TBH’s Dr. Green recently joined Abbie Ritchie of Senior Living Foresight’s Tech Tuesday to talk about how TBH is adapting our programs for tech delivery and many other brain buzzing topics.

Click to watch.

The post Tech Tuesday with Abbie Ritchie: What You Can Do Today To Strengthen Your Residents Memory!  appeared first on Total Brain Health Toolkits.

BY CYNTHIA R. GREEN, PH.D.

We all need to sleep. Yet sometimes it can seem impossible to get a good night’s rest. A lack of zzz’s takes a toll on our thinking and wellbeing, especially as we grow older. The good news? There are evidence-backed, practical ways we can improve our sleep at every age.

Why is sleep so important?

While researchers cannot pinpoint the exact way sleep works, they all agree that sleep is critical to healthy functioning. Adequate rest supports our wellbeing, allowing our bodies the opportunity to repair cellular damage, remove toxins, and maintain good physical condition. In addition, sleep supports our immune system, lowering our risk for infection and disease, and can reduces our risk for injury. Finally, scientists believe sleep may play a critical role in healthy brain function, providing a time for neural growth that support ongoing neuroplasticity.

Sleep helps us remember better.

Sleep also matters to our memory. Research shows that getting adequate rest is key to maintaining attention, thinking fast, and other cognitive skills that help us function smoothly and support learning. In addition, it is during sleep that we consolidate material learned during the day and create pathways to new memory for that information. This suggests that if we want to stay sharp and remember what we learn – from directions to names! – we need good sleep.

Sleep can make us better friends.

Lastly, sleep can make us better company. When we are sleeping well, we have better social skills. We can listen more actively and accurately, and we have better verbal functions, making conversations easier. And sleep can help us to be a better companion, shoring up our ability to judge when it’s our turn to talk versus someone else’s or what is appropriate – or not – to do.

It can be harder to get enough sleep as we age.

Many of us are unaware that our sleep patterns can naturally change with age, making it harder to get a good night’s rest. First, our circadian rhythm, the hormonal “cascade” that determines our sleep/wake cycle, can shift, so that we go to bed and awake earlier than when we were younger. We also tend to spend more time in light sleep, making us more vulnerable to disruptions from our environment. Age-related physiological changes, medications and poor personal sleep can make sleep challenging as well.

3 easy changes to help you sleep more.

While age-related changes can make it harder to get our zzz’s, the good news is there are things we can do to improve our sleep. Here are some surefire, practical tips everyone can try to boost their chances of sleeping more.

#1 Improve Your Sleep Efficiency. According to therapists specializing in insomnia, limiting our time in bed to match our actual sleep window is a powerful way we can train ourselves to sleep better. To improve your sleep efficiency, first find your sleep window by keeping track of when you fall asleep and wake up over several days. Next, use that sleep window as a guide for the time you are in bed. Stay out of bed until you are truly ready to fall asleep, then get right out of bed when you awake in the morning. Compressing your time in bed to match your sleep cycle can significantly improve your chances of falling and staying asleep through the night.

#2 See the Light. We can also improve their sleep is by exposing ourselves to natural light during the daytime. The neural pathways located in our hypothalamus that control circadian rhythm are triggered by light. Experts such as Stanford’s Dr. Andrew Huberman teach that at least 10 minutes of exposure to natural light at the beginning and then again at the end of the day can help us reset our circadian rhythm and improve our chances of getting a full night’s sleep.

#3 Act Like a Baby. Anyone who has ever put a child to bed knows that routine matters. Yet often as adults we stray from good bedtime habits. Research shows that practicing a regular bedtime routine can be a highly effective way to promote better rest. Take the time to reassess your nightly ritual and put a healthier program into practice. Include a regular bedtime, a soothing activity such as reading, soft music, breathing relaxation, or a warm bath, and keeping your bedroom cool and dark. Consider banning use of electronics, including your phone, for at least 30 minutes before bedtime, as studies have shown that these devices emit blue light that can be disruptive to sleep. Once you set your routine, be sure to stick with it!

Here’s to many beautiful dreams and happy memories!

President and founder of Total Brain Health, Cynthia R. Green, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist, author and nationally recognized expert on memory fitness and brain health.

