The Hearthstone
Alzheimer Care
Life Quality Program
The award-winning Life Quality program was Hearthstone's
original innovation. The Life Quality program provides research-based
treatment for dementia in a completely residential assisted-living setting.
When Hearthstone's first Life Quality Residential Program opened in
1993 it was one of the first to renounce the nursing home model of care,
while taking seriously the unique treatment needs of those with mid-stage
Alzheimer's disease.
The Life Quality Program uses environmental
design, specially trained staff, and a well-structured program of meaningful
activities to promote well being and reduce symptoms common to mid-stage
dementia.
Defining "Mid-Stage"
Many people go through similar changes as their brain is damaged by
Alzheimer's or one of the related diseases. A person who might be considered
to be in the middle stage, and thus appropriate for the Life-Quality
Treatment Program, would typically have the following characteristics:
- Able to walk by himself or herself, unless other medical conditions
cause a mobility problem
- Able to eat independently, though may have difficulty cutting
meat or dealing with utensils or new foods
- Is usually incontinent, at first just at night, but increasingly
during the day as well unless well supported with reminders
- Can understand and speak, but has increasing difficulty with
word finding and may produce the same few familiar sentences.
- No longer able to carry on lengthy conversations
- Very poor short-term memory, nearly normal long-term memory,
though may have lapses in remembering names of family members and
other long-known information
- If not in a supportive treatment environment such as Hearthstone,
may experience agitation, "sundowning" and wandering behaviors
Characteristics of Treatment for People with Mid-Stage
Dementia
The Life Quality Program uses several treatment modalities
that improve function and reduce symptoms for this group of dementia-sufferers:
- A social setting that reinforces appropriate behavior
- Continuous monitoring and a secure environment to promote safety
- Structured, modified activities of daily living and meaningful
recreational activities to maintain maximum function
- Opportunities to interact with the wider community and religious
experiences to promote self-acceptance
- Naturally mapped environment to reduce confusion and increase
sense of competence
- Familiar, residential characteristics to strengthen the sense
of self
- Well-trained staff who maintain positive emotions and increased
cognitive function throughout the day
- Conscientious nursing oversight to reduce medical problems and
make sure each resident is complying with the optimal medication
regime
- Family support to enrich relations between residents and their
networks of family and friends
For more information about the Hearthstone Life Quality
Program, call us at 888-422-CARE (2273) or use the Contact
Us form.
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