Staff at Enliven’s Kandahar Court use an holistic approach to ensuring all residents who have dementia feel safe, comfortable and enjoy where they live.
Dementia is one of New Zealand’s most significant and growing healthcare challenges. Almost 70,000 New Zealanders have dementia and that number is expected to almost triple by 2050.
In Masterton, Enliven operates the specialised dementia care home Kandahar Court. The staff at Kandahar Court take every opportunity to ensure the residents have companionship, spontaneity, fun and meaningful activity.
Enliven Trainer and Recreation Advisor Davina Solomon says an holistic approach to dementia care can help the residents retain a sense of self and feel valued.
These approaches can range from the way staff members communicate with residents, to creating familiar environments to enable a resident to feel calm.
Davina says the way a question is framed can change the way someone with dementia will respond to it.
“We’ll use specific wording to enable a resident to understand a question. For example we’ll ask ‘may I offer you a hot drink?’ rather than ‘Would you like a hot drink?’.”
She says the slight change of wording usually invites a resident to consider their response, rather than immediately saying no.
Davina says it’s important that the rest homes are warm and welcoming places for the residents.
“People often think of rest homes – in particular dementia or hospital units – as cold clinical places, but Enliven homes are proof that it doesn’t have to be this way.”
Kandahar Court features a family-style kitchen area that is homely and welcoming for the residents.
