8 DECEMBER 2024ELDERCARE REVIEWPatience, redirection, engagement, and love are the four tools I use every day to be successful. I am the current Memory Care Director of an Alzheimer's/Dementia unit at Ridgeland Place Assisted Living and Memory Care in Ridgeland, MS. We are at full capacity, which is a great accomplishment. Our goal is to enhance all lives with kindness and integrity. Despite the senior citizens being diagnosed with Alzheimer's, they still have the right and deserve to be treated like adults. I ask myself, "If it was me, how would I want to be treated?" If we all individually ask ourselves that question and produce the same answer I have, then we have the same mindset. Working in healthcare with vulnerable adults can be a challenging but rewarding experience, particularly for seniors with Alzheimer's. It is amazing how fast the disease progression causes a sharp decline in the elderly. I know, after being in this field for over three years now, it still shocks me how I can be laughing and reminiscing with a resident one week and the next; their confusion has heightened, and their cognitive stability has become more unstable. Outbursts of abnormal behaviors have become more pressing and recurring. Most importantly, why is patience a key factor? Not only me but my staff as well. If you were to ask the resident, "Why did you do that?" they would respond that they did not know. Honestly, they do not know. Thus, it is imperative for my staff to learn the personalities of every individual resident who decided to make our Connections Neighborhood, what we call our memory care, their home. This tool ties in with the next and is our main force in helping combat the various symptoms a resident with Alzheimer's will display.Redirection! A term used in all facilities with vulnerable adults to refocus and minimize potential aggressive behavior. It is never an easy transition for residents entering a new environment, By Javarious Alford, Memory Care Director, Pegasus Senior LivingSENIOR PLACEMENTJavarious Alford
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