Pathways of Promise

pathways

pathways

We take the health and well being of our residents very seriously, especially those suffering from dementia. Pathways of Promise is a person-centered, memory care program developed by a gerontologist, and informed by current research on best practices in dementia care.

Pathways of Promise values the identity and life path of each individual, shaped by past and present life experiences. Care plans honor identity with daily schedules and activities based on an individual’s typical roles and routines, and interests. Evidence-based programming, staff training, and environmental design support the identity and autonomy of each individual within a safe and enriching environment.

Program Components

Our memory care program for patients suffering from dementia aims to address the decline in memory recall, which is such a common symptom of this progressive disease. Cognitive stimulation therapy can help residents cope with their memory loss and improve the quality of their everyday lives.

With our Pathways of Promise program, each patient is given an Individualized assessment. We look at their individual skills and abilities, and personal history, which takes into account:

  • Past occupations
  • Daily routines and roles
  • Leisure interests
  • Favorite music, food, colors
  • Enjoyment of outdoors
  • Spirituality
  • Level of social preference

To help support the individual, we aim to create an optimized dining experience that includes adaptive strategies to promote proper nutrition in a relaxing, social environment with full staff participation.

The Orchard Room

The Orchard Room is a space where our memory care residents can enjoy relaxation and solitude. They can watch soothing nature videos with sounds, be surrounded by plants and try aromatherapy.

Self-Expression Experiences

Self-expression is an important part of health and wellness. We encourage our residents to have a go at singing, dancing, and experiment with the visual arts.

Youth-Sage Mentor Program

Our Youth-Sage Mentor program is a way of encouraging interaction between young and old. Both age groups can benefit enormously from this and we offer mentorship opportunities to college students, as well as weekly activities with preschool children.

Daily Well-Being

Naturally, we place huge importance on the daily well-being of our residents. Daily health & wellness activities include:

  • Stretching and flexibility exercises
  • Fall prevention exercises
  • Walking
  • 15 minutes of daily sunlight exposure (weather permitting)

Caregiving

Our residents are given plenty of opportunities to care for plants and pets. There are weekly visits by therapy pets, where residents can enjoy some therapeutic interaction with cats, dogs, and other friendly pets. Research has shown that pets provide companionship and reduce stress and anxiety in dementia patients. Our residents love their weekly therapy pet visits!

For more information about our Pathways of Promise program, contact the care team at American Orchards today.

References For Program Development

Black, K., & Hyer, K. (2010). Person-centered considerations in practice for persons with dementia and their caregivers across the continuum of care. Best Practice in Mental Health, 6(1), 33-46.

Donath, L., Dieën, J., & Faude, O. (2016). Exercise-based fall prevention in the elderly: What about agility? Sports Medicine, 46(2), 143-149 7p.

Edvardsson, D., & Innes, A. (2010). Measuring person-centered care: A critical comparative review of published tools. Gerontologist, 50(6), 834-846.

King, C. (2012). Managing agitated behaviour in older people. Nursing Older People, 24(7), 33-36 4p. Lloyd, B., & Stirling, C. (2015). A tool to support meaningful person-centered activity for clients with dementia – a delphi study. BMC Nursing, 14(1), 1-8.

Maslow, K. (2013). Person centered care for people with dementia: Opportunities and challenges. Generations, 37(3), 8-15.

Roberts, G., Morley, C., Walters, W., Malta, S., & Doyle, C. (2015). Caring for people with dementia in residential aged care: Successes with a composite person-centered care model featuring montessori-based activities. Geriatric Nursing, 36(2), 106-110 5p.

Tuppen, J. (2012). The benefits of groups that provide cognitive stimulation for people with dementia. Nursing Older People, 24(10), 20-24 5p.