The Memory Care Innovation program is designed to recognize passionate and innovative industry members who are shaping the future of cognitive care across behavioral health, home health and home care, hospice and palliative care, senior housing, and skilled nursing. To see this year’s inaugural Memory Care Innovation Award winners, visit https://innovation.memorycarebusiness.com/.
To become a Memory Care Innovation Award winner, an individual must be nominated by their peers. The candidate should be a high-performing employee who knows how to put vision into action, serving as an advocate for those living with memory-related disorders and the committed professionals who ensure their well-being.
This week, Memory Care Business is sharing our interview with Amelia Schafer, who is the Area Director of Memory Care for Ascent Living Communities.
What drew you to working in memory care?
My first introduction to assisted living was before memory care was established, so watching the emergence of more personalized, supported living has been exciting. I believe living with dementia can lead to greater emotional vulnerability, which allows barriers and walls to be removed between staff and residents. This, in turn, enables deeper and more meaningful relationships and helps us become more in tune with what’s happening with the residents. What drew me to memory care is the opportunity to build real relationships and support people during some of their most challenging moments.
What’s your biggest lesson learned since starting to work in memory care?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is the importance of knowing and trusting the leadership of your company. It’s impossible for any one person to bear the responsibility for the overall well-being of the residents in memory care. It takes a team approach, involving co-workers, families, friends, and the broader community. If the leadership of your company isn’t aligned and living out the organization’s values, it becomes impossible to honor the close relationships you build in memory care.
If you could change one thing with an eye toward the future of memory care, what would it be?
I would love to see memory care become an integral part of the community. There is still so much fear and misunderstanding about dementia and memory care, which creates barriers both within and outside our communities. We can play a crucial role in destigmatizing dementia and humanizing our residents in memory care.
What is the biggest obstacle to being innovative in memory care, and how do you try to overcome that obstacle?
The biggest obstacle to innovation in memory care is the lack of inclusivity. Some of the most important decisions about the future are made around a table without the insights or perspectives of those closest to day-to-day life in memory care. I get my best ideas by talking with our teams who spend the most time with our memory care residents. I also ask our residents, “How can I make today better?” and I get some very insightful answers. There’s a saying, “Nothing about us without us,” which perfectly illustrates the importance of ensuring that when we make changes for a group, we must include their voices in the process.
In a word, how would you describe the future of memory care?
Transformational
What quality must all Memory Care Innovation Award winners possess?
High emotional intelligence
Use a movie, book, or TV show title to describe the year ahead for the senior living industry in 2024.
I think the year ahead is best described by the Flaming Lips’ “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots,” which is about a girl who faces many perils, but she uses her faith, heart, and courage to prevail in the end.
