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Montessori for Dementia at Clark Retirement Community

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Montessori for Dementia at Clark Retirement Community

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US

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Montessori for Dementia at Clark Retirement Community

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Wandsworth, Independent article March, 2018

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A chorus of nursery rhymes isn't what you expect to hear on walking into an elderly people's home, but a retirement facility in south London has its residents doing just that - and children are there to lead the way.

"The children trot in and they love it. They dance and they prance. And we love it too," beams Anna Platman, 93, who has been a resident of the care home for nearly a year. "Being old has its moments. But for the hour or so you forget that you're away from your own family."

Nightingale House in Wandsworth is the first of its kind in the UK that integrates both older residents and children into the delivery of the curriculum and elderly care. With a nursery and a care home on the same site, the children are able to visit the elderly residents on a daily basis - to the delight of both parties.

On the morning when The Independent visits the facility, the residents and the children are taking part in a joint exercise session. "Frere Jacques" plays out as the older people sit in a circle swaying their arms in the air while the youngsters dance playfully in the middle. When "The Hokey Cokey" starts young and old lock hands and dance along together.

Anna, who sings along to all the nursery rhymes with impressive energy, has a soft spot for three-year-old Martha, and grins with delight when she sees her skip in.

"She came in today and she came straight to me and said, 'Hello Anna'. Martha is three and I'm 93. So can you imagine looking at a 93-year-old and still saying hello? She gives me a smile and says, 'look what I'm wearing'. It's great. Very good."

Fay Garcia, a well-dressed 90-year-old, grins as she plays catch with one of the youngsters, clapping in delight when she catches the ball. For her, after moving to the home following a career working for the United Nations in New York, playing with the children is a rejuvenating experience.

"It's a great joy when they join us. They really get us going," Fay chuckles with a broad smile across her face. "It's such a joy to see that they're having fun too. It's marvellous.

"I never had children of my own. I've been out of the country all my working life, I haven't even really had my sister's family, so this is like being completely reborn - at 90!"

Fay says interacting with the children does wonders for her and the other residents, describing her bond with the little ones as a friendship.

"There are so many people here who sit on chairs all day and just eat and sleep. But they seem to love it, even the grumpy ones ," she says, her face lighting up. "They seem to be rejuvenated by seeing the children. I think we're very lucky to have them.

"I've gotten to know them. Yesterday I popped into the nursery because I was walking in the garden. They let me join them and we had a nice little conversation. After a time you recognise them, they recognise you. It's almost like a visit from lovely young friends.

"It's a lovely awakening. And n ot only do you have the benefit of having these lovely children - and they really are - but they can teach us something, and hopefully we can give them a bit of knowledge too."

Eighty-eight-year-old Maurice Elston, who moved to the home shortly after his wife died, says the visits from children gave the care home a family feel in an environment that can otherwise be isolating for elderly people.

"It's a very good idea. Otherwise old people tend to get isolated, and the idea that you can actually talk to children and have a vague relationship with them... It's like a family. It gives us something to do. It's good fun and they seem to enjoy it too."

Research has shown that adults who experienced close intergenerational interaction are less prone to depression and have better physical health, as well as being happier with their present life and more hopeful for the future.

Michael Stokes, a physiotherapist who works at Nightingale House and delivers the joint exercise classes, says bringing children and elderly people together is a "very natural" concept, and the physical health of residents has improved as a result.

"Having the children present in our classes is a real benefit for our residents, because they are taking part at a much more engaged level. Their enthusiasm to take part in exercise is much greater with the children in the classes," he says.

"They really look forward to having them come along and can't wait to see them each session. It gives them motivation to take part, and also gives them a bit of a distraction from doing mundane exercises that they otherwise might find a little bit boring. It livens it up.

"There have been improvements to their strength and activity levels since having children take part in our classes that I've measured through some simple tests. Their functional level has been improving and their skills of being able to stand up and balance.

"I think it's a very natural idea to incorporate having children take part in classes with our older people in society. It brings people a lot of happiness to see the joy of children taking part in a fun way."

Apples and Honey nursery opened on the Nightingale House site last September last year. It is a social project run with a Jewish ethos, but open to children of all faiths, cultures and backgrounds.

