Many of the elders who stay at Chaparral House are living with dementia. Yet we do not have a locked “memory care” ward on site. Instead, we utilize a problem-solving approach to set up the environment and train our staff to support these residents without the use of restraints (such as sedating medications and lockdowns). As part of our person-centered care model we look at the holistic health of the resident and do not isolate people with dementia; it is treated as one part of the picture.
The Chaparral House staff spends a great deal of time training on strategies to assist people with memory loss. We use the Best Friends Approach which resonates with our resident centered philosophy. This approach is based on the idea that what a person with dementia really needs is a friend: someone who empathizes with their struggles, helps them feel safe, and brings a positive attitude to potentially difficult situations. Our staff skillfully step into this role to provide just what the resident needs at the moment they need it. For folks who experience “sundowning” this could involve strategies like those proposed by Naomi Feil called Validation Techniques as well as sensory interventions such as dimming the lights and playing their favorite calming music on a Music & Memory ipod. Understanding and affirming elders’ life stories is an important part of the process at Chaparral House. This is what allows us to act as the “best friend” they need in the moment.
So if you are looking for a locked memory care ward, you will not find it here! Instead, you will see folks with dementia enjoying music, art, and exercise alongside people with a diverse range of cognitive abilities. We have built an accepting and loving community that has room for people with all different needs – dementia is no exception to the rule. We believe that elders deserve this kind of inclusion especially when they are experiencing medical concerns.