A couple of the men have gotten up early in search of coffee and food. The full breakfast menu is not available until 8 a.m., but it is worth the wait because residents can order all their favorites; bacon, sausage, eggs cooked their way, oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, and fresh fruit. The gentlemen are fine though, because before 8 a.m. there is fresh coffee brewing and muffins, donuts, or toast available for early risers and Care Managers are happy to assist them.
Residents wake at their own pace and are assisted with getting ready for the day. Some need a little help with picking out clean clothes, others need help getting dressed, but all are invited to the dining room when they are ready and are served breakfast to order. While they eat, their suites are straightened up, beds made, laundry picked up to be washed, and trash removed.
After breakfast, some residents will go back to their room to read the newspaper or watch the morning news on TV, some will take a walk to Town Square to visit the concierge and see what is on the calendar for the day. A few of the residents like to get busy folding laundry, watering plants, and delivering mail. While others like to take their coffee out to the Indoor Courtyard and relax in the fresh air.
When the Activities Department staff have finished assisting those residents that look for a task to do in the morning, they provide a group activity. Sometimes it may be a craft, other times it may be a cognitive game, but it is always an opportunity for residents to socialize with their peers and have meaningful engagement in an activity they can be successful doing. Care Managers are available to assist residents not interested in the activity find something more to their liking.
Lunch is more structured than breakfast. Residents are invited to come together in the dining room at noon for the largest meal of the day. An Alexa plays instrumental music to create an atmosphere of calm, and residents are served one of the two entrees they can choose from. If they do not like the entrees of the day, there are always other options. The current situation, living with the threat of Covid-19, is a bit different than normal. We try to encourage social distancing, so most residents sit at their own table. However, there are a few of our residents who insist on sitting together and that request is honored.
After lunch, some residents chose to rest for a little while, some sit in the comfortable quiet of the sunroom, others are ready for a walk to the pond. The Activities staff and Care Managers gather the group, don them in hats and sunglasses if needed, and set out for the pond. Many times, they return with stories of herons and woodchucks. If you listen to them on their walk, many times you will hear, “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck…”.
As the group returns to Town Square, they visit the Eliot Rose Café for some infused water. Our Dietary staff infuses the water with everything from watermelon to cucumbers keeping residents happily hydrated. After their walk, some residents may stay in Town Square for a chat at the Café tables which have items to explore: historical photos, metal brainteaser puzzles to conquer, or miniature items used as conversation starters. These items vary from day to day to keep residents exploring and engaged.
Soon, it is time for the afternoon social which always includes refreshments and sometimes has a theme, like Shirley Temple (the drink and trivia about the child) or Banana Lovers (with special banana split casserole and more information on bananas than one would ever want to know). Now that everyone has refilled their energy with snacks or naps, the residents come together for a physically active game like Corn Hole or Dutch Shuffleboard. Games are modified so that all residents interested can participate regardless of their physical ability.
There is just enough time before dinner to freshen up and then once again everyone comes together for a meal. Dinner is a bit lighter than lunch, usually soups and sandwiches, or pizzas and salads. After dinner, while some residents chose to settle into the easy chair in their suite and watch TV, others may watch a concert on YouTube in the Lounge, and others meet together in either the Indoor Courtyard or Sunroom for an evening of discussion and reminiscence with the Activities staff.
One by one, residents chose to end their busy day. Some early, others later. Care Managers are there to assist residents settle in for the night and our night owls have nurses and Care Managers to keep them company.
This is a typical day at Spring Village at Dover. Sometimes something special happens like a birthday party, a carnival, or a parade. Some days residents have a family visit or are seen by the doctor or one of the other auxiliary service professionals. However, most days are a series of opportunities to eat, exercise, rest, and socialize, which are proven to be the fundamental elements to help a person living with dementia feel comfort, control, and confidence.
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