Page 23 - Healthcare News Mar/Apr 2021

YMCA OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD TRY THE Y!
BRING IN THIS AD FOR A FRE
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DOWNTOWN SPRINGFIELD YMCA
• New cardio and strength equipment • Attractive, open environment
• New locker rooms
• Steam and sauna rooms
• Group exercise classes including
Cycling, Yoga, Zumba®, Step classes and more!
• Lunch break classes (30 minutes) • Parking included
TOWER SQUARE
1500 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01115 P: 413.739.6951
SCANTIC VALLEY YMCA
• Wellness Center with cardio and strength equipment
• Lap pool and warm water pool
• Gymnasium
• Steam and sauna rooms
• Child Watch and Club House services • Group exercise classes including
Pound®, Yoga, cycling and more!
45 Post Office Park, Wilbraham, MA 01095 P: 413.596.2749
Offer valid for new members only. Financial aid available for those who qualify.
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MARCH/APRIL 2021 WWW.HEALTHCARENEWS.COM 23
MEMORY CARE CONT’D
Safe Spaces
apartments are modeled after a typical home with an open floor plan, while residents also have access to a secure outdoor courtyard so they can garden, see visi- tors, or take part in other activities. The staff ratio is higher than traditional assisted living, and they have all been trained in specialized dementia care.
When COVID-19 hit last year, families could no longer make in-person visits to residents in LEP.
After a snowfall, activity aides made a snowman and brought it inside for residents to decorate.
call recent events, they still have a sense of the quality of life they desire.
Or, as she put it, “although they may no longer be able to dance, they still enjoy the music.”
Kimball Farms social worker Jackie
Trippico leads what is known as Remi-
nisce Group. This weekly activity begins with staff presenting a specific topic and asking residents to recall a significant memory related to that theme. Cornwell said one popular reminiscence involved talking about a trip to an ice-cream parlor.
Providing comfortable spaces is also part of the program. Kimball Farms’ memory-care neighbor- hood is a secure, self-contained community. Private
as possible.
“We place no expectations on them, but encourage
them to be the best person they can be,” she said. “We celebrate the good days, bolster self-esteem, and we treat them with the utmost dignity and respect.”
As research on dementia has evolved, careg“
ivers have increased their understanding on
how to manage the condition. Embrac-
ing the skills that remain for those with
dementia can encourage feelings of
acceptance and personal success. That’s residents and their families important, Cornwell said, because, even
We are so grateful to our because they worked with us to
to stay engaged and informed, while at the same time keeping everyone healthy.”
Cornwell said the activities professionals and nurs- ing team quickly adapted to using tablets to arrange virtual visits or phone calls so families could stay informed on the care and well-being of their loved ones. Celebrating special occasions simply became virtual events.
Please see Kimball Farms, page 26
though the disease can have an effect on
a person’s ability to communicate or re- find creative and innovative ways