Montessori for Elder and Dementia Care

Jennifer Brush, MA, CCC-SLP, is the Director of Brush Development, USA and the Program Director, Montessori Education for Dementia, St. Nicholas Montessori College, Dun Laoghaire, Ireland. Jennifer serves on the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) Advisory Board for Montessori for Aging and Dementia, and she is the only AMI Certified Trainer of Trainers for Montessori for Aging and Dementia in the US. Jennifer is the co-author of several nationally recognized books on dementia. Understanding the particular needs of healthcare organizations and families engaged in dementia care she brings more than 20 years of experience as both a leading researcher and direct-care coach in this complex field. She is a nationally recognized speech-language pathologist known for her work in the areas of memory and environmental interventions for people with dementia. She has served as the principal investigator on applied research grants that examined issues pertaining to HIV/AIDS dementia, hearing impairment, dining, swallowing disorders, and the long-term care environment. Ms. Brush has served as Chair of the Professional Development Committee of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association Gerontology Special Interest Division and on the Editorial Review Board of SpeechPathology.com. Margaret C. Jarrell, M.Ed., is a certified Practitioner and Certified Auxiliary Educator in Montessori for Aging and Dementia through AMI. She works on a variety of projects for Brush Development, including teaching and training, coaching, and curriculum writing. Margaret earned her B.A. in Developmental Psychology from Duke University and her M.Ed. degree from Marymount University. Here Elementary Montessori teaching credential is from the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies, and she was a Lower Elementary Montessori classroom teacher for 12 years before moving into administration and consulting. As both a Montessori student and now a Montessori parent, Margaret has seen firsthand how Dr. Montessori’s philosophy and methods nurture and support people’s natural love of learning, desire for independence, innate drive to do meaningful work, and need to serve with purpose as a member of a community. Contributing Authors Natalie Douglas, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Central Michigan University. She completed her B.S. and M.A. degrees at Ohio University. After a decade of clinical practice as a speech-language pathologist in hospital and long-term care environments, she completed her Ph.D. at the University of South Florida. Her research aims to advance best, person-centered practices in communication and quality-of-life interventions for people with dementia, aphasia, and other acquired communication disorders in adults. She also works to empower local healthcare teams to support quality improvement initiatives and person-centered care through applying principles of implementation science. Rev. Katie Norris, M.Div., is a brain health coach and owner of Recourse Health and Fitness Coaching. She is also the co-founder of the Carolyn L. Farrell Foundation of Brain Health. Her community ministry is devoted to helping people optimize their brain and body so they can live life to the best of their ability, with meaning and purpose. Rev. Katie has worked tirelessly for years to raise awareness and end stigmas associated with brain health issues, through community outreach and public speaking. Rev. Katie attended Montessori school through eighth grade and is the mother of a Montessori child. She was the first person in the United States to earn the AMI Practitioner Certificate in Montessori for Dementia and Aging. Together with Jennifer Brush, she is the co-author of Creative Connections in Dementia Care: Engaging Activities to Enhance Communication (Health Professions Press, 2015).

About the Author and ContributorsSection 1: Introduction



Person-Centered Best Practices
The Importance of Meaningful Engagement
Key Components of a Montessori Community for Aging

Section 2: Meaningful Engagement



Reclaiming Previous Roles
Individual Assessments and Meaningful Engagement Plans
Practicing Observation
Human Tendencies
Getting Started with Roles and Activities
Making Your Own Montessori-Inspired Materials
Memory Books

Section 3: The Prepared Environment



Preparing the Environment
Visual Cues
Name Tags and Room Signage
Preparing the Environment to Meet Elders’ Needs

Section 4: Working as a Team



Creating an Interdisciplinary Team
Developing an Action Plan
Operationalizing New Practices
Sample Text for Montessori-Friendly Policies
Incorporating New Practices into Job Descriptions
Changing the Culture
Leadership Responsibilities for Implementing Montessori
Engaging Staff
Stages of Change
Case Study: A Welcoming Sensory Have

Section 5: Intergenerational Programs



Benefits of Designing for Shared Learning Experiences
Elements of Intergenerational Programming
Organizational Planning
Preparing the Physical Environment
Session Structure at a School or Care Community
Activity Materials
Specific Considerations for the Senior Environment
Specific Considerations for the School Environment
Documents Needed

Section 6: Activity Ideas



Case Study: “The Joy of Doing” Activity Box for Adults
Button Sorting
Cleaning Shoes
Coffee Grinding
Dressing Frames (Example: Button Frame)
Embroidery
Flower Arranging
Lacing Cards
Leaf Polishing
Locks and Keys
Metal Insets
Mystery Bag
Nomenclature Cards
Nuts and Bolts
Orange Squeezing
Plant Care
Polishing Household Items
Pouring Beans
Pouring Juice for Others
Reading
Scent Jars
Setting the Table
Shell Matching
Sound Cylinders
Spooning
Strawberry Slicing
Sweeping the Carpet
Sweeping the Table Crumbs
Transferring with Tongs
Using a Screwdriver
Incorporating Montessori Principles into All Areas
Personal Care–Bathing
Care of the Environment–Making the Bed

Acknowledgments