There are many nonprofit organizations in Bradenton and the surrounding area. Each one is doing incredible work to support our community by helping those less fortunate, promoting the arts, providing education, and more.

During our nonprofit spotlight series, we’ll highlight information about a different local nonprofit each week. This week, we were thrilled to chat with Marcy MacPherson, founder of DementiAbility to learn more about their mission and how we can help. Here’s what she had to say.

Can you tell us a little bit about your mission and how you help to support our community?

DementiAbility ‘s mission is to provide education, training, and coaching for healthcare workers, paid caregivers, and loved ones in the positive practices of caring for patients/residents living with dementia or other cognitive impairments.

We work with staff in medical, rehab, and assisted living facilities, as well as caregivers and private situations. Our approach treats patients with dignity and gives all caregivers the necessary tools to deal with the complex and changing needs of those suffering from this disease.

We bring hope and joy to the lives of residents/patients and their families.

Who do you serve and why?

DementiAbility’s approach raises the level of care provided to the most vulnerable elderly population by keeping the resident/patient engaged, involved, and thriving in their care. We also provide their families and paid caregivers with the knowledge of how to positively interact with the person living with dementia by building trusting relationships while encouraging autonomy and employing validation strategies utilizing a calm and supportive environment.

Can you describe a few of your key programs?

Our plan is multifaced: involve the family, educate the paid caregivers, train paid caregivers, coach paid caregivers, and finally, provide a longer-term follow-up champion to ensure that the methods of care are successfully implemented.

Family Involvement:
At the start, we will invite family members of the assisted-living facility resident/patient with dementia to a meet and greet. Here, they will receive an overview of the dementia approach and will be asked to complete a satisfaction survey. We follow up one month later and ask them to complete a post-education survey.

Education:
We provide 16 hours of training and staggered sessions to avoid impacting the facility’s ability to successfully operate. This is actual coursework with lectures and presentations to provide the knowledge of the tools, skills, and techniques to be implemented in this approach.

Training:
After the education phase is completed, our experts will shadow paid caregivers and show them how best to implement the tools, skills, and techniques they have learned.

Coaching:
We will conduct one-on-one sessions over the next few weeks, enabling the paid caregivers to work on specific aspects of caregiving about which they might have questions. follow up.

Follow-up:
DementiAbility and facility management will choose a champion from each community to be the point person and provide feedback to DementiAbility as well as reinforce the training within the facility after we have completed the training and coaching. DementiAbility will maintain continued contact with each champion for additional resource care.

What’s the best way our community can help?

The community could help by spreading the word about DementiAbility and the positive way interactions and care can be based on relationships, and not on task. We are also accepting tax-deductible donations to be able to positively impact the care of our loved ones living with dementia, and or cognitive impairments.

Is there anything else you want us to know?

We are grateful for your interest and invite you to contact us at Director@Dementiabilty.us. To learn more, visit DementiAbility.us or follow us on Facebook.

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