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January 27, 2025 As part of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, we spoke with Baycrest staff and therapists to learn about the varied therapies and activities provided to residents and patients. These programs can have a tremendous impact, providing meaningful connections and supporting those in our community through all stages of life and throughout the progression of cognitive decline and dementia.

Montessori Madness

Apotex Therapeutic Recreation staff members Rachel Gavendo and Zulal Biyikli explained Baycrest’s drop-in Montessori Madness program, allowing residents and their caregivers to try out Montessori-style activities adapted for individuals living with dementia. Montessori is an educational approach based on encouragement and respect. Montessori Madness activities include baby doll therapy, interacting with robotic pets, sorting/folding clothes, puzzles and games, and group and one-to-one reading. The program allows residents to experience sensory, cognitive and practical life activities considering past interests, skills and abilities and focusing on enjoying the activity, not on any right or wrong way to participate in the activity.
 
In demonstrating the impact Montessori can have on residents and family members, Rachel and Zulal shared a memorable moment when a resident could read quotes from a book, comment on its images and express her feelings about its content. Her family member commented, “I had no idea my mom could still read and engage in this type of activity.” The family member then bought more books that she could share with her mom during their future visits.
 

Music Therapy

Music is a fundamentally human experience, as we learned when we spoke with Gloria Lipski and Justine Stehouwer, certified music therapists and psychotherapists. Music therapy allows residents, either one-to-one or in small groups, to use and interact with various instruments, including guitars, drums, keyboards, tambourines, bells and maracas. “It is an honour to support clients exactly where they are,” said Justine, “and music offers a connection point and language that is accessible to everyone and taps into something deeply human.”

When asked what she would like people to know about working with clients at Baycrest, Gloria noted, “What we do at Baycrest is very meaningful and rewarding while also being very challenging. My experiences with clients make me want to advocate for more public funding for health care and to fight against ageism. We accomplish a lot here at Baycrest, but we could do so much more with appropriate levels of funding and support.”

Aromatherapy

To learn about Baycrest’s aromatherapy, we spoke with Recreationist Jenypher Ashby, who showed us her equipment and talked about her experiences sharing the power of scent with residents. Aromatherapy is provided one-on-one and takes place in the resident’s room. The scents used are peppermint, lemon, rosemary and lavender. After confirming consent, the resident smells the scent from a cotton ball, paper straw or popsicle stick, and is then asked questions about it and encouraged to discuss their reactions and memories related to the scent.

Reactions vary from yes or no answers or facial expressions to no reaction. Sometimes, a scent may evoke deeper discussion or joyful memories for the resident. “Once, with the lemon scent, a resident remembered being in the lemon fields back in Italy where she had experienced the waft of lemon smell, picking lemons to take into the home with their grandparents to cook and bake with,” said Jenypher. “The resident also recalled that their Nonna’s kitchen had plates with lemon designs on them, which took her back to a happy, trouble-free time and place, a lovely moment for me to be able to share with her.”

When asked about her experience providing aromatherapy to residents, Jenypher noted, “The aromatherapy sessions allow for connecting with residents on a very personal and genuine level. Particularly for residents who may be more isolated for a variety of reasons, the therapy offers a chance to have that one-on-one connection, which is meaningful for me as well as the resident.”

All of those we spoke with highlighted the importance of recognizing that residents, including those experiencing dementia and decreases in cognitive ability, are unique individuals and capable of engaging in and enjoying meaningful activities. Combining therapy, respect and understanding is just one way to contribute to Baycrest’s Vision of A world where every older person lives with purpose, fulfilment and dignity.
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