Body Brain Fitness Diet Emotional Wellbeing Exercise Intellectual Activities Intellectual Health Lifestyle Medications Memory Loss Memory Strategies Mental Health Physical Health Self-Confidence Senior Living Social Engagement Spirit Thinking Skills Training

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THE “GREAT SUMMER BRAIN BUILD”

3 EASY STEPS FOR KEEPING YOUR COMMUNITY ENGAGED AND CHALLENGED THIS SUMMER

Summer is near, along with its eternal promise of fun days in the sun and some well-deserved down time. Isn’t it funny that, no matter how old we get, we shift into “summer mode” when the weather warms? You’d almost think we were getting out of school!

Chances are your community calendar slows down for the summer as well. Perhaps you have learned to schedule less as residents or members take advantage of the warmer weather to travel, or you are adjusting to accommodate staff vacations. Or maybe you have just gotten used to lightening the load as June approaches.

You know what doesn’t slow down for the summer? Our brains! We continue to need stimulation, challenge, and connection to keep our thinking sharp, stay social, and help our minds thrive – no matter the date on the calendar. And while no one wants summer assignments (always dreaded in my household!), simply downgrading the chances everyone has to engage can lead to brain drain.

Here’s an idea – host a “Great Summer Brain Build” instead!

This year, why not flip the script and challenge everyone to spend the summer having fun while building better cognitive fitness? A “Great Summer Brain Build” is the perfect way to keep everyone brain healthy while still taking a bit of a scheduling break. You can give folks the tools they need to stay sharp and vital, no matter where they go over the summer months. And you can support their ability to achieve their own personal brain training goals while building affiliation and happiness with all you have to offer – the very essence of person-centric wellness (and key to retention).

Ready to get started? Here are 3 simple steps to offering a “Great Summer Brain Build” in your community.

1.Think outside the boxes on your calendar. Find new, creative ways everyone can use that can be done independently, are portable and require less time. No need to overload the summer schedule! Try express “pop up” workouts that build specific thinking skills, like attention or speedy thinking. Or offer single session virtual classes to master memory for a specific concern, such as names. Ask folks to pick a brain-related wellness pursuit and commit to doing it for their “build” goals. You can even add a community-wide challenge with daily workouts folks do on their own for “points” they earn over the summer.

2. Keep everyone connected. Drive motivation and affiliation by keeping everyone connected to each other and your “home base,” no matter where the summer takes them. Instead of content-driven classes, host drop-in sessions that allow anyone participating in your “Great Summer Brain Build” the chance to check in for support and comradery when they are around. Keep everyone connected through social media with a dedicated group folks can join to share their brain-boosting adventures, ideas, articles and more. Encourage folks to find a “partner in crime” for the brain build – not only are they more likely to meet their training goals in the company of another, they are also more likely to be happier while doing it!

3. Schedule a time to celebrate success. One thing you should definitely put on the calendar? A time to bring everyone together to celebrate the success of your “Great Summer Brain Build.” Let everyone know well in advance when the program will end so they can plan to complete their target goals accordingly. A celebration gives closure to your program and allows folks to applaud their and each other’s achievements. And it’s perfect not only as a wrap-up event, but also a great time to kick off your fall brain training offerings!

The post The “Great Summer Brain Build” 3 Easy Steps for Keeping Your Community Engaged and Challenged This Summer appeared first on Total Brain Health Toolkits.

To 100 and Beyond! 3 Key Lessons We Can Learn From “Cognitive Super-Agers”

When my grandmother turned 100, I had the chance to ask how she’d stayed so sharp, independent, and vibrant into her later years. Without missing a beat, she told me she thought it was always having a daily exercise routine, keeping your mind active, and not allowing emotional things to “fester.

It turns out my grandmother was spot on (she usually was!). Research has long demonstrated how central good health habits are to continued vitality. Now a study out of the Netherlands underscores exactly how critical staying active is to a life that is not only long but cognitively strong. Using data from the Amsterdam 100+ Study of centenarians, researchers followed 330 cognitively healthy 100+-year-old subjects for up to 4 years. Participants averaged 1.6 years of follow-up (not surprisingly given their age) with annual assessments including extensive cognitive testing. Results showed that the participants had relatively stable cognitive health over the 4-year study, with no meaningful change in their performance across multiple domains, and only a small decline in memory. In addition, while some subjects showed neuropathological changes typically associated with Alzheimer’s dementia at autopsy, they did not drive any cognitive worsening during the subjects’ lifetimes. Given that the expected incidence risk of developing dementia at this age hovers around 60% this study suggests these “cognitive super-agers” may have some resilience to dementia. 

