Supporting memory care patients at SKLD facilities throughout COVID-19 and beyond

June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month

Adjusting to the new normal in skilled nursing facilities during COVID-19 has been a challenge for residents everywhere. For those residents in memory care units, the struggle has its own nuances. These residents have a harder time understanding why group activities are canceled, and guests are no longer visiting. Connecting with loved ones virtually is so important, but it also comes with its own challenges for patients with Alzheimer’s. 

At SKLD facilities with memory care units across Ohio and Michigan, staff have been working diligently to keep Alzheimer’s and dementia residents engaged and supported. 

Providing continuous social interaction

Care for patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia depends especially on social interaction and cognitive therapy. With group activities canceled at this time, SKLD Zeeland’s assistant life enrichment director in the Gilead memory care unit, Rebeca Moeggenborg, says the staff has increased the amount of in-room activities. “Our programming hasn’t changed because we are still focusing on meaningful engagement and enjoying every second we can get outside.”

Activities Director Amy Stalter-Crate at SKLD New Lexington in Ohio says staff there are also working hard to keep residents engaged. “We have incorporated additional sensory activities, including cooking and baking, ‘tastes and smells of summer,’ musical instrument jam sessions, aromatherapy, nature time, play dough and call light bingo.”

Using technology to keep Alzheimer’s residents engaged

Residents are using tech to keep in touch with loved ones, similarly to all residents at SKLD facilities. To help them understand why loved ones aren’t visiting, Rebeka says they tell them there is a “sickness” going around and families aren’t coming to keep them safe. “We help them cope by offering ways for them to stay in contact with their families. Almost every resident has been able to keep in touch with their loved ones through lots of video and phone calls, window visits and letters.”

Using new technology has actually been quite positive for memory care residents as they engage with new tools and games. In addition to video calling, residents are using new game apps, doing puzzle and are experimenting with reminiscing apps and amused by the iPad’s “photo booth” to make funny faces.

Here are a few apps SKLD staff recommend for memory care residents

Gravitarium Live: Music Visualizer +: Draw amazing abstract line art that makes a personal, elegant wallpaper for your device or just enjoy the process of making line art. $3.99 on iTunes.

Doodle Buddy Draw for iPad: Draw on your photos with the option to freehand your drawings and creations, use a stencil, or even become an artist and smudge the image you have created.  In addition to the drawing features, Doodle Buddy also provides fun stamps and backgrounds to include in your app. Free on iTunes.

Dropophone: Create your own minimalist melodies with this exciting new app. This app allows you to make songs that sound like drips and drops falling on a tiny orchestra of instruments. Press the multi-colored raindrops triggers notes that loop every six seconds. Combine different colored drops and notes to compose your own rainy-day melodic backdrops. A metronome is also included to help you keep time. This app is super simple on purpose. This app is only available for iPhones and is free on iTunes.

Pressure art: A simple drawing app that increases the radius of the circle in response to how much pressure you put on the phone. This app is available for the iPhone and iPad. Free on iTunes.

Radiooooo: A great app for reminiscing where users can choose a specific country and decade and it plays music from that location and time. App is available for iPad and iPhone for free.

Labyrinth: The classic Labyrinth game where you control a steel ball by tilting a wooden labyrinth. Get 20 fun levels for free. If you like them you can buy a single In-App-Purchase which has over 1000 levels. Available in iTunes for free for iPhone and iPad.

Magic Piano by Smule: Piano rhythm game. Free on iTunes.

iMimic: Simon Says Classic Memory Match Game: The 80's are back with this retro-style game. Players repeat the sequence of tones and lights played by iMimic - it starts with a single tone and every round the sequence gets one tone longer. Free on iTunes.

Flow Free: Connect matching colors with pipe to create a Flow®. Pair all colors, and cover the entire board to solve each puzzle. But watch out, pipes will break if they cross or overlap! Free for iPhone and iPad from iTunes.

Word Search: Find the hidden words with your fingers. Residents enjoy a fun challenge as you identify the hidden words and then swipe up, down, left, right or diagonally to mark them. It's a fun way to hone your vocabulary, spelling and puzzle skills. The game has 3 difficulty levels from easy to hard. 

Trivia Crack: Have fun challenging your friends and enemies in the hottest trivia game! Let our friendly spinner wheel, Willy, select which questions you’ll answer from six different categories. Be the first to get the six crowns to win, but watch out for the rematch! Free on iTunes.

Adapting to routine changes for Alzheimer’s patients

Staff on memory care units work hard to create a consistent schedule for residents who can have a hard time adjusting to change. And while the days look different now than before COVID-19, staff continue to support a daily routine. 

Amber Stroven, transitional care liaison and admissions director at SKLD Zeeland, says everyday activities are all different now, starting with meals. Staff placed tape on the floor every 6 feet to encourage social distancing and then residents are evaluated to see can safely eat in their rooms. “We have two dining rooms that we use for this reason. The more independent residents are able to eat in the room with a CNA or nurse supervising. The other dining room is used for residents who need assistance. With assistance, we have all hands on deck to help during meal times.”

During sundowning, a time that residents in the memory care unit find more challenging, the SKLD Zeeland team adds a support aide to help residents and still encourage social distancing and making sure everyone is keeping their hands clean. 

Amber says wearing masks outside of their rooms isn’t simple for residents. “The majority of them are able to keep it on but don’t love it. It’s hard to explain to someone with dementia how important it is.” 

Rebeka says she loves the challenge of working on the Gilead unit and the connections she is able to make. This time during COVID-19 is no different. “We are able to give our residents a purpose, and we need to think outside the box and just have fun. It gives me the opportunity to comfort and connect with people who need it the most.” 

Amy at SKLD New Lexington is amazed at how residents have adjusted to this new normal. “Since COVID-19, we have heard of frontline heroes, and while I most certainly agree, I also feel that we have recognized an additional group of heroes, our residents. They have adjusted as well as they are capable, and although some struggle as expected during this sensitive time, most are adapting to increased 1:1 visits and room activities until groups can reopen. We are prevailing.”

Kathleen, a CNA at SKLD Zeeland says what’s true now and always for the SKLD memory care units. “It takes a special person to give these people the love, care, and patience they deserve. I’m lucky to get the opportunity to be here for them.” 

We couldn’t agree more.