Montessori Comes to Dementia Care - at - Menorah Park Center for Senior Living

Nursing Homes, August, 2001 by Laura Bruck

"Ultimately," says Dr. Camp, "we hope to put these methods into the hands of everyone who comes into contact with our residents with dementia, and to expand the Montessori approach into all activities of daily living."

Outcomes and Rewards

"Already, we've observed an increase in constructive engagement; residents are actively involved with their environment and their attention is focused," says Dr. Camp. "There has been a palpable increase in pleasure and other positive emotional states and a corresponding decrease in negative emotional states and passive observation." Data are now being gathered on some more objective parameters, such as those related to functional levels in ADLs.

"We have yet to see the upper boundary of dementia care," says Dr. Camp, who notes that some Menorah Park residents are regaining, or at least maintaining, their cognitive capabilities. "Persons with advanced dementia aren't 'supposed' to be able to sort cities by geographic location, as they are doing here. But the proper guidance and the willingness to focus on a resident's strengths can paint a very different picture of a person's capabilities, especially when their time is spent being challenged and stimulated."

(*.) Resource Available

Montessori-Based Activities for Persons with Dementia, a manual developed by Dr. Camp, is in use nationally and available through Amazon.com.