Reuse content

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How children and elderly people come together in UK's first intergenerational care home

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A chorus of nursery rhymes isn't what you expect to hear on walking into an elderly people's home, but a retirement facility in south London has its residents doing just that - and children are there to lead the way. "The children trot in and they love it.

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The Montessori Method Applied to Dementia

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The Montessori Method Applied to Dementia

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AMS article

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Person-Centered, Skilled Services using ontessori Approach for Persons withDementia

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Person-Centered, Skilled Services using ontessori Approach for Persons withDementia

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N Douglas, J Brush,
M Bourgeois

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IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MONTESSORI PROGRAM IN ASSISTED LIVING:  POSITIVE OUTCOMES AND CHALLENGES 

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IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MONTESSORI PROGRAM IN ASSISTED LIVING:  POSITIVE OUTCOMES AND CHALLENGES 

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J. BRUSH, N. DOUGLAS, M. BOURGEOIS

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Montessori methods are now a popular and powerful way to support the lives and capabilities of people with dementia. This post and a previous post offer resources on Montessori activities and how to implement Montessori-based activities.

Purposeful Activities for Dementia is a Montessori-based professional development and education resource developed for aged care and dementia care staff and carers.

Purposeful activities for Dementia complements other professional development resources about engaging people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, including the downloadable Relate Motivate Appreciate toolkit. Purposeful activities for dementia was developed by Alzheimer's Australia VIC for families and aged care staff.

Purposeful Activities for Dementia offers practical ways that carers - including activity support workers, personal care attendants and other aged care professionals - can work together to engage people living with dementia in purposeful activities at home and in social groups.

The videos by Alzheimer's Australia VIC on this website explore the way in which Montessori techniques can enrich the lives of people living with dementia. Many of the educational activities in the following video are based on this approach.

Article: Effects of using nursing home residents to serve as group activity leaders: Lessons learned from the RAP project by Michael J. Skrajner, Jessica L. Haberman, Cameron J. Camp, Melanie Tusick, Cristina Frentiu, and Gregg Gorzelle, Dementia: The international journal of social research and practice, Volume 13, Number 2, March 2014

Previous research has demonstrated that persons with early to moderate stage dementia are capable of leading small group activities for persons with more advanced dementia. In this study, we built upon this previous work by training residents in long-term care facilities to fill the role of group activity leaders using a Resident-Assisted Programming (RAP) training regimen. There were two stages to the program. In the first stage, RAP training was provided by researchers. In the second stage, RAP training was provided to residents by activities staff members of long-term care facilities who had been trained by researchers. We examine the effects of RAP implemented by researchers and by activities staff member on long-term care resident with dementia who took part in these RAP activities. We also examined effects produced by two types of small group activities: two Montessori-based activities and an activity which focuses on persons with more advanced dementia, based on the work of Jitka Zgola. Results demonstrate that levels of positive engagement seen in players during RAP (resident-led activities) were typically higher than those observed during standard activities programming led by site staff. In general, Montessori-Based Dementia Programming® produced more constructive engagement than Zgola-based programming (ZBP), though ZBP did increase a positive form of engagement involving observing activities with interest. In addition, RAP implemented by activities staff members produced effects that were, on the whole, similar to those produced when RAP was implemented by researchers. Implications of these findings for providing meaningful social roles for persons with dementia residing in long-term care, and suggestions for further research in this area, are discussed.

Note: should you be interested in this article please request it through our handy form.

Book: You say goodbye and we say hello : the Montessori method for positive dementia care by Tom and Karen Brenner, ©2012

This book aims to help dementia caregivers connect with their loved ones-in sometimes surprising ways.

Caregiving for a person with dementia or Alzheimer's disease can be fraught with frustration, but it all can be rewarding in ways that may surprise a caregiver. Getting to those rewarding moments is the subject of You Say Goodbye and We Say Hello, a new book by husband-and-wife team Tom and Karen Brenner.

You Say Goodbye and We Say Hello is an inspiring, eye-opening look into how using The Montessori Method for memory support and creating a positive environment can deepen the connection between caregivers and the people they love. - Sam Gaines, Managing Editor, Preserving Your Memory Magazine

Article: Montessori based dementia programming® by Michael J. Skrajner [et al] Alzheimer's Care Quarterly, Vol. 8, Issue 1, January/March 2007, p. 53-63

Montessori-Based Dementia Programming® (MBDP) is a method of creating and presenting activities/interventions. The Myers Research Institute conducted several studies, each of which involved the use of MBDP in a different setting/situation. Staff members from nursing homes, adult day centres, and assisted living facilities were trained to implement MBDP, as were family members and even persons in the early stages of dementia. In addition, a Montessori-based assessment tool is being developed for use in restorative nursing for persons with moderate to advanced dementia. An overview of each study is provided, as are the findings and implications of each study.

