Volunteering is associated with mental well-being, particularly in older adults. Yet we persist in doing things to and for residents, providing a steady diet of light social events, taking away opportunities for them to contribute, to give back. I...
Saskatoon’s Sherbrooke Community Centre, a centre that embraces the Eden Alternative Philosophy, is a warm and welcoming place: there are 263 residents, 100 Community Day Program participants, 500 volunteers, families, friends, students, pets, and over 500 staff. Sherbrooke has...
With continuing budget cutbacks and scarcity of resources, value-for-money matters. New research has found a solution that will give you a significant social return on your investment (SROI)1. SROI is derived from analytical methods such as cost-benefit analysis and...
“For me it has been an amazing and powerful experience as a facilitator. The Java Music Club at Serendipity has helped me to develop a closer relationship with our guests. We became more than friends, we are like a...
The Alzheimer’s Resource Center of Connecticut is launching a new study on the both the Java Music Club and Java Memory Car programs. The Alzheimer’s Resource Center of Connecticut is one of only a handful of non-profit providers focused...
In a new article in Aging & Mental Health, researchers are suggesting that loneliness can be a self-fulling prophesy – that that the expectations older people hold of aging impacts their later health (Pikhartova, Bowling and Victor, 2016). We...
Vera is an 82-year widow living with early-stage dementia, newly admitted to residential care. Vera spends her time alone listening to classical music on the radio. Asked how she is adjusting to living at the home, Vera responded: “I think...
Java Memory Care, a new innovative peer support program for those living with advanced dementia, was recently nominated for the product of the year by the Ontario Association for Long Term Care! Java Memory Care is an adaptation of...
Journal of Aging Studies Loneliness and depression are serious mental health concerns across the spectrum of residential care, from nursing homes to assisted and retirement living. Psychosocial care provided to residents to address these concerns is typically based on a long-standing...
Just imagine a solution to depression so simple, that it can be implemented every day at no additional cost. Those struggling with depression can reap enormous benefits by focusing their attention on gratitude for the good things in life....