Luther Village dementia unit gives patients tailored care
WATERLOO — Norm Young sits next to his mother, Audrey Young, by the large window, watching as cars, pedestrians and cyclists pass through their view.
Audrey counts along in a singsong voice and notes if they’re going up or down the hill.
The 89-year-old lives in a specialized new unit that caters to people with mild to moderate dementia at Luther Village on the Park in Waterloo.
The care by specially trained staff and a variety of tailored activities keep Young’s mother connected to the world around her.
“She’s declining, but she’s content,” he said. “She’s doing as much as she can.”
The dedicated “memory care” floor opened in the Waterloo home in November and already staff have seen improvements in the residents, said Josephine Castillo, director of resident care at Luther Village.
“If you see what they like and you provide it to them, you will see the changes,” Castillo said.
The floor, which had 33 suites including two to accommodate couples, is secure to prevent wandering. Each resident wears a roaming bracelet that keeps them from using the elevator.
The “gentle persuasive” approach by staff is a bit different from other areas of the home. It focuses on discovering the motivation behind how a resident is acting.
For instance, a person with dementia may wander the halls endlessly because he or she is hungry or thirsty.
“Every behaviour, there is a reason behind it,” Castillo said. “You have to ask them questions.”
Rushing doesn’t work, and staff have the time to provide more one-on-one care.
“They’re taking their time to provide the care the resident needs,” Castillo said. “You have to go with the flow.”
A variety of activities, both group and individual, are offered to engage residents and decrease anxiety. The music program often draws people out of their shells.
“You can see they’re becoming more calm,” Castillo said.
Staff work closely with family as well to discover the resident’s interests. Providing the best care possible can help slow the disease’s progression, and reduces the unnecessary use of antipsychotic medication, something that has been an issue in longterm care homes.
“It’s not a quality of life that you want to give your residents,” Castillo said.
Michelle Martin, executive director of Alzheimer Society Waterloo Wellington, said there’s a “buzz” around the new dementia unit at Luther Village.
Martin said more of that type of specialized care is needed in the region.
“I think having specialized units is good for everybody,” she said.
People who live in long-term care have different health conditions and cognitive abilities, and it’s a challenge to support all those in a mixed environment when those with dementia have very specific needs, both in relation to communication and their physical environment.
“There’s just a different approach in working with people with dementia,” Martin said.
While there is no cure for dementia, a tailored setting can help patients manage better and also is better for other residents.
“That will make everybody more successful,” Martin said. “Everybody wins.”
People with dementia may not be able to communicate what they’re feeling, but those feelings are still there.
When a dementia patient becomes frustrated or is not properly supported, difficult behaviours emerge such as shouting or aggression.
A dedicated unit eliminates a lot of those behaviours and reduces the use of medication, and the environment is also more satisfying for staff who can focus on those specialized needs.
“When you have a whole ward like that, you can do a much better job,” Martin said.
But those spaces are limited in the region. When a lot of longterm care homes were built, there wasn’t as much knowledge about dementia.
“A lot of places weren’t built to accommodate these special needs,” Martin said. “People are really trying to do the best with what they’ve got.”
But Martin is grateful that more specialized care units are being developed because it provides a better quality of life for the residents.
Young couldn’t be happier with his mother’s accommodations.
“I can’t think of a better arrangement,” Young said. “It’s a balance between independence and security.”
The staff are “fantastic,” he said, and always encourage his mother to join in social activities, which he said is vital to her mental and emotional health.
“It’s a connection,” Young added.
While her cognitive issues have become more pronounced in the last year and there’s more names she has forgotten, she still enjoys doing word searches and visits with her son.
Activities such as the music program keep her engaged.
“Music is a big connection for her,” Young said.
“She’ll sing along with any kind of music.”