Adviser Winter 2019-20 LeadingAge New York Adviser LeadingAge NewYork Winter 2019-20 | Page 32

Feature
At St. John’s Home, New Dementia
Program Focuses Less on Deficits and
More on Joy
W
e all know the crippling toll that
dementia can have on family
caregivers. “When families are taking care
of a loved one with dementia at home
and they bring them to a nursing home to
live, the thing they say the most to us is,
‘I just want her [or him] to be safe,’” says
Terri Abrams, RN/clinical coordinator at
St. John’s Home. “We are certainly aiming
higher than that.”
In November 2019, St. John’s launched a
new take on dementia-focused long-term
care that goes well beyond simply providing
a safe place for residents to exist. Beyond
Memory focuses on the idea that people
Beyond Memory focuses on the idea that people living with
dementia have the right to live a life filled with joy.
living with dementia have the right to live
a life filled with joy. This holistic approach
to caring for skilled nursing residents will
ensure the safety and security of residents
while also honoring their individual
histories and personal preferences for how
they live their lives.
another form of dementia. St. John’s saw a
66 percent decrease in the rate of high-risk
behaviors among residents with dementia
and a 45 percent increase in family
satisfaction.
“We have been working with the staff a
lot, particularly on their approach,” says
Mimi DeVinney, St. John’s dementia/quality
of life specialist. The implementation
of dementia-specific trainings began in
new employee orientation, as the high
rate of dementia throughout most senior
communities means that every employee
in every department will interact with
residents with dementia at some point. “We
try to catch new people as they come in
and provide training, but we also work with
our clinical staff as challenges arise,” adds
DeVinney. Thus, additional coaching and
brainstorming help employees develop a
different, more successful approach to care.
Beyond Memory is the
logical next step for
St. John’s following the
completion of the Dementia
Quality of Life program, a
three-year, multipronged
intervention funded through
the Greater Rochester
Health Foundation. The
grant program resulted
in impressive advances in
the care and support of
the nearly 80 percent of St.
John’s residents who live
with Alzheimer’s disease or
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Adviser a publication of LeadingAge New York | Winter 2019-20
(See At St. John’s Home on page 32)