Altenheim helps people living with dementia optimize the joy of each day

By Ken McEntee

A good day with moments of joy.

People with dementia may not remember them for very long, but they deserve to experience them, insists Linda Begley, activity director for Shurmer Place Memory Assisted Living at Altenheim Senior Living, in Strongsville.

“Our activities aim to optimize each day and allow each resident to be the person they are right now in this moment,” Linda explains. “Everything we do here is geared toward making each resident feel like a person who has accomplished something each day.”

That culture and philosophy may be the reason why Altenheim’s 38 memory care assisted living units were nearly full only eight months after the new facility opened in March. The facility, designed along the Planetree model of patient-centered dementia care, emphasizes open spaces, natural light and color schemes that create calm feelings.

Every morning begins with a brain stimulating math puzzle or word challenge for those who choose to participate, Linda says. A discussion of the day’s news follows.

“By talking about the news, we bring in the daily routine,” she says. “What is today? What’s the date and the day of the week?”

The morning routine typically concludes with exercising to music, followed by a refreshment, like juice, water or coffee, then the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and singing of the Star Spangled Banner.

“Being a small facility, we have the benefit of having more time to get to know each resident individually,” Linda says. “By doing that, I can coordinate programming based on their preferences and what their history has been.”

Knowing the right time to consider memory care for mom or dad can pose a difficult, emotional challenge, acknowledges Beth Seese, director of nursing and director of memory assisted living.

“It can be easy for people to hide their dementia, especially when their contact with their children is mostly over the phone,” Beth observes. “But there are signs that they may not be caring for themselves as well as they should be.”

Among the clues to look for, Beth says, are:

• A dry bar of soap in the bathroom may indicate that a person isn’t bathing regularly
• Old food, or an empty refrigerator may be a sign that a person isn’t eating regularly

“If somebody can’t meet basic needs like hygiene and meal service for themselves, chances are they need more help, whether it is home health care or going somewhere where they’ll get that help,” Beth says.

“Loneliness is another big issue with many folks with early- to mid-stage dementia. They may sit and stare at the TV all day long, or they may do a lot of sleeping because they don’t have an environment around them that stimulates their mind.

You can learn more about dementia on Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 7:00 p.m., when Altenheim will present Keeping Mom and Dad Safe, a free forum featuring Dr. Katherine Judge, professor of psychology and director of the Adult Development and Aging Doctoral Program at Cleveland State University. In the meantime, Beth is available to answer questions or to schedule a tour, at 440-268-1048.

Shurmer Place Memory Assisted Living is located at 18545 Shurmer Road, in Strongsville. Visit Altenheim.com.