By Annmarie Wallis and Lutheran Hillside Village
The best way I’ve heard Alzheimer’s disease explained is that it hides the person we love underneath a layer of confusion, but that there’s still a person who needs our love and attention. For our grandmother, Elaine, that was a constant reminder as we struggled with her diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.
She loved to host parties and travel, and would regale us with stories as we sat around the dinner table. It was there that we first began to notice changes. The same stories were retold over and over, utensils were found in the refrigerator, and many times she forgot to eat. As a family, it left us sidelined to see her struggle with daily tasks.
For Elaine, it was a slow progression, and at times very scary. It was love and attention though a rallying of family and friends that helped us transition to a new normal. It was the listening ear of experts who gave advice on how to be there for Elaine. Eventually, it was finding a place where she was known as the traveler, teacher, and storyteller she still is, even though Alzheimer’s at times hides her in confusion.
Now when we visit her, we’re able to focus on being her family. She introduces us to everyone who we now feel is a part of our family — from staff members to other residents. We sit for long hours out on the patio, decorate the Christmas tree together in her apartment, and celebrate each day’s moments. Love and attention surround her.
Elaine is still an individual, even though Alzheimer’s sometimes makes her lose sight of who that individual is. Finding a location that focuses its care on the needs and wants of the individual can help people like Elaine be themselves whenever possible.
Lutheran Hillside Village offers a special neighborhood for those with Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive impairments. As a believer in person-centered care, residents are treated with care and compassion. For a personal tour, call 309-689-9605.
Michelle Pollard, LNHA, Care Center Administrator at Lutheran HillsideVillage, shares the person-centered care difference, especially when it comes to the care of those with Alzheimer’s and other cognitive impairments.
Taking into account the resident’s preferences and expressed needs
Where it used to be that all residents had breakfast at the same time or participated in all activities together, person-centered care is about putting together a personalized plan based on each resident’s desires. Not an early morning riser? Person-centered care means a resident can wake up when they want to and have breakfast when they choose to. It’s all about optimizing independence and choice.
Coordinating and integrating care
Being person-centered means that when the care of a resident is planned, we think about the effect it will cause on the whole of a person. It’s constant communication between Dining, Lifestyle Enrichment, and Clinical Staff to ensure the specific needs of each resident are met.
Involving family
Family members are partners when it comes to person-centered care. It means taking into consideration and acting on what residents and their families want when we plan and deliver their care.