Family and friends should be encouraged to be involved in residents’ meetings and committees and to join any support groups.
SummitCare also offers families and carers support and respite care so they can have a well-deserved break.
Baulkham Hills Registered Nurse Simi, works with residents living with dementia every day.
“We use a range of techniques to help lessen their anxiety that we call our Sunshine Program,” she says. “They can be a little fractious at times, but we know how to calm and divert them. We also manage what they eat and when, so they can sleep better, improve their bowel and bladder function, and communicate more effectively.
“We also use the Better Visit app, by Dementia Australia, which helps via two-player games to enhance connection and facilitate positive social interaction for the resident and their visitors.”
At other SummitCare homes, Nyora the Robotic Dog helps with social isolation and companionship. Baby dolls quieten and bring out the nurturing side of residents and the Drawing Memories program at Wallsend is a sensory-based reminiscence therapy that combines images and objects to trigger memories and inspire art-making. The drawing activities involve problem-solving and decision-making and can be both cognitively stimulating and relaxing at the same time.
SummitCare has a longstanding professional relationship with the peak body, Dementia Australia, in developing homes and programs that offer real and beneficial assistance.
“We share Dementia Australia’s belief that those with dementia should be valued, supported and respected,” says SummitCare Wallsend General Manager of Care and Wellbeing – Louise Hunt . “We focus on the wellbeing of every individual so we can ensure services are delivered to promote the wellbeing for people with dementia.
“The practical help we offer through our SummitCare Homes is focused on dignity and care for all our residents and families. The support we provide is profound and you can see the difference in the quality of our care.
“Personalised, professional care, like ours, has been proven to increase the quality of life for our residents with dementia and we are very proud to be able to provide it.”
Find out more about SummitCare.