What can “cognitive super-agers” teach us? And what can we learn to help us deliver healthy living experiences to ensure everyone has their best shot at staying cognitively vital and independent to 100 and beyond? Here are 3 lessons we can take away:

Lesson 1. Get physical. Not surprisingly, researchers found that good physical health was a significant buffer against cognitive decline. Being physically well and having healthy or corrected hearing and vision were all significantly linked to continued cognitive well-being in this group. This is of course consistent with what we have known for a while – good health habits such as regular physical activity, eating a brain-healthy diet and proactive medical care are essential ingredients for staying sharp.

Lesson 2. Get thinking. The study showed that “cognitive super-agers” had higher levels of cognitive reserve as estimated by the frequency of their cognitive activity, educational background, and estimated premorbid IQ. This suggests that being intellectually engaged over our lifetimes, including current experiences, may provide resilience against dementia. This is consistent with the science to date on cognitive engagement and is a reminder of why meaningful intellectual and creative pursuits matter regardless of age.

Lesson 3. Stay independent. Interestingly, the study found that living independently was associated with preserved cognitive ability. A whopping 56.7% of the centenarians in the study lived on their own, while the remainder lived in a “care home” (equivalent to assisted living or higher levels of care). This rather unique finding raises the question as to the benefits living independently may have to cognition. Perhaps managing on one’s own offers continuous opportunities to “work out” thinking skills such as attention, memory, and problem-solving. It is interesting to think about how we can foster more independence and personal agency for those in congregate housing, so they may also benefit from the cognitive stimulation taking care of oneself offers. 

Want to know more? Read the research article published this January here, or enjoy Jane Brody’s excellent New York Times article about the findings and its implications for understanding cognitive aging.

The post To 100 and Beyond! 3 Key Lessons We Can Learn From “Cognitive Super-Agers” appeared first on Total Brain Health Toolkits.

Mental Well-Being And Brain Health | 4 Things Every Professional Should Know

No doubt you agree that mental well-being is an essential part of overall health. But did you know that it is vital to brain health as well? 

At Total Brain Health, our methodology for building better brainpower has always listed emotional balance as one of the three wellness interventions on the “Spirit” pillar of brain health. As we work to support COVID recovery in our communities, the role mental well-being plays in optimal brain vitality is even more essential – and it is information every active aging professional should know.

Here are 4 reasons why mental well-being is mission-critical to the work we do together: 

Mental well-being boosts everyday thinking skills. Forgetting is frustrating and even upsetting. Yet rarely do we connect our emotional state to trouble keeping track of our things or spacing out on a conversation. We should! Decades of research confirm that anxiety, stress, and depression take a big toll on our ability to remember. Learning ways to maintain emotional balance can directly support important everyday thinking skills such as attention, memory, and other important everyday thinking skills. Here’s one example – there is strong evidence that mindfulness practices such as controlled breathing or meditation significantly boost several cognitive abilities, including attention, memory, and problem-solving. Teaching the critical connection between mental well-being and everyday thinking and providing pathways for emotional self-care should be a top priority of every cognitive fitness program. 

Mental well-being supports cognitive vitality. Staying intellectually active has been proven to reduce dementia risk by as much as 63%. In addition, pursuing our passions or developing new creative interests boosts our chances to work out our cognitive skills and to socialize. Emotional distress decreases the likelihood we will keep stretching our minds. When we are anxious or blue, we may have a harder time getting to a class, making a trip, or going out with friends. Missing such opportunities robs us of this essential ingredient for continued cognitive health, potentially sharpening our risk for decline. Finding ways to support mental well-being can help ensure everyone in your community can robustly engage in intellectual and creative pursuits.  

