What/Who is Ava? Ava is a mobile intelligent robot on loan to us, for the month of May, from our partners at ACD Direct, iRobot and Cisco. She offers HD videoconferencing along with full-fidelity audio as well as intelligent, autonomous navigation. Our hope is that Ava will provide a more immersive and simpler way to connect our residents to their […]
Blog
Decatur House is interested in caring for seniors, supporting families, and discovering and sharing resources about eldercare with the greater community.
Adapting to Coronavirus: It’s Virtual – April 22, 2020
A virus that lurks but does not enter— In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Decatur House, along with most of the rest of the business world, is having to implement unprecedented restrictions, adaptations, and modifications to company policies and procedures. Deliveries of food and medication left in the front vestibule are quickly unpacked, sanitized and […]
Maintaining Residents’ Dignity and Self-Respect
Each of us, at any age, has the right to be treated in a caring and respectful way. At Decatur House, providing excellent care for our residents is top of our minds, every day. And as we want to deliver that care in the most respectful and inclusive way possible it’s important to acknowledge and […]
Grief and Loss for Professional Caregivers: Facing Death and Sorrow as Part of Work
AL caregivers often develop deep, emotional, and personal bonds with residents and are more likely than any other type of caregiver to develop that bond near the end of the resident’s life, when they are most physically or emotionally compromised. As an AL caregiver you enter into someone’s life, help them through what could be […]
Limiting the Effects of Sundowning
What is Sundowning Syndrome? Sundowning is a symptom of dementia. It’s also known as “late-day confusion.” You may notice that some residents’ confusion and agitation gets worse in the late afternoon and evening compared to their symptoms earlier in the day. There are a number of things we as caretakers can do to reduce sundowning […]
On Meeting People with Dementia Where They’re At
In order to increase the quality of daily life for a person living with dementia, the caregiver needs to create moments of peace and reassurance. Truth-telling tools like reality orientation and validation therapy can be useful in helping dementia patients process their confusing world, but sometimes the truth can hurt more than help. When a […]
