Our team consists of Activity
Professionals, Nurses and Social Workers.
All with many years of experience working
with Alzheimer's residents and managing
Alzheimer's Units.
Not every state has certified Alzheimer's Units. Not every state requires Certified
Alzheimer's Units. As facilities take more residents with this diagnosis, will
they be prepared? We have already seen case after case of residents wandering
out of the buildings where there have been tragic results. Alzheimer's and
dementia threatens to strike some 14 million Americans by the year 2050. Facilities
need to begin designing and implementing Alzheimer's Units.
The administration for the
long term care facilities must not only
safeguard and protect the residents but
also educate their staff. Education will
provide the necessary tools for staff
to work effectively with the Alzheimer's
resident. An educated staff may also help
reduce staff burn out. Most facilities
report that the staff is eager to learn
new information, techniques and communication
skills.
Implementing an Alzheimer's
Locked Unit does not have to be an expensive
undertaking. For some, the facilities
may only need to add minor changes, for
others, major design changes are required.
Look at your current unit,
do you have the following criteria:
A nurses station on the
proposed Alzheimer's unit?
A dining area large enough for activities on the Alzheimer's unit?
An outside area that could be designated for the Alzheimer's Unit? It does
not have to be directly off the unit.
Alternative Solutions provides
the following services that are necessary
if you wish to certify your unit.
-
Policy & Procedure Manual
-
Environment Design
Making it home like, safe and stimulating.
-
Contract Agreement
*Criteria for Admission to the Unit
*Criteria for Discharge off the Unit (Step Down)
-
Training and Certification of Staff
(Class Room Instructions, Overheads,
Hand outs, Videos, and Skits)
-
16 Hour Training Session in the
following areas:
· Introduction to Alzheimer's and dementia - Overview
· Feelings: Clues to behavior
· Wandering - "Keeping Him Safe"
· Repetitive Behaviors
· Aggressive Behaviors and Catastrophic Reactions
· Depression and Alzheimer's Disease
· Paranoia and Hallucinations
· Intimacy and Sexuality
· Communication
· Personal Care: Toileting, Eating and Swallowing, Sleep Disturbances,
Dressing
· Activities
· Environment: Changes that make a difference
· Staff and Family: Working Together
· Infantilism: Recognize and Stop It
-
Nursing Forms
*GDS & FAST Test
*Documentation and Notes
-
Care Planning
*Unique Approaches
*Wandering
*Repetitive Behavior
-
Medication Issues
-
Recreation Calendar Design for
Alzheimer's Units
*Staff Training and Development
*Parallel Programming
*Clustering
-
Social Service Programs for Families
*Family Support Group for the Unit
*Alzheimer's Association Support Groups for the Community
*Literature/Library Set Up
-
Physician Clinical Monthly Meetings
*Setting the Agenda
-
Garden Design for Outside Unit
*Wandering Paths, Whisper Glides, Environment
-
Alternative Programs, such as Sensory
Stimulation
-
Dietary Concerns
*Late Risers
*Individualized Approaches
*Adaptive Devices, Finger Foods, etc.
-
Unit Director Training
-
Security Monitoring System
-
Marketing
*What type of clientele are you marketing this unit to?
*Unique Marketing Strategies & Approaches
*Training your staff on the concepts
*Concepts to use when touring
-
Admission Training
*Explaining the contract in a positive way to the family
*Touring
-
Staffing Levels
-
Environmental Rounds and why its
important
-
Criteria for other residents in
the facility to spend the day on
the unit for supervision
For more information on
specialized Alzheimer's Unit Development
Services, please contact us. |
