Page 4 - Our Hands Fall 2020

SENIOR LIVING NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME

TO TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR OF OUR

Senior Living taking action SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITIES

e sat down with our Chief Operating Officer of Senior pandemic. We continue to provide opportunities to connect our
Living, Kimberley Thompson, to ask her about the residents with their families via FaceTime, Zoom and other virtual
Wchallenges of taking care of our seniors during the platforms made possible by donors who provided iPads across Senior
COVID-19 pandemic. Living. We also seek out opportunities to help our residents celebrate
important dates, like birthdays, with their families via FaceTime or
Samaritas provides critical services to vulnerable populations across Zoom. We held pet parades, classic car shows, and even hosted a wedding
Michigan, including seniors. What challenges have senior living for one of our resident's daughters on our campus!
providers like Samaritas seen as a result of the pandemic?
We know that this doesn’t replace in-person get togethers, but we do find
“As we all know, older adults are at a higher risk for severe it lifts their spirit. Additionally, we engage our residents in games that
illness from COVID-19, so maintaining the health and well- will keep their thinking skills sharp.”
being of our residents is and will always be our top priority.
Your staff is at the front-lines of this pandemic. How are they holding
COVID-19 is a difficult, challenging disease to contain, up through this challenging situation?
especially in long-term care settings, but we have
implemented strict infection control policies to mitigate the “We are so very fortunate to have a tremendous team of caregivers who
Kimberley Thompson, spread of the virus and protect our community. are committed to the residents we work with. This has been a challenging
COO of Senior Living time for many and we appreciate their continued dedication.
I understand that the mental health of seniors is a
primary focus area since in-person visits with families aren’t allowed We meet frequently with our caregivers to make sure they have the
during the pandemic. What is Samaritas doing to support positive resources they need, not only for their job, but also to maintain their
mental health among its senior residents? mental well-being. We are always looking for additional team members
who are responsible, dependable and dedicated to caring for others.
“Yes, the mental well-being of seniors is something we are monitoring I would encourage anyone interested in joining our team to visit
closely at Samaritas. Unable to see and speak to family and friends Samaritas.org/Careers.”
in-person has been extremely difficult for residents throughout the

FOCUS ON MEMORY CARE

If your loved one needs memory care, Memory Care Design Trends At Samaritas, we look for ways
finding the right community can be to improve residents’ circadian
challenging — especially if you’re Outdoor spaces: Bringing residents rhythms by including more
not familiar with what contemporary with cognitive impairments into natural light.
memory care is like. Let’s take a look natural environments such as our
at how Samaritas’ memory care is secure courtyards and garden spaces Neighborhood environments:
helping seniors with Alzheimer’s and (including raised beds for wheelchair Samaritas features smaller, more
other forms of dementia thrive. bound residents) can help improve homelike settings in order to provide senior living
attention, awareness, verbal and environments that promote comfort
A Focus on the Whole Person nonverbal expression, and sleeping and community, with plenty of
patterns. opportunities for independence.
A central element of memory care is
making sure that care has a person- Designing for the senses: Depth Incorporating technology:
centered focus. That means getting to perception can be an issue, so As technology continues to evolve,
truly know each individual so that they contrasting colors on walls and floors we are finding ways to incorporate it
get the personalized assistance they can help residents move around and meaningfully in our programming,
need. Everyone has the same basic interact with the community. family engagement, safety and security.
human needs and emotions, including • In addition to pet therapy
those diagnosed with memory loss. Artwork can help with navigation and
provide cues for where they are in the experiences, we also have robotic
At Samaritas, we engage residents in building. Some memory care residents pets that allow residents to hold
the same programming as the rest of are more tactile in nature, so we and respond to soft, lifelike animals.
the community, but it’s adapted to their feature textured artwork which gives • In this time of COVID, when visitors
cognitive and functional levels. Music, our residents something to interact are limited, we connect residents
church services, walking clubs, fitness with and explore. with their loved ones through Zoom
or art classes are all ways memory care and FaceTime calls, live Facebook
residents are participating in Lighting: Many memory care residents chats and eCards.
meaningful activities. have problems sleeping, wander at
night or have daytime agitation.

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