It is difficult taking care of dementia patients, especially at home. Sometimes it is frustrating, and you want nothing more than to distance yourself, but other times as a caregiver, it brings painful tears to the eye. This is an ongoing challenge that Ritten House Senior Living’s SHINE® Memory Care for dementia has taken on. SHINE® Memory Care features a number of innovative and unique methods in its approach to Memory Care, all backed by scientific study. Recently, the Alzheimer’s Association has recognized the SHINE® program for its work. So how does it work?
A “Truly Person-Centered Approach”
Laura Sypniewski, the National Director of Health and Wellness at Ritten House Senior Living has been quoted mentioning the goal of the SHINE® program was to develop a “truly person-centered approach”. What does this mean?
The SHINE® program makes it a point to consider every individual’s circumstance, every aspect of his or her life, and focus on unique solutions to every individual, based on a pool of realistic and scientific research. The SHINE® program focuses on the person, to improve his or her quality of life, as well as their family, and the team.
Merger of Scientific Facts with Realism
The SHINE® program represents a major collaboration between multidisciplinary experts, alongside knowledge and experience from on-site caregivers with a strong understanding of dementia care.
The care team is composed of hands-on caregivers and experienced community leaders aided by a wealth of knowledge and wisdom from industry experts. These experts reply on up-to-date scientific research on dementia. The skills and knowledge, merged with a strong understanding of the day-to-day reality for dementia patients, formulates SHINE® Memory Care’s approach. The effectiveness of the program owes much to this.
Unique Focus
SHINE® Memory Care does not only focus on the patient with dementia, but also on his or her family, and the community around them. The program encourages the sharing of information about patients and their unique needs. The SHINE® team also makes it a point to provide updates on the progress of dementia patients to their families. This openness allows the team to come together and come up with better ways to tackle the puzzle of dementia.
Resilience and Adaptability
There are many challenges the senior care industry faces, among which are high turnover rates and staffing pains. However, the SHINE® team at Ritten House Senior Living has, alongside its community members, worked to inculcate SHINE® as an enduring culture within each living community. To overcome any potential challenges brought by the future, experts in the program are present at every level of every community. Ultimately, with strong teams and a strong culture to back SHINE®, the program has strong roots to continue expanding and growing.
At Rittenhouse Village At Michigan City, we run a SHINE® Memory Care program for residents with dementia. Contact us or schedule a tour of our senior living community to learn more!