Mental well-being is needed for cognitive recovery. While the lockdowns and isolation strategies were essential to containing viral spread during the COVID-19 pandemic, reports show what we feared would happen, especially for those at greatest risk: Rates of frailty, cognitive decline, and emotional distress shot up. Given the proven links between wellness and cognitive health, all this puts everyone’s current and even future brain fitness at risk. What can you do? Make sure opportunities to build better emotional balance are part of your COVID-19 recovery plan. Look for ways community members can reflect on their experience, gain insight, and grow resilience. Doing so will provide everyone with ways to not only recoup better brain health but also improve overall well-being across body, mind, and spirit.

Mental well-being is critical to optimal aging. Optimal aging reflects our strong desire to stay healthy across body, mind, and spirit, so it may not be surprising that mental well-being is part of healthy aging. However, you may not have considered that psychological growth is also key to aging well. Experts have long recognized that in fact we never stop developing, with every stage of life bringing unique new ways we are asked to change. In later life, these challenges include accepting our older self, re-evaluating our roles and connections, recognizing our personal contributions, and considering our legacy. Failing to address these psychological tasks can impact our emotional health as well as our chances to age successfully. If supporting optimal aging is part of your company’s mission, it’s time to think forward to how that commitment needs to include opportunities that foster personal growth. Such concepts are so well-integrated across our culture for younger audiences – shouldn’t they be routinely available to us at every age?

The post Mental Well-Being And Brain Health | 4 Things Every Professional Should Know appeared first on Total Brain Health Toolkits.

How Robust is Wellness in Your Memory Care?

3 Reasons Why It Matters

Want a way to disrupt the experience of memory loss and improve the quality of daily life for your residents living with dementia? Try wellness.

Many companies are investing in bringing engaging, comprehensive wellness programs to their communities, especially now. Yet often we see these robust offerings do not extend to memory care settings. They should – and here are some good reasons why you should make wellness initiatives in dementia care a high priority.

Wellness changes the dementia experience. Research shows that intervention across wellness behaviors for those living with dementia is associated with better daily functioning as well as preserving the individual’s quality of life. Some evidence even suggests that a multi-pronged wellness intervention can slow disease progression. In a large study known as the FINGER trial, Finnish researchers found that an intensive program combining physical exercise, group-based cognitive training, nutritional changes and enhanced medical management significantly improved global cognition scores and slowed decline in a group of individuals with early cognitive changes. Lifestyle changes like these are simple to teach, easy to implement, affordable to provide and can make a big difference in the lives of your residents.

Wellness includes meaningful cognitive interventions. As an expert in brain health, I know the best way to boost cognitive fitness is to marry cognitive training with wellness interventions. Intellectual function is a major pillar of the wellness picture, not separate from it. This is true for everyone across the cognitive continuum. The cutting-edge evidence shows that individuals living with memory loss can benefit from cognitive stimulation targeting thinking skills to support everyday functioning, strategy training to help compensate for attention and memory changes and continued intellectual engagement with enriching and creative opportunities. Doing less, for example only reminiscing-style programs or “keep them busy” activities, may deny residents of the chance to benefit fully from the full weight of the science.

Wellness is critical to a person-centered approach. No doubt you strive to offer a person-centered dementia care approach that recognizes and nurtures the whole individual. In that case, wellness should be a “no-brainer” priority for your memory care settings. Wellness engagement is easily adaptable to meet a person’s unique needs, reflect their personal passions, and engage in ways that promote communication and meaningful connections. Having the opportunity to engage in staying healthy is empowering and promotes confidence. Simply put, a wellness-based approach clicks all the boxes on what it takes to truly put the individual living with dementia at the center of your planning.

Everyone deserves to live well, no matter what challenges we face. Individuals living with dementia should be empowered at every opportunity with ways to stay physically active, intellectually challenged, emotionally healthy and socially connected. Making robust, meaningful wellness programming central to your memory care strategy can do just that.

Want to learn more? Join us for a free educational webinar: Everyone Deserves Brain Wellness! on Monday, April 12, 2021 at 12:00 – 12:30 pm ET:  Click here to register.

The post How Robust is Wellness in Your Memory Care? 3 Reasons Why It Matters appeared first on Total Brain Health Toolkits.

