At The Kensington Falls Church, we understand firsthand how challenging it can be for caregivers and care partners.
While it’s rewarding to care for a senior with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, it can also be exhausting, frustrating, and complicated.
Knowing the challenges we’re up against helps our team navigate through our resident’s symptoms.
By following Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care philosophy, the challenges become more manageable, and you can become a better care provider.
PAC provides care partners with an understanding of the changes going on in the brain of someone with dementia. With this knowledge and understanding, care partners can offer the best support.
Learn about how dementia care has evolved, what it takes to become a care manager, and how person-centered care training contributes to the well-being of dementia patients.
We’ll also talk about how to join The Kensington Falls Church team of health care professionals.
How has dementia care evolved?
Over the last few decades, our comprehensive knowledge of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia has grown tremendously, therefore so has the available care.
In the past, less was known about memory diseases, and dementia was often treated with antipsychotics to control strong moods and emotions, such as anger and aggression.
And while basic physical needs were met, exercise, life enrichment, and socializing were not emphasized.
Now, there are many types of treatments, techniques such as PAC, and rehabilitation services that can help those with dementia.
When using PAC methods, our team feels more confident in their role, and it helps ensure that our residents receive the best quality of care.
PAC is a continuing education that sets up our team for success and helps them create individualized care plans for each of our residents..
Using PAC, a person-centered approach, is the best way to help seniors with dementia because it focuses on their individual symptoms and needs.
Breakthroughs
Alzheimer’s and dementia education has increased with more resources and research.
Scientists have discovered the best ways to reduce our risk of dementia and which medications and treatments help to lessen symptoms the most.
Currently, investments have been made to conduct research on a new gene therapy that could possibly stop specific genes from causing dementia.
A new blood test for Alzheimer’s disease is also available, which appears to be 94% effective in detecting the disease years before brain scans can.
How does the positive approach to care dementia training certification contribute to our resident’s well-being?
The Kensington Falls Church utilizes Positive Approach to Care training and education to give our team and residents the best quality of life.
As a practical and compassionate approach to care, our team can create individualized care plans, communicate more effectively with residents, and take care of their own mental health as well.
Our memory care director, Tonya Embly, is a PAC-certified trainer and helps our team understand and follow the PAC philosophy and training techniques.
We understand that each resident has their own specific feelings and needs, and by focusing on these, we can offer them the best support.
Residents can maintain and improve their physical, mental, and emotional health by using a person-centered approach.
What does it take to become a care partner for Alzheimer’s and dementia?
As a care partner at The Kensington Falls Church, you must help residents maximize their quality of life, accommodate individual preferences, and communicate respectively at all times.
Being a care partner is rewarding when you realize the positive difference that you’re making for another person.
Compassionate care partner are kind, patient, and understanding.
Organizational skills and problem-solving skills are used daily when caring for seniors.
As a care partner, it will be your duty to help residents with activities of daily living.
For instance, they may need assistance with bathing, grooming, using the bathroom, getting out of bed, engaging in life-enrichment activities, and maintaining cleanliness in their homes.
You will also be expected to attend specialized training courses.
CNA
As a certified nurse assistant, you can help residents bathe, dress, eat, and use the bathroom. You may need to check vitals and speak with family members about their well-being and care.
CNAs are essential to the healthcare field and you can gain hands-on experience and knowledge working in a senior living community.
LPN
With additional certifications, your responsibilities may include inserting catheters, changing bedpans and bandages, and assisting RNs with procedures.
Like CNAs, you can help residents with activities of daily living, and speak with family members and other health care professionals about healthcare needs and plans.
You’ll also help to assist the director of nursing and provide supervision and coordination of medication management.
RN
As a registered nurse, you’re expected to supervise other nursing staff, especially when the director of nursing is unavailable.
You will administer and monitor patient medications and injections, record and assess medical histories and plans, and ensure the health and safety of loved ones.
With the director of nursing, you may collaborate and decide on the best course of treatment for residents based on their current level of health.
Apply to join The Kensington Falls Church team
The Kensington Falls Church is an enhanced assisted living and memory care community specializing in Alzheimer’s and dementia care.
By implementing Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care, we can offer our residents empathy and greater assistance.
This approach also helps us maintain Our Promise to love and care for our residents as we do our own.
When you join The Kensington family, we extend this promise to you.
Some of the benefits we offer with employment include:
- Part or full-time employment opportunities
- Competitive salaries
- Health, life, 401K and other benefits starting at 32 hrs/wk
- Generous paid time off
- Employee assistance program
- Complimentary lunches and dinners
If you’re interested in volunteer opportunities, we offer those too!
Contact us or check out our blog to learn more about our senior living communities, services, employment, volunteer opportunities, and upcoming events.