At a public awards ceremony in October, three divisions of the Jewish Association on Aging (JAA) received the esteemed Memory Care Center of Excellence certification conferred by the Boston-based Hearthstone Institute – an international leader in Alzheimer’s research, innovative program development, and evidence-based caregiver training. The JAA is the first Memory Care Center of Excellence in Pennsylvania.
Commenting on the achievement, JAA President & CEO Deborah Winn-Horvitz said, “This is a game changer in the treatment of Alzheimer’s in Pennsylvania. We are removing the stigma of this disease and are embracing a revolutionary type of care for those with Alzheimer’s, letting them live their best lives with joy and engagement. “This approach stands in stark contrast to conventional methods that have focused on the individual’s deficits and lost abilities and have thereby limited their potential for engaging in the things they can still enjoy.”
In achieving this distinction, JAA joins Charter House at Mayo Clinic and a select group of senior care providers nationwide that have successfully completed Hearthstone’s curriculum of advanced memory care training.
I’m Still Here
Based on Hearthstone’s I’m Still Here non-pharmacologic approach to treating those with dementia, JAA utilizes a unique Hope Model of care that embraces each individual’s continuing abilities, interests, and preferences; engages them in daily activities that are enjoyable, meaningful, and purposeful; and provides “a life worth living.”
Jewish Association on Aging Memory Care Champions are recognized by Hearthstone Institute representatives.
The I’m Still Here approach to memory care has demonstrated measurable improvements in the quality of life of loved ones living with progressive memory loss. These include:
• Reduced symptoms of anxiety, agitation, aggression, and apathy
• Improvements in standard measures of well-being and quality of life
• Reduction in falls
• Reduction in anti-psychotic drug use
• Increased family member satisfaction
• Reduction in hospital re-admissions
To learn more about the evidence-based memory care program at JAA, contact Martha Martel, Director of Memory Care Programming at JAA and Executive Director of the Residence at Weinberg Village, by calling 412-521-8988.