Last week I watched as a 101 year-old survivor of the Holocaust received her first dose of the COVID19 vaccine. What was running through her mind at that very moment, I wondered. What stories of survival does she have? How has she coped during these months of isolation? And, what else has she lived and learned in her life?

Research shows that our social and emotional health greatly impacts our overall well-being which in turn affects successful aging. Yet most wellness initiatives rarely include programs that encourage meaningful self-exploration of purpose and legacy in the third stage of life. What a missed opportunity!

As a psychologist, I believe this is a tremendous disservice, born out of a notion that older adults are not in need of self-discovery or cannot benefit from taking meaningful steps for greater fulfillment. Research shows that personal growth does not belong exclusively to the young. In truth, we are always changing and evolving, at every age. Developmental experts suggest that each stage of life brings common challenges. In our early adult years, we look to build intimacy and create new ties, with new bonds of love. In our middle adult years, we may be concerned with leaving our mark through what we create at work or at home, or in our communities.

And what about our older years? This is a time when we reflect on our accomplishments and seek meaning and wholeness from our lives. We may feel freer of responsibility to others, able to now put ourselves “first.” Our longstanding relationships may have changed, forcing us to relearn how to make new connections or risk isolation and loneliness. We may question the ways we can continue to have impact, or what we want to leave as our legacy to the world.

The need for meaningful programs aimed at better understanding the “spirit” side of the body, mind, spirit pillars of wellness is much needed, and especially urgent right now. There has been a tremendous increase in emotional distress resulting directly from the forced isolation of these past months. Now more than ever your community needs programs that encourage clients to examine their personal journey and reconcile the difficulties of our times with the hope of future goals. Building deeper self-awareness, stronger connections to others and to the world are important ways to rebuild a sense of control over one’s life, as well as resilience and emotional strength. And doing so has the added benefit of addressing physical and cognitive health as well, other important areas where we see accelerated decline.

Finally, offering spiritual health programs can help keep your residents healthier for longer. Such programs promote confidence and happiness. These in turn are known motivators for engaging in self-care, as we are more likely to exercise, socialize and stay cognitively engaged if we feel good about ourselves. And healthier folks are likely to stay independent longer, which in turn reduce staff burden and costs.

The times demand inspired thinking for robust engagement that gives all in your community what they need to rebound for optimal wellness and healthy living. Spiritual wellness, for so many reasons, must be part of that plan. Are you ready?

Want to learn more? Join TBH’s Dr. Cynthia Green for a FREE Webinar:

January 28th at 12:30 – 1:00 PM ET CLICK HERE

The post This is Why Your Community Needs Spiritual Wellness Right Now! Are You Ready? appeared first on Total Brain Health Toolkits.

October 2020 | A Total Brain Health Interview  

As winter is upon us and Covid numbers continue to increase, there’s comfort in knowing that senior living facilities across the country continue to make tremendous efforts to keep residents safe and well. Knowing that reduced social engagement can result in cognitive decline, Total Brain Health’s, Dr, Cynthia Green, spoke with engagement staff at leading companies to hear how they are finding next level ways to keep residents thriving and intellectually stimulated.

In this interview series, Dr. Green spoke with:

• James Harvey, VP of Marketing and Communications, and Chuck Jennings, Senior VP of Clinical Services, both with ALG Senior, which serves 160 communities throughout the Southeast;
• Ashlea Smalley, Corporate Director of Life Enrichment at Tutera Senior Living & Health Care, with 38 communities in the South and Midwest; and
• Laura Ellen Christian, Senior Vice President of Engagement and Dementia Training for the Arbor Company, with more than 40 communities in 11 states.

Pandemic Playbook
All the experts told Dr. Green that despite the lack of visitors, they’re seeing residents thrive by being in a calmer environment and receiving added person-centered attention from caregivers either individually or in small groups.

“We’re always looking for the silver lining in this dark COVID cloud,” says ALG’s James Harvey. “To me, the augmented resident engagement, the more personalized care, the new focus on communication—are all things we’ll continue to implement going forward, even outside the realm of the pandemic.”

Speaking for the Arbor Company, Laura Ellen Christian says, “We think about two buckets to help us keep going on the journey: safety and joy. How do we balance keeping people safe with making sure there’s joy in their life? And it’s not just our corporate office making decisions: we’re having these conversations with staff and residents to learn what’s meaningful to them and then acting upon that.”

