Life Engagement
We appreciate and acknowledge every resident’s individuality and their lifetime of achievements and success. Our Life Engagement program is designed around this philosophy. It begins with seeing each person as the person they are on the inside – not just seeing the disease. The disease state does not define a person. At Autumn Leaves® we strive to engage residents with the social aspects of life. We have developed the life engagement program, a rich activity program that has the effect for each resident to lower anxiety, decrease frustration, and increase feelings of safety and fosters a sense of purpose. This in turn increases abilities and independence. We understand that challenging behaviors are a reflection of underlying uncomfortable emotions such as fear, anxiety, and boredom or frustration – we explore the trigger and change the environment to address these feelings.
By getting to know each resident on a personal level, we are able to offer personalized memory care activities for each and every resident. For instance, if a resident enjoys board games or puzzles, we make sure that there are plenty available. If we know that a particular resident routinely becomes anxious at specific time of day, we can anticipate the behavior and redirect their focus. Our life engagement program demonstrates personalization by utilizing the six elements of life engagement that capture the essence of a resident – who they are, their lifetime of achievements, successes, and accomplishments – and then provides the tools for our community team to connect with them at each interaction throughout the day.
The Six Elements of Life Engagement
Life Engagement at Autumn Leaves is founded on seven dementia care core beliefs:
Every Autumn Leaves Life Engagement Manager has met or exceeded state required certification. Each one participates in continuing education trainings to stay up to date with current trends, techniques required to effectively manage a memory care assisted living residence.
Much of our understanding of our residents’ interests and talents come from the Life Portrait that the family members provide. For maximum life engagement, it is essential that loved ones and friends feel welcomed at Autumn Leaves. We inform and invite the resident’s family to any and all community events, including our monthly family night. Once a resident joins an Autumn Leaves community their family becomes part of our family.
Call 888-662-8886 today to speak with an Autumn Leaves representative or to schedule a tour.