutically.  Sometimes, though, we assume that the family and friends of our residents have the same intuitive response and knowledge when […]

Promoting Positive Interactions

Hello everyone, This week, we’d like to discuss how to approach a resident with challenging behaviors in a way that can result in more positive interactions between the caregiver and resident. For example, if a resident scratches, swears or tries to hit a nursing assistant while she is helping the resident with morning care, how […]

Breaking Down Language Barriers

Hello everyone, First off, Happy Father’s Day to all of the fathers and grandfathers! If you’ve ever traveled to a foreign country where you don’t speak the language, you know how difficult it can be to get directions to a museum or order a meal.  Imagine how frightening and depressing it would if everyone around […]

Tips for Integrating Person-centered Approaches into Care Plans

Hello everyone, Many of you are working on integrating more person-centered approaches into your care plans, and looking for ways that GNAs and other staff can easily access information about the social histories and preferences of residents, which is critical information when caring for people who have dementia. Those “golden nuggets” of information can help […]

Breaking Down Language Barriers

Hello everyone, If you’ve ever traveled to a foreign country where you don’t speak the language, you know how difficult it can be to get directions to a museum or order a meal.  Imagine how frightening and depressing it would if everyone around you spoke a different language, but instead of being on vacation, you […]