Community Corner: Anathan Adult Day Memory Care Services

One of the newest projects here at Anathan Adult Day is the Get to Know Me Project, where members and their loved ones complete prompts about their interests and life stories. This allows us to get to know each person in depth and plan activities with their interests in mind. Resident-driven engagement is one of the main foundations of the I’m Still Here® approach to dementia care, which we use at Anathan. We were amazed at all the information we learned about our members while working on this project. This is a great resource for new staff, and has been an enjoyable project for our long-term team as well. In the coming months, we are excited to begin featuring a member of the month. This will be a great way for everyone to learn new things about each other and celebrate our community.

We’ve also begun holding member council meetings, which are a great opportunity for the members to share their input, vote on upcoming events, and help shape their daily schedule. While we have always provided our members with choice, this gives them another meaningful way to be included in the decision-making and have autonomy.

Our exercise program has recently expanded with new ways for members to stay active and engaged. We still offer our chair exercise program and have recently added games like balloon toss, group ball-passing, and putt-putt golf. These activities are always lively, fostering both fun and friendly competition. We are going to try basketball next!

Personally, I have been here for almost a year now and I continue to learn new things every day. I work closely with our members and their families and am so proud of the amazing things we see each and every day. For example, one member who was nonverbal when I started is now speaking and has even formed friendships with other members. I’ve also learned so much about Jewish customs and holidays thanks to Rabbi and our staff. I love to sit with the members, engage in conversation, and build meaningful connections with them every day.

– Tye Ogg
Director, Anathan Adult Day Memory Care Services