Montessori for Aging and Dementia
Those of us who have children in Montessori school, as I do, have seen firsthand the joy of learning that takes place in a Montessori classroom. We have watched our children be naturally drawn to the beautiful materials because they appeal to their instinctive drives. Their work leads to a feeling of accomplishment and self-respect. All of us, no matter our age, want to feel a sense of self efficacy and purpose. So, could Montessori philosophies be successful for all of us, at any age? Many of us are familiar with the term Montessori as it applies to education but only a few of us are familiar with the application of Montessori methods for Dementia. Montessori for Aging and Dementia is a model of care which focuses on supporting the person in an environment that is adapted to support memory loss and independence. The result is that people living with dementia are able to make meaningful contributions to their community, engage in meaningful activities in addition to having the opportunity to maintain, and even restore function. The approach is flexible, innovative and grounded in research.
Brush Development is very pleased to announce that Jennifer Brush has been appointed by the Executive Director of Association Montessori Internationale to serve as an inaugural member of the AMI Advisory Group for Montessori for Aging and Dementia. Jennifer presented her research in the area of dementia at the first international conference for Montessori environments for dementia in Sydney last fall, and spoke at the AMI Annual Meeting in Amsterdam in April 2015. She is one of two US dementia care experts participating in writing AMI standards for Montessori for Aging and Dementia with dementia care experts Gail Elliot from Canada and Anne Kelly from Australia.
