Moorings Park® announced it will be holding the third installment of its four-part memory care Educational Lecture series presented by Catherine Cruikshank, Director of Education for the Alzheimer’s Association, Florida Gulf Coast Chapter, on Tuesday, October 27th. Entitled An Afternoon to Remember, the lecture is open to the general public and will be held at 2:00 p.m. in Moorings Park’s Center for Healthy Living Sheffield Theatre at 132 Moorings Park Drive just south of Pine Ridge Road off Goodlette-Frank Road in North Naples. Deserts and refreshments will be served. Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP by calling 239.643.9111 no later than October 22.
The lecture series is designed to provide individuals with early signs of memory loss, family caregivers, and loved ones with valuable information about dementia. The lecture on October 27th is entitled “Caring for Yourself So You Can Be a Better Caregiver.” Cruikshank will explain how caregivers can recognize their emotional and physical limits and how caregiver reactions can affect outcomes in an unsafe way. To help caregivers reduce stress, she will describe how they can prioritize their “to do” lists, to recognize when more help is needed in the home, and when to consider placement. As currently planned, the remaining lecture on November 24th will address Holiday Visits and Travel Tips.
Catherine Cruikshank has a MA in Geriatric Administration with a dissertation on Elder Abuse and Neglect. Her Doctoral studies in Gerontology focus on Alzheimer’s disease with an interest in behaviors and family dynamics. For more than a decade, she has committed herself to a psycho-sociological approach when working with individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. In addition to her research and program developments, she has authored a training manual for understanding and reacting to challenging behaviors which has been used by facilities across the nation. Cruikshank joined the Alzheimer’s Association, Florida Gulf Coast Chapter in August 2004 as a Program Specialist for Lee and Collier Counties. She became Regional Program director in January 2006 and has been Director of Education since June, 2009.
Moorings Park opened a 16 suite Memory Care Center within Orchid Terrace earlier this year. Life Care residents at Moorings Park are eligible to receive memory care assistance at Orchid Terrace as part of their monthly fees while individuals from the greater-Naples area can receive services on an all-inclusive month-to-month private pay basis with no entrance fees. The Memory Care Center was purposely designed to provide a life-affirming and comfortable home that addresses the needs of those with memory loss or who are in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease or some other form of dementia. Residents of the Memory Care Center receive Moorings Park’s award winning continuum of care that includes social, intellectual, spiritual, and recreational activities and events using the Best Friends approach that emphasizes relationships, communication and activities to help the person with dementia feel safe, secure and valued. In keeping with its tradition of excellence and commitment to pioneering the newest, most advanced methods of care available, Moorings Park is the first retirement community in Florida to bring the internationally recognized Best Friends approach to its memory support programs campus wide.
The Memory Care Center suites at Orchid Terrace present a personalized, home-like setting using a variety of designs and décor to stimulate conversation and connections, including the innovative use of Life Storyboards and personalized photo galleries presented on iPads. Outdoor gardens, patios, and lanais foster a sense of independence in a secured setting.
Sacramento-based David Troxel serves as Moorings Park’s dementia support consultant. Troxel is a national leader in the field of memory support and has co-authored five books in the field, most notably The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer’s Care. Moorings Park is the first organization in Florida to formally license Best Friends and members of the Moorings Park team have been trained as Best Friends master trainers. The Best Friends approach believes that what a person with dementia needs is a “Best Friend” who is empathetic, supportive, loving, works at communication, and is engaged in creative activities in a way that fosters a relationship of friends “doing things” together. Troxel regularly visits the Moorings Park campus, is in regular communication with the Moorings Park team, and is available to staff and family members for consultation any time.
Integrating the Best Friends approach in its continuum of memory support is the most recent example of Moorings Park’s commitment to staying abreast of the latest research and findings in the fields of gerontology and memory support and putting those findings into practice. The Memory Care Center engages residents in meaningful activity programs designed to stimulate cognitive function while addressing individual needs. These family centered programs have been designed to enhance interaction and participation. Individualized care plans incorporate the resident’s life story in a way that allow each resident to feel “known.” Loved ones and personal care givers benefit from knowing the resident is being treated with respect, dignity, understanding, and individual recognition.
In keeping with research that indicates regular exercise can actually slow the atrophy or shrinking of the brain in persons with Alzheimer’s while building strength, fighting depression, and providing an opportunity for fun, residents of the Memory Care Center exercise daily. They also do regular “brain aerobics” to stimulate the brain. A full calendar of social, recreational, and spiritual activities includes music therapy and chaplaincy service.
A dining allowance affords residents of the Memory Care Center flexible meal choices. Nutritional guidance is provided to those with special dietary needs. A companion to escort residents to meals and activities is provided, including destination-oriented locations. Every aspect of daily living has been considered and is addressed. Utilities, including electricity, water, telephone, and basic cable service; daily bed making and trash removal; assistance with personal care; weekly housekeeping and flat laundry service; building and appliance service and maintenance; on-campus tram service and regularly scheduled local transportation; and the delivery of newspapers, monthly menus and activity calendars are all be provided.
