Month: June 2018

Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resources

“All individuals, whatever their state of being, in the right setting and with the right care, can shine!” – Teepa Snow

 

When you think of experts on Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia care, most people in the industry think of Teepa Snow. Affected personally by dementia, Teepa is a leading educator on dementia and positive care.

At Our Family Home, we’ve been practicing many of Teepa’s principles since our inception. Tepee’s Positive Approach™ to Care techniques have influenced the way we interact with our residents as well as our emphasis on continued training. It was also a catalyst for more good days.

If you are not familiar with Teepa’s work or have found yourself looking for information or resources related to dementia care, we have compiled a few helpful tools to get started:

Meet Teepa Snow: We encourage you to start this journey with Teepa’s introductory video. It’s a great first step. You will also find links to more videos based on your needs.

Books: We are asked often for suggested reading. We love that Teepa includes a list of both informational as well as fiction books on her reading list. She also includes resources for Teens and Kids.

Teepa’s GEMS®️: Teepa may be most well known for her GEMS®️ system. According to her website, the GEMS®️ characteristics focus on ability instead of loss and are an invaluable tool to assist with changing abilities that impact relationship and expectations.

Events: In addition to a host of online resources, Teepa also travels extensively working with people around the world. Visit her Education page for more information on both training and events.

We hope you enjoy learning from Teepa Snow and find this information to be helpful in your journey with dementia or caring for someone with dementia.

Meet Lorie!

Employee Spotlight:
Lorie Orth, CDP
Director of Marketing and Admissions, Our Family Home

What do you do for Our Family Home?

I am the Director of Marketing and Admissions for Our Family Home. My main focus is to build awareness for Our Family Home in the Cincinnati area. I provide community training, facilitate support groups and offer animal therapy.

How long have you worked with Our Family Home?

I just celebrated two years with Our Family Home in May.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

Giving families the peace of mind that they have been looking for with regard to the care of their loved ones.  I love seeing the joy on the faces of the family members when they no longer feel that they must be caregiver first and family second.  We develop a level of trust with our families that is unparalleled in this industry.  They can once again sleep at night knowing that their loved one is safe at Our Family Home.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I have a 15-acre farm, where we raise chickens, ducks, goats and donkeys. That’s my joy. I occasionally bring in some of my chickens, ducks or baby goats, and the residents just light up.

What have you learned working with the residents of Our Family Home?

Compassion. I develop real relationships with my families and residents. I can’t help but want to make things better each day. I think about what I would want for my loved ones.

How have you been impacted by Alzheimer’s and dementia?

My great aunt had Alzheimer’s disease and I have Parkinson’s Disease. I have realized that I will probably need this level of care someday. It’s a part of why I believe so strongly in our mission to give residents more good days.