It is important for professionals and family members to have the ability to effectively communicate with people living with dementia. Helping a person with a progressive brain disease to remain as independent as possible allows them to live with dignity. Engaging them in activities and modifying their environment to reduce stress are just two techniques to assist them in continuing to live independently and honorably.

Alyx Lennon and Jennifer Jameson, both Aging Life Care Advisor™/ Care Management team members, work with people living with a memory impairment and their families. Having been Care Managers for several years, they know the importance of continuing to educate oneself on techniques, strategies, and resources for dementia clients. To that end, both Alyx and Jennifer have done the work to become Certified Dementia Care Partners (CDCP), a program which is overseen by Inspired Memory Care. Completing the Certified Dementia Care Partners training is an accomplishment both encouraged and supported by Springpoint at Home.

There are several courses available for dementia care, such as the Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) training. Held in a single day, CDP focuses on understanding the disease and is based on a main presentation and accompanying material. The Certified Dementia Care Partners program requires three full days of training, with a focus on practical skills to help the clinician gain a mastery of techniques and strategies to make them successful when interacting with a person with dementia.

Training staff with educational programs like the Certified Dementia Care Partners ensures that our Aging Life Care Advisor™/ Care Management team has the breadth and depth to guide clients more effectively on their dementia journey.

Alyx’s Experience

I am always looking for new information and for ways to learn more about the diseases of my clients. My work with people living with a progressive brain disease has shown me how important it is to find ways to better interact with them and gain more understanding of how to approach them.

When I heard about the Certified Dementia Care Partners training from Inspired Memory Care, I knew this would add another layer of expertise that would allow me to help my clients and their families navigate their dementia journey.

I was fascinated by how much the environment affects people with dementia. For example, certain floor patterns may scare them; a dark rug can look like a hole in the ground. There are even things you can do to keep someone from wandering, like painting a door to the outside to look like a bookshelf. All of these techniques are helpful, but we want to understand why the person wanders. Are they bored, in pain or looking for someone? When you understand why certain behaviors occur, you can find ways to stop or modify the behaviors.

Jennifer’s Experience

My first job as a social worker was at a nursing home and I mainly worked with many people with Alzheimer’s. This is where my interest in people living with a progressive brain disease started. During my 30-year career, I have always looked for interesting and well-run training programs. When I heard about the Certified Dementia Care Partners, it was a natural next step in my journey as a Care Manager.

The three sessions were amazing. They shed light on how to handle certain situations and offered suggestions for protocol that has changed since I started 30 years ago. They gave us ideas for how to handle a variety of situations. They reinforced dementia as a category of symptoms for a variety of diseases and because of that, every situation is unique. Add to that how each person is unique and being able to think outside the box is important. If we want to help our clients have the best quality of life, then don’t automatically discount an idea as crazy. If someone loves music, then maybe taking them to a concert is doable. What a gift that is to the client and their family.

We would love to share our knowledge and expertise with you. For more information on how Springpoint at Home can help, call 844-724-1777.