Senior Living Residences’ Compass Memory Support

Committed to being a part of research programs and basing programming on the latest findings about Alzheimer’s disease, SLR and its communities are also a part of supporting various research projects through raising funds.

Last month, all of the Compass Memory Support communities raised funds for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s disease for the Alzheimer’s Association, the largest private supporter of Alzheimer’s research in the country. This month we look back over recent fundraising activities to support our academic affiliate, the Boston University School of Medicine’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center (BUADC), whose mission includes advancement in the knowledge of care and treatment for those living with Alzheimer’s disease.

In the last few months, many Compass Memory Support communities have held fundraisers to support the work of researchers at the BUADC. Communities held events that included celebration and cheer, including a Luau event, Casino events and a Chowderfest . All told, Senior Living Residences has raised thousands of dollars to support local researchers, while informing the greater community about the importance of supporting research.

Watch the video here.

The panel of experts featured Dr. Robert Stern, professor of neurology and neurosurgery at Boston University School of Medicine and director of the BU Alzheimer’s Disease Center, whose mission is to be on the cutting edge of research, clinical care and education related to memory loss.

At Senior Living Residences, our forward-looking approach to developing treatment programs for Alzheimer’s care has led to a formal affiliation with Boston University School of Medicine’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center. This unique affiliation brings state-of-the-art treatments for the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and related cognitive impairments from the clinical research setting to our Compass Memory Support Neighborhoods.

Learn more about our affliation with Boston University by visiting our website http://www.seniorlivingresidences.com/affiliation-with-bu-school-of-medicine.

Providing information about Alzheimer’s disease to the greater public and providing services to people with the disease is what we do at Compass at Hopkinton through our innovative Compass Memory Support program.

Her questions continue:

“What is Alzheimer’s disease?”

“Is it contagious?”

“Will it get worse?”

“What can I do about it?”

The individual asking the questions is not a family member inquiring about the community for a loved one, rather someone residing in our community living with the disease.

She takes a seat and we talk about what the disease is, how it is not contagious, that it will eventually get worse and that she is doing everything she can to combat it: living in an active community, engaging in cognitively and socially stimulating programs, walking and exercising every day, taking advantage of trips to local museums and attractions and keeping herself well, by participating in the Compass Memory Support program.

Relieved and empowered, she leaves the office. Research shows that individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease are empowered by information about their disease and adjust to living with the illness better, when provided with appropriate and adequate information. Senior Living Residences is committed to the possibilities in sharing information about the disease rather than the tragedy of disclosure.

For the past five years SLR has been developing a cognitively protective diet and nutrition program at its independent and assisted living communities. The Memory Preservation Nutrition ® Program, developed in conjunction with internationally recognized expert Nancy Emerson-Lombardo, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology at the Boston University School of Medicine and President of Health Care Insights, is a unique evidence-based program incorporating foods and spices, specially selected for their nutrient-rich properties and linked in research to healthy cognition, into everyday diet to target overall brain health.

Dr. Emerson-Lombardo’s research and poster presentations provided details about the implementation of the Memory Preservation Nutrition ® Program at SLR’s independent and assisted living communities as well as the providing information from hundreds of studies looking at the connections between diet, cognitive health, aging, and Alzheimer’s disease and its related risk factors.

Weather: Patterns and Forces- Explore the forces of nature and understand the patterns of weather. Where do storms originate, what causes them and what can we expect in New England? Create tools to mark and measure the weather outside the door as you revisit historic New England storms and weather.

World’s Fairs, History and Happenings- Visit the World’s Fairs of yesterday and note the changes in the tradition today. Learn about the discoveries, inventions and happenings at the historic World’s Fairs. View the artwork used to promote the ideals, hopes, and visions of Fair organizers and attendees. Discover the many everyday pleasures that were first introduced at the Fair, including the hot dog and ice cream cone.

The Game and the Players: History, Legend, and Rivalry in Baseball- The true origins of the sport may be older than any of us know, yet how can a game played in 21^st Century America still be played without a time clock? With an eye on the ball, we’ll learn about the game, its historic legends and the teams who made it what it is today.

Westerns: Art and Personalities- Tune in to the Lone Ranger, Gunsmoke and Cisco Kid as you explore this genre that delves into the history and stories of the American Old West. Popular in film, radio, and television, Westerns have a long history in American storytelling and current popularity. Visit the show, films and stars that made these great hits classics.

