My mother has adcanved Alzheimer's and is in a facility that is strong in their activities area. Because I am retired, I am able to go twice daily. In the morning, I groom my mother as though she were going out to be with friends. We have her daily schedule posted that I review with her. I return in the afternoons during a non- activity time. We do different things. We have a potted garden in their sunroom. We read together. I have downloaded short videos from YouTube. We laugh as much as possible. Mother's receptive language is still good but her expressive is very poor. We communicate a lot with our eyes. When I leave, I leave my mother sitting with a friend on her level. I introduce them to each other and they usually have big smiles as they speak in their own languages. So yes, we can change long term care facilities' mind sets. It takes showing up, being respectful, and talking to everying about your loved ones interests.
