Aspen Care provides Dementia care to clients across Calgary. We provide home care and nursing care for all stages of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. As currently there is no cure for dementia, an important part of our job at Aspen Care is to slow the process through exemplary care strategies. As the cognitive ability deteriorates over time, Aspen Care tries very hard to slow this process down by involving clients within the community, exercise, a nutritious diet, maintaining independence and encourage an overall balanced lifestyle.  

1) Exercise 

Our nurses at Aspen Care implement and supervise the daily exercise. We encourage the cultivation of a therapeutic relationship with clients. Physical exercise is not only an appropriate nursing intervention to improve cognitive functioning and well-being but also offers an opportunity to socialize and decrease seclusion often experienced by people living with dementia (Alzheimer’s Society, 2009).

2) Community Involvement

Whether that is taking the client to church, to the Calgary Library, to community events, or a day of shopping, being out in the community is extremely important for each individual. People living with dementia can sometimes experience feelings of isolation. Routine outings and socialization are essential in slowing down dementia. Some clients are fearful that their cognitive impairment will be apparent during socialization, causing social activities to be considered an unpleasant experience and can decrease self-esteem (Bratass, Bjugan, Wille, & Hellzeen, 2010). However, our nurses at Aspen Care regularly engage one-on-one with clients and encourage socialization as frequently as possible. Community involvement is so frequent at Aspen Care, that it becomes a regular habit for clients, rather than a dreaded one-off experience. 

3) Nutritious Diet

A healthy and balanced diet is at the forefront of our care plans. Our nurses to create nutritious meals, yet always ensuring the clients have a choice with what they would like to eat and when they would like to eat. One of our biggest values at Aspen Care is respecting the client’s wishes, and maintaining independence while providing care. 

4) Maintaining Independence

We encourage our clients to socialize with friends, church groups, family, etc. We offer driving services for our clients so they have every option to remain independent every day. At Aspen Care, our goal is to maintain quality of life while advocating autonomy and allowing our clients to participate in their own care to their maximum potential functioning. 

Dementia has a serious impact on a person’s self-worth. Aspen Care’s goal with dementia care is to maintain quality of life to the fullest. Our nurses look past dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and instead recognize each individual who is deserving of compassion, high-level treatment and a better quality of life: this is why we love our nurse team, as they can make all the difference! 

For more information on Dementia Care, please contact us at 403-990-3837

Sources: 

Alzheimer’s Society. (2009). Counting the cost. London, Great Britain: Alzheimer’s Society.

Bratass, H., Bjugan, H., Wille, T., & Hellzeen, O. (2010). Experiences of day care and collaboration among people with mild dementia. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 19(19), 2839-48. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2702.2010.03270