Memory Care at Weatherly Court
Connections Program at Fields Senior Living
What does “Connections” mean?
What: We strive to enhance the quality of life for individuals living with dementia by recognizing their uniqueness and need for self-recognition. This is achieved by making connections to the whole person and their well-being (mind, body, and spirit).
How does it tie into the goals of our residents and their families?
How: We provide personalized care, a safe environment, and positive relationships by creating meaningful life engagements and experiences delivered through specialized programs and support services by our dedicated caregiving team and care partners.
At Fields Senior, we connect residents to:
- Person-centered care in all areas, including personal care and assistance, activities, dining, and personal relationships
- Well-trained and dedicated caregivers and team members
- A dynamic and cognitively stimulating program that focuses on personal preferences and meeting personal desires and needs
- Friendships with other residents and team members, and ongoing healthy family relationships
- Services that help a resident maintain as much independence as possible in the form of occupational therapy, physical therapy or speech therapy and other home health services
- Appropriate medical oversight of medications, health status, and interventions
- A safe and comforting environment where residents can feel dignity and love, and experience the opportunity to live a meaningful life regardless of their cognitive state
The cornerstones of connections care
At Fields Senior Living, we believe in caring for the person and not the disease. We follow the philosophies of Dr. Thomas Kitwood (1997) who developed the concepts of person-centered care, and a person-directed care approach.
The essence of this philosophy focuses on honoring the self of each person by respecting self-esteem issues for every resident. In this culture, a positive relationship is built on each person’s life history, preferences, and identity.
Every encounter with a resident is an engagement where an overall sense of well-being is encouraged.
Fields Senior Living residents are VIPS. This acronym, derived from the work of person-centered pioneers, is a handy reference for remembering the Connections approach to memory care.
VIPS stands for:
- VALUING people with dementia and those who care for them (family members and care staff).
- Treating people as INDIVIDUALS, with warmth and compassion.
- Looking at the world from the PERSPECTIVE of the person with dementia.
- Providing a positive SOCIAL environment in which the person living with dementia can experience a connection to others and feel hope, joy, and love.
The unique value of a person-centered care approach is the concept of individualized relationships, which is how we treat residents as VIPS. Inside a Fields community, we:
- Treat all persons as individuals.
- Support and respect personal choice in every encounter.
- View the world from the perspective of a person with dementia.
- Provide a positive and nurturing environment where residents can experience a sense of well-being and experience joy every day.
- Honor the value of a person with dementia, and honor all those who care for them in a true partnership approach to care: a full partnership with the resident, staff, and family members.
At Fields Senior Living, we have embraced culture change by moving away from the traditional models/designs of memory care that unintentionally fostered dependence. Rather, we focus on a resident- and person-centered model: an environment created to increase autonomy and support a resident’s desire for an authentic, positive lifestyle.