It can be one of the most difficult, sad, and emotionally wrenching experiences a person can undergo when one of their parents loses the sense of rational thinking, tends to be disoriented, and no longer recognizes them due to the ravages of dementia or Alzheimer's disease.
Facilities such as Hearthstone, located on the third floor of Golden Pond on West Main Street in Hopkinton offer peace of mind, and security for the caregiver, and a tranquil, uplifting setting for the person who needs the comforts and amenities of a home away from home.
Hearthstone opened its first residence at Golden Pond in 1992, and currently has 25 residents.
``We now have four residences in Massachusetts and three in New York,'' said Carol Cahill, residence activities director at Hearthstone. ``Recently, we opened an affiliate program that teaches our unique method of dementia care to facilities all over the world.''
According to Cahill, Hearthstone specializes in providing environments where individuals with memory loss flourish.
``We use a coordinated care approach which focuses on non-pharmacological interventions to reduce the symptoms of dementia by adapting environments, engaging residents in meaningful activities and using specific communication techniques. Hearthstone has programs specifically designed for the beginning, middle and end stages of dementia.''
One of the founding measures Hearthstone uses effectively is AFTZ or Artists for Alzheimer's that is a volunteer initiative of the Hearthstone Alzheimer's Foundation, says Cahill.
``It draws on the support and collaboration of artists and cultural institutions, as resources, to share, educate, and inspire,'' she said.
Hopkinton resident Cheryl Perrault leads the Women of Poetry group.
``Sometimes I think no one can comprehend anything and then something Cheryl says sparks a memory and we are off on a wonderful sharing of stories,'' said Cahill. ``We love a challenge here, and it is so rewarding to have the opportunity to see a new resident start to trust us and grown and flourish in this environment.''
Based on the well-known Montessori teaching methods, Cahill has developed education programs for residents. There are theme-based days that delve into the history and definition that makes up the daily program.
``Recently we explored the history of WWII Doughnut Girls,'' she said. ``I created books for our reading group that are double spaced with large print and we took turns reading the pages of our book and discussing what we have learned.''
She added, ``After reading about the Doughnut Girls, and discussing our wartime memories we went to the kitchen and mixed, kneaded, and cut our own doughnuts. In the afternoon we fried and shared them with all the staff and visitors. It was a real sense of accomplishment to start from scratch and produce our own doughnuts.''
Since programs that are most beneficial to residents and visitors to the day program are those that offer social, cognitive, physical, emotional and spiritual stimulation, the residents are kept busy at the level to which they can perform, said Cahill.
``Our residents are thriving working with the Montessori program. Residents at Hearthstone enjoy familiar programs like cooking. None of the supplies I use are purchased from catalogs. All items are something familiar to them or programs created for all of us to learn something new. The more advanced stage residents benefit from activities such as rummage boxes of familiar objects or photo books that the residents have made.''
One of the programs coming in July is ``Dog Days of Summer'' that was inspired by visits from Cahill's dog, Lucy, the cockapoo.
``This weeklong event will feature the reading roundtable groups and will espouse a well-known canine theme,'' said Cahill. ``For our cooking club we will make corn dogs and for our baking group this week we will bake homemade healthy dog biscuits to donate to the local dog shelter.''
She continued, ``At the end of the week, we have planned a trip to the Baypath Humane Society to donate to pets waiting for homes. This community project is important for us to give back to the community. Familiar activities, such as cooking and baking, connect residents to the past.''
