Abstract
This paper focuses on the concepts, specifics and effects of dementia programming within an assisted living setting. The target population consists of 20 people, 60 years of age and older, who reside at Kensington Cottages, Rochester, Minnesota, a residential assisted living facility for people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. The residents at Kensington Cottages are unable to live independently and require assistance with their daily cares in varying degrees. They also need to be provided with homemaker services and recreational stimulation. This 24-hour assistance is provided by staff caregivers; these residents do not require the degree of skilled nursing supplied in a nursing home.
The paper begins with an analysis of the concept of dementia programming. This concept is then applied to the specifics of the program which is presently being used at Kensington Cottages Rochester The effects of dementia specific programming are shown through case studies of two Kensington Cottages residents diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. These case studies demonstrate the positive effects of dementia programming on individuals through program involvement, the results of which are analyzed through the eyes of family members. Further information is derived from a January 1996, Kensington Cottages Corporation survey of Kensington Cottages Rochester family members which elicits information concerning the general well being of their relatives with dementia.
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