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 […]
Tag: Contest
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 […]
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 […]
“My Story” boards help illustrate residents’ personal histories
Hello everyone, Care communities often have detailed resident assessments that do a wonderful job collecting important information about a resident and their preferences. Unfortunately, these helpful documents frequently stay in a binder or electronic record unlooked at. Team members then miss out on some great information (we call them “gold nuggets”) that can help them […]
Create a Plan & Evaluate It–The Final Steps of DICE
Hello everyone, This week we’ll finish discussing the four steps of DICE. We hope you had a chance to discuss the “Describe” and “Investigate” parts with your staff, and are finding the process helpful as you work to assess and manage behaviors of your residents with dementia. The “C” in DICE stands for “Create a […]
Pay Attention to Apathy
Hello everyone, “The squeaky wheel gets the oil” is a well-known proverb. In terms of challenging behaviors, the man running down the hall naked or the woman crying loudly at lunch generally get our attention more quickly than the quiet lady in room 101 who likes to keep to herself and “isn’t any trouble.” In […]
Congratulations!
Hello everyone, Timber Ridge in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania had a summer contest to recognize employees who used effective interventions to address behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. The big winner was Kathleen Hunter! Congratulations Kathleen! We’ve attached a photo of her receiving her award. Kathleen is a CNA on the 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift. One of […]
Nominate Your CNA of the Year!
Hello everyone, If you know an exceptional CNA on your staff who has focused on a person centered care intervention for managing BPSD and wish they could be recognized for their dedication, talent and hard work, here’s a great opportunity. The National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners is accepting nominations for CNA of the Year. […]
Care Plan Contest Winner!
Hello everyone, We are excited to announce the winner of our Person-Centered Care Plan Contest! Kelly Cox, the ADON at Meadows Nursing & Rehab in Pennsylvania, sent us her creative solution to an issue she was having with a resident who was not safely transferring: My most recent person centered care plan was for a […]