“We all pitch in to play a role in life enrichment and to foster deeper connections,” says Tutera’s Ashlea Smalley. “Our life enrichment teams were stretched pretty thin initially with all the new responsibilities around COVID safety. Now, bringing in other staff members has really helped—plus they’re getting to know residents in a deeper way.” Smalley adds that sometimes they get silly just to boost morale. “Like, in the middle of a shift we’ll go ‘Everybody dance now!’ and do a cha-cha slide down the hall.”

Tech Support
Senior living continues to lean into Zoom and FaceTime for social engagement. “The son of one of our Illinois residents moved to North Carolina, making her sad that she couldn’t see his new house,” continues Smalley. “But he was able to give her a full walking tour on his smartphone! That was an aha moment—we realized we can keep doing this, connecting people in ways we hadn’t thought of before. Now we’re looking for an app to let families check in on their loved one without having to physically be there,” says Smalley. “They could log in and see, ‘Oh, Uncle George went to bingo this morning.”

“We’ve reached out to the North Carolina school system to establish partnerships with students to fulfill their community service requirement,” says AG’s Chuck Jennings. “These will be distance relationships with our residents, as pen pals or via FaceTime. It’s an opportunity we never tapped into, but that intergenerational connection is definitely going to become part of our fabric.”

Up Next
“Being really prepared has become part of our larger strategic plan,” says Smalley. “I’m putting together what I call a ‘pandemic playbook for life enrichment,’ so if there’s, say, a bad flu outbreak, it won’t be such a scramble—we’ll know what we have to work with. For life enrichment teams, having the right tools is just as important as a stockpile of PPE.”

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Total Brain Health provides a series of TBH Toolkits small group brain wellness programs for everyone across the cognitive continuum. For more information, visit:  totalbrainhealth.com. For one-to-one programs visit: tbhtoolbox365.com. And, for free COVID resources visit: anytime.totalbrainhealth.com

Click to download article HERE.

The post Resident Engagement During COVID-19: Smart Ways Senior Living is Staving Off Isolation and Loneliness appeared first on Total Brain Health Toolkits.

October 2020 | A Total Brain Health Interview  

Maintaining social engagement in the time of COVID remains a challenge for senior living communities, and especially for memory care facilities serving clients with dementia. Thankfully, industry leaders are staying smart when it comes to finding solutions for maintaining population wellbeing during the current physical distancing restrictions.
Total Brain Health’s Dr. Cynthia Green recently interviewed administrators at three leading senior living communities to learn how the pandemic has changed the ways they care for residents living with memory loss. In this interview series, learn how industry leaders are focusing on positive paths to social engagement in memory care during this time. She spoke with:
• James Harvey, VP of Marketing and Communications, and Chuck Jennings, Senior VP of Clinical Services, both with ALG Senior, which serves 160 communities throughout the Southeast;
• Ashlea Smalley, Corporate Director of Life Enrichment at Tutera Senior Living & Health Care, with 38 communities in the South and Midwest; and
• Laura Ellen Christian, Senior Vice President of Engagement and Dementia Training for the Arbor Company, with more than 40 communities in 11 states.

New Solutions
Memory care centers have stepped up to adapt to the changes and restrictions brought by the pandemic. “We’ve done additional training to help our frontline staff understand how to engage with memory care residents in the smaller groups needed to maintain social distancing,” says Chuck Jennings of ALG Senior. “These neighborhoods typically have a select group of staff members dedicated to providing ADL [activities of daily living] care, and others who are focused on activities. Today, in our new normal, all the team members must be focused on activities and able to capitalize on them.

“Let’s say three or four residents in a memory care community are typically wanderers,” he continues. “We turn that small group into a ‘walking club’ and assign a caregiver to create a path and guide them. Before, wandering was just their way to navigate the neighborhood as independently as they could, but now we need to put more energy into keeping them safe, physically active, and engaged.”

Ashlea Smalley says that part of Tutera’s approach is to control the environment rather than the resident. “We created social distancing by removing communal seating like couches, so residents aren’t cozied up next to each other. We do meals in shifts, one resident per table and lots of sanitizing in between. And we try to proceed as normally as possible, without creating any more anxiety and confusion on top of what’s already there.”