Note: should you be interested in this article please request it through our handy form.

Report: Evaluation of Montessori principles in planned activity groups for people with dementia, Australian Centre for Evidence Based Aged Care, La Trobe University, 2015

In 2014, Alzheimer's Australia Victoria implemented a pilot project to evaluate the impact of Montessori-based activities on the engagement of people with dementia attending planned activity groups (PAG) at two sites in metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria. Funding for the project was provided by the Commonwealth and Victorian governments under the Home and Community Care (HACC) Program. The overall goal of the project was to improve the engagement of people with dementia in purposeful activity by incorporating Montessori principles in planned activity groups.

Findings show that the application of the Montessori principles to activities statistically improved constructive engagement, pleasure and helping among clients in the two participating planned activity groups. The findings also suggest that the Montessori education may improve staff satisfaction and attitudes to people with dementia.

Article: Montessori programming for persons with dementia in the group setting:an analysis of engagement and affect by Shannon E Jarrott, Tsofit Gozali & Christina M Gigliotti, Dementia, Vol. 7, no. 1 February 2008, p. 109-125

Implementing meaningful activities for persons with dementia reduces boredom, agitation, and negative affect. Previous research demonstrated that Montessori activities, modified for persons with dementia, facilitate positive engagement and affect. We conducted activities in small parallel group settings to support social interactions and reflect typical staff-to-client ratios in institutional activity settings. The amount and type of engagement and affect were compared during Montessori-based activities and regularly scheduled activities of 10 older adults with dementia at an adult day program. Participants exhibited more constructive engagement and less non-engagement during Montessori-activities compared to regular activities. Affect did not differ between the activity conditions. We conclude with a discussion of research and practice methodology modifications.

Note: should you be interested in this article please request it through our handy form.

Montessori is a topic close to my heart. Part of my own schooling was Montessori and my children attend a Montessori school. For me, what really appeals is the dignity and respect which the students are afforded. The sense of satisfaction and well-deserved pride they derive from mastering an activity is heart-warming to see. When I discovered that the Montessori principles were also enriching the lives of people with dementia I was really excited. It's such a natural extension of this incredibly flexible, carefully-constructed and intelligent educational philosophy.

This post includes a number of Montessori resources including those of Cameron J. Camp and the popular Relate Motivate Appreciate resource produced by Alzheimer's Australia VIC.

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Montessori methods for people with dementia

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Montessori methods are now a popular and powerful way to support the lives and capabilities of people with dementia. This post and a previous post offer resources on Montessori activities and how to implement Montessori-based activities. Website: Purposeful activities for people with dementia: a resource, Alzheimer's Australia VIC, 2015 Purposeful Activities for Dementia is a...

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Enjoyable Life Long Learning for Older Adults incorporating
Montessori Principle

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Article By: Richard Howard, News Editor

The owners of Retirement Villages Ltd, who operate ten care homes located in the South of England and the Midlands, claim to have achieved positive results from incorporating the Montessori method of learning into one of their care homes.

With the direction of leading dementia consultant Dr Daniel Nightingale and activities co-ordinator Leah Dayes, staff at the Moat House, in Great Dunmow, have been working to help residents with memory loss retain and, in some cases, regain skills that a decline of cognitive ability has taken from them.

Excited by the results, Retirement Villages are now in the process of implementing the Montessori method in its other specialist dementia homes, with particular attention paid to the eating habits of residents. Managing director of care and operations Paul Walsh comments:

"We always strive to deliver the very best care and support to our residents. The introduction of the Montessori methods into our dementia suites, with the help of Dr Nightingale, is a demonstration of how seriously we take that commitment. Every single one of our residents, whatever their daily challenges, deserves the very best support to enable them to live their life to the optimum. Simple activities like eating unaided can boost confidence in other areas."

The Montessori learning method is named after Italian physician Maria Montessori, who, over several decades, developed child learning methods based upon independent actions and interacting with surroundings using all the five senses.

