Our Services
Jefferson Elder Care specializes in providing services for older adults with dementia and/or intellectual disabilities to aid them in engaging in their daily tasks/activities. These services consist of an occupational therapist that visits the home of the individual and assesses their needs within the home environment
Memory Loss
Seniors who have memory loss, Alzheimer's disease or other dementias may experience confusion, trouble planning and organizing, and changes in personality and behavior. Memory loss impacts a senior’s quality of life, affecting their safety and ability to participate in and enjoy daily activities.
Intellectual Disability & Dementia
Seniors who have intellectual disability and dementia typically exhibit personality and behavior changes prior to memory loss and forgetfulness. These symptoms often progress rapidly, which impacts their quality of life, safety and ability to participate in and enjoy daily activities.
Clinical & Consultation Services
An occupational therapist will visit the home of an individual with dementia and identifies the needs of the individual.
With the use of Skills2Care®, the occupational therapist learns about care challenges that are occurring in the home environment of an individual with dementia. The occupational therapist will then develop strategies that are uniquely curated to fit the needs of the individual with dementia. The strategies implemented can aid in:
- Manage behaviors such as wandering
- Make the home a safer environment
- Reduce caregiver stress
- Engage individuals in meaningful activities
An occupational therapist works with caregivers of an individual with intellectual disability and dementia to identify and address challenges to supporting the individual.
Through the Skills2Care®-ID program the occupational therapist identifies the challenges experienced by the caregivers supporting the individual with intellectual disability and dementia. The occupational therapist in collaboration with the caregivers develop customized strategies to help with
- Managing behaviors such as agitation, anxiety or refusal of self care activities
- Making the environment safer
- Engaging the individual with in meaningful activities
- Reducing caregiver stress
Home Safety Assessment
An occupational therapist will assess the safety of the home of an individual to reduce safety hazards. An occupational therapist will visit the home of an individual to access the safety and make recommendations to reduce risks of falls and safety hazards. Some of these recommendations may include:
- Appropriate bathroom equipment
- Proper placement of furniture to reduce clutter
- Proper storage of regulary used items for easier retrieval
- Safety storage of any harmful objects
- Proper lighting and visual adaptions
Functional Cognitive Assessment
The occupational therapist visits and administers a battery of assessments to determine the functional cognition of the individual with dementia. Also appropriate for individuals with intellectual disability and dementia.
Family Caregiver Workshops
Caregivers learn about dementia and practice strategies that promote best care and optimize daily performance in the person with dementia.
Family Caregiver Workshops provide participants with practical strategies to reduce behavioral symptoms, reduce environmental hazards, and promote activity engagement and self-care. Participants are actively engaged in discussion and group problem solving of real-life scenarios. The workshops cover three critical topics:
- Understanding and Addressing Challenging Behaviors
- Ensuring Safety in the Home
- Promoting Activity Engagement
Agency Consultation
Assisting individuals who demonstrate dementia symptoms or behavior can be challenging. Jefferson Elder Care Agency Consultation helps agency personnel by providing them with specialized knowledge and skills that can improve the quality of care.
Agency Consultation Helps Agencies:
- Develop, implement and evaluate programs that support individuals with dementia
- Assess environmental features that trigger dementia-related behaviors
- Evaluate factors that impact the safety of individuals who have dementia
- Enhance the effectiveness and safety of caregivers who participate in activities with seniors who are suffering from dementia
If you’d like to schedule one or more of these services or are interested in hosting a workshop, please contact eldercare@jefferson.edu