By
Susan Marden
Features Editor
Treatment Techniques and Outreach for Families
"I'm on a mission to change the way people define the term
treatment whan applied to Alzheimer's disease," stated John Zeisel,
Ph.D., President of Hearthstone Alzheimer's Care, Ltd. in Lexington
(www.thehearth.org). "Treatment for Alzheimer's must be broader
than just medication. It includes appropriate environment and care
approaches as well," he emphasized.
Hearthstone operates seven assisteliving residences for people with
Alzheimer's, five of which are in Massachusetts, and there are five
more facilities currently in various stages of development. Hearthstone
is a privately held company started eight years ago by Zeisel and
his partner Joan Hyde, PhD.
Zeisel's beliefs about AD treatment are reflective of a growing trend
in Alzheimer's care to approach the disease from a more compassionate,
less medicated behavioral management angle. With all we now know about
AD, treatment specialists are excited about the reduction of aggression,
agitation, social withdrawal, and wandering they have started to get
front behavioral management techniques, which is just one more important
message to get out into the world.
Zeisel explained, "Although a sociologist, I taught architecture at
Harvard for ten years, and Joan is a psychologist, so we came at this
through an expertise in both disease and design." He believes Hearthstone
facilities are an example of what can be done for Alzheimer's patients
when all of what we now know about the disease is incorporated into
their care.
"We're not interested in merely housing people. Our mission is to
create a residential environment in which people with the disease
and their families can flourish," he said.
Family support
Perhaps the most important aspect of all the outreach efforts
regarding Alzheimer's is the focus on family and caregiver. Without
exception, the healthcare professionals and researchers interviewed
here emphasized the importance of support for those caring for Alzheimer's
patients. |
"This is a disease that affects everyone in the family, and every
caregiver, in an adverse way," said Emerson Lombardo.
"(Help for families) has a direct impact on the course of the illness.
It has a clear impact," said Rosenberg.
"Many caregivers are too busy trying to work and care for a loved
one with Alzheimer's to go looking for training," cautioned Zeisel.
At the Massachusetts Alzheimer's Association, Crews said the organization
has extended its commitment to Spanish-speaking communities by creating
one of the first Spanish-speaking support groups in Boston.
The NIA's six-site research study includes a Focus on family programs.
Hearthstone Alzheimer Care has established a family outreach pilot
program initiated in its Marlboro residence, and founded by Janet
Pozen, whose mother is a resident with Alzheimer's.
"We wouldn't call this a support group, exactly," said Pozen, who
is last year's recipient of the Assisted Living Federation of America's
Hero Award as the best volunteer in the nation. Pozen is the person
responsible for setting up Hearthstone's company-wide family network
and its related programs.
"We have a monthly meeting at each residence, not a counseling
meeting, but a meeting that any family member or friend can attend
as often or as infrequently as they like. We address topics like art
therapy, environmental design, therapeutic gardens, as well as having
Hearthstone professionals who address such issues as how to cope with
daily care," she said.
"We have been working with the family network for two years. We started
with just four family members, and now we have an average of 40 who
may attend an event or meeting at Marlboro. We learn from each other.
We are serious about learning about this disease. When an Alzheimer's
patient's verbal skills decline to a point, for example, we look for
new ways to reach them," she said, "and we are not willing to accept
that this is simply the way it is for Alzheimer's patients."
Pozen' s efforts have been expanded to all the Hearthstone facilities
and will be institutionalized in new residences, in keeping with the
non-pharmacological approach advocated by John Zeisel. In fact, networking
family members has become just one more effective way to cope with
the disease, and is being implemented by others as well. |