Dr Nightingale commented: "Early research has shown very positive results using these methods. I am delighted to be helping a well respected company like Retirement Villages lead the way in introducing techniques which can make a real difference every day to their residents."

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montessori learning helps residents with dementia at essex care home

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Montessori learning helps residents with dementia at Essex care home

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Article By: Richard Howard, News Editor The owners of Retirement Villages Ltd, who operate ten care homes located in the South of England and the Midlands, claim to have achieved positive results from incorporating the Montessori method of learning into one of their care homes.

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Purposeful activities for dementia: Alzheimer's Australia VIC

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This video is a professional development and education resource developed for aged care and dementia care staff and carers as part of a project that recently piloted the Montessori approach in two planned aged care activity groups in Melbourne.

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Montessori - An Aid for Rehabilitation in Dementia

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Montessori in Aged Care - Changing Lives 2

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Montessori in Aged Care - Changing Lives 1

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Slowing Down: Interacting with a Person with Alzheimer's

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This short presentation by Cameron J. Camp, Ph.D. discusses effective communication with persons with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders

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A Different Visit: Montessori-Based Activities for People with Alzheimer's / Dementia

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This is an 8-minute presentation by Dr. Cameron Camp of the Center for Applied Research in Dementia created to help families and friends have purposeful and rewarding visits with loved ones who have memory loss due to Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia.

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Montessori-Based Reading Roundtable® for Persons with Dementia

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Cognitive Dementia & Alzheimer's Training and Rehabilitation | Learn to Cope with Dementia | Center For Applied Research In Dementia - Solon, OH

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Many of us are familiar with the term Montessori as it applies to education but only a few of us in Australia are familiar with the application of Montessori methods for Dementia.

As an innovative method of working with older adults living with cognitive and/or physical impairments, Montessori has the potential to change the lives of people in residential care and enhance the lives of people in their own homes. Montessori for Dementia is based on the educational philosophies of famed childhood educator Dr. Maria Montessori. Her philosophy and principles were discovered to be effectively adapted to dementia care.

Research has provided clear evidence of decreases in responsive behaviours and increased levels of engagement and participation in activities when Montessori approaches are implemented.

Montessori for Dementia provides the framework for realising the vision of independence, high self-esteem and a promising future for people living with dementia. Montessori for Dementia Australia is closely linked with DementiAbility in Canada and a member of International Montessori for Elders. Montessori for Dementia and DementiAbility Enterprises Inc. both provide Montessori methods training and work together to change the world of people living with dementia.

Montessori for Dementia is a model of care, a new way to deliver care which requires us to change all we thought we knew about dementia and providing care for people living with dementia. Montessori for dementia focus's on supporting both the person and the environment which is adapted to support memory loss and independence. We are unable to change the terrible effects of dementia but by embracing Montessori principles and implementing environmental adaption's (including meaningful activities, roles and environmental cueing) we can circumvent the dementia. The result is that people living with dementia are able to make meaningful contributions to their community, engage in meaningful activities in addition to having the opportunity to maintain, and even restore function. The approach is flexible, innovative and grounded in research.

A past student's comments ... " Just a little feedback to some changes we have made immediately. Signs on the walls have already been put up, within 5 minutes residents were sitting reading the magazines and books, it's truly amazing!!

One of our residents has been helping with some chores today, I have taken photos of her beaming smile. Every time I see her she comments - don't forget dear anytime you need help just ask, I love helping. These few change has already made a difference. Thank you so much for your inspiration".

Thelma's Story

After completing the two day Montessori for Dementia workshop Pamela Aldridge was able to apply the Montessori principles and change the life of Thelma, a lady with dementia living with her daughter. In this short clip, Pamela and Cheryl , Thelma's daughter talk about their Montessori journey.

Katie's Story

Katie is a nurse. She reluctantly went to Montessori training but soon realized that her 'nursing' life was about to change for ever. Everything she had ever known about caring for people living with dementia was about to be challenged. This is her story.

The links below take you to two Montessori videos that show how changing the face of aged care is possible, one step at a time.

Short Version - approx. 8 minutes

Long Version - approx. 21 minutes

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Many of us are familiar with the term Montessori as it applies to education but only a few of us in Australia are familiar with the application of Montessori methods for Dementia.