clinical focus
Tamar Krebs sees the positive impact group home living makes for residents . Picture : Supplied .
A fulfilling life
Dementia care revolution : Tamar Krebs ’ rementia approach
By Arshmah Jamal
Tamar Krebs has been revolutionising how people view dementia through her work at Group Homes Australia ( GHA ) by reviving the idea of ‘ rementia ’.
Rementia is a Latin term meaning ‘ to return to the mind ’.
Ms Krebs , the founder and executive director of GHA , uses this idea in her newly launched five-day Rementia Together Retreat at GHA .
The program aims to “ help people live well with dementia by giving them and their chosen partners the skills and knowledge they need to live a fulfilling life ”.
“ People with dementia don ’ t need to be locked away or cut off from society ,” Ms Krebs told Aged Care Insite .
“ We need to reframe the conversation and stop thinking about what people cannot do with dementia and start thinking about what they can do and what gives them purpose , meaning , and relevance .”
“ We need to stop using the language ‘ suffering with ’ and start saying ‘ living well with .’”
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We need to stop using the language ‘ suffering with ’ and start saying ‘ living well with
GHA runs group homes with six to 10 residents and around-the-clock care . They function more like regular homes , with no set meal or visiting times , and with a focus on residents ’ abilities .
Seventy per cent of aged-care residents live with moderate to severe cognitive impairments , including dementia .
More than 400,000 Australians live with dementia , with that number estimated to jump to 900,000 in the next 25 years .
Ms Krebs said GHA ’ s Rementia Together Retreat is different from other Australian short-stay programs as it is framed as a ‘ retreat ’ rather than a ‘ respite ’.
“[ The program ] is designed to equip people living with dementia and their support partner with the emotional , psychological , and practical skills to live a fulfilling , empowered life post-diagnosis .”
During the retreats , leaders explore what will bring individuals closer to their own sense of self and , consequently , rementia .
The retreat is also made to have community integration at its forefront , with people living in “ real homes ”.
In early September , the Department of Health and Aged Care released its final draft report on the design principles and guidelines for renovating or building aged care facilities .
One of the three principles in the report was to ‘ cultivate a home ’.
“ For people moving into care , they don ’ t move into a ward , but into another home to live in during this next chapter of their life ,” Ms Krebs said .
“ When they walk through the door , they smell baking or cooking . The homemakers are more than caretakers ; they are friends to many residents , and in time , they become family .”
Nicole Duncan ’ s mother is a current resident at GHA and lives with dementia . However , before settling at GHA , Ms Duncan said the search to find a home was stressful . “ I looked at 48 other homes ,” Ms Duncan said .
“ If you knew how much research I did to find the right option for my mother … finding Tamar and GHA – it was like finding a gold nugget .” “ I can now see [ my mother ] and spend time with her , knowing how well she is looked after in between my visits … this is a model of care that Australia needs .” ■ agedcareinsite . com . au 17