A Namaste Care Activity Book

"I open the garden gate, which creaks on old, worn hinges. The rose garden is peaceful but not silent. Bird song and the buzz of bees provide nature's melody. Somewhere in the distance, gentle music is playing and it relaxes me." Namaste Care offers compassionate care to people with advanced dementia through sensory input, comfort and pleasure, combining music, therapeutic touch, colour, food and scents. With ready-to-use structured sensory stories that are specially designed for people with advanced dementia, A Namaste Care Activity Book invites you to enhance your care through storytelling and sensory stimuli. Early chapters give an overview of the approach, exploring the effects of sensory stimulation in improving quality of life. With contributions from professionals across the field, chapters describe ways to engage the different senses, including aromatherapy, food and memory and therapeutic use of lighting. These are followed by a selection of themed stories, with ideas for sensory activities to support each one. In addition to guides for Namaste Care sessions, the book provides a starting point for writing your own stories tailored to the person for whom you are caring. Inspiring creativity and confidence in delivering Namaste Care, the activities provide valuable guidance in caring for and improving the lives of people with advanced dementia.

With accessible resources and guidance, this book offers essential tools to support those living with advanced dementia through Namaste Care. Providing an overview of the approach, it draws on a range of professional expertise through contributory chapters on sensory activity and includes a variety of sensory stories and related activities.

Offers simple and practical ways for direct care staff to provide holistic end-of-life care for people with advanced dementia. --Publisher.

Caring for people with advanced dementia presents unique challenges that the Namaste Care? program addresses using simple, holistic practices. Through comforting and meaningful sensory-based experiences, this enlightened approach to care honors the enduring spirit of each person. It brings satisfaction both to people experiencing it and to those who care for them. Evocative scents, soothing music, and gentle massage are just part of this innovative program, which can be implemented with minimal resources and training and meets regulatory guidelines for person-centered activity programming for all stages of dementia. Step-by-step advice for staffing, budgeting, operating, and marketing the program is provided along with detailed information for creating a suitable setting for running a Namaste Care program. Recommended lists of nursing and activity supplies, suggested activities, and other valuable resources are also included.Proven effective in skilled nursing facilities, assisted living memory care communities, and hospice organizations, this evidence-based approach has been implemented and validated around the world. Positive outcomes include improved resident comfort, engagement, and quality of life; increased family involvement; and strengthened staff morale. And the concepts of Namaste Care are flexible enough to be used with groups of residents or one-on-one with individuals. Embracing a loving-touch approach and focusing on the particular end-of-life needs of people with dementia, this program enables the care team to bring grace and dignity to those completing their dementia journey.Completely revised Third EditionThis award-winning book includes full instructions for implementing a Namaste Care program plus new evidence and features:?Detailed descriptions of Namaste Care groups and individuals?Suggested adaptations for a variety of settings?Additional stories about creative uses and efficacy of Namaste Care?Increased scope of practice in the U.S., Australia, the U.K., Europe, and Singapore?In-depth description of the physical setting and supplies needed?Expanded discussion of death and dying?Updated research and references

A practical guide for carers and professionals looking to transfer the principles of Namaste Care to those living with advanced dementia at home. Contains detailed descriptions of how to implement this multisensory approach and emphasises how it can improve quality of life for those with dementia and their families.

Namaste Care is a therapeutic approach to caring for those living with advanced dementia, focused on improving their quality of life through a simple, soothing and rewarding process. This step-by-step guide is for anyone looking to translate the principles of the Namaste Care approach successfully and professionally into a home or care setting, with an emphasis on the value of volunteers in the community in implementing this. The Namaste Care approach is focussed on giving comfort and pleasure to people with advanced dementia through sensory stimulation, especially the use of touch, and this book provides extensive guidance on every stage of the process, including harnessing community interest, recruiting and training volunteers, and managing pain and discomfort. In a time of ever-growing strain on healthcare resources, this practical guide is a timely reminder of the power and value of informal care and compassionate communities in helping to care better for people with dementia, and is essential reading for carers, professionals and family members.

Activity and engagement are vital to our well-being throughout our lives and this continues to be just as true of people living with dementia. The activities presented in this book have been designed to provide meaningful engagement for residents, while respecting each individual resident's readiness to engage and participate. This approach to person-centred care has proven to be extremely effective: activities such as Namaste Care and Memory Cafés have engaged residents who had previously not responded to interventions, demonstrably showing an increase in their levels of well-being. Supported by case studies, each chapter will also recommend the best way to implement the ideas discussed in the care home environment and beyond.

An activity book that offers laughs for days when you are anxious, depressed, or feeling down I'm Not OK, You're Not OK is an activity book for days when you feel anxious, depressed, or insecure. Conceived by an author and illustrator who have come to rely on laughter and other drugs to cope with their mental health issues, this book is like being with a hilarious friend who has no good advice but totally gets what you are going through. Use a bingo board to track signs that things may be off. Consult a list of conversation enders and excuses for staying home when social anxiety creeps in, and track the number of times you've canceled plans with a handy punch card. I'm Not OK, You're Not OK is brightly illustrated throughout but unafraid of the dark side. We've all been there, and that's OK.