Sunnyside helping residents with dementia live their best life

Waterloo Region – Walking down the halls of Sunnyside Home in Kitchener, the bright purple, blue and red resident room doors are just one sign of changes being made to help residents with dementia live their best lives.

Sunnyside’s new approach to care is called Still ME. It involves making resident rooms and common areas feel more like home. Staff are also trained to engage with residents in meaningful ways and create regular opportunities for residents to feel joy and purpose. This helps remove triggers that cause residents with dementia to feel distressed, improves their quality of life and reduces burnout for staff.

Positive results can be seen in residents like Bill, a former mechanic who finds that spending time in the visiting area near his room brings back memories for him. The area now has a work bench, can crusher, and photographs of classic cars on the walls. “I’m going to make this my garage,” he said, as he chatted with staff about fond memories he has of working on a car with his brother.

“Many people who move into long-term care worry about the things they may have to give up,” said Connie Lacy, Seniors’ Services Director. “We don’t want people to feel that way. We want them to feel like their life is enhanced, not compromised, and that the things that were important to them at home can continue to be important to them. We’re responding to the needs, interests and abilities of each individual we serve.”

Sunnyside will measure the impact of Still ME by looking at rates of depression, falls, and the use of antipsychotics, as well as how socially engaged residents become. It is also hoped the new model will help reduce sick time among staff and lead to better job satisfaction.

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For an interview, please contact:

Sherry Morley, Communications Coordinator, Region of Waterloo, 519-883-2377, smorley@regionofwaterloo.ca

About Sunnyside

Sunnyside Home is a leader in quality care for older adults. Services provided at Sunnyside include dementia services, supportive housing, convalescent care, respite care, assisted living services, aging-at-home supports and the Sunnyside Wellness Centre. Many of these services are also offered in Waterloo and Cambridge. Watch our video, Welcome Home to get a sense of what it feels like to be part of our community.