The Dementia Experience Comes to the Garvin Center for Geriatric Psychiatry
Ayer, MA (PRWEB) December 24, 2015 -- The staff at the The Garvin Center for Geriatric Psychiatry at Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, MA recently participated in “Understanding Dementia in the Real World,” an interactive and experiential dementia awareness and communication training presented by both Concord Park Senior Living in Concord and Nashoba Park Assisted Living in Ayer.
This training program is part of the Dementia Friendly Communities Initiative in Massachusetts, a public education program created by Senior Living Residences, the management company for both Concord and Nashoba Park, in order to combat the social stigma and misconceptions that accompany dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and related cognitive impairments. Over the past two years, Dementia Friendly Communities has been spreading across Massachusetts with cities, towns, hospitals, first responders, physicians, nurses, community leaders, businesses, caregivers, and family members across the state opting to participate in the training in order to gain a better understanding of Dementia and its causes. The training includes SLR’s Dementia Experience, an intense, interactive training that uses sensory modifications to give participants certain physical and mental limitations and asks them to perform activities that highlight the danger in living alone with Alzheimer’s or dementia. The program uniquely explains how isolation, nutrition, and medication error can lead to unnecessary complications while also providing a visceral experience of what it would be like to have dementia.
"It's been a wonderful opportunity to work with the Garvin Center to bring this training to our greater community," said Maryellen King, Director of Community Relations at Concord Park, who also facilitated the training class along with Mary Baum, Program Director at Concord Park’s Compass Memory Support Neighborhood and Stephanie Burton, Executive Director at Nashoba Park. "We want to see more dementia-friendly communities, where individuals with Alzheimer's or dementia feel safe and can remain independent and active in their home towns for as long as possible. Building understanding and empathy in our communities is the first step."
Pamela Maloney, Senior Living Residences, http://www.seniorlivingresidences.com, +1 (508) 308-2736, [email protected]
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