He who has a ‘why’ for which to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’. (Friedrich Nietzsche) We are all searching for meaning. Promoting purpose in life and meaningful relationships is key to well-being (1). A new study reveals...
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Are you looking for a new way to put together a social calendar? Imagine this. Every day residents get up in the morning, have their breakfast and then look to see what’s happening that day on their social calendars....
Research has found that people living with dementia tend to reflect the emotions of those around them. This transfer of emotion is called ‘emotional contagion’. As their thinking abilities decline, they develop an increased sensitivity to other emotional processes....
Although many kinds of interventions are used for those living with dementia, a lack of evidence often undermines their effectiveness. In a systematic review of 363 qualitative studies, the authors of a 2015 research article identified 5 processes, or...
All behaviors have meaning and ‘aggressive’ behaviors have been called responsive behaviors because they are not unpredictable or meaningless, but rather a response to an unmet need.1 Even though it may not be apparent to us, those in distress...
Dr. David Sheard presented recently at the Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors Conference in Toronto. He has developed a model for dementia care called ‘Feelings Matter Most’, that focuses on nurturing emotions. Mattering means to...
Providing opportunities for residents with to support and help one another is an excellent daily intervention and preventative treatment to address unmet needs (Cohen-Mansfield, 2014). Peer support has a significant impact on loneliness and depression and yet we rarely...
The Three Keys to Calmness In his book called The Worry Solution, Dr. Martin Rossman writes about the importance of cultivating calmness in our lives.1 When we are calm and relaxed, our bodies and brains repair and renew themselves. (Read...
Five Ways to Enhance the Use of a Song Please note: If you would like a free PDF of this document, email kristine@javagp.com There is a difference between the use of songs or music as a diversion, and the...
Storytelling around a photograph is a part of the Java Music Club. Stories use metaphor and imagery to change the way we see our lives and the world, offering healing and growth to everyone – both the teller of...