Memory Care Buddies pilot is completed
- Experts Teach LITA Volunteers How to Serve Residents with Memory-Loss -
Of all the Bay Area counties, Marin county has the oldest population. In fact, by 2030 – in just 10 years, more than 33 percent of us will be over 60 and 14 percent of us will be older than 75. Some of us will experience health challenges inherent in aging, and according to the non-profit organization Aging In Marin, up to 8,000 adults in Marin County are diagnosed with memory loss right now, and that number is growing as our population ages.
Today LITA has hundreds of volunteers visiting nearly 300 residents in the wide range of long-term care facilities in Marin County. Many of these residents have a dementia diagnosis, but there is a lack of volunteers interested or comfortable with visiting someone with significant dementia.
In response, LITA recently completed a 6-month pilot program called Memory Care Buddies, which centers on training volunteers for the challenging dynamics of visiting residents who live with dementia and supporting them in their ongoing experience.
Kim Bivens is one of the LITA volunteers to complete the recent training and she shared,
My experience with the Memory Care Buddy Training was simply invaluable. I learned several practical ways to support someone with a diminished memory, and my biggest take-away was seeing the value in sharing myself with my Buddy and creating the moments the best we can together.
LITA’s Director of Volunteers, Tanya Mendoza, has more than 13 years of experience as an Activity Director at long-term care facilities. In 2014 she launched Drake Terrace’s first memory care unit. When she joined LITA in 2016, she brought her desire to reach these residents, many of whom are the most isolated. Tanya, with LITA’s Executive Director Jessica Williams and a handful of experts in Gerontology and Memory Care, lead the monthly workshops. Session topics included communication strategies and practices, the connection between hearing loss and dementia, the use of technology including six iPads (generously donated by Autodesk employees) and on-line Apps to engage people with memory loss. Volunteers were also taught to use Pocket Talkers to aid in communication, music players, picture books, puzzles and other visual aids as appropriate for each resident.
According to Tanya, A residents' impairments should not hinder us from 'being there' with them. If we've taken the time to visit, listen, share, and sit with them, this is meaningful and validating, especially when you observe a rarely seen smile, twinkle in their eyes or they share something with you that the 'staff has never seen before,' then you know you've made a difference and connected with them where they are.”
This pilot program will be reviewed for its effectiveness and will be refined before it is presented to a new cohort of LITA volunteers in March 2020. Gaining more insight, support and learning more ways to connect with our friends with dementia and memory loss is valuable to ALL LITA volunteers. Please consider joining us for the March 2020 Memory Care Buddies program. Call (415-472-5482) or email Tanya to sign-up today!
Speaker Biographies
· Erik Flatt has worked in long-term care facilities for 27 years. He was the Executive Director of a RCFE, Drake Terrace in San Rafael for 17 years where he oversaw the launch of their first memory care unit. He is currently the co-owner and director of a Residential Care Home, Three Home Village.
· Tanya Mendoza has been the Director of Volunteers at LITA since December 2016. She has 15 years of experience working with older adults as an Activity Director and as a Memory Care Director in facilities throughout Marin County. In 2014 she launched Drake Terrace’s first memory care unit.
· Andrea Korsunsky began her career as a social worker in the Eskaton Care Center of Greenhaven. She continued working in SNF and AL settings at Jewish Family Homes. She has now been with the Jewish Family & Children’s Services for 5 years where she is the Director of the Center for Dementia Care.
· Margaret Wallhagen, PhD, GNP-BC, AGSF, FGSA, FAAN, is a Professor of Gerontological Nursing and a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner in the School of Nursing, University of California San Francisco (UCSF). She has a 40+ year career in research and teaching particularly focused on hearing health and older adults.
· Elizabeth (Betsy) Best-Martini is a Recreational Therapist specializing in the field of gerontology. Her consulting firm has provided recreational therapy consultation to over 200 retirement communities, skilled nursing settings, sub-acute settings and assisted care facilities in Northern California. She has trained over 800 qualified activity professionals in the region and she has three publications being used nationally as training manuals for Activity Professionals and Recreational Therapists.