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Hebrew Rehabilitation Center Opens Special Dementia Care Unit

Posted on: Tuesday, 2 October 2007, 15:00 CDT

Hebrew Rehabilitation Center in Roslindale, a leader in senior health care and housing for more than 100 years, has opened a special unit for residents with Alzheimer's disease or other related dementias.

The new Specialized Care Unit, approved by the Alzheimer's Association, takes a holistic approach to managing residents with dementia, focusing on their emotional, physical, social, environmental, intellectual, spiritual and vocational wellness. The unit offers the highest level of clinical care, including psychiatric care and other critical services, so that the medical staff can manage acute episodes in-house, minimizing anxiety-provoking travel for residents.

"Our staff is trained to understand residents' unique behaviors and how to respond to them," says Martha Bruce, B.S.N., R.N., director of nursing for behavioral services. "Our therapy programs are geared toward decreasing isolation, depression, agitation and difficult behaviors."

Onsite staff includes board-certified geriatricians, a geriatric psychiatrist, nurses specializing in dementia care, pharmacists, social workers, and a wide range of clinical therapy specialists.

To meet Alzheimer's Association standards, direct care staff members have received 12 hours of training, including an overview of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, dealing with behavioral issues, communicating with residents who have difficulty expressing needs, assisting with activities of daily living, and family issues, among others.

"Care on the unit is resident-focused and individualized," says Helayne Ramirez, vice president of Social Services. "We try to create a feeling of positive emotion and help the residents maintain those feelings throughout the day. Our goal is to capitalize on the positive and minimize stressors that make residents more anxious. We strive to preserve independence and support residents' current level of functioning."

Hebrew Rehabilitation Center is part of Hebrew SeniorLife, a 100+-year-old organization committed to providing the highest quality of life and care for seniors through an integrated, seven-site network of care that includes long-term care; short-term, post-acute care; outpatient specialty services; home health care; and adult day health.

Source: Business Wire

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