When an individual is diagnosed with dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, the journey ahead will involve much more than dealing with memory loss. There are both mental and physical changes that will occur. This is when it is so important to have access to medical professionals who are trained in dementia care.

Many of these professionals are nurses. These are special individuals who have combined their medical knowledge with their passion to serve and channeled it into lifelong careers. For many of our Anthem Memory Care community nurses it is a personal calling, having experienced dementia within their own families. They are giving back by dedicating their time and expertise to serving our wonderful residents.

Pictured above are (from left) Jaimie Slavik, RN, Wendy Thompson, RN, and Kirnesha Davis, LPN from Elk Ridge Memory Care in Maplewood, Minnesota.

Pictured above are (from left) Monica, clinical services director and head nurse, Patrick, and Sharon from Clear Creek Memory Care in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

To ensure the highest quality care, Anthem Memory Care provides specialized dementia care training for all our nurses. Being certified as a dementia care practitioner means they understand all aspects of the many different forms of dementia. Our training is ongoing to ensure that they continue to provide optimum care. Our nurses are also trained to be excellent communicators with the ability to empathize with residents and their families and work with them to help residents live their best lives.

Here are just some of the valuable services our nurses provide every day to our residents:

• Utilize a person-centered care approach with all residents and their families. This includes getting to know each resident and family to learn their history, life situation and enable them to understand physical as well as emotional issues.
• Conduct comprehensive clinical assessments of all incoming residents with ongoing management to ensure all records are complete and up to date.
• Develop and manage care plans for residents. These are comprehensive plans that include individual medications management, regular behavioral assessments, and continuous monitoring of physical and mental status to ensure ongoing quality of care.
• Spotlight and report changes in a resident’s physical and mental condition so that they can be addressed proactively and positively.
• Supervise the licensed practical nurses and certified nursing assistants, as well as other caregivers. This includes setting schedules and overseeing ongoing training.
• Ensure compliance with all state regulatory requirements and that best practices are in place and being followed by the nursing staff.
• Communicate regularly with families to keep them up to date on their loved ones’ care plan, any changes needed to medications or therapies, any incidents occurring that need to be addressed, and other issues associated with the progression of their dementia.
• Collaborate with therapists, physicians, case workers and other professionals associated with each resident to ensure continuity and a holistic approach to care.
• Engage in ongoing training to stay up to date with the latest research and therapy available to help optimize the day-to-day lives of residents.

It is impossible to overstate the key role our dementia care nursing staff plays in optimizing the health and wellbeing of those who live inside our communities. Our nurses and caregiving staff are at the heart of our mission to “protect, engage and love” our residents. And we love them!

We invite you to visit any of our Anthem Memory Care communities and meet our nurses. They will be happy to answer your questions and you will find them eager to learn more about your family’s journey.

(Our header image shows the nursing team from Morningside Place Memory Care in Overland Park, Kansas. Shown (left to right) are: Michelle Soule, Keith Melick and Neosha Collier. Missing from the photo is Patrick Lacmago Fombasso.)