Old-Fashioned Approaches
While technology offers many solutions these days, it’s not the only way. “We’ve started a pen pal program to connect residents of one community in our organization with another,” says Jennings. “Even our residents with cognitive decline can still engage in making a card and sharing it with someone.”

Facilities are also working to join up individuals of like interests in small groups. “For each new ALG Senior resident we make a history we call My Life’s Journey,” says Jennings. “Now we’re using those to find which residents have similar histories and interests, putting three or four of them together to engage in activities that may trigger memories related to their history.”

Family and Peer Socialization
Some families are afraid their loved ones won’t remember family members when they finally visit again. “Our strategy is making a lot of FaceTime calls to keep families connected,” says Smalley. “And for Mother’s Day, one of our memory care facilities did a virtual tea party. The staff seated three residents at each table and used iPads to connect them with their families via Zoom. Each resident had her own teapot, and everyone looked really nice.” While Smalley acknowledges that it’s not the same as being able to hug and kiss their loved ones, she says, “Our team is doing a great job at making safe but meaningful connections.”

Value in Slowing Down
The Arbor Company’s Laura Ellen Christian believes that success for people living with dementia depends on their environment. “It’s up to us to create the right environment,” she says. “Having to shut down socializing and family visits is detrimental, but we’ve seen a very positive effect since we paused the busy-ness in our memory care neighborhoods.”

Christian has always known that small groups meet a need for those living with dementia. “Now we’re more thoughtful about who we gather together and what we do with them,” she says. “And when we transition them, they can have some downtime in their rooms or take a nap without huge physical risk. Since we slowed things down, we’re really seeing that happen.”

Dr. Green notes that Total Brain Health’s memory care programs also help residents engage with one other in meaningful ways. “Moving outside the hubbub creates a more focused environment that frees people to really benefit,” she says.

Forming a planning committee with residents from several communities had long been on Christian’s to-do list. “I’m a huge advocate for people living with dementia,” she says, “and it’s important for me, and for our company, that we’re not speaking for them. With this new committee we’re not just engaging the most independent and vocal people, we’re tapping into folks across the board—and giving a voice to those living with dementia.”

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Total Brain Health provides TBH FLEX and TBH CARE Toolkits small group and one-to-one social-based brain wellness programs for those living with mild to moderate memory loss. These cognitive stimulation programs build cognitive skills, promote well-being and foster social connections. For additional small group programs see:  totalbrainhealth.com. For one-to-one programs see: tbhtoolbox365.com. And, for free COVID resources see: anytime.totalbrainhealth.com

Click to download article HERE.

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October 2020 | A Total Brain Health Interview  

Social engagement, intellectual stimulation, and physical fitness are key to staying brain healthy – and hallmark wellness offerings of many senior living communities. When the pandemic forced communities to restrict visitors and set physical distancing rules, the opportunities to socialize and stay active were dramatically reduced.

Take heart! While new restrictions may challenge old ways of programming activities, they have spurred a slew of creative, “out of the box” solutions that highlight the strong commitment of senior living administrators and staff to keeping residents healthy, happy and engaged. And many of these recent adaptations are here to stay.

Total Brain Health’s Dr. Cynthia Green, recently spoke with senior leadership at leading companies to learn how their enrichment staff are not just handling the new restrictions, but going above and beyond to keep residents fulfilled across body, mind and spirit:

• James Harvey, VP of Marketing and Communications, and Chuck Jennings, Senior VP of Clinical Services, both with ALG Senior, which serves 160 communities throughout the Southeast;
• Ashlea Smalley, Corporate Director of Life Enrichment at Tutera Senior Living & Health Care, with 38 communities in the South and Midwest; and
• Laura Ellen Christian, Senior Vice President of Engagement and Dementia Training for the Arbor Company, with more than 40 communities in 11 states.

Taking it to the Hallways
“The pandemic put us in uncharted territory,” said ALG Senior’s James Harvey. “We’ve had to change the way we function in order to respond efficiently and effectively, putting the residents and the staff at the heart of every decision we make. To do so we’ve taken a more supportive role.”

