The Villager Newspaper Online Your Community News – Cleveland's Westshore
Fairmont Senior Living of Westlake joins an exclusive group of credentialed senior living communities that have implemented a revolutionary Montessori-based approach to memory care.
The team at Fairmont of Westlake is devoted to building a Montessori Inspired Lifestyle® (MIL) for their community, earning them a Bronze Level credential. The MIL program was created by the Center for Applied Research in Dementia (CARD) after one of its founders, Dr. Cameron Camp, adapted Dr. Maria Montessori’s principles for older adults with dementia. Guided by CARD, staff learned how to implement the Montessori principles of equality, dignity, and respect into their community. Staff were trained to empower residents with memory impairment to be as independent as possible. This is achieved through tapping into each resident’s remaining strengths, designing environments they can thrive in, and helping them find purposeful activities and meaningful roles within their community.
Communities effectively using Montessori principles benefit from healthier and happier residents, fewer drugs, fewer responsive behaviors, more satisfied families, and better staffing and census (Witt-Hoblit, Miller, & Camp, 2016).
Bronze Level organizations have resident-led committees, multidisciplinary Learning Circles, effective signage and environmental cues, and a system for residents to volunteer for purposeful community services activities, among many other milestones.
“Our Montessori Program is important for the residents because it provides them with the opportunity for choice and purpose on a daily basis. I have truly enjoyed watching our residents’ reactions to everyday tasks change and flourish as we implement the key Montessori principles. Our mission is to provide personalized care for all residents which is something that is also implemented with the Montessori Inspired Lifestyle”- Elizabeth Swindig, Montessori Program Director
About Fairmont Senior Living of Westlake
At Fairmont Senior Living of Westlake, we offer our residents a continuum of care. This approach allows them to avoid the stress of changing where they live as their needs change. We offer a range of care options from Assisted Living to Memory Care, providing our residents the opportunity to enjoy the consistency and comforts of aging in place in a friendly, community environment with our helpful and attentive staff present to assist them along the way. Contact Maddie at 440-808-0074 for more information or visit https://fairmontwestlake.com
