Research-Driven Treatment of the Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease

Imagine your Mom or Dad living in a nurturing safe environment where he or she is not only well cared for but the symptoms of the dementia or Alzheimer’s disease is actually being treated. This is what makes SLR’s Compass Memory Support different from most other assisted living communities. Our innovative treatment programming, based on current research and overseen by full-time professional Alzheimer’s Care Program Directors, is truly cutting edge. You will notice an improved overall quality of life for your loved one.

Re-Connections Program
The Reconnections Program is an curriculum-based learning program which provides individuals with a multitude of ways to re-connect with past interests and experiences. The program utilizes stimulation of the senses, as well as short and long-term memory and cognition. Learning modules are focused on the residents’ interests (past and present), occupations, and lifelong experiences and are specifically designed to elicit an engaged response. Unlike the current “brain gym” fad, which emphasizes brain “exercises” done in isolation on a computer screen, our approach helps those with memory loss to actually learn new information through cognitive and sensory stimulation, as well as evoking past memories and experiences.

Lifetime Achievement Award
This award program is an antidote to the isolation and anonymity experienced by individuals with memory loss who often lose their identity – both to themselves and to their exhausted families. Its purpose is to personalize and individualize how we relate to residents living in our assisted living communities and support their families. The Lifetime Achievement Award, which confers dignity, personal recognition, and identity to the individual with memory loss, can also be a healing exercise for family members as they are interviewed about happier family times. The process of gathering the information also makes our associates aware of the life story, family structure and accomplishments of the residents they’re caring for every day creating closer bonds.

Memory Preservation Nutrition® Program
New research shows that a diet of “brain healthy foods” (nutrient- rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, specific spices, antioxidants & omega-three fatty acids) support cognitive function and can actually reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Our talented chefs have done an outstanding job of creating delicious Memory Preservation Nutrition® recipes. Our residents love the food and we think you will, too. The program was developed by internationally recognized expert Nancy Emerson Lombardo, PhD, adjunct research assistant professor of neurology at the Boston University School of Medicine and president of Healthcare Insights.

Clinical Consultation to Reduce Hospitalizations
It is common for an older individual with memory loss to go to the hospital with a benign issue and end up in three or four different medical settings before returning home or back to their assisted living community. On occasion these transitions can be so disruptive that the resident decompensates to the point they cannot safely return. In an effort to avoid hospitalizations of our residents, we have partnered with a medical professional from the BU School of Medicine Alzheimer’s Disease Center who conducts “Grand Rounds” via conference calls with our Compass Memory Support Neighborhood Program Directors to develop plans to reduce behaviors that may otherwise lead to a hospitalization.

Medication Assessment Program
SLR and Dovetail Health have launched a groundbreaking Medication Assessment Program providing a comprehensive medication “check-up” option for seniors moving into our communities. Residents and families meet personally with an experienced clinical pharmacist who provides a thorough evaluation of each resident’s medications. A summary report identifies potential medication conflicts and related safety risks, provides personalized medication charts that families and residents can share with physicians, identifies possible medication-related issues, and suggests particular questions that families may want to pose to physicians. Dovetail Health is an innovative home health service that provides high quality health management support and daily health monitoring for seniors.