Argentina: People, Places and Passion- Sip Yerba Mate tea, delve into the Spanish language and dance the Tango as you traverse a country well-known for its beauty. Climb Argentina’s highest peaks, step into its painted deserts, and visit its vibrant cities. Immerse yourself in the history and culture of this noted traveler’s paradise.

What are you learning about this month?

Dr. Matthew DeWaele, Hopkinton resident and Vice President of Business Development for Americare at Home (a local home care agency) attended the Grand Opening and is pictured with Tadd Clelland who serves as Executive Director of Compass at Hopkinton, a new assisted living community in town serving individuals with Alzheimer’s.

Compass at Hopkinton, a state-of-the-art Memory Support Assisted Living community serving seniors with memory loss throughout the Metrowest area and Worcester County, recently celebrated its Grand Opening.

Compass at Hopkinton addresses the needs of seniors exhibiting the early symptoms of memory loss – often called Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), as well as those with diagnosed Alzheimer’s.

Tadd Clelland, Executive Director of Compass at Hopkinton, and an SLR principal, said, “Our team has 20 years of experience serving Massachusetts seniors with memory loss. We are excited to bring our research-based Compass Memory Support Neighborhood® treatment program to the MetroWest area, to help meet the growing need for top-notch dignified residential care for individuals with dementia.”

At the Grand Opening local elder care professionals, community leaders and the general public toured the newly renovated community, which is located within the well-established Golden Pond Assisted Living campus in Hopkinton, and observed for themselves SLR’s Alzheimer’s care difference.

Undergoing internal development for the past three years, SLR has worked with leading clinicians and researchers, including staff from the Boston University School of Medicine’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center, to create an array of cutting edge research-based programming designed to treat the symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in the residential-style assisted living setting. Compass Memory Support widens the traditional “Alzheimer’s Care” customer base by treating individuals with varying levels of memory loss and diagnoses, and emphasizes addressing the needs of those with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).

The Compass Memory Support Neighborhood® research-based non-pharmacological programming encompasses discrete disciplines that work together as a whole to treat the symptoms and potentially slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

These programs include:

• Reconnections, a curriculum-based adult learning program developed by SLR that is backed by research that cognitive stimulation may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s.
• Memory Preservation Nutrition® Program, based on research that shows a diet of “brain healthy foods” can actually reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. SLR is the first assisted living company in the nation to offer residents this innovative nutrition program, developed by internationally recognized expert Nancy Emerson Lombardo, PhD, one of the co-founders of the Alzheimer’s Association.
• State-of-the-art post-hospital Rehabilitation Respite Stay program for seniors with memory loss.
• Clinical “rounds” with a Boston University Medical School clinician and comprehensive medication assessments with a geriatric-specialized pharmacist in an effort to avoid hospitalizations.
• Lifetime Achievement Award program designed by SLR to combat the isolation and anonymity experienced by seniors with memory loss.
• Exercise program based on research that shows aerobic and strength training exercise is associated with a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Additionally, SLR’s strategic affiliation with the Boston University School of Medicine’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center offers residents top notch clinical consultation and opportunities to participate in clinical research studies, including trials of new treatments.

At Senior Living Residences, we have a truly holistic approach aiming to improve our residents’ quality of life. Nutrition is one of the most important. SLR is the first assisted living company in the nation to offer the Memory Preservation Nutrition® program, developed by internationally recognized expert Nancy Emerson Lombardo, PhD. With our years of experience, we know there is a better way to provide care for individuals with dementia.

Residents at Senior Living Residences' Standish Village organized a fundraiser to benefit Haiti Relief.

I have a different picture of Alzheimer’s for you today, shared with me by Brooke Patterson, Memory Support Neighborhood (MSN) Program Director at Standish Village, a community owned and managed by Senior Living Residences.

Most days Brooke begins her day by encouraging the residents, living on the MSN, to come to her daily activity program. The day after the earthquake in Haiti, she came into the community and asked the residents to do just that. The residents all looked at her and asked, “What are we going to do?” She smiled and replied, “Something fun,” the response she offers on most days. The residents looked at her and said “Don’t you know what is going on in the world? We shouldn’t be having fun, we need to do something to help!”

More residents of Standish Village who are organizing a food and water drive to benefit haiti Relief efforts

Hearing about the tragic earthquake that occurred in Haiti, the residents were driven to action to offer compassionate assistance to those in need like many of us across the globe. Responding to the crisis, they have organized a community-wide food and water drive to donate to the Haitian Relief efforts.

The resident-directed drive was organized by individuals who are actively engaged, directed in their purpose, and proud of their compassionate efforts. Each one is living with Alzheimer’s disease.