A key tenant of The Vicarage philosophy is advocating for the whole person living with dementia.
Advocating for a loved one living with dementia requires an understanding of the needs of the individual living with this dementing illness.
Julia Mehlman will graduate in May 2016 with a Bachelor of Psychology from Bowdoin College. For the past eight months, she has been volunteering at our dementia care home, The Vicarage by the Sea. She recently shared her reflections on our philosophy of a person centered approach to dementia care.
If you ask the staff at any nursing home or retirement facility whether they offer “person-centered” dementia care, they will undoubtedly say yes. Person centered care, however, reveals itself differently depending on the organization’s philosophy.
Dementia is a syndrome that comprises any number of different symptoms that people live with. The most common symptom people associate with dementia are challenges with memory and confusion, but it can also include challenges with physical ability and movement, the use of language, control of emotions and communication.
“While Alzheimer’s creates challenges for those who live with it – and for their loved ones who watch them endure it – dementia should never define a person, or lead them to believe they ought to just give up and submit to it. From its early stages and for as long as possible, those living with Alzheimer’s owe it to themselves to get the most out of life. And there are so many ways to do just that! ”