Chuck Jennings described how ALG Senior communities adapted when the need for physical distancing suspended large gatherings in common rooms. “We organized regular hall chats,” said Jennings. “We pull two or three residents into their doorways to engage with their neighbors.” ALG Senior does the same for physical activity, bringing residents into the hall for exercises. And the group also set up a pen pal program to connect residents with those in other communities who have shared interests.

Hallways are buzzing with other activities as well. “We do silly stuff just for entertainment,” says Tutera’s Ashlea Smalley. “We’ve organized races with little remote-control cars, and one building even staged a Kentucky Derby, with staffers galloping down the hall in horse masks. We also do activity carts with extravagant themes.”

To help with the quality of hallway activities, the Arbor Company implemented Eversound, a wireless headphone system in all communities. “This technology allows residents to hear what’s happening regardless of where they are. If an engagement team member is leading exercise at one end of the hallway, residents can still hear the instructions through the headphones and follow along.” says Laura Ellen Christian. “Eversound has also been a huge help during window and outdoor family visits” she adds.

Taking It to the Outdoors
With families unable to visit in person, car parades have provided a new diversion. “Some of our communities have organized parades that involve the entire town,” says Harvey. “People drive by with signs to show support for the residents who are socially distanced out front.”

Tutera staff also started podcast listening clubs, where residents listen from a speaker set up outside, and then engage in lively discussions together.

The enrichment teams at Tutera even innovated solutions for special events. “One of our buildings did a brilliant ‘Drive-by Donuts with Dad’ for Father’s Day,” says Smalley. “We had families drive up and have their doughnuts and coffee in the car while chatting with their Dad, who was having his at a table set up outside.”

Similar things are happening at Arbor Company communities. “We know the benefits that fresh air and sunshine have for all. Helping residents take walks and enjoy time outside has been a priority for our engagement team members.” says Laura Ellen Christian.

The Zoom Boom
Not surprisingly, staff have worked tirelessly to help residents get more comfortable with video apps like Zoom and FaceTime, allowing families to see their loved ones and staff to host distance learning classes.

“People are adopting technology in ways we’ve wanted them to for so long,” says the Arbor Company’s Laura Ellen Christian. “Besides arranging family calls, we Zoom in people like art therapists, musicians and exercise trainers to the residents’ apartments.”

Smalley says her activity directors have taught family members how to use Skype. “We also use it to connect residents who’d been tablemates in the dining room. We had one lady who wouldn’t do a Skype call with a friend because the beautician hadn’t been there in weeks to do her hair! ‘I’m not getting on a screen,’ she said. ‘I’ll send a letter instead.’”

ALG Senior has really upped their game on social media, says Harvey. “We’re using Facebook to tell family members about all the heartwarming and creative ways the staff are keeping residents engaged.” These include the vast array of online resources available, such as virtual tours of national parks and museums, and free online courses. Even low-tech pastimes have gotten an upgrade: “Residents are having fun playing Bingo from their rooms by walkie-talkie!”

Looking Ahead

“At first, the pandemic was such an emergency we had to put things in place quickly,” says Smalley. “But now we’re taking the time to figure out how to do things in creative, high-quality ways that will be impactful and meaningful for all our residents.”

The Arbor Company has created a well-being survey for residents to assist teams in maintaining programs that provide a good balance of safety and resident-driven joy.  “We’re thinking about safety and joy for our staff as well,” Christian says.  “Our communities are like our homes.  If residents aren’t happy and fulfilled, that affects staff as well.  And vice versa.”

“We’re always looking for the silver lining in this dark Covid cloud,” says Harvey. “To me, it would be the augmented resident engagement, the more personalized care, and the new focus on communication—all things we’ll continue to implement going forward, even outside the realm of the pandemic.”

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Total Brain Health continues to offer a variety of free resources you can use to bring your residents better brain fitness and boost well-being anytime, anywhere.  Programs include TBH On Demand interactive training videos and hallway programs, with directions for a Memory Mobile cart and activities for those living with dementia. Find all our free resources at http://anytime.totalbrainhealth.com/.

For small group programs see: totalbrainhealth.com. For one-to-one programs see: tbhtoolbox365.com

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