Pillars of Focus
Our Memory Support Pillars of Focus
Quality Improvement
The Abe’s Garden Memory Support Center of Excellence, with the help of the Vanderbilt Center for Quality Aging (VCQA), continually assesses the effectiveness of programming, resident well-being, staffing, care and environment. Systems are routinely identified, assessed, improved as needed, and shared as part of our mission to establish best practices and elevate the quality of Alzheimer’s and dementia care on our Nashville campus and throughout the nation and world. Learnings are available to researchers and other providers of residential and day programs to foster elevated dementia care.
Observation
Our quality improvement team conducts direct observations of staff/resident interactions during activities of daily living (ADLs), mealtimes and invitations to engagement opportunities. Observations evaluate which care and communication approaches are successful, determine varying resident needs, and recognize areas requiring additional team training or attention.
Family Support
The relationships between family members and their loved ones with Alzheimer’s or dementia will change as the disease progresses. Our full-time licensed clinical social worker assists with easing the transition from home into Abe’s Garden Memory Support care and services, offers visitors strategies and skills to assist in communication and maximize valuable time together, and provides emotional support for families. As a resident’s cognitive and communication skills decline. Abe’s Garden Community continues providing family members with education and support throughout this journey.
Collaboration with Vanderbilt University
- “A System for Managing Staff and Quality of Dementia Care in Assisted Living Facilities” in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, July 2018
- “A Quality Improvement System to Manage Feeding Assistance Care in Assisted Living” in The Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (JAMDA), March 2018. An accompanying video can be viewed
- “Managing Person-Centered Dementia Care in an Assisted Living Facility: Staffing and Time Considerations” in The Gerontologist, June 2017
Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Victor J. Legner, MD, MSc, and nurse practitioner Mattie Brady, MSN, DNP, AGPCNP-BC, GS-C provide on-site physician care for residents.
In addition, three Abe’s Garden Community benefactors established the Vanderbilt University Abram C. Shmerling, M.D. Chair in Alzheimer’s Disease and Geriatric Medicine. This faculty member provides opportunities for Vanderbilt University to lead and direct key partnerships for applied research on dementia.
Additional Services
Abe’s Garden Community’s memory support services extend well beyond residential living. We can support families from the moment their loved one is diagnosed.
Services include: