The Highgate Senior Living mission is to help every resident, regardless of age or ailment, live a life of purpose. You might be wondering how care partners do this in memory care when they are dealing with changes in brain function. 

Not every memory care community employs the Positive Approach to Care model. If you’re considering memory care for your loved one with dementia, here’s a closer look at seven traits of a community that employs a Positive Approach to Care.

A Holistic Approach to Memory Care 

Traditionally, the approach at Highgate has been a holistic one. That means getting to know each person as a whole, making sure the medications they take are right and necessary, and finding alternative ways to boost memory and health, such as exercise, proper eating, hydration, aromatherapy, spa baths, and massages to relax and soothe. 

As researchers learn more about dementia and knowledge of the disease grows, the team at Highgate has developed a greater understanding of ways to interact with, respond to, and support those with dementia.  

A Positive Approach to Memory Care 

Today, memory care partners at Highgate are trained in Positive Approach to Care (PAC), developed by Teepa Snow, in which care partners focus not on what’s lost but on what’s left and concentrate on what can be done rather than what can’t. 

“We do things with your loved ones instead of for your loved ones,” says Alma Macy, Community Relations Coordinator at Highgate at Temecula. “For example, if they need help eating, we will help eat with them instead of just feeding them. There’s a big difference doing something with them rather than for them.” 

Want to learn more about Highgate’s positive approach to memory care and the training provided for care partners? Visit our website to learn about our